Nooo Snippers

 Wah! says Terence.

Greedy has drooped.

That will teach you, says Hedley's mother.

What's happened? asks Belle.

Terence has drawn a mouth on his pink rubber glove, says Hedley's mother. And it talks now. And half its air has come out.

O Terence, says Belle.

It's a character! wails Terence.

Never mind, says Belle, we can blow it up again.

Good luck with that, says Hedley's mother. Those bin ties are hard to undo.

Easier with snippers! says Iris.

Nooo snippers! says Greedy, with his last breath.

Don't worry, we'll fix you nicely, says Terence.

Greedy looks grateful, under his long eyelashes, with his big poppy eyes.

Put him away now, says Belle. We'll rehearse your scene later.

Is Hedley still needed? asks Hedley's mother.

Vello whisks out his tatty old copy.

He'll need to learn these lines, starting here, at Good God sir, says Vello.

Bon-doo sir, says  Hedley.

Bon Dieu! says Vello.

Bon-doo is kind of cute though, says Belle.

I bow to your judgement says Vello.

Let me see, says Hedley's mother. Three diamonds! My dear sir, I would rather die than take you to prison. I will take you to my brother in Dieppe, and if you... This is a long speech for a seven year old! 

Hedley is welcome to shorten it, says Vello. 

Hedley and I will work on it tonight, says Hedley's mother. But right now, he should be at school and is already late.

Hedley leaves with his mother.

Now what? asks Terence.

We can't do the seduction scene without a couch, says Belle. And we can't do the deception scene, without Greedy, and we can't do the escape because Hedley's gone to school. That leaves the card game.

Good, says David. I'm in that one.

So am I, says Gaius. Where are we sitting?

Standing, says Vello. There aren't enough seats.

Belle, Iris, David and Gaius position themselves around the office desk.

Terence, says Vello, I've a job for you. We need a set of large playing cards. Use some of this A4 size paper. 

You'll have to help him, says Belle.

So Vello helps Terence make the playing cards, while Belle, Iris, David and Gaius regard one another in silence.