Streaking Sideways

Gaius decides to go on with the lesson.

He draws a small 1 above the second to last zero.

Now it's a ten, says Gaius. One zero.

How did you do it? asks Terence.

I borrowed ten, says Gaius. So I must now give it back.

He draws a small one under the third to last zero.

There. You can see I haven't cheated, says Gaius.

Just added two ones, says Terence.

Not exactly, says Gaius. But now what are we faced with?

What? asks Terence.

Ten take one, says Gaius. And we can do that easily. What is it?

Terence looks as though he can't see why it matters.

Nine, says Gaius. Now we borrow again.

Let us leave them to their lesson and see what Kant and Faith from SARDI are doing.

They are not finding dead pipis. Faith has already got ten.

They are talking.

I notice your trousers are dry, says Faith. Who gave you that sea temperature reading? 

One of those young men out there, says Kant, pointing to Sweezus and Arthur who are bobbing about in a quiet patch of sea.

So they have a thermometer? asks Faith.

They do, says Kant. 

Are they ecologists? asks Faith.

Oh no, says Kant. One is a poet and ....

A poet? says Faith. I do like poetry. What sort does he write?

To be honest I only know of one example, says Kant. It was about the cheese in a cheese toastie.

Oh, says Faith. Modern.  

I imagine so, says Kant. I prefer the German poets, such as Schiller. Arthur is French

Faith gazes out at the two surfers.

They are standing up now, streaking sideways, under the curl of a wave. 

She wonders which one is the poet.

And the other one? asks Faith.

He is a journalist, says Kant. But perhaps I don't do him justice. He also rides bikes at some sort of high level. But then so does the other one. And of course let me not forget about Gaius. The one you met back there giving a lesson in subtraction to that careless young infant. Would you credit that the infant was once in charge of the thermometer? Inevitably he misplaced it..... 

He stops talking, having gone on a bit. 

He would not like her to think him a garrulous snitch.