Ninety Percent Of Our Brothers

Gaius checks his phone for messages. 

Wonderful! Arthur has replied, says Gaius.

Does he remember the words of the poem? asks Katherine.

Let's see, says Gaius.

Arthur has sent a series of messages.

First message: OK get back to you

Second message: Time out scraped knee.

Dear me, says Gaius: I hope he's put something on it.

Third message: Saint Roley the Good. The frog one?

Fourth message: Saint Roley The Good/ Did He Eat us? No! Although He Could/ We Who Lost Ninety Percent of Our Brothers/ Through Development Schemes/ He shared With Us His Last Mollusc/ And We Shared Our Dreams/ We Wish Him Safe Journey/ Saint Roley the Good/ He Did Not Eat Us/ Although He Could.

There you have it, says Gaius. I knew Arthur would remember.

Ask him about his knee, says Katherine.

I suppose I should, says Gaius. 

He types: Thank you, Arthur. How is your knee?

But receives no immediate reply.

That was a good poem, says Terence. The green and gold bell frogs should win.

Good as it is, their poem isn't in our competition, says Katherine.

True, says Margaret. And how do we know they actually wrote it?

They would have dictated it, says Gaius. 

I miss Saint Roley, says Terence.

Have you managed to get that straw though the hole in your Ribena? asks Gaius.

No, that's why I need a parrot, says Terence.

How would a parrot help? asks Margaret.

Beak, says Terence.

Don't you have a claw? asks Katherine.

Yes, he does. Terence had forgotten his claw.

He jabs it into the foil-covered hole at the top of his Ribena.

Ribena squirts everywhere. 

Some drops even land in the brown Murrumbidgee.