Intervention

 De Freycinet has landed the dinghy, with the aid of his friends.

Come in and rest your old claws, says Baudin.

Thank you, I will, says de Freycinet.

Baudin, de Freycinet and Ageless climb up the rocks to the lighthouse.

Baudin opens a can of sardines. 

Meanwhile Gaius and Terence are walking along the trail to the lighthouse.

And, says Terence, there were millions and millions of of parrots.

On the palace? asks Gaius.

Yes, says Terence. 

Hundreds, surely, says Gaius. 

Maybe not THAT many, says Terence.

Did you make friends with them? asks Gaius.

No, says Terence. They were friends with Saint Joseph. They sat on his things.

Annoying, says Gaius. 

That's not what he said, says Terence.

They have now arrived at the front door of the lighthouse.

Gaius knocks on the door.

Baudin opens.

Come in! says Baudin. De Freycinet's here. He's brought back my dinghy.

We know, says Gaius. We thought we'd walk back with him.

Very kind, says Baudin. I had offered to row him.

Stupid, whispers Terence.

I heard that, says Baudin. It's not stupid. It's good manners.

Do I smell sardines? asks Gaius.

Yes, says Baudin. I've just opened a can. Are you hungry?

I would welcome a sardine or two, says Gaius.

They all go inside.

Any news of the botanists? asks Baudin.

They've gone hunting for their dinner, says Gaius. They hadn't eaten a thing since they hatched.

Without their Nachoos, says Terence. And they might never come back.

They'll come back for their Nachoos, says Baudin.

Terence looks hopeful. 

Then less hopeful. 

How does he know?

Good sailors don't abandon their vessels, says Baudin.

Ha ha! laughs de Freycinet. Sometimes they do.

Terence looks at Ageless, who is eating the final sardine.

What? asks Ageless. 

Do you think they'll come back? asks Terence.

They'll be weighing up their options, says Ageless.

True, says Gaius. Was that the last sardine?

I'll open another can, says Baudin.

What does that mean? asks Terence.

I'll need to do some more shopping, says Baudin.

I meant weighing up their options, says Terence.

Choosing the best course of action, says Ageless. 

What if...? begins Terence.

Lobster Guy will intervene, says Ageless.

Never Nothing

Jean-Botanist and Carl-Botanist divide and share the stunned leatherjacket.

Chomp chomp. This is good!

They know how to survive now.

We don't have to do botany, says Jean-Botanist. We could live like this forever.

As hunters, says Carl-Botanist.

They think about it, for a while.

....

So what's everyone else doing?

Louis de Freycinet is approaching the lighthouse in Baudin's dinghy.

Baudin is watching through an upper window.

Ageless is downstairs, having a nap.

Baudin sees Louis and runs downstairs to tell Ageless that Louis is coming.

Ageless has been dreaming of Kobo. 

Pulling her along a dark beach in a plum box. 

De Freycinet's here with my dinghy! says Captain Baudin. Help me guide him in past the rocks.

Ageless is awake in an instant.

They head down to the rocks.

......

Can we go now? asks Terence.

I suppose so, says Gaius. But we must tell Denis first.

They walk back to Faith's tent where Denis is eating the last of the blueberries.

And discussing what Denis should do.

Her last reply was definitive, says Denis. Nothing.

Not necessarily, says Faith. She may have genuinely been doing nothing.

It gives me nothing to go on, says Denis. Our correspondence is based on exchange of information.

What was she doing before she was doing nothing? asks Faith.

Getting a tattoo, says Denis. Before that, skydiving.

She sounds like an interesting person, says Faith. 

Guess what! says Terence, arriving.

What? asks Faith. Did you let the cuttlefish go?

Yes, says Terence, and we saw Louis de Face-net, and he stopped and swapped dinghies, and now...

...we're thinkng of walking to the lighthouse to accompany him on his way back, says Gaius.

But surely Baudin will row him back here to pick up his dinghy? says Denis.

If he's stupid, says Terence.

If he does the right thing, says Denis.

It's a short walk, says Gaius. If they're planning on rowing, Terence and I will walk back on our own.

Yes! says Terence. Then everyone will have someone to talk to.

Right, says Gaius. Let's go, Terence.

He and Terence start walking towards Lighthouse Drive.

They walk along Lighthouse Drive for a while.

I used to live on a palace, says Terence.

I know that, says Gaius. I was there when you fell.

This is nice. It's not hard to find something to talk about.

Zchoom!

Shall I tell you? asks Louis de Freycinet.

No, says Terence. I'll wait and see what happens.

Eh bien! says Louis de Freycinet.

He climbs out of his dinghy and drags it onto the sand.

Then he clambers into Captain Baudin's dinghy.

Give me a push, says Louis de Freycinet.

Terence gives him a push.

Nothing happens.

