Tattoo Sort

Terence and Captain Baudin are not back yet.

Ageless is minding the hatchling.

Gaius is looking for a pencil.

Denis takes out his phone.

This would be a good time to reply to Henriette's message.

He looks at the photo she sent him, of her feet with the cuttlefish tattoos on the soles.

He starts tapping:

News! The lobsters collected a number of cuttlefish eggs in a croissant packet, and then let them go, because they were hatching. Terence found his egg box. He is keeping one baby behind. The baby is revolving inside the egg box which is falling apart, but the plan is to transfer it to an empty Red Bull can, as soon as a can opener is found. I will send you a picture of the spinning baby. You might like to compare it to the tattoos on your feet. At first I believed they were words. But no, they were cephalopods! And well executed. I am sitting on a wet rock. What are you doing?

Writing to Henriette? asks Gaius.

Yes, says Denis. I hope I have struck the right tone.

Read it aloud, if you'd like a second opinion says Gaius. 

Denis reads it aloud.

The lobsters? says Ageless. 

You and Baudin are lobsters, says Denis. What's wrong with that title?

Proper names would have been more repectful, says Ageless.

What about the rest of it? asks Denis.

Was it wise to leave the comment about her tattoos to the end of your missive? asks Gaius.

I don't like to gush, says Denis. Our relationship is not of that kind.

Females like compliments, says Ageless.

And she has gone to a great deal of trouble, says Gaius. Getting tattoos can be painful.

Maybe they were just drawn on, says Denis. And have now been washed off. She didn't seem like a tattoo sort of person.

Then you are wise to make little of it, says Gaius.

That's what I thought, says Denis. So I'll send it.

What about the photo? asks Gaius.

Yes! Thanks for reminding me, says Denis.

He takes a photo of the spinning baby through the transparent door of the egg box.

It's a bit blurry, says Denis. 

I could stop it spinning, says Ageless.

How? asks Denis.

But that won't be necessary. 

Terence and Captain Baudin have arrived with the can opener.