Black Cheese-Smelling Road

I told you it would stink, says Baby Pierre.

It's only smells a little bit, says the tinker.

It's probably supposed to, says Rosa. 

They all gaze at the century egg. 

The century egg lies there, black and gelatinous.

I'm going to take a bite, says the tinker. An airline lunch wouldn't be poisonous.

It might be to frogs, says Baby Pierre. 

Do you want me to eat it or not? asks the tinker.

I want you to eat it, sats Baby Pierre. But no burping, after.

I never burp, says the tinker.

Me either, says Rosa. 

Do you want some? asks the tinker.

No thanks, says Rosa. I'm still full from the fried carrot cake and prawn.

This reminds Baby Pierre of his description of the Nullarbor, which he was proud of. 'Like a fried carrot cake'. Perhaps he should incorporate the century egg into his story. 

He starts to write ( very small): Ouvert and I continued to cycle across the Nullarbor The road was hot, black and gelatinous, like a century egg. Strong fumes arose to our nostrils. I asked Ouvert what it reminded him of, he said cheese, I said what sort, not cheddar, he said no, ripe blue cheese. This gave me an idea....

Rosa is reading what he is writing.

I bet I know what it is, says Rosa.

You don't, because I haven't thought of it yet, says Baby Pierre.

Sorry, says Rosa.

She turns to the tinker.

How does it taste?

Kind of like cheese, says the tinker.

What sort? asks Rosa. Not cheddar?

No, says the tinker. Ripe blue cheese.

Wow! says Rosa. That's exactly what Baby Pierre wrote that Ouvert said it smelled like.

Weird, says the tinker, because I don't think it smells like it tastes.

What then? asks Rosa. To me it smells kind of like toilet cleaner.

I wish you hadn't said that, says the tinker.

So do I, says Rosa. It's pretty faint, and there's another smell with it.

Sulphur, says the tinker.

You know a lot about smells, says Rosa. 

I was brought up in a lab, says the tinker. 

Got it! says Baby Pierre.

He writes fast (very small): I asked Ouvert if he remembered the time we went to Wallaroo with Gaius and Arthur. Ouvert said yes why. I said because if you do that proves you're my cousin, and he said okay then I don't. Turns out he didn't care if he wasn't my cousin, and neither did I. We kept on pedalling along the cheese-smelling black egg-like road.