Fast Botany

Here they come! shouts Terence.

They couldn't have done much mapping, says Gaius.

They were only doing theory of mapping, says Denis.

If anything, says Ageless.

Captain Baudin tows the Nachoo right up to the rocks on which Gaius and Denis are sitting.

Terence is kneeling, leaning forward.

The baby cuttlefish looks up at him, from the Nachoo.

Did you learn proper mapping? asks Terence.

No, says the baby cuttlefish. I learned something better.

He's learning botany, says Captain Baudin.

You don't know botany, says Ageless.

He showed an interest, says Captain Baudin. He went ashore and collected some specimens.

Where are they? asks Terence.

The baby cuttlefish eases out of the Nachoo, and re-enters head first.

Feels around in the dark for his seeds.

Comes out backwards. with the seeds attached to his suckers.

Terence reaches down to take them.

Stop! says Gaius. I'll do it.

He reaches down to take them.

Saltbush seeds, says Gaius. Eremophila glabra.

I know, says the baby cuttlefish.

How come you know? asks Terence.

The bush told me, says the baby cuttlefish. It asked me if I was a caterpillar.

What did you say? asks Terence.

No, says the the baby cuttlefish. I said I was a botanist. 

Bushes don't talk, says Terence.

And they don't eat caterpillars says Denis.

Maybe it thought the caterpillar would eat it, says Ageless.

It was an emu, says Captain Baudin. I saw it.

I was going to say that, says the baby cuttlefish. Except I didn't know what to call it.

So you can't be a botanist, says Ageless.

A botanist does not need to be able to identify an emu, says Gaius. Although of course it does help.

It gave me a new name, says the baby cuttlefish. Jean-Botanist

Woo! says Terence. That's a really cool name.

Jean-Botanist is pleased Terence likes it.

Are you going to continue doing botany? asks Gaius.

Yes, says Jean-Botanist. I'm doing fast botany.

Fast botany? says Gaius. What does that mean?

He has to get out of the Nachoo to do it, says Captain Baudin. 

Of course! says Gaius. Land is not his natural element.

To be honest, says Denis, it's ridiculous for a cuttlefish to want to do botany.

No, says Gaius. We mght regard this as a possible evolutionary breakthrough.

I suppose so, says Denis.