Born With The Knowledge

Roo-kai spots two grass-green blobs, in the saltmarsh.

He flies down.

Mother! squawks one grass-green blob.

To be fair, it looks less like a grass-green blob and more like a parrot, close up.

And it has an orange belly patch.

As does the other.

I can't be your mother, says Roo-kai. 

Can you be mine? asks the other one.

Nor yours, says Roo-kai. For one thing, I'm an oystercatcher.  For another, I'm a male of the species.

You see, says the grass-green parrot to the other, we should have paid more attention.

Gaius arrives, out of breath.

Wonderful! says Gaius. A pair of orange-bellied parrots. Well done Roo-kai.

He's not our mother, says the first orange-bellied parrot.

I did not mean to imply that he was, says Gaius. But he has found you, which is wonderful.

Thank you, says Roo-kai.

We heard that the other orange-bellied parrots have left for Tasmania. says Gaius.

Who told you that? asks the second one.

Me, says Roo-kai.

And who told you? asks the first one.

The Bartailed Godwit, says Roo-kai. Why? Isn't he reliable?

It's not that, says the first orange-bellied parrot. We don't even know him. But he might tell us more about Tasmania.

I can do that, says Gaius. Tasmania is where you orange-bellied parrots go to breed, after wintering here in South Australia.

What is breed? asks the second one.

You will know when you get there, says Gaius.

It comes naturally, says Roo-kai. 

Okay, says the first one. How do we get there? 

Were you not born with the knowledge? asks Gaius. 

The orange-bellied parrots look at one another.

They were hatched at the Adelaide Zoo. And released recently.

They shake their heads.

I see you were not, says Gaius. If you would like our assistance, come with us. We have maps.

We're in the middle of eating, says the first parrot.

Don't let us stop you, says Gaius. We shall return to our colleagues. You can follow our footprints, when you're ready.

He and Roo-kai set off, back to where Camus, Terence and Waca are contesting with flies.

Get them away from me! cries Waca. I'll be infested with maggots!

They keep on returning! says Camus.

Kill them! yells Terence.

What with? shouts Camus.

This is ridiculous. If Camus can't deal with flies, what good is his philosophical background?

He takes a moment.

Yes. Bien sur! Scrape off the icing and cake crumbs. Set it aside on the sand, some way off. Wash Waca. Start again with something else orange, but less attractive to flies.  

What might that be? Rien! He will deal with that later.

Spitting On Crumbs

What's the plan? asks Camus.

Two fold, says Gaius. Firstly, we find the right habitat.

I thought this was the right habitat, says Camus.

Too much sand, says Gaius. And not enough vegetation. We must proceed to the saltmarsh.

And the rest of the plan? asks Camus. 

Terence will place Waca somewhere conspicuous, once he is finished, says Gaius.

Finished? says Waca.

The cake crumbs will be a nice touch, says Gaius.

I knew it was a good plan, says Terence.

Don't use all the cake, says Camus. 

Okay, says Terence.

He breaks a chunk off. And crumbles it into the sand.

Now, says Terence. Roll forward into it.

Me? says Waca.

 Of course you, says Terence.

Fancy some cake? asks Camus.

I'd prefer an apple, says Gaius.

There are no apples, says Camus.

But I specifically asked for apples, says Gaius. Never mind, what else is there?

But before Camus can answer 'only junk food', Roo-kai flies down.

A few have been spotted in the coastal saltmarsh vegetation, just north of here, says Roo-kai.

Right, says Gaius. You lead the way. I'll follow. 

We'll save you some cake, says Camus.

Gaius hurries off.

Waca has rolled forward onto the sandy cake crumbs, and many have stuck to his belly.

You look good, says Terence. 

Now what? asks Waca.

Display yourself, says Camus. 

Waca leans back, to display himself.

The orange icing dotted with cake crumbs attracts several flies.

Buzz off! says Waca.

We assumed you were trying to attract us, says one fly.

Well I wasn't, so buzz off, says Waca.

Yes buzz off says Terence. We're attracting a parrot.

Fancy! says the fly, spitting on a cake crumb.

This is not going well.

A Duck At Bottom

It is not far to Saint Kilda.

They will be there soon.

Terence is struggling with the orange cake icing.

What's that for? asks Waca.

Glue, says Terence. I'll cover your belly patch with orange icing, then stick the crumbs on.

Don't put it too low down, says Waca.

He has seen the photo of the orange-bellied parrot and concluded its orange patch is too low. 

Okay, says Terence. Keep still.

He has at last got a decent sized handful of icing.

Everything all right back there? asks Gaius.

Yes! says Terence. Waca's going to look even better than an orange belly parrot.

Bellied, says Gaius. Wait! We don't want him to look even better. What are you doing?

