Stars Are All Purple

The humans have all gone to bed.

Terence can hear Gaius snoring.

Don't you sleep? asks Prong.

No, says Terence. That's one of the good things about me.

I do, says Prong. Can I sleep now or what?

You can, says Terence, but if you stay awake we can play Cannot But Be.

I'm good at Cannot But Be, says Prong.

How come? asks Terence.

Dad taught me, says Prong.

And guess who taught him, says Terence.

You? says Prong.

Me, says Terence. So you can't be that good.

Why? Did you teach him badly? asks Prong.

No, but he's only just learned it, says Terence, and I've been playing it for ages.

We're superb parrots, says Prong. We get good at things quickly.

Let's play, says Terence. 

You start, says Prong.

What if you get tomato sauce on your beak? asks Terence.

Cannot but beak, says Prong.

Correct, says Terence.

Have I got tomato sauce on my beak? asks Prong.

Is that the question? asks Terence.

Only if I have, says Prong.

You haven't. Ask the question, says Terence.

What if I opened a box and took out a glass leaf and dropped it? asks Prong.

Yikes! says Terence.

Wrong, says Prong.

That wasn't the answer, says Terence.

I know. I told you it wasn't, says Prong.

I said yikes! because if you dropped it I'd be in big trouble, says Terence.

Do you give up? asks Prong.

I give up, says Terence.

Cannot but break, says Prong. 

Your questions are too long, says Terence.

Are they? says Prong.

You can go to sleep now, says Terence.

Thank you, says Prong.

She tucks her head into her feathers and makes grinding noises.

Terence goes across to the window, and looks up at the sky.

The stars are all purple, or they may just be spots of the berry-flavoured sports drink he accidentally squirted at the windows, earlier.