An unchewed lump of watermelon flies out of Terence's mouth.
Roo-kai whacks him again.
Terence falls over.
Sorry, says Roo-kai. Just making sure everything came out.
Everything has come out, including the dead baby skate in Terence's pocket.
It lies on the ground, beside the unchewed lump of watermelon.
You might want to get rid of that, says Roo-kai.
No way, says Terence. It's having an adventure.
It's starting to smell, says Roo-kai.
That proves it, says Terence.
Gaius has been listening.
So has Surfing-with-Whales.
I think, says Gaius, we could say that the dead baby skate's adventure has ended.
No it hasn't, says Terence. He's only in Waratah.
What was his objective? asks Gaius.
To go on the ferry, says Terence.
Maybe we could preserve him, says Surfing-with-Whales.
Do we still have the vinegar? asks Gaius. If he's pickled, he'll be allowed on the ferry.
Are they joking or what?
No. Gaius is looking in his backpack for the vinegar.
The vinegar he used as a dressing for the lettuce, a few days ago.
He finds it.
Pity we've got nothing to put him in, says Surfing-with-Whales.
Other than the vinegar bottle itself, says Gaius. I'll roll him up and force him inside it.
Roll him up? says Terence. That's cruel.
He's dead, says Gaius. It's not cruel, but it could be seen as disrepectful. The alternative is to leave him here, decomposing. Which do you choose?
Vinegar, says Terence.
So third baby skate is rolled up and forced into the vinegar bottle. Where he begins to unroll but succeeds only partially.
It's to do with the size of the bottle.
Terence is pleased with the outcome.
Now he has third baby skate in a bottle. Third baby skate will continue to enjoy his adventure.
And Terence's shorts won't get smellier.
Gaius and Surfing-with-Whales eat a few chocolate bicuits and hit the road again.
Next stop Devonport, and the ferry.
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