Ripped From Forked Branches

Jerry comes out of the Jetty Café, followed by Mum.

Guess what? says Terence. I'm number two now.

Jerry pinches his nostrils together.

I'm sure Terence doesn't mean that kind of number two, says Mum.

What kind? asks Terence.

Never mind, says Mum. Tell us what happened.

Arthur's poisoned, says Terence. Green stuff's coming out of his knee.

How alarming, says Mum.

She hurries over.

Arthur is sitting on the ground with his knee up. Dad is still dabbing. It is true that the stuff on the cotton ball is green.

Let me help, says Mum.

I'm just wetting the bandage to loosen it, says Dad. Then it should peel off easily.

It'll peel off easily right now, says Mum, leaning in and ripping off the bandage.

Ooh! says Dad. Rachel! That was harsh.

Yeow! says Arthur.

Still, he admires her for doing it. And all pain is inspiring.

Inspiring. He could write something now. Something with yellow and green bandages, waited on by red-tailed birds, sticky, like underworld  manna, ripped from forked branches, tasting of cheese....

See, says Terence. Arthur is poisoned.

I don't think so, says Rachel. He just needs a clean bandage and some breakfast.

Good idea, says Gaius. I could do with some breakfast.

Try the café, says Rachel. They do roasted oats and brown rice porridge, or pan roasted Swiss Brown mushrooms on café toast with parsley and preserved lemon, or French toast with banana and bacon and Canadian maple syrup....

Porridge sounds good to me, says Gaius. Arthur, come in when you're ready. I'll order.

Arthur is too involved with his poem to realise that he is going to get porridge, when he would have preferred banana and bacon with maple syrup.

Dad puts on the new bandage. Tapes it.

Okay buddy? We have to go now. Keep it clean. I'll leave you to dispose of the rubbish

He, Rachel and Jerry get into their car and drive off. They have until the last ferry to do all of Bruny Island.

The Beautiful Firetails offer to get rid of the rubbish.

Arthur doesn't care where it goes.

Off they fly, with the fish bandage, the green cotton ball and the single use tweezers.

What treasures!

He Might Come Down For Manna

It seems all the local birds know Spotty.

He likes the high life, says the female Beautiful Firetail.

He flits around in the high eucalypt canopy, says the male.

White gums, says female.

Has he? asks Arthur.

Ha ha, laugh the birds.

Would he come down for lerps? asks Arthur.

Who wouldn't? says the female.

Have you got some? asks the male.

Yes, says Arthur. In this paper bag.

He pulls it out of his pocket. A steak knife falls out.

Steak knife, says Arthur.

Nice one, says the male Beautiful Firetail. Now let's see those lerps.

Arthur opens the bag.

The male sticks his beak in and sniffs deeply.

Tainted!  says the male. Smell this! he invites the female.

She sniffs and recoils. Onions! Euw!

He won't eat those, says the female Beautiful Firetail. He might come down for manna.

Arthur makes a mental note. Manna.

Dad comes over with Gaius.

First aid kit, says Dad. Let's see that knee.

He opens the first aid kit. Takes out a sealed packet.

These are good, says Dad. Completely sterile.

He puts on rubber gloves. And tears open a packet of softening solution. And picks up a cotton ball with tweezers.

The Firetails eye the cotton ball.

Can we have that when you're finished?

No, says Dad. It might be infected.

Knee up, Arthur.

Arthur bends his knee up, balancing now on one leg.

Dad starts dabbing.

This could take a while, and already Arthur feels dizzy.

Maybe it IS infected.

He wouldn't mind that.

Birds Of Least Concern

I see you have made the acquaintance of two Firetail Finches, says Gaius.

No, says Terence. These guys are called Beautifuls.

We can speak for ourselves, says the female. We prefer the name Beautiful Firetails.

Are you the one we seek? asks the male. The Striated Pardalote sent us.

Possibly, says Gaius. Or it may be Arthur. It depends what you think you've been offered.

Nothing specific, says the female Beautiful Firetail.

Perhaps you can help us find a forty spotted Pardalote, says Gaius. Do you know any?

Yes we do, says the male. We know one called Spotty.

The female suppresses a laugh.

They're lying, says Jinjing.

Interesting that they should do so, says Gaius.

You believe him? asks the female.

I do, says Gaius. He has an unerring nose for the truth.

Thank you, says Jinjing. And I have an unerring nose for when someone needs to change their bandage.

He is looking at Arthur.

Arthur looks down at his knee.

Go inside and soak off that bandage, says Jinjing.

It's okay, says Arthur.

I'll go in, says Gaius. I'll ask for a bowl of warm water.

He heads for the entrance to the café.

He meets Dad, coming out.

See you found your birds already, says Dad.

Those are not the birds we seek, says Gaius.

They look pretty colourful, says Dad. Red tail feathers. What are they?

Firetail Finches, says Gaius. They are resident birds, and considered LC.

LC? asks Dad, who is not a bird man.

Of Least Concern, says Gaius.

Bit insulting, says Dad. Anyway, let me give you a heads up. Don't ask for takeaway. The staff are mega grumpy.

