h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*is still slashing and hacking, going rather red in the face*

These tendrils are very tough, there must be some use we could put them to afterwards!

*finally arrives, red-faced, panting* Styx! Look out you don't fall into the middle of that lot!

*as she catches her breath she reaches into the pocket of her swimsuit to which a pouch is attached containing her Healthstone. Instead she finds a small vial -- the blue powder*

No. Not after what happened last time.

*digs further, finds the stone and brings it out* Let's see if this works on this life form. *begins concentrating waves of illness and anti-health toward the plants*

*The bowl of salad arcs upwards, spinning around with greens scattering all over. The cruet also flies and rotates upward, and though open at the top, the centrifugal force holds the salad dressing inside the glass. d'E and Witty, sprawled on the forest floor, both reach out to catch the cruet before it hits the ground.*

SAAAVE THEEE DRESSSSSINGGGGG!

Meanwhile back on the veranda...

Hmm not sure where everyone has gone. Looks like there are a few live coals still in the bbq.
*shuffles some coals about to get a bit more heat out of the bbq*

Well I'll just put there sausages that I brought back with me on the grill. Special sausages all the way from Royston Vasey as well. Should be good.

A tip for quick service? I suggest faking an injury

oooo, sausages

*Just as she is revving up her concentration with the healthstone, the cruet lands on Lil's head, soaking her with dressing as she falls forward, insensible, into the patch of alien plants*

*the plants surge forward, tendrils waving, but suddenly lurch backward, their humming now a shrill buzzing*

*Amy slashes the remaining tendrils with her knife and drags Lil and Titania to a safe distance from the pool*

That seems to do the trick. All we need now is a catering pack of Marv's dressing (Original Industrial Strength Flavour).

Yay!

Just like the triffids, they have a weak spot for certain fluids.

I knew there was a good reason for printing off Marv's recipe. I must make sure I take it as standard equipment on all forays, fracas and picnics in future

*Wipes off Hawker Siddley penknife and stows it safely in right above knee pocket.*

Boy, am I hungry now!

*saunters up*

So, what's going on...Lil, why are you covered in salad condiments? And why is everyone....

*trails off as she spies the remainder of the scene*

*Arrives back at the beach*

*Sees no-one there*

*Sets off back towards the Altelier at a prudent jog*

*turns sausages over*

*jogs into veiw, only slightly red in the face*

OP..... (Hi.....) We need.... some of Marv's..... salad dressing..... Istheranyleft?

Over there I think in that bowl.
*points*

...Right...A squezzy....bottle ....was also..... mentioned....?

Sorry don't know about squeezy bottles.

Ah well. I'll go and ask Matina.

*comes out with of the altelier with two large squeezy bottles, and starts filling them from the bowl of dressing*

*eyes Phil's sausages*

And you know, we've sort of shifted down to the beach, and Amy and Titania have run into a spot of bother with some marauding bush (that's what the dressing's for), and generally, if you'd like to take this *hands Phill a squeezy bottle dripping viscous liquid* I think we could use a hand.

But I'd like a sausage, first, please

*looks around the clearing, as Amy and T emerge from the tendrils*

There's some more of those plants over there and they are putting out tendrils, I think we had better move back towards the beach.

*Lil lies on the ground out cold, covered in dressing, sedulously avoided by the plants*