His Smiling Mouth

Gaius unlocks his front door and goes in.

He walks down the passage to the kitchen. 

He places the Kroombit tinker on the kitchen table.

Is Ouvert here? asks Baby Pierre.

Go and see, says Gaius. And Terence, go into the back garden and signal Rookai.

Terence goes into the back garden.

What was the signal?

Rookai flies down from the apricot tree. 

I got here early, says Roo-kai. In case you'd forgotten the signal.

I hadn't, says Terence. 

They both go inside.

The tinker is sitting beside a white sheet of paper.

You must be Rookai, says the tinker.

And you must be the Kroombit tinker, says Rookai. Is that for a map?

No, says the tinker. It's for Baby Pierre's story. I promised to help him re-write it.

I thought we were leaving, says Rookai.

He's already written it, says the tinker. But Border Force confiscated it. We just have to remember.

Ah, says Rookai. So where's Baby Pierre?

Baby Pierre is on the window sill telling Ouvert that he has written a story about the two of them.

What for? asks Ouvert.

I was cycling across the Nullarbor and I met you, says Baby Pierre. You were a rock collector. 

I wasn't, says Ouvert. I've been here all the time.

It might not have been you, says Baby Pierre. And anyway it was a story. It wasn't really me either. If I had the story I'd show it to you but I lost it.

Ouvert smirks with his smiling mouth, keeping his second mouth straight.

Gaius comes out of his bedroom, with his notes on the maugean skate.

Look through these, Terence, says Gaius. Pay special attention to the pictures.

What about Rookai's map? asks Terence. 

I'm not sure he needs a map, says Gaius. 

The map is for the benefit of the tinker, says Rookai. She can follow it and anticipate the stops we'll be making.

I'd like that, says the tinker.

All right says Gaius. I'll call up a map on my phone and Terence can copy it onto this piece of paper.

Terence is pleased to have two things to do.