Dear me, says Gaius. I was intending to ask for a bowl of warm water.

If I were you I wouldn't, says Dad.

Perhaps I'll get a cup of warm water from the toilets, says Gaius.

Not recommended, says Dad. And what for?

My colleague has a cut knee, and his bandage has stuck to the wound, says Gaius.

We have a first aid kit, says Dad. Bring your friend to the car. I'll fix him.

They walk over to where the Firetails are explaining to Arthur how they came to know Spotty.

Woop Has Two Meanings

Dad pulls up outside the Jetty Café.

Everyone gets out.

This looks nice, says Mum. Let's get a coffee.

They all go inside.

There's a queue at the counter.

I'll wait, says Dad. You go and look at the art work.

Thanks, says Mum. Coming Jerry. Coming Terence?

Can I have my knife back? asks Terence.

A few people turn, to see what kind of child has asked this question.

Not yet, says Mum, hastily.

She hurries Jerry and Terence away, to look at the artwork. Wooden objects. Paintings of water and bush.

This is boring, says Terence. I'm going outside to wait.

Don't go far off, says Mum. Stay with your parrot.

Jinjing is outside already, not having come in.

Why didn't you come in? asks Terence.

Bad vibes, says Jinjing. And I'm keeping a lookout for Arthur. I'm worried about him.

No one worries about Arthur, says Terence.

I do, says Jinjing.

Look! cries Terence. Two red parrots!

Those are not parrots, says Jinjing. Nor are they forty spotted pardalotes. Ignore them.

No, says Terence. I'm going to inspect them.

He stomps over to the shrub on which the not-parrots are balancing.

Hello, red parrots, says Terence.

Are you him? asks one of the not-parrots. You don't look important.

I am important, says Terence. See this claw?

It's broken, says the other one. And we're not red parrots. Don't you know anything?

What are you? asks Terence.

Beautiful Firetails, say the two not-parrots, together.

They turn on the branch to display their red rumps.

Wow. Says Terence. I mean Woop.

What's the difference? asks the female Beautiful Firetail.

Nothing, says Terence. But Woop has two meanings, and Wow doesn't.

So there is a difference, says the male Beautiful Firetail to the female.

Apparently so, says the female. Is there any point in going on with this? He is not who we seek.

I am! says Terence. Who do you seek?

An adult, a natural historian, a scientific person on a bicycle, says the female.

That's my leader, says Terence. He's coming. Stay here.

Now we're getting somewhere, says the female.

Jinjing flies over.

They're coming!

P. krameri lands first.

I see you have made contact with two Beautiful Firetails, says P. krameri. I'll take over from here.

We won't talk to parrots, says the female Firetail.

They only talk to grown ups, says Terence.

The two grown ups coast up the track on their bicycles and come to a halt at the shrub.

Jinjing looks with concern at Arthur's knee.

We Have A Singular Nature

Gaius and Arthur cycle towards the northernmost point of North Bruny Island.

P. krameri flies above them.

My view is better than theirs, thinks P. krameri. I can see the whole island.

trees bushes flat grasslands a road like a ribbon........

rugged cliff edges white empty beaches blue sea.......

I should fly lower, thinks P. krameri. Closer to the eucalypt canopy.

He drops altitude.

The trees are not buzzing with birds.

Where are they? wonders P. krameri. Not even a parrot.

He flies over Gaius and Arthur, low enough to shout:

Going forward!

Since you're flying low, calls Gaius, look out for clumps of erigeron.

Okay! squawks P. krameri.

Still got a toothache? asks Arthur.

No, says Gaius. Just a preventative measure. How's that knee?

Don't know. Can't get the bandage off, says Arthur.

It must be stuck on with dried fluids, says Gaius. We'll see about that when we get to the café.

It'll drop off eventually, says Arthur.

Your leg? asks Gaius. Only joking.

Looks like P. krameri's found something, says Arthur.

They ride up to where P. krameri has landed.

He is talking to a striated pardalote, who has come out from a cup shaped nest of bark and grass built in a hollow log, some metres away from the road.

Aha! says Gaius. A striated pardalote. These are quite common.

Thanks for that, says the striated pardalote. But I should like to point out that each and every one of us has a singular nature.

Of course, says Gaius. I'm not disputing that. But your species, while similar to the forty spotted pardalote, is not endangered.

Don't blame us, says the striated pardalote. Just because we're better at it.

You've got on the wrong side of her, says P. krameri.

I have, says Gaius. Arthur, you try.

Okay, says Arthur. He bends down. His knee bleeds through the bandage.

That smells nasty, says the striated pardalote.

It's the bandage, not the wound, says Arthur. But thanks for noticing. You're obviously very observant.

Very good, Arthur, says Gaius. I see where you're going.

Arthur keeps going.

And we were wondering if you knew where we might find a clump of erigeron. My friend has a toothache.

I know that cure, says the striated pardalote. It doesn't work, I can tell you. But if you want erigeron, I suggest you go back to the Neck.

Thanks, says Arthur. We'll be going back that way after we've finished our mission.

Which is? asks the striated pardalote.

To locate as many forty spotted pardalotes as we can, says Arthur.

