[Dave]

The only time I saw Zubenelgenubi 3 without either Hare or Burke, remarkably, was also the funniest. There was nothing particularly unusual about his appearance, but I have rarely seen hair quite as profuse, curly or as blue.

"Accident" was his initial description, written hastily before he had a clue that there could ever have been an accidental nature attributed to the colour. Naturally, chromatic variations indicate a tendency to develop Hairline Discolouration between the lateral and dorsal fins, but nevertheless his new colourful appearance determined the way others reacted when he began swimming. Nowadays it was commonplace for Arctic terns, flying low across his blowhole, to giggle at his azure hued tutu.

"Accident," he wrote. "I can't possibly be expected at Downing Dale Asylum, unless ..."

He paused, a bit less enthusiastically than necessary under conventional conditions, and fell over. Water emptied from above, his swimbladder burst, ink spewed into a vessel containing three or twelve or more, rare corpses belonging to altered states like quantum mechanicalistically challenged hair extensions, cough!

"Ah.." pronounced "ach" or "αP", depending not on linguistics, rather more determined by blowhole semantics as a point grapheme click.

"... unless, atmospheric circumstances create aurorae before dinnertime. The cephalopodean emperor, Ping-Wing, Threesuntentaclefun are correct, and in case I miss the lavatory, my wife shall provide tissue paper rolls."

Looking up he noticed how seabirds' wings swept the dust into clouds of pale blue cornflowers, their only camouflage