A Duck At Bottom

It is not far to Saint Kilda.

They will be there soon.

Terence is struggling with the orange cake icing.

What's that for? asks Waca.

Glue, says Terence. I'll cover your belly patch with orange icing, then stick the crumbs on.

Don't put it too low down, says Waca.

He has seen the photo of the orange-bellied parrot and concluded its orange patch is too low. 

Okay, says Terence. Keep still.

He has at last got a decent sized handful of icing.

Everything all right back there? asks Gaius.

Yes! says Terence. Waca's going to look even better than an orange belly parrot.

Bellied, says Gaius. Wait! We don't want him to look even better. What are you doing?

Smearing, says Terence. But higher.

Gaius turns, to see what Terence is doing.

Lower, says Gaius.

He doesn't want it lower, says Terence. It's too near his hole.

It's not that, says Waca. But at bottom, I'm a duck, and my belly sits higher.

I hadn't thought of that, says Gaius. I'm not even sure it's the case....perhaps we should ...

Here we are, says Camus. Saint Kilda.

So here they are, and Waca is nowhere near ready.

Camus pulls up in the foreshore carpark. and jumps out.

Takes a deep breath. Regrets it.

Roo-kai flies down.

Gaius gets out to greet him.

Roo-kai! Have you spotted any orange-bellied parrots?

They've gone back to Tasmania, says Roo-kai. But there's a rumour of some newly released ones.

Released from where? asks Gaius.

A breeding program, says Roo-kai. With any luck they won't know about Tasmania.

Excellent, says Gaius. Where are they?

The Bartailed Godwit I asked didn't know, says Roo-kai.

Never mind, says Gaius. Terence is making Waca up now, to attract them. 

Roo-kai looks in through the back window.

Waca looks back, hard, daring him to make a rude comment.

 But Roo-kai doesn't do it.