On A Leafless Branch

I'll drop you off first, says Katherine.

Excellent, says Vello. No doubt work has piled up.

No doubt, says David. But I'd like to go home and change first.

Of course you must, says Katherine. You do look dishevelled.

I suppose I too look dishevelled, says Vello. 

You do, says Katherine. 

Do I? asks Terence.

No dear, says Katherine, but you need some clean shorts.

Can I get new ones? asks Terence.

Why not, says Katherine. I'll drop Vello and then we'll go straight to the Kmart.

Yay! says Terence. 

Katherine pulls up outside the Velosophy office.

An Uber pulls up behind them.

Sweezus gets out.

Sweezus! says Vello. I didn't expect to see you here. 

I came to the airport but you'd left, says Sweezus.

You could have given Gaius and Pierre-Louis a lift, says Katherine. They were catching a bus.

Yeah, but I needed to see the boss, before he got back to the office, says Sweezus.

Now you see me, says Vello. What's up? Has there been a robbery? A fire? A murder? 

No, says Sweezus. Not that bad. But remember that Camus guy?

Albert Camus? says Vello. Don't tell me he's finally come up with an article, after all this time.

As in ten years, says David. 

Yeah, says Sweezus. And he's sitting upstairs in the office.

Is he? says Vello. 

And he wants to get paid, says Sweezus.

We'll see about that, says Vello. Have you read it?

Yeah it's heaps good, says Sweezus, but there's a problem.

Tell me, says Vello.

We might leave you to it, says Katherine.

I'm getting new shorts, says Terence.

That's good, little buddy, says Sweezus. And what happened to your duck? 

He's my new parrot, says Terence. 

A sharp squark is heard, from the nearest street tree.

Everyone looks up.

Roo-kai is perched on a leafless branch, looking awkward.

Roo-kai! says Terence.

But Roo-kai doesn't answer.

Nor would you, if you had just realised a duck had replaced you.