Salt Was Our Luck And Our Downfall

Everything okay? asks Pauline.

Yeah, says Sweezus.

Paco stirs the lentils.

Arthur watches the froglets expiring.

Only you mentioned bad luck on the phone just now, says Pauline.

That was just about Cherry, says Sweezus.

A relative? asks Pauline. Surely not a sweetheart?

An electronic parrot, says Sweezus. That was Terence on the phone, a little kid I know. His parrot fell into a swimming pool in Hawaii.

You could have warned him, says Pauline.

Paco looks up from the lentils.

How could that be?

What, with our Sea Salt? says Sweezus. It's not that effective.

It's effective, says Arthur. But only within certain parameters.

What's this about? asks Paco.

It indicates the future, says Arthur. But only the future of the person who's paid for it.

This make perfect sense to Pauline.

But Paco is doubtful.

What if I try it? says Paco. I'll pay you with one extra scoop of this stew.

Okay, says Arthur, taking out the Sea Salt.

What do I do? asks Paco.

Scatter it, says Sweezus. On the floor there.

Paco leans over the froglets to take a few particles from Arthur.

His hands are moist from the steam of the stew.

The salt sticks to his fingers.

He rubs his fingers together. Salt drops into the mouths of the frogs.

Mi culpa, says Paco. My fingers were steamy.

The frogs die at once.

Perhaps it's for the best, says Pauline. It was only going to get worse for them as we ascended.

What to do now with the frogs?

I'll deal with them, says Arthur. He picks them up and takes them outside.

He comes back to find a utensil.

Then goes outside again to where he has left them near the tombstones.

He can't be bothered to dig much of a hole.

Or any hole really.

He covers the froglets with stones, and scratches in the dirt with the utensil.

An elegy for the froglets.

"Salt was our luck and our downfall".

He goes back inside.

Paco has used the rest of the Sea Salt from his fingers to flavour the stew.

There are extra scoops for Arthur and Sweezus, although Paco is none the wiser about the future.

Paco is known for his good will.

So what happened to Cherry? asks Pauline. I suppose she stopped working?

Forgotten everything, says Sweezus. Even the square root of pi.

My my, says Pauline. What a treasure. What else? Could she tot up the shopping?

She could do twice times seven, says Sweezus. So, if you bought two seven dollar items...

Ha ha, laughs Paco. That is funny.