I'll go and get Gaius, says Roo-kai.

He flies off and comes back with Gaius.

Gaius and Terence both push the dinghy.

It slides into the sea.

Louis de Freycinet waves back at them, and starts rowing.

I suppose he plans to walk back, says Gaius.

Yes! says Terence. And he'll have no one to talk to.

We could go and meet him, says Gaius. 

Okay, says Terence. Can we go now?

Not yet, says Gaius. It will be some time before he arrives at the lighthouse.

What if Baudin rows him back? says Roo-kai.

Why would he do that? asks Terence.

He might think it's the right thing to do, says Roo-kai.

It would be stupid, says Terence. He'd have to row back again. 

These old sea captains are fond of the sea, says Gaius. 

Terence still thinks it's stupid.

I wonder if the botanists have found anything to eat yet? says Gaius.

Yes I wonder, says Roo-kai. 

I sometimes forget they're just babies, says Gaius.

They grow up fast, says Roo-kai. We may not see them again.

Wah! cries Terence. They have to come back for their Nachoos!

And I'm hoping to follow their progress as cuttlefish botanists, says Gaius.

You should have made an arrangement, says Roo-kai.

Too late for that now, says Gaius. 

.....

Far out at sea, Carl-Botanist and Jean-Botanist are trying out their high-speed tentacles.

Zchoom! Zchoom! 

These are great! says Carl-Botanist.

Look over there, says Jean-Botanist.

Half a dozen leatherjackets are darting this way and that, in an unpredictable manner.

How do we sneak up behind them? asks Carl-Botanist.

We work together, says Jean-Botanist. I'll attract their attention while you do the sneaking. And we share what you catch.

A clever plan, thinks Carl-Botanist.

Jean-Botanist undulates into a space not too far from the leatherjackets.

He starts spinning and making horrible faces.

Skills he learned earlier.

The leatherjackets stop darting in an unpredictable manner and watch him.

That cuttlefish is going nuts, says a leatherjacket.

Maybe it ate something nasty, says another.

Zchoom! 

A leatherjacket is impaled on toothed suckers.

The other five dart away.

Teacups and Sinks

Terence lets the botanists go.

They swim away, looking for molluscs, crabs, prawns, but not lobsters.

Terence stands on the shore, not far from Captain Baudin's dinghy.

Roo-kai drops down and lands on the dinghy.

How will Captain Baudin get his dinghy back? asks Terence.

He'll think of something, says Roo-kai.

Like what? asks Terence.

It's not too far to the lighthouse.. says Roo-kai. Maybe he'll walk here.

With Ageless, says Terence. 

Yes, they could walk here together, says Roo-kai. Telling tales to each other, as a way of passing the time.

What if they get run over? asks Terence.

They won't get run over, says Roo-kai. They are both far too canny.

What tales will they tell? asks Terence.

You know Ageless better than I do, says Roo-kai.

He loves Kobo, says Terence. Once he climbed up the outside wall to her window.

How did he get though the window? asks Roo-kai.

Gaius opened it, says Terence, and Ageless fell into the sink.

He probably won't tell Baudin that story, says Roo-kai. I wonder if Baudin had a girlfriend?

Maybe the lady who got his teacups, says Terence.

Terence and Roo-kai continue to stare at the sea, thinking  of teacups and sinks.

 A dinghy hoves into view, if that's the expression.

Hey! says Terence. Who's that coming?

The dinghy gets closer.

Now they can see who is in it.

Bonjour, mecs! says Louis de Freycinet.

Boo-jor! says Terence. 

Don't tell me Baudin sent you to pick up his dinghy! says Roo-kai.

He requested, says Louis de Freycinet. It wasn't an order.

But you can't row two dinghies, says Roo-kai.

I'll leave mine here, and row Baudin's dinghy to the lighthouse, says Louis de Freycinet.

How will you get back? asks Terence.

Think about it, says Louis de Freycinet.

Terence thinks about it.

Louis de Freycinet will be at the lighthouse with one dinghy, the one he brought back.

Louis de Freycinet and Roo-kai wait for Terence to work out how Louis might get back to the campground to pick up his dinghy.

They have to wait quite some time.

Wisely

We were right! says Jean-Botanist.

You were, says Gaius. You both have noses for botany.

Noses? says Carl-Botanist.

Just an expression, says Gaius.

They thought I'd stopped breathing, says Terence.

We can't be right about everything, says Jean-Botanist.

Are you planning to continue as underwater botanists? asks Denis.

Yes they are, says Terence. They're going to find the Kremmy-cristarter and kill it.

No they aren't, says Faith. That's not how we do things.

That may be how cuttlefish do things.

But Jean-Botanist and Carl-Botanist cannot say.

Have a blueberry, says Terence.

No thanks, says Jean-Botanist. We don't eat them.

What do you eat? asks Terence.

