Pandora remembered another episode in Trudi’s story, and told him about it.

“It’s amazing that one time she left things as they were, with him long since digested, for nine years. I guess it would have been only two years ago, from our point of view, that she finally stopped that timeline and went back and started the next one.”

“Maybe he should have seen the pavlova showdown coming after she told him she’d gone nine years before bringing him back,” said Pandora.

“The most amazing thing they’ve done that we can’t do is turning back the clock,” said Lennox.

“It only turns back the clock for the mental time traveller,” said Pandora, “The other person doesn’t even remember what’s gone on in the previous timeline, once the next timeline has started.”

“Murray got to be 14 again at the time he was eaten, all the times he was eaten. I was not quite fifteen when I first saw you in ‘Marriage Ain’t Easy’. It’s the one thing I won’t be able to recapture when we enact our mutual gobbling fantasy,” said Lennox.

“For Murray, it wasn’t a matter of recapturing it, at least not recapturing anything with Trudi,” said Pandora, “He didn’t see her for the first time until he watched videos of ‘Mountains Family’ in his twenties. It was only after time travelling out of the giant widow’s clutches that he became a 14 year old again in his own past, albeit shrunken. It was only under those conditions that he met Trudi’s 24 year old self.”

Pandora yawned.

“No need to cover your mouth or turn away on my account,” he said, trying to stare into her mouth.

“I’ll break the habit of etiquette and let you see the next one clearly,” she replied.

They talked some more, with Lennox marvelling at the way Trudi and the lady leprechaun had arranged for Murray to be surprised at the meadow grass and be recaptured by Trudi.

Pandora yawned again, making no effort to conceal her open mouth this time. Lennox gazed in at her tongue again.

“I really think the prawn got the best of our Lavender Bay restaurant interaction,” said Lennox.

“You left me thinking it was a poor second best for your luscious finger,” said Pandora.

“Maybe you could taste test a cheek,” said Lennox, and shifted sideways in his seat, so that his cheek was just near her face.

He had to turn his eyes away from her in order to make the offer, but he was not in the least bit disappointed as he felt her soft moist tongue sliding over his cheek slowly, from beside his chin to just beside his ear.

“There you are,” she said.

“We never gave any feedback to any of the waitresses we’ve met this week, but what’s your review of the taste test you’ve just done?” asked Lennox.

He could still feel her tongue on his cheek in his immediate memory.

“I’ll give it six stars,” said Pandora, as he turned to face her.