It was well into the next day before Jack and Bendy caught up with each others’ stories. They ran out of gas at about this point where both were sitting on Cardinal Tree at the eastern edge of Jack’s north pole domain. The two were trying to delay the compulsory next step as long as possible, savor the moment. It was always unsettling to shift to different sides of the moon. They’d have to completely lose contact with the ground to reorient themselves; already to reach this tree Bendy was neck high in the drifts. Jack contemplated the four fold nature of the moon, the square like design.
“It was this way since time began. The moon of Second Life is actually older than Second Life itself.”
“Older than this tree?” asked Bendy, who was now climbing to the top of same.
“Older than this tree,” Jack reinforced. “Older than life itself.”
“I can’t see anything over there yet,” Bendy proclaimed, looking east and down from the tree’s highest point now.
“Careful up there,” said Jack looking up. “You may fall completely off the moon itself. Remember Nectar!”
“Oh right. Must be careful about that, yeah.” He quickly scrambled back down to the lowest limb again. “But have you seen anything?”
“You can clearly view Lily’s eucalyptus trees from the east pole. And I can look down at this tree from there too. But being bulkier I dare not climb up to where you were, although I am taller. Theoretically, I suppose I could see maybe the pointed top of the east pole. The short answer is that I don’t know, Bendy.”
“Good enough,” Bendy responded simply.
“Being lighter, I can fly completely around the moon,” chipped in Molly the Parrot, perched on the end of the lowest limb to Bendy’s right. Cardinal Tree was her home. “But I have to stay low to the surface. It’s not worth the risk any more.” She thought back to how her mate Ginger the Budgie didn’t come back from just such a trip around the world. She had lost someone in a similar way to Jack and Bendy.
“Yes, and you’re the only other living thing on this pole with me. Without you — and Bendy — to keep me company, I would be completely lost in my scientific thoughts. And that would be a bad thing.”
The three sat silent for a moment. Jack realized he was getting low on energy. It was time to think food into his stomach, a trick Molly taught him as well. He didn’t mention this to Bendy of course. Jack thought this thought to Molly, who thought back that she’d distract Bendy during the process.
“So… Bendy. I heard you saying that the love birds over at the fake moon have a cafe now.” Jack cleared his throat loudly. “Er, what I mean is that things are appearing over there from Collagesity. What will be next on top of the vegetable garden? A prominent collage gallery of baker b.’s? It’s interesting to chew over the possibilities.”
“I know what you’re doing,” said Bendy. “Jack’s thinking food into his stomach and you’re trying to distract me. And doing a *horrible* job of it, Molly.”
“Yes,” agreed Jack. “And I’m finished.”
Bendy crosses his arms. “I know you have a cracker or three always squirreled away in a hole on this tree. Because I bring them to you. Time to cough one up.”
Molly looks at Jack and Jack looks at Molly. “Din din time,” he says to the parrot. “Start thinking!”
Sunklands 