Roo-kai and Little Mystic wait outside the Spray Tunnel.
They are minding the bikes and the skateboard.
And talking.
Maybe I should have gone in with Terence, says Little Mystic.
He'll be all right, says Roo-kai.
What if he gets lost? asks Little Mystic.
Gaius will find him, says Roo-kai.
I guess so, says Little Mystic. What do you think it's like in the tunnel?
Dark, says Roo-kai. Go in if you want to.
Just a short way, says Little Mystic. Just to see.
He hops off the pullalong and flies into the tunnel.
Roo-kai closes his eyes. It's been a long week.
Flying to Queensland and back with a frog in a sling, and she would keep on talking.
And then all the way south to Tasmania, on his own.
And now all this stopping and starting....
He sleeps, in a bird kind of way.
Inside the tunnel, Little Mystic is not fearful.
If he turns he can see the keyhole-shaped entrance behind him.
And daylight.
He forges on.
He sees two lights bobbing and flashing, illuminating the walls of the tunnel.
He hears voices.
The lights go off.
Arachnacampo tasmaniensis! says Gaius.
Crash!
He has bumped into Terence.
Ouch! says Terence. Watch out!
Apologies, says Gaius. I was admiring the glow worms.
Me too, says Terence.
Awesome, says Surfing-with-Whales. Glow worms. Is that what they are?
Yes, says Gaius. Not actual worms but tiny bioluminescent insects, attracting their prey.
Little Mystic has now come up behind them.
Insects?
Don't try to eat them, says Gaius. You'll be glowing for days.
Yeah? says Surfing-with-Whales. Would that really happen?
That's something we don't need to find out, says Gaius.
Little Mystic likes the idea of glowing for days.
The others proceed through the tunnel, but Little Mystic is tempted by the sparkling blue constellations.
Surely he could try just one.
He flies up to the roof of the tunnel.
Ee! Euw! Kek!
He becomes entangled in long threads of sticky blue mucus.
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