Struck Funny

That's good, says Terence. 

What's good? asks Freddy.

I don't need a wheelbarrow, says Terence.

No, you don't, says the Kroombit tinker. Why are you saying it?

Because this can't be Roy's stone, says Terence.

Even if it was, says the Kroombit tinker, you're not allowed to remove things from the crash site.

Even stones? says Terence.

Anything, says the Kroombit tinker. 

What if one gets stuck between your toes? asks Terence.

Is there one stuck between your toes? asks the Kroombit tinker.

How would I know? asks Terence.

How wouldn't you? says Freddy.

Terence wriggles his toes. 

A few tiny stones fall out. 

You can't feel them, because you're made of cement, says Greedy. You should be more careful.

I am more careful, says Terence.

Let's go back to the others, says Freddy. 

Okay, says Terence. 

Wait, says Greedy. I want to say goodbye to Granny Greedith.

Go on then, says Terence.

You'll have to carry me, says Greedy. 

I'll come too, says the Kroombit tinker.

Freddy stays with the stone, which is not Roy's. And the tiny stones, which fell out from between Terence's toes.

You tiny stones are free again, says Freddy.

But what is freedom? ask the tiny stones.

Freddy ponders the question.

Meanwhile, Greedy is looking at the word Edith. 

Terence is holding her up.

Goodbye Granny Greedith, says Greedy. I hope you had a good life.

She and Freddy had a shop, says the Kroombit tinker. 

In the letter? asks Greedy

In Nottingham, says the Kroombit tinker.

Ha ha! laughs Terence. 

Nottingham strikes him as funny.

(most likely the ham part) 

Wheelbarrow Logic

Terence shines the torch on the ground.

Stones everywhere.

How will we know which one is Roy's? asks Greedy.

It might have his name on, says Terence.

Stones don't have people's names on, says Freddy.

Sometimes they do, says the Kroombit tinker. When they've died.

And Roy died, says Greedy.

Before or after? asks Freddy.

After what? asks the Kroombit tinker.

He lost the stone, says Freddy.

That's the question, says the Kroombit tinker.

They keep searching. Name or no name, it will still be a stone.

Freddy and Greedy are searching with Terence, of necessity, as they do not have legs.

Terence is having trouble controlling the torch.

I'll put you down for a second, says Terence.

He puts the torch down first. Then he pulls Greedy off his hand and drops her, after which he drops Freddy.

Ow! says Freddy.

He has dropped Freddy on a stone.

I bet this is Roy's stone, says Freddy. 

Terence shines the torch on the stone.

Yes, it looks like Roy's stone, says Terence. 

Freddy rolls off.

Terence picks up the stone.

Wait, says the Kroombit tinker, I've been thinking.

Me too, says Terence. What?

Roy lost the stone before he wrote the letter, says the Kroombit tinker.

So what? says Terence.

So he didn't lose it here, says the Kroombit tinker.

You are a genius! says Greedy. 

It's just simple logic, says the Kroombit tinker. Is it what you were thinking, Terence?

Er, yes, says Terence.

It was not actually quite what he was thinking.

He was thinking he needed a wheelbarrow for all the things he was expected to carry.

But it was simple logic, so it was close.

A Few Hairs And A Stone

The plaque must be somewhere nearby.

Freddy focuses on the bead in his head.

It's really for finding water.

But.....letter, water, letter, water, plaque, ding!

This is what Freddy is thinking.

Is that it? asks the Kroombit tinker.

Yay! says Terence. It is!

You found it! says Greedy.

I found it too, says Freddy.

I've been here before, says the Kroombit tinker. 

Were you looking for something to read? asks Greedy.

Can she read? asks Terence.

Yes, says the Kroombit tinker. I can read.

No one else can, not properly. 

Although Freddy can read the word Freddy.

Read it, says Terence.

He shines his torch at the plaque.

Dear Edith and Freddy, reads the Krombit tinker.

That's should be Greedith, says Greedy. She's my granny.

Maybe you call her that, says the Kroombit tinker. Roy Cannon didn't.

