Quick To Whip

Outside da Kleine Hedoniste, very late in the evening:

Gaius: That went well.

Arthur: Yes, we now have four hundred euros.

Pablo: Instead of a debt for three hundred and seventy.

Gaius: Arthur can always be relied on in these matters. And I'm impressed with you Pablo. You play the guitar well. And you were quick to whip out your pencil.

Pablo: I am Spanish.

Gaius: Are the Spanish all quick with their pencils? You surprise me.

Pablo: No. We all play the guitar very well.

Gaius: Remarkable. And now we must be going. We don't want any of the people inside to come out and start asking questions.

Pablo: What sort of questions?

As if in answer to his question about what sort of questions, the red-cheeked young woman in the stiff cotton dress comes out of da Kleine Hedonist to ask a question.

Anaïs: One moment please!

Gaius: Yes?

Anaïs: Your list of names. We wish a copy.

Gaius: Whatever for?

Anaïs: Inside we have quickly formed a committee. Firstly, we wish to compare the list.

Arthur: What's the committee for?

Anaïs: To draw up a contract, stipulating a time frame and an agreed proof of completion of the task.

Gaius: Let me understand. The task of teaching birds to say your names?

Anaïs: Of course.

Gaius: One cannot impose a time frame on such things.

Pablo: Too true. The birds may find some names more difficult than others.

Arthur: Your name for example, AN-AY-EES, has three syllables and a complicated dipthong.

Anaïs: That's exactly why we need a contract. Where is your list?

Pablo (uncrumpling the list which was screwed up in his pocket): Here.

Gaius: Let me have it. I'll read them out, young lady, and you can tick them off:  Robbe, Manon, Maxime, Jens, Océane (that's delightful!), Silke, Arnaud, Niels, Hanne, Anaïs (that's you), Amandine, Dries (how do you pronounce that?), Maarten, Femke, Stijn, Arno, Lore, Fien, Jorne, Luna. Twenty in all.

Anaïs: That seems to be in order. And the time frame?

Gaius: First I must return to Paris, then fly to Sydney, and catch the train to Blaxland, where my good friend Pastor Moon is holding the endangered birds at his home. By the time I get there they should have forgotten their native language. Then I begin my task of teaching them the cries for danger. Teaching them your names will then begin. I estimate five months at the earliest.

Anaïs: We had no idea it would take that long.

Gaius: That's the absolute earliest. It may take longer. Some of you have very funny names.

Anaïs: We do not. And proof of completion?

Arthur: Gaius will put it up on YouTube. We'll let you know when it's coming out.

Pablo: It'll probably go viral.

Arthur: Then you'll be famous. You and your committee.

Anaïs: Here are our details. We call ourselves the Twenty Person's Names Committee.

Pablo: That's descriptive.

Anaïs goes back inside. Laughter is heard, and glasses clinking.