Suddenly Dark

Can you carry Freddy? asks Terence.

Sure, says Nerida. Give him to me.

She takes Freddy.

I should be in a bag, says Freddy.

My hands are really cold, says Nerida. So don't worry. Now let's go back to the campsite.

Can I be the leader? asks Terence. 

If you know the way, says Nerida.

Terence flashes his torch in the direction of the campsite.

Go for it, says Nerida. 

Terence leads off with Greedy.

Nerida follows with Freddy.

The Kroombit tinker starts hopping.

Want a lift? asks Nerida.

Thanks, says the Kroombit tinker.

Nerida now has the Kroombit tinker in one hand and Freddy in the other.

She has shoved her torch in her pocket.

If she stays close behind Terence, she won't need it.

Off they go.

What made you go back to the crash site? asks Nerida.

Terence, says Freddy. But Greedy wanted to.

Why? asks Nerida. 

To see the letter to Granny Greedith, says Freddy.

And did she? asks Nerida.

Yes, says Freddy. 

It was quite moving, says the Kroombit tinker. 

Cool, says Nerida. I guess that means you can read?

Yes, says the Kroombit tinker. And there's precious little to read in these parts.

Poor you, says Freddy.

I was in the middle of a short novel before I got dumped here, says the Kroombit tinker.

How annoying, says Nerida. Unless, you were glad.

I wasn't glad, says the Kroombit tinker. I wanted to know the ending. Why would I be glad?

I was thinking about school, says Nerida. English. We had to read Cloudstreet by Tim Winton. It was long.

But didn't you want to know the ending? asks the Kroombit tinker.

Fish drowns, says Nerida. But you didn't have to read it to know that.

Do you know the ending of The Inseparables? asks the Kroombit tinker.

Never heard of it, says Nerida. But I bet Katherine has. She likes reading.

Who's Katherine? asks the Kroombit tinker.

Nerida explains that Katherine is there as her chaperone because otherwise her dad wouldn't have let her come on this trip for her work experience, mainly because of Arthur, but now Arthur has gone off somewhere, and she doesn't need a chaperone. But yes, Katherine is helping Gaius look for Kroombit tinkers, which she doesn't have to do, because frogs aren't her thing. She's a good person.

And she likes reading, says the Kroombit tinker. 

Yes, says Nerida. Hey, where are we?

It is suddenly dark.