Lorraine, Clementine, Joel and Dominic were in the tree office, waiting for them.
‘Ha! How come you’re all here? How did you get out of school?’
‘Last minute dentist’s appointment,’ said Lorraine.
‘I had to attend an award ceremony for my brother.’ Clementine grinned.
‘We’ve got head lice,’ said Joel and Dominic together.
They all looked gratefully at Nancy.
‘Head lice!’ Katie laughed. ‘How did you manage that one? Did you plant a few of Abbott’s fleas on their heads last night, Nancy, and hope a teacher would spot them?’
‘Give her some credit,’ said Lorraine. ‘Nancy got me here first and made me impersonate Joel’s mum.’ She held an imaginary phone to her ear and spoke in an airy, singsong voice. ‘Oh hello, Mr Ahmed. Terribly embarrassing, but I’ve just heard that the young girl who lives across the street from us has a head simply teeming with lice! Dreadful. And I’d be devastated if your entire school population became infested. I couldn’t live with myself. Yes, yes, if only most parents were as responsible. Thank you. Please, if you wouldn’t mind sending Joel and Dominic home, so I can apply the appropriate treatments. Thank you. Yes, tell them to catch the first available bus.’
‘Thanks, Lorraine,’ said Katie. ‘Now everyone at Brisbane City College thinks I have head lice.’
‘They’ve thought that for a long time,’ said Joel. ‘Don’t worry about it.’
Everyone laughed and Katie laughed along with them. ‘It’s ten past eleven,’ she said, suddenly businesslike. ‘That gives us five and a bit hours until I need to leave for Government House if I’m going to get there by six. That’s not a lot of time.’
‘It’s a lot more than you would have had if you’d stuck to your original plan of meeting after school,’ Nancy huffed. ‘How about a thank-you?’
‘Thanks, Nancy,’ said Katie. ‘I mean it. Thanks for getting us all here. I really appreciate it.’
‘All right, don’t go over the top and hug me or anything.’
‘No chance of that. I’m grateful – not disturbed. Now, this is what I’m thinking.’ She spent the next half an hour telling them about her ‘Strawberry Ban’.
‘It has a double effect,’ she said. ‘It uses reverse psychology to get people to really want to eat fruit and at the same time points out the lunacy of a ban on anything. Bans don’t work.’
‘Good call, Kato.’ Dominic was thinking hard. ‘So we need an ad – ’
‘Yes, but that’s the least of it. We need to be smart – all over the internet, in shopping centres, schools, everywhere. If we can get people believing that something they love – strawberries – is going to be taken away, I reckon they’ll go mad for them.’
‘Got any ideas for a slogan?’ asked Joel. He wasn’t quite with them, but almost.
‘I’m thinking something like, “Beware the Strawberry”,’ said Katie.
No one spoke.
‘It’s not brilliant,’ said Nancy.
‘And it’s not that believable,’ said Clementine.
‘And you’d need to back it up with something,’ added Lorraine. ‘Why would anyone need to beware of strawberries?’
Katie’s idea suddenly seemed fragile, weak.
‘Strawberries aren’t allowed at my kindy,’ said a small voice. ‘Because of allergicness.’
‘That mainly happens with babies.’ Lorraine took any opportunity to show off her babysitting knowledge. ‘It’s rarely serious.’
‘Also, I slipped on one,’ said Georgie.
‘Were you hurt?’ Nancy crossed the room and crouched down so her eyes were level with Georgie’s. It was a tricky manoeuvre, because Nancy looked like she might roll over.
‘My knee was sore, they put ice on it and they called Dad. And then no more strawberries.’ Georgie lifted her palms up as if to say she didn’t understand.
‘That’s ridiculous,’ Lorraine said. ‘Think about it. Poor Zach and his dad and all the other growers. All those families not packing strawberries in lunch boxes, because one kid slipped and she wasn’t even hurt.’
