Hope Away

Why don't you call him? asks Haruki.

He might not like it, says Wittgenstein. He might be just about to creep up on something.

I'll call him, says the Screaming Tree Frog.

Auk-Auk!

Why didn't I think of that? says Wittgenstein.

You could never have thought of that, says the Screaming Tree Frog.

Not of calling him myself in that manner, but of asking you to do it, says Wittgenstein.

I would have thought of it anyway, says the Screaming Tree Frog.

Hush! says Haruki. I think I hear a muffled footfall.

Crush crush. Yes, a muffled footfall. 

CRUSH CRUSH! A louder footfall.

Gaius and Terence appear out of the darkness.

There you are, Ludwig! says Gaius. You took your time.

No need to be snappy, says Wittgenstein. Look what we've brought you.

I hope you don't mean me, says the Screaming Tree Frog.

It's FROGGY! cries Terence. We heard him screaming.

The same Froggy? says Gaius. I was hoping for another.

Hope away, says the Screaming Tree Frog.

Hop away yourself, says Terence.

Hope, says the Screaming Tree Frog. Not hop.

You can't hope AWAY, says Terence.

Is there a reason for your reappearance? asks Gaius.

Yes, says the Screaming Tree Frog. I want to ask you something. But we seem to have got off on the wrong foot.

That's twice now, says Gaius.

Exactly, says the Screaming Tree Frog. So I'll be off. Next time we meet, I expect cordiality.

The Screaming Tree Frog once again disappears into a dark leafy corner, to look for a spider, eat it and then climb up a tree.

Curses! says Gaius. I didn't mean to insult it.

It knew of the Nissan Dealership, says Haruki.

So it gets about, says Gaius. We may meet it again. I'm curious as to what it wanted to ask me

Let's stay out here all night! says Terence.

No, says Gaius. We'll head back to the camper. 

Maybe it wanted a car, says Terence.

Then it would have asked Haruki, says Gaius. Not me.

A pencil, says Terence. 

I doubt it, says Gaius. What would a Screaming Tree Frog do with a pencil?

Draw babies, says Terence.

By now they have moved so far down the trail in the direction of the campsite that we can no longer hear them.

Which is just as well.