liquid of some kind,
almost any kind. It can be quite ghastly what they’ll drink, but they
need something .”
“ That goes for
any living thing, doesn’t it?”
“ Well, it’s
just that adult butterflies only drink. They don’t eat. But there
aren’t even any flowers out here for them to sip nectar
from.”
Dave had to laugh at that.
“Sipping flower nectar doesn’t sound so gross.”
Nicholas cast him a dark
glance. “We’ll just leave that topic there, then.”
“ All right!
Where to next?” he asked Nicholas, who was navigating from an
armful of maps and the handwritten notes they’d both
made.
Nicholas sighed, and traced
their recent meanderings on the map with one of his long pale
fingers. Dave tore his gaze away only just in time to avoid leaving
the track and scratching the Cruiser against one of the older
gnarled shrubs. It was only that he was interested in their route,
of course. And it was only concern for the Cruiser and for their
safety that caused his eyes to be drawn to Nicholas gently tapping
a fingertip on the satnav, prompting it to reboot.
“ That’s been
playing up again,” Dave observed.
“ It’s as if
something is interfering with the signal. Though I can’t think
what, out here.”
Dave glanced at him. “You
don’t think it’s just faulty?”
Nicholas gasped in mock
horror. “How dare you! That’s one of the Cruiser’s very own
instruments you’re maligning.”
“ Hah! I think
they call that Stockholm Syndrome, don’t they?”
“ You’ll be
loving butterflies next,” Nicholas supplied.
“ They’re
beautiful!” Dave protested like a true convert. “What are you
saying?”
Nicholas smiled a bit smugly,
and left well enough alone. And afterwards Dave thought that maybe
that was just as well, for only God knew what else Nicholas might
convert him to.
“ Do you think
it’s the satellite coverage?” Nicholas asked a few kilometres
later. “I mean, maybe there aren’t many that fly over this
region.”
“ Yeah, though
it hasn’t been a problem before. There’s always been
enough.”
“ How about the
phone? You’re getting through to Denise every evening.”
“ So far. There
were only one or two nights when that was a bit patchy,
too.”
Nicholas made a
non–committal noise of agreement, and turned his attention back to
the maps.
Another few kilometres passed,
with no variation in the landscape. But they were almost at the top
of a long rise now, so when they started heading down again, there
would be something to explore.
“ The thing I’m
still wondering is,” Dave said into the companionable silence, “how
do you find a blue cloud in a blue sky?”
“ It’s
beginning to seem rather impossible.”
“ What? No,
don’t give up yet!” He felt quite alarmed by this sudden turn into
negativity.
“ I only have
so much time …” Nicholas observed, slowly and quietly.
“ No, you
haven’t even been here three full weeks yet. You knew it might take
a while. That was the whole idea of the three months, wasn’t
it?”
A silence stretched. The satnav
flickered and went offline.
Then Nicholas said, “Maybe
we want it too much. Maybe we have to not want to find it.”
Dave looked at him
askance. After a moment he admitted, “That’s what Charlie
said.”
“ What?”
“ When I went
up to Charleville the other day.”
“ Why didn’t
you tell me?”
“ Because it
makes no sense!”
“ I don’t care.
Let’s try it.”
Dave rolled his eyes. But he
also waited to hear what their next plan might be.
Nicholas sat there
thinking furiously. “Maybe we have to let go of the need .”
“ And you could
do that, could you? Quit needing your butterflies.”
“ If I have
to.”
Dave sighed. At this
point, he’d try almost anything. “All right, sure. Let’s stop
trying. We’re just driving along here for our
amusement.”
Nicholas said with a fair
attempt at world–weariness, “I don’t even care anymore. Who
almost any kind. It can be quite ghastly what they’ll drink, but they
need something .”
“ That goes for
any living thing, doesn’t it?”
“ Well, it’s
just that adult butterflies only drink. They don’t eat. But there
aren’t even any flowers out here for them to sip nectar
from.”
Dave had to laugh at that.
“Sipping flower nectar doesn’t sound so gross.”
Nicholas cast him a dark
glance. “We’ll just leave that topic there, then.”
“ All right!
Where to next?” he asked Nicholas, who was navigating from an
armful of maps and the handwritten notes they’d both
made.
Nicholas sighed, and traced
their recent meanderings on the map with one of his long pale
fingers. Dave tore his gaze away only just in time to avoid leaving
the track and scratching the Cruiser against one of the older
gnarled shrubs. It was only that he was interested in their route,
of course. And it was only concern for the Cruiser and for their
safety that caused his eyes to be drawn to Nicholas gently tapping
a fingertip on the satnav, prompting it to reboot.
“ That’s been
playing up again,” Dave observed.
“ It’s as if
something is interfering with the signal. Though I can’t think
what, out here.”
Dave glanced at him. “You
don’t think it’s just faulty?”
Nicholas gasped in mock
horror. “How dare you! That’s one of the Cruiser’s very own
instruments you’re maligning.”
“ Hah! I think
they call that Stockholm Syndrome, don’t they?”
“ You’ll be
loving butterflies next,” Nicholas supplied.
“ They’re
beautiful!” Dave protested like a true convert. “What are you
saying?”
Nicholas smiled a bit smugly,
and left well enough alone. And afterwards Dave thought that maybe
that was just as well, for only God knew what else Nicholas might
convert him to.
“ Do you think
it’s the satellite coverage?” Nicholas asked a few kilometres
later. “I mean, maybe there aren’t many that fly over this
region.”
“ Yeah, though
it hasn’t been a problem before. There’s always been
enough.”
“ How about the
phone? You’re getting through to Denise every evening.”
“ So far. There
were only one or two nights when that was a bit patchy,
too.”
Nicholas made a
non–committal noise of agreement, and turned his attention back to
the maps.
Another few kilometres passed,
with no variation in the landscape. But they were almost at the top
of a long rise now, so when they started heading down again, there
would be something to explore.
“ The thing I’m
still wondering is,” Dave said into the companionable silence, “how
do you find a blue cloud in a blue sky?”
“ It’s
beginning to seem rather impossible.”
“ What? No,
don’t give up yet!” He felt quite alarmed by this sudden turn into
negativity.
“ I only have
so much time …” Nicholas observed, slowly and quietly.
“ No, you
haven’t even been here three full weeks yet. You knew it might take
a while. That was the whole idea of the three months, wasn’t
it?”
A silence stretched. The satnav
flickered and went offline.
Then Nicholas said, “Maybe
we want it too much. Maybe we have to not want to find it.”
Dave looked at him
askance. After a moment he admitted, “That’s what Charlie
said.”
“ What?”
“ When I went
up to Charleville the other day.”
“ Why didn’t
you tell me?”
“ Because it
makes no sense!”
“ I don’t care.
Let’s try it.”
Dave rolled his eyes. But he
also waited to hear what their next plan might be.
Nicholas sat there
thinking furiously. “Maybe we have to let go of the need .”
“ And you could
do that, could you? Quit needing your butterflies.”
“ If I have
to.”
Dave sighed. At this
point, he’d try almost anything. “All right, sure. Let’s stop
trying. We’re just driving along here for our
amusement.”
Nicholas said with a fair
attempt at world–weariness, “I don’t even care anymore. Who
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