The problems with attracting attention

Bertha made her point with authority. 'I just think we have to face up to a few things,' she said.

'Well,' Captain Bill began.

'Sadly, I agree,' Norma replied. 'Whatever's happened to Cow Island I don't think we're likely to be seeing it again any time soon.'

'We need to move into survival mode,' Bertha added. 'We won't be able to stay here indefinitely. I've estimated that we'll run out of supplies by the middle of next week.'

'And,' Captain Bill began.

'We can't swim to safety,' said Norma, 'and we don't have the materials to construct even so much as a raft.'

'I,' Captain Bill began.

'We need to attract the attention of a passing ship,' Bertha suggested.

'If,' Captain Bill began.

'That won't be easy,' Norma replied.

'Could?'

'Clearly we'll be difficult to spot as we're so low down,' Bertha said. 'We need to build some sort of signalling device.'

Captain Bill began to walk off along the sand.

'Where are you going?' Norma asked. 

'I thought I'd go and let Horace read more poetry at me,' he replied.

'But I thought you'd want to take part in the discussion?' Norma replied.

'The moment has passed,' Captain Bill muttered.

'A signalling device is going to be tricky though,' Bertha continued. 'The only things that we've got in any quantity are the hat boxes, those t-shirts that Annie was wearing and some lengths of rope that himself had caught up in his horns.'

'I know,' Norma replied. 'I can't see how they could be of any use and I can't see how any sane, rational, sensible, ordinary, average, level headed, straight forward, regular, un-madly bonkers person could possibly make use of them either.'