Odd Bites

By the way, says Gaius. Do you have a knife?

No, says Camus. Didn't think I would need one.

I recall there was a knife in your story, says Gaius.

It was a literary knife, says Camus. A means of progressing the narrative.

That's what I was thinking, says Gaius. Those very words, a literary knife, passed through my mind.

When was this? asks Camus.

On my way back here, says Gaius. The reason being, I purchased some cheese.

And you need a cheese knife, says Camus. You may have to improvise.

It's not easy to improvise a cheese knife, says Gaius. 

Is the cheese crumbly? asks Camus.

I doubt it, says Gaius. It wasn't expensive.

Rubbery? says Camus.

I hope not, says Gaius.

There's a wire fence at the base of the sand hills, says Camus. 

Probably rusty, says Gaius. By the way, do you like eating cheese?

Not Australian cheese, says Camus.

In that case says Gaius, I'll just take odd bites of it, as required. 

When do I get my strawberry? asks Terence.

Right now, says Gaius, opening the punnet.

I'm off to look for molluscs, says Roo-kai.

I'll come with you, says Camus. 

Good, says Gaius. I wish to speak with the orange-bellied parrots.

What about? asks the first orange-bellied parrot.

Your decision, says Gaius. What do you think will happen, if you stay here?

We'll be safe, says the first orange-bellied parrot.

It's going to be a hot summer, says Gaius. You might die of heat stroke.

Will I die of heat stroke? asks Terence.

No, says Gaius. You won't. But the orange-bellied parrots need to go somewhere cooler.

They're too scared to fly over the ocean, says Terence. 

That's a problem, says Gaius.

Why don't they go on a boat? asks Terence.

Indeed! says Gaius. There's a thought. The Spirit of Tasmania. And it wouldn't cost anything.

He is thinking that, for two tiny parrots, there'd be no need to pay.

But The Spirit of Tasmania leaves from Melbourne.

Would you consider flying to Melbourne? says Gaius. Then catching the ferry.

Melbourne? says the first orange-bellied parrot. Yes! We know how to get there!

Yes we do! says the second orange-bellied parrot. There's a map in the sand.

Camus's sand map! Not oriented properly. Melbourne, a dot. Tasmania, a triangle, with rounded edges. 

The orange-bellied parrots are excited about catching the ferry. They make a moral decision. They will leave straight away.

Tzeet!

They fly off in a northerly direction.

Which is not the right way.