You Have Ten Seconds

Six am.

The Spirit of Tasmania docks in Devonport.

Gaius, Surfing with-Whales and Terence wait at the ramp to get off.

The queue starts to move.

...

Now to look for a hardware store, says Gaius. Then a bicycle hire shop.

You guys get the glue, says Surfing-with-Whales. I'll find a bike shop.

That will save time, says Gaius. Send me the address, and we'll meet there. Don't sign anything until I arrive.

As if, says Surfing-with-Whales, getting his phone out. 

He searches for  'bike hire in Devonport'.

Gaius and Terence head off to find glue.

Ah! says Gaius. A Coles Supermarket. They'll have it.

They enter the Coles, and look for the glue section

Here we are says Gaius. Supa Glue, Fix n' Go. Only three dollars.

Yay! says Terence. 

They go to the checkout where Gaius pays for the glue.

Can we do it now? asks Terence.

I suppose so, says Gaius. Where is your claw?

Wah! says Terence. It's in Surfing-with-Whales's pocket!

Never mind, says Gaius. We'll be meeting him soon.

He checks his phone. Surfing-with-Whales has sent him an address.

It's not far away.

Here he is! says Surfing-with-Whales. This is Gaius.

Hi Gaius, says the bike hire guy. I'm Damo. 

He's got these cool vintage mountain bikes for hire, says Surfing-with-Whales.

Let's see them, says Gaius. Yes, very nice. What's the weekly hire rate"

Seventy eight dollars a week, says Damo. What about the little guy?

I'm having a scooter, says Terence.

Damo laughs.

Thought you were going to Macquarie Harbour, says Damo.

We are, says Gaius. He's not having a scooter.

I could give you a basket to fix to the front, says Damo. Or one of those pull-alongs. Slow you down though.

I'm not going in a basket, says Terence. And what about my claw?

Yeah, says Surfing-with-Whales. Did you guys get the glue?

We did, says Gaius. Only three dollars!

What's happening? asks Damo.

We need to stick his claw back on, says Surfing-with-Whales, taking it out of his pocker.

To his credit, Damo does not ask any questions.

Wanna sit in my office and do it? asks Damo.

Thanks, mate, says Surfing-with-Whales.

They follow Damo into the office and sit Terence down on a chair.

Surfing-with-Whales twists the lid off the glue.

Hold the claw, Terence, says Surfing-with-Whales. When I squeeze glue on the end, you position it. If you get it wrong you have ten seconds to change it before it dries hard.

Ten seconds. Sounds good.

Plenty of time to make everything perfect.