That's a good explanation, says Terence.

Yes it is, says Greedy. What else does it say? 

The weather is steamy, says the Kroombit tinker. Roy's getting married to Daphne in March. He's got three weeks off. They're going to the Blue Mountains for their honeymoon. He's got Singaporean ear fungus, and lost a few hairs and a stone. 

I wonder where his stone is? says Greedy.

We should look for it, says Freddy.

Why not? There's not much else to do.

The Inseparables

Terence may have perfect balance, but he has tripped on a root in the dark.

Trip! Bumhole! Uhh!

He rights himself.

See! says Terence.

That was a close one, says Freddy.

It's your fault, says Terence. You wanted my hands close together.

Sorry, says Freddy. You can hold them apart if you like.

I thought you wanted to talk to Kroomby, says Terence.

I did, says Freddy. But she's talking to Greedy.

It's true. The Kroombit tinker and Greedy are talking about gender issues.

Yes, (Greedy has been saying), I was not always a female.

No kidding (the Kroombit tinker has replied). What were you before?

I hadn't thought about it, says Greedy. Until I met Kobo. She taught me to speak without opening my mouth, just like she does.

Is she a rubber glove too? asks the Kroombit tinker.

No, says Greedy She's a fossilised clam.

That explains it, says the Kroombit tinker. 

She likes to read books, says Greedy.

I love to read books, says the Kroombit tinker. I was in the middle of one when they brought me out here and dumped me.

On your own? asks Greedy.

No I was with twenty four others, says the Kroombit tinker. But they were not readers.

What were you reading? asks Greedy.

A short novel by Simone de Beauvoir, says the Kroombit tinker.

I didn't know she wrote short novels, says Greedy.

It was short, says the Kroombit. But I didn't get to finish it.

I'll ask Kobo if she's read it, when I go home, says Greedy. And if she knows the ending, I'll let you know what it was.

You are sweet, says the Kroombit tinker. It was called The Inseparables. But how will you do it?

I'll send you a letter, says Greedy.

So we have seen how Freddy felt left out of this conversation.

And now, they have arrived at the crash site.

They know because Terence has tripped on the propellor.

Bumhole! Stupid propellor!

He rights himself.

We made it! says Terence. Find the plaque, Freddy

Freddy cheers up. 

Now it's his time to shine.

Like I'm Riding A Horse

How far is it? asks the Kroombit tinker.

Not far, says Terence.

Can I walk with Freddy? asks the Kroombit tinker. 

Freddy can't walk, says Terence.

Why? asks the Kroombit tinker.

He's made of chocolate, says Terence. He has to be careful.

I'd like to walk with you, says Freddy.

I could carry both of you, says Terence. One in each hand.

What about me? asks Greedy.

I could wear you, says Terence.

No one wears me, says Greedy.

It wouldn't be actual you, says Terence. You've got another glove inside you, remember?

O yes, says Greedy. Okay, put me on.

Terence puts Greedy on.

Ooh, says Greedy. 

Who do you want me to hold with the hand that's in you? asks Terence. Freddy or this guy?

I'm not a guy, says the Kroombit tinker. I'm a female.

A female. Freddy is glad. 

A beautiful one, says Freddy.

Thanks, says the Kroombit tinker. 

Greedy has decided she wants to hold the Kroombit tinker.

Because we're both girls, says Greedy. So it'll be nicer.

Terence picks up the Kroombit tinker with the hand that wears Greedy.

And Freddy in the other.

Now let's get going, says Terence. This mission is taking too long.

Wait! says Freddy.

Now what? asks Terence.

She wanted to walk with me, so we could talk, says Freddy. But I'm on this side and she's on that side with Greedy.

Her choice, says Terence. 

Could you walk with both hands close together? asks Freddy.

That would feel weird, says Terence.

He tries it.

It does feel weird. 

It looks like I'm riding a horse, says Terence.

How do you know? asks Freddy.

Because I once rode a pony, says Terence. 

How did that go? asks Freddy.