The botanists look at each another.

They don't really know.

They haven't eaten since they hatched recently.

You must be very hungry, says Faith. Go back into the sea and find something you fancy.

Like a sardine, says Terence.

Or a mollusc, crab, prawn or lobster, says Faith.

Lobster! says Terence. Not Ageless!

Of course not , says Carl-Botanist. 

How do we catch them? asks Jean-Botanist.

That should be instinctive, says Gaius.

Sneak up behind them, says Faith. Then shoot out your high-speed tentacles and grab them.

Okay, says Jean-Botanist. But we can't sneak in our Nachoos.

Leave the Nachoos with us, says Gaius.

I'll take you back to the water, says Terence.

Off he goes, with the botanists.

I didn't like to mention that cuttlefish also eat other cuttlefish, says Faith.

Wisely, says Gaius.

Pure Speculation

The botanists float towards Terence.

Terence spots them.

Hey! shouts Terence. Come here!

They draw even closer.

Terence sploshes into the sea.

You're not meant to come into the water! warns Jean-Botanist.

I launched you! says Terence.

He did launch us, says Carl-Botanist.

It's not even deep here, says Terence.

He picks up the botanists in their Nachoos, and plods back to shore.

Why is your mouth blue? asks Jean-Botanist.

It isn't, says Terence.

It is, says Carl-Botanist. We thought you might have stopped breathing.

I wouldn't turn blue if I stopped breathing, says Terence.

What colour would you turn? asks Jean-Botanist.

I would stay the same, says Terence. Like always.

You should look at yourself, says Jean-Botanist. Your mouth's blue.

It's blueberries! says Terence.

He has eaten a few.

We thought you were only allowed red drinks, says Carl-Botanist.

Blueberries are like red drinks, says Terence.

Except they're blue, says Carl-Botanist. Did you swallow the solids?

I spat them out, says Terence. I'm okay. How about you?

We've made progress, says Jean-Botanist, but we've come back to ask Gaius a question.

Let's go! says Terence.

He caries the Nachoos and botanists up to the campsite.

Gaius and Denis are still at Faith's tent, eating blueberries.

Back already? says Gaius.

They have a question, says Terence.

What is it? asks Gaius.

What does Karenia cristata look like? asks Jean-Botanist.

Faith swallows a blueberry.

Have you been looking for it? asks Faith. 

Yes, says Carl-Botanist. We know it's round and small and ....

Possibly green, says Jean-Botanist.

But that's pure speculation, says Carl-Botanist.

Based on what, as a matter of interest? asks Gaius.

Lettuce, says Jean-Botanist. Call it a hunch.

You may be correct, says Faith. 

She takes out her phone.

Yes, says Faith. Here is an image of Karenia cristata, greatly magnified.

She shows the two botanists the image.

It looks like a small leprous pea. Green with touches of yellow and purple.

Okay, a pea, not a lettuce. 

But predominantly green!

Possibly Not Green

Jean-Botanist and Carl-Botanist drift around underwater in separate locations.

Who else can they ask?

Jean-Botanist encounters a loose piece of seagrass.

Hello, says Jean-Botanist. 

Lee-loo, says the seagrass.

At least it said something.

I'm looking for Karenia cristata, says Jean-Botanist.

Lee-loo, says the seagrass.

Useless.

But no.

The seagrass twists itself into a loop. What can that mean?

Karenia cristata is round?

Jean-Botanist is excited.

He must tell Carl-Botanist.

He turns the Nachoo and heads to where he last saw Carl-Botanist.

Luckily Carl-Botanist is waiting there, having come back.

Learn anything? asks Carl-Botanist.

Karenia cristata is round, says Jean-Botanist.

You found one? asks Carl-Botanist.

Not exactly, says Jean-Botanist. I learned it from a seagrass.

Did it actually say it? asks Carl-Botanist. 

All it said was Lee-loo, says Jean-Botanist. But it made a shape that was round.

Before or after you'd asked it, asks Carl-Botanist. 

After, says Jean-Botanist.  

That's promising, says Carl-Botanist. I met a lettuce. 

So did I, says Jean-Botanist. It knew nothing.

Mine too, says Carl-Botanist.

At least we know not to ask them anything, says Jean-Botanist.

And we know one more thing about what we're looking for, says Carl-Botanist.

Round and small, possibly green, says Jean-Botanist.

Who said possibly green? asks Carl-Botanist.

And possibly not green, says Jean-Botanist.

We should go and ask Gaius, says Carl-Botanist. It might be in his notes.

Okay, says Jean-Botanist. They're probably wondering where we are anyway.

They direct their Nachoos up to the surface.

Great. They are not far from the beach at the Campground. 

And Terence is standing at the edge of the water, looking.

They draw closer.

Oh no! 

What's wrong with Terence?

His mouth has turned blue.