Containing No Tomatoes

 Send Monique back! calls Monique's dad, as Gaius is departing. Our dinners are coming!

I will, says Gaius. Come along, Terence.

They go back to Gaius's seat.

Did you bring Waca? asks Monique.

Yes, but your father wants you to go back to your seat for your dinner, says Gaius.

Boo! says Monique. That means we can't fix the wheels onto Terence's shoes.

Impossible anyway, says Gaius. Not until ownership of the wheels is resolved. And the fourth one is recovered.

Monique returns to her seat, next to her dad.

What's for dinner?

Chicken curry, says dad. And coleslaw and bread in a packet. 

Yuck, says Monique. 

She opens the packet.

Funny slice of bread, rolled up like a Swiss roll, with butter inside it.

She tries it. Mm. It's not bad.

Did you bring Waca? asks dad.

I left him with Terence, says Monique, ripping the film from the top of her chicken curry.

Probably for the best, says her dad, doing likewise.

They eat their chicken curry.

Ah well. At least things are moving forward.

After dinner, a sleep, and then breakfast. 

After which, they'll be landing in Adelaide. 

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Something interesting is about to happen.

The dinner trolley stops beside Gaius. His dinner tray is down.

Your chicken curry sir, says the flight attendant. 

Thank you, says Gaius. I trust it contains no tomatoes.

No tomatoes, sir, says the flight attendant. Although I should point out, nothing can contain no tomatoes.

I wouldn't be too sure of that, says Gaius. 

She reaches across Gaius three more times, with three more chicken curries.

I see we've all ordered the same dinner, says Vello.

This is true. But it isn't the interesting thing.

Gaius opens the lid of his coleslaw, only to spot....horror! a mini tomato! 

Or is it? In fact it looks more like a wheel.

Well, look at this, says Gaius. Is it the missing wheel or a fifth one?

Terence has been sitting at his feet, with three wheels and Cwaca and Waca, dividing them up.

One wheel each, that was easy. But useless.

And Waca looks sad.

See this? says Gaius, extracting the wheel from the coleslaw and showing it to Terence.

Yay! says Terence. How did that happen?

Who knows? says Gaius. It was either a fortuitous accident or a means of returning it to us under the radar.

With extra carrot, says Terence. That was nice.