Good. I have perfect balance, says Terence. 

Greedy, the Kroombit tinker and Freddy are relieved to hear Terence has perfect balance.

Clouds sometimes pass over the moon. 

There are stones and roots to trip over.

And now, with both hands full, Terence can't use the torch.

Not To Eat But To Smell

It's a frog, says Terence. Bad luck, frog.

Bad luck, frog? 

The tiny Kroombit tinker frog thinks the worst.

But it needn't.

We're not looking for you, frog, says Terence.

Even though we're supposed to be, says Greedy.

You've confused it, says Freddy. Turn off the torch.

Terence turns off the torch.

Now the Kroombit tinker can see them.

A cement boy with curls, a rubber glove with white spots and a brown froglike creature with a bead in its head.

The bead-headed frog comes closer.

Fear not, says the bead-head. Hello. My name is Freddy.

Hello, says the Kroombit tinker. Can I go now?

Ask him to wait, says Terence. We'll be coming back later.

We don't know if it's the right sort of frog, says Greedy.

Ask it, says Terence.

What are you? asks Freddy.

The Kroombit tinker was raised in captivity and so knows the answer.

A Kroombit tinker, it replies.

Woop! says Terence. Ask it if it wants to come with us.

Do you want ... begins Freddy.

I heard the question, says the Kroombit tinker.

Well, do you? asks Terence.

Where are you going? asks the Kroombit tinker.

To see the letter from Greedith and Freddy, says Terence. 

Greedith is my granny, by the way, says Greedy. 

How far is it? asks the Kroombit tinker. 

Not far, says Terence. Freddy knows the way. 

Freddy, says the Kroombit tinker. So did you write the letter?

No, says Freddy. I've only recently learned how to speak.

He used to say why all the time, says Terence. 

Why? asks the Kroombit tinker

Yes, says Terence. So, are you coming?

The Kroombit tinker has nothing much to do. It has already eaten. It likes Freddy, who smells of chocolate. It likes chocolate. Not to eat, but to smell.

I'm coming, says the Kroombit tinker.

Off they go, in the moonlight. 

Freddy wonders if it would be all right to ask it its gender.

Found One!

Right, says Gaius. Does everyone have a torch?

I have, says Nerida.

And I have, says Katherine.

Where's my torch? asks Terence.

You won't need a torch, says Gaius. You're coming with me.

But I'm your deputy senior assistant, says Terence.

Good, Terence, says Gaius. You remembered your title, although I had forgotten it. If anyone has a spare torch, you may have it.

I have, says Nerida.

She gives Terence her spare torch.

Phew! that was a close one.

Terence nearly couldn't go on his mission with Greedy and Freddy.

We'll spread out, says Gaius. Move as quietly as you can. Stop every now and then to listen for tink tink sounds. 

What do we do if we hear a tink tink sound? asks Katherine.

Make a note of the location, says Gaius. And report back to me.

Katherine goes off with her torch, through the trees, towards the sound  of trickling water.

Click click. 

That sounds like the wrong sort of frog. She keeps going.

Squelch.

Nerida heads off towards another section of water. 

She hears something. She stops to listen.

Hee hee.

Could it be a laughing tree frog?

Whatever. It's not a tinker. She keeps going.

Hee-hee.

Gaius has heard it too. 

Is that you Terence? whispers Gaius. 

No reply.

He keeps going, towards the trickling water. 

Quiet, hisses Terence. No laughing. Who remembers the way?

Not me, says Greedy. I didn't come with you the first time.

I did, says Freddy. And I have a bead in my head. Put me down.

Terence puts him down.

That way, says Freddy.

Or the opposite, says Terence. Remember the water?

Don't confuse me, says Freddy.

Okay, says Terence. 

He shines the torch in the direction that Freddy has pointed.

Trees, bushes. Dirt, stones. 

Tink tink.

Hey, whispers Greedy. Stop a minute.

They stop.

Tink tink.

Terence points his torch at the sound.

Woo!

A tiny Kroombit Tinker frog crouches, rigid, in the spotlight.