Pepi and Thierry... Part 2

The blog post entitled 'Pepi the paddle' ended with the words, 'wait and see' and this, finally, is your chance to see.

So when we last left you Thierry's skull had been cracked open and duly bandaged while Master Warner had vowed to cherish Pepi. Since then, the burden of being a paddle has become no lighter.

When Thierry felt his forehead bend on that rocky crevice, he feared the worst. That night he left Master Wilkins' tender caresses for the infamous hands of Master Warner. Pepi had already told Thierry of how other humans called Master Warner by a double-barreled name, supposedly in deference to his double-barreled approach to life. Lain down across the knee of this tyrant, Thierry had braced himself for the punishment that his lack of fortitude seemed to have incurred.

"Crack!" Then, the sound of tearing.

Thierry had heard the noises but did not feel the pain. He had proceeded to panic, wondering into how many pieces his soul had been shattered. Then, Thierry had felt a firm, but soothing, pressure; he could relax his knots... He was still alive!

And he was being taped up. Round and round the tape had gone, hiding Thierry's tragic flaw from the waves to come.

The next day Thierry felt on top of the world. Master Wilkins now treated him even more daintily and Pepi wore his silver bandage of agri-tape like a badge of honor.

At first Pepi was delighted that his twin was repaired. Although Pepi stands a good inch taller than Thierry, Pepi was the younger of the pair and had always looked up to his vaunted younger sibling. But, as time went on, Pepi began to wonder if Thierry's recovery had done him a bad turn.

While both masters now lavished care and attention on Thierry - checking his tape and only guiding him in one direction - the vows undertaken by Master Warner slowly drifted from his forethoughts. This lack of love of which Pepi fell foul began to manifest itself in Pepi's appearance and demeanor. Grey streaks began to appear over Pepi's previously shiny scalp. Pepi brooded for weeks and weeks. Finally, deep in a Serbian forest, Pepi hears a voice

"Pepi. I can give you what you want Pepi. Come to me Pepi. I know you want to be valued as the remaining Canadian paddle."

Pepi looked around. It was the spare paddle talking.

Dark and knowing, with died jet black hair and a face made up with red lipstick; this femme fatal reclines on the side of the canoe. This tittilating temptress is as artificial as paddles come and is nothing short of cheap. She is to be used only in an emergency and the cable ties that bind her to the boat speak much of her ill repute.

Both of the twins had looked down on her from the beginning but now, with Pepi ageing and Thierry vulnerable, Pepi was no longer so resolute in his moral stance. If he didn't get together with Lyrita now maybe it would be Thierry who would seek to replace Pepi in the names of lust and greed.

Will both paddles survive the Serbian night? How long does either paddle have to live? Is Lyrita on the verge of breaking free? We'll just have to wait and see.