‘Fantastic!’ Katie thumped the table with her fist. ‘This is the best thing I’ve ever heard!’
‘What?’ Lorraine was confused. ‘It’s terrible.’
‘It’s perfect! Lorraine, have you got Rejani Reed’s phone number?’
‘Of course. I have it on speed dial.’
‘Why?’ Joel scoffed. ‘How often do you call her?’
‘I like to be ready.’
Katie needed to nip this Joel versus Lorraine thing in the bud. This wasn’t the time for it.
‘Call her and tell her that there’s a big story going. People are calling for an Australia-wide strawberry ban because of the risk of slipping. She can interview Georgie.’
‘She won’t interview her without an outraged parent,’ said Lorraine.
Hmmm. Katie tapped the table. That was true.
‘I’ll do it,’ said Nancy. ‘Parent or carer, that’s what they always say. And I’m caring for Georgie today. I have her grandmother’s permission.’
Lorraine looked dubious.
‘What’s the matter?’ Nancy bristled. ‘Don’t you think I make a convincing carer? I can be very caring.’
Dominic got up from the bean bag he’d been sitting on. ‘It’s tough, because we want people to be outraged at what you’re saying, but at the same time, Nancy, we need you to be – ah – credible.’
‘I know!’ Lorraine leapt up before Nancy had a chance to be outraged. ‘A makeover!’ She grabbed handfuls of Nancy’s long wiry hair and twisted them into a knot on the back of her head. The effect was amazing. She looked calmer and younger. For the first time Katie saw a resemblance between her auntie and her mum. ‘Hair up, a bit of lippy, some LorRAINWEAR and you’ll look fabulous.’
‘But it’s not raining,’ said Joel.
‘Who cares?’ Lorraine shrugged. ‘I’m off to call Rejani.’ She fished her phone out of her bag and took it down into the yard for some quiet.
‘Clementine,’ said Katie, ‘can you design a logo for an organisation called CCASS: Carers Concerned About Strawberry Slips? Joel, we need a Facebook page and a heap of friends. Lorraine’s mum can help us with that – she loves a cause. Then, Dom, can you draft emails to all the radio talk shows? We need to have the whole of Australia talking about this bogus fruit ban.’
‘But, Katie,’ he said, ‘this isn’t exactly an advertising campaign, is it? What are you going to show the prime minister? Even if Rejani Reed does the story with Georgie, it won’t be on TV until “First Thing” is on – tomorrow morning at the earliest.’
‘Dominic,’ said Nancy, ‘Katie’s onto something here. There’s more to advertising than ads. All she needs to do is talk the PM through the idea. Odds are she won’t go for anything we do, but this way, she won’t have a choice. I always think it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission. Worst case is she rethinks the advertising ban affecting Parfitt’s – because Katie lets her know a ban isn’t the government’s only option. Then Katie takes her through the Lettuce Levy idea.’ Nancy’s usually harsh voice was becoming smoother. She looked at Katie. ‘I think that levy is the smartest idea I’ve ever heard. It’s not an ad, but it could launch hundreds of great, important ads. It deserves a shot. Let’s look at this strawberry ban as the rocket we need to launch the mission.’
Lorraine burst into the tree office. ‘Good news! Rejani loves the story. She’s based in Sydney, but she’s happy to do the interview from there – and a camera crew will be here in an hour.’
‘That’s great,’ said Katie, ‘I can tell Clara Whiting about the Lettuce Levy and say it’ll be all over TV tomorrow morning. She won’t have a choice. She’ll have to at least acknowledge it.’
‘I’m going to be on TV?’ squeaked Georgie.
‘Yes,’ said Lorraine, ‘with your auntie Nancy. Don’t be scared – you just need to look very serious when the TV lady asks you questions – can you do that?’
‘Like this?’ Georgie dropped her eyebrows and pursed her lips.
‘Perfect. Come on, let’s go to my place and I’ll get you both looking fantastic.’
Just for a moment, Katie thought Nancy panicked.