Smearing, says Terence. But higher.

Gaius turns, to see what Terence is doing.

Lower, says Gaius.

He doesn't want it lower, says Terence. It's too near his hole.

It's not that, says Waca. But at bottom, I'm a duck, and my belly sits higher.

I hadn't thought of that, says Gaius. I'm not even sure it's the case....perhaps we should ...

Here we are, says Camus. Saint Kilda.

So here they are, and Waca is nowhere near ready.

Camus pulls up in the foreshore carpark. and jumps out.

Takes a deep breath. Regrets it.

Roo-kai flies down.

Gaius gets out to greet him.

Roo-kai! Have you spotted any orange-bellied parrots?

They've gone back to Tasmania, says Roo-kai. But there's a rumour of some newly released ones.

Released from where? asks Gaius.

A breeding program, says Roo-kai. With any luck they won't know about Tasmania.

Excellent, says Gaius. Where are they?

The Bartailed Godwit I asked didn't know, says Roo-kai.

Never mind, says Gaius. Terence is making Waca up now, to attract them. 

Roo-kai looks in through the back window.

Waca looks back, hard, daring him to make a rude comment.

 But Roo-kai doesn't do it.

The Practical Packer

Camus arrives at the back of the car. Opens the boot and deposits the provisions. 

He closes the boot.

All done, says Camus. Did you get your notes sorted?

All but the illustration, says Gaius. It appears to be missing.

You gave it to me, says Terence.

Then it's probably irretrievable, says Gaius. Never mind, I know what the orange-bellied parrot looks like.

But I don't, says Camus. For me, an illustration would have been helpful.

Don't worry, says Terence. We've got Waca, and a cake.

Ha ha! laughs Gaius. That is a non sequitur if ever I heard one.

What does that mean? asks Terence.

It does not follow, says Camus. Gaius means that a missing illustration of a parrot is not solved by cake.

Wrong! says Terence. It's an ORANGE cake!

Aha! says Gaius. Now the penny drops. Camus bought a cake.

As a treat for Terence, says Camus. He was helpful during the shopping.

Yes, says Terence. We bought more treats as well. Everything was treats, and nothing was healthy.

But Gaius is following the previous train of thought, about the orange cake, and misses this crucial information.

So you plan to do Waca up as an orange-bellied parrot with orange cake, says Gaius. I presume it's a sticky one?

Yes, says Terence. When we get going I'll start.

Wonderful, says Gaius. And if you don't use the whole cake perhaps we might have a nibble.

You eat cake? says Camus.

On occasion, says Gaius. Now, as we're all here, and the shopping's done, let's continue our journey. 

Camus turns on the engine. Purrrr (it's electric).  And off they head to Saint Kilda.

I'll call up a picture on my phone if you like, says Gaius.

For me? says Terence.

No, for Camus, says Gaius. But as he's driving, you can look at it first.

He calls up a photo.

Here we are! Bright grass green upper parts, yellow underparts, orange belly patch. The trick is not to confuse it with an elegant parrot which looks rather similar.

Why would that confuse it? asks Terence.

Waca had wondered the same. But he has worse things to worry about. Where is the cake?

Terence has been wondering that too.

Where's the cake? I want to get started.

In the boot with the rest of the shopping, says Camus. I'll pull over.

He pulls over, pops the boot, and Gaius gets out.

Gaius reaches into the shopping bag of unhealthy treats, no apples, no carrots, no water or crackers.

Will he notice?

 Not yet. Because the orange cake is on top.

(always a sign of a practical packer).

What Whatsits

Are we there yet? asks Terence.

Not yet, says Camus. We need to stop for provisions.

And carrots, says Terence.

The carrots will constitute part of our provisions, says Gaius. We also need apples, water and crackers.

Let me do the shopping, says Camus, pulling into the Mawson Lakes carpark next to the Coles.

If you would, says Gaius. I need to sort these notes out. They seem to have become disordered.

Can I come? asks Terence.

Certainly, says Camus. And you may choose a treat for yourself.

Yay! says Terence.

He gets to choose a treat for himself!

Camus enters the supermarket, having picked up a trolley.

He lifts Terence in, and wheels him towards the fruit and vegetables.

But he keeps going.

Hey! says Terence. You went past the carrots!

I'm heading for the cakes, says Camus.

That's even better, says Terence.

Camus arrives at the cakes.

Pick one, says Camus.

Terence picks one that looks orange.

His thinking goes: This will make Waca look carroty.

This one, says Terence. Now we don't need the carrots.

Camus places the sticky orange cake in the trolley, and heads for the Cheezels and Twisties.

He selects several large multi-packets.

Gaius won't like those, says Terence. He wants apples.