What for? asks the striated pardalote.

To put them in cages and breed them, says Arthur.

No kidding? says the striated pardalote. Well, I might be able to help you.

Great, says Arthur. We're heading for the Jetty Café. If you see any, send them up there.

I might, says the striated pardalote. But it's up to them really. And I'd have to lie, wouldn't I.

Think about it, says Arthur. Even less competition.

He can see that that she's thinking about it.

She pops back into her cup shaped nest, to continue thinking.

Arthur, says Gaius. I can't approve of your methods.

Ends and means, says Arthur. It may not work anyway.

Thank you, says P. krameri.

What for? asks Gaius. Oh I see. You found her. Thank you P. krameri.

False Promise

I'm not a loser, says Terence. I'm here to do science.

What sort of science? asks Jerry.

Ecological science? asks Dad. I heard your grandfather say he'd be bird spotting.

Where was he? asks Terence.

Back at the kiosk, says Dad. Wasn't he your grandpa?

No, says Terence. That was Gaius. He's our team leader.

And the young man who was with him, says Mum. Is he a scientist?

That's Arthur, says Terence. He's a poet.

How romantic, says Mum. What's he done to his knee?

He cut it, fighting, says Terence. We all had knives. Captain de Kermadec lost his claw.

Good heavens! says Mum. YOU had a knife fight?

Yes, says Terence. I've still got the knife. Want to see it?

I'll take it, says Mum. I won't have you sitting in the back of the car next to my Jerry with a knife. Hand it over.

Terence pulls the knife out of his pocket, and hands it to Mum.

Oh, it's a steak knife, says Mum. And look at the fancy handle.

Dad glances at the fancy handle, although he is driving.

Very nice, says Dad. Eighteenth century French.

Can I have it back when we get there? asks Terence.

I suppose so, says Mum.

Jerry looks at Terence with more respect than before.

He offers Terence another Spew Ball without saying Have a Spew Ball.

Terence accepts one. He holds it up, but doesn't eat it.

There are two diphthongs in this, says Terence.

That's very clever, says Mum. I suppose you mean the long vowels.

Terence hesitates.

Yes, says Jinjing. He does. I taught him that.

You're a smart parrot, says Mum. Where are you from?

Hong Kong, says Jinjing.

Oh dear, says Mum. You must be so sad. All the protests.

No, says Jinjing. We drone robots don't concern ourselves with protests.We just do our job.

What's your job? asks Jerry.

Way finding, song making, contact with birds at high levels, says Jinjing.

Stop boasting, says Terence.

If I look good, you look good, says Jinjing.

You both look good, says Dad. Or at least, interesting. Don't they Jerry?

Jerry sucks on a Spew Ball. It's sour. The sourness builds until pop, sticky liquid lime syrup fills his mouth.

But it doesn't spill out of his mouth like a river.

That was a false promise.

A Bumpy Ride With Strangers

Katherine has left, for the Cheese Co.

Now Gaius perceives a slight problem.

Hum, says Gaius.

What is it? asks Arthur.

Two bicycles, says Gaius. No basket on either. How will we transport Terence?

And my luggage! says Terence.

What luggage? asks Gaius.

Terence indicates his two packets of Spew Balls, his steak knife and Jinjing.

That's one thing we won't need to worry about, says Gaius. Jinjing can fly. I suppose I could squeeze you into my back pack.

What else is in there? asks Terence.

Notebooks, spare underwear, a few apple cores, says Gaius. It could do with a clear out.

I might go in Arthur's, says Terence.

I've got the lerps, says Arthur.

It'll have to be mine, says Gaius, unloading his back pack.

But then......

Problems? asks Dad.

It's the dad from the kiosk. The dad of the kid who got the third to last packet of Spew Balls.

Not really, says Gaius.

Looks like you've got space problems, says Dad. Which way are you heading?

To Dennes Hill, says Gaius. Bird spotting.

We're going that way, says Dad. Meant to be great views from the Jetty Café. Your kid can get a lift with us, if you want. My kid would love it.

What do you think, Terence? asks Gaius.

Can I bring Jinjing? asks Terence.

What a good idea, says Gaius.

But I'm meant to be flying, says Jinjing.

Change of plan, says Gaius. Save your energy for when we get there.

So Jinjing gets into Dad's car with Terence.

Meet you at the Jetty Café, says Dad. Take your time. The road's not sealed all the way.

What a nice fellow, says Gaius. But I feel happier that Jinjing's going with them. One shouldn't entrust one's charge entirely to strangers.

I guess not, says Arthur.

Gaius repacks his back pack except for the apple cores.

Arthur checks the state of his lerps.

They smell a bit like last night's dinner.

He and Gaius set off, cycling, with P. krameri flying above them.

P. krameri likes this situation.

Meanwhile Terence is being introduced to Dad's wife and the kid with the third pack of Spew Balls.

Dad's wife is called Mum, and the kid is called Jerry.

Have a Spew Ball, says Jerry.

I've got my own, says Terence.

Ha ha, laughs Jerry. I got to be the one who said it.

I could have said it, says Terence. Have a Spew Ball.

Loser, says Jerry.