13 The Last The Present

CHAPTER 13 THE LAST CHAPTER 'But it will be impossible to do the book by twelve

o'clock,' says Terry. 'We haven't even started it.' 'Speak for yourself!' I say. 'I've done chapter one and I started chapter two but I had to stop because you were strangling me.'

'Well, yes, but, technically, that wasn't me,' says Terry. 'It was the ants pretending to be me.' 'Well, yes, technically, but it was your fault the ants were so angry,' I remind him. 'Well, technically, yes,' he says, 'but, technically, you were responsible for them being angry as well.' 'Well, if you want to get technical about it, yes, that's true, but it was you who left the gate open.' 'Well, technically, yes, but, technically…'

'Excuse me!' shouts Jill through her micro-mini megaphone. 'Can I interrupt for a minute?' 'Well, technically, you already have,' I say. 'Why don't you just ask the ants to help you?' she says. 'How could they help?' I say.

'They're very good at forming words—and pictures—and they can do it very fast,' says Jill. 'You saw how quickly they made the certific-ant.' 'But how could they write and illustrate a whole book?' I say. 'They don't even know the story.' 'Easy,' says Jill. 'You tell it to me and I'll tell it to them and they'll have it done in no time.'

'Okay,' I say. 'Well, my name is Andy.' 'And I'm Terry,' says Terry. 'And we live in a tree…' I say. 'Um,' says Jill, 'I already know all this. You might want to speed it up a bit. Remember, you haven't got much time.' 'Good point,' I say. 'We'll speed-talk it.'