We'll go back for the apples, says Camus, but first I must pick up some drinks.

He selects a six cans of Passiona.

They pass the chocolates. Camus can't resist a box of Favourites. 

Now to go back for the apples.

Wait! says Terence. Should we buy birdseed?

I think not, says Camus. Supermarket birdseed might poison the whatsits.

What whatsits? asks Terence, alarmed,

 You know, says Camus. The whatsits we're looking for.

They're not whatsits, says Terence. Or if they are, they're not what we're looking for.

Camus likes this answer. 

That was a well thought out answer, says Camus.

Can I choose another treat? asks Terence.

No, says Camus. We'd better be going.

They head to the checkout, forgetting the apples.

Ask The Great Knot

Camus and Gaius must first drop Sweezus off in the city, then stop somewhere else for provisions.

Roo-kai is flying to Saint Kilda directly.

So why don't we follow Roo-kai.

Roo-kai was not offended, by the wasp killing. No. He has forgotten it.

He is thinking of the orange-bellied parrot. Will it be there?

He flies over Prospect, Gepps Cross, Mawson Lakes ...

Hnm-snff. Yes! He can now smell Saint Kilda.

He flies over the dying mangroves, and lands on the sand.

Great. He spies an Eastern Curlew. It might know what's what.

He approaches the Eastern Curlew.

Who are you? says the Eastern Curlew. Are you new?

Yes and no, says Roo-kai. Are you?

Not new, says the Eastern Curlew. 

Good, says Roo-kai. I was wondering if you might have seen an orange-bellied parrot, anywhere in this vicinity?

There were a few, says the Eastern Curlew. But it's spring. I reckon they've gone back to Tassie.

All of them? asks Roo-kai.

How would I know? says the Easten Curlew. Why don't you ask that Great Knot?

Roo-kai sees a Great Knot in the near distance.

He approaches the Great Knot.

Excuse me, says Roo-kai. 

What? says the Great Knot.

Seen any orange-bellied parrots? asks Roo-kai 

I have not, says the Great Knot.

What's that coming out of your nostril? asks Roo-kai.

Snot! laughs the Great Knot.

(the trouble with Great Knots is you're tempted to provoke this kind of answer).

Roo-kai wonders how he can re-frame his question.

Fortunately he doesn't have to. A Bartailed Godwit flies down providentially.

Looking for someone in partic-tic-tic-ular? asks the Bartailed Godwit.

Orange-bellied parrots, says Roo-kai. Or have they all gone to Tasmania?

No, says the Bartailed Godwit. Some new ones have just been released, and they missed the boat, metaphorically speaking.

This is good news for Roo-kai.

Not Resigned To Oblivion

We'll go in the electric car, says Camus. It will be faster.

An excellent idea, says Gaius. My bike is still in a flat pack. But I would like to take it.

There'll be plenty of room, says Camus. 

Are you off? asks Pierre-Louis. What about provisions?

We'll stop on the way, says Camus.

Drop me off in the city, says Sweezus.

Can I sit in the front? asks Terence.

You can sit in the back with Roo-kai, says Gaius. That is, unless Roo-kai plans to fly.

I do plan to fly, says Roo-kai. I'll meet you at Saint Kilda.

He leaves through the open front door and flies off.

He didn't say goodbye, says Terence.

Maybe he's offended, says Sweezus. He saw how the wasp died.

So did I, says Terence. You killed it.

I didn't, says Sweezus. It was him.

I did it to save you being stung, says Pierre-Louis.

And now look, says Terence. 

Why don't you bring Waca, says Gaius. He can ride in the back seat with you, and who knows, he might be useful.

Waca, who had resigned himself to oblivion, is thrilled.

He might be useful!

How? asks Terence.

As a decoy, says Gaius. 

We're shooting birds, are we ? asks Camus.

Of course not, says Gaius. Ideally he would look more like a parrot, but there isn't time.

I can make him look more like a parrot, says Terence. Remember?

Gaius remembers the grated carrot stuck to the front of the now space-bound Cwaca.

Yes. Terence could be occupied in the back seat, doing that. But are there any carrots?

He goes to the pantry.

No. Only two sprouting potatoes.

We could peel these, I suppose, says Gaius.

Just buy some fresh carrots, says Sweezus. A wooden duck stuck with potato peel won't attract anything.

I didn't know you were an expert, says Gaius. In fact potato peelings would attract a number of creatures, but you're probably right in the case of the orange-bellied parrot.

So it is decided.

Gaius loads his flat-packed bike into the boot.

He and Camus get into the front seats of the electric car.

Sweezus, Terence and Waca get into the back.

Bruumm! Or rather, hummm... (the car being electric).

They drive to Saint Kilda.