You Can't Hurt An Onion

Now to sort out the sleeping arrangements, says Gaius.

I'll take the couch, says Wittgenstein. It looks reasonably comfortable.

That is kind of you, says Gaius. Katherine, that means you can have one of the beds.

And you the other one, says Katherine.

What about me? asks Terence.

You don't need one, says Gaius.

I need somewhere to put things, says Terence.

Here is a place, says Gaius, indicating a bookcase.

What things? asks Katherine.

Terence turns out his pockets.

This medal, says Terence. And the frogs need to take off their feathers.

We MIGHT, says Shorty-Tartus.

We'll be going out this evening after dinner, says Gaius. Letitia has offered to show us her pipe traps.

Am I coming? asks Terence.

If you keep quiet, says Gaius. There'll be no frogs in the frog traps if loud footsteps scare them away.

I'd better get a move on with cooking that pumpkin, says Katherine. I won't do the emu tonight.

Yay! says Terence. She's not doing the emu.

Only because it take hours, says Katherine. We might have it tomorrow.

Tough, is it? asks Wittgenstein.

Long slow cooking is recommended, says Katherine. The pumpkin breaks down into the gravy. Even people who dont like pumpkin, say they love it done this way.

How do you know? asks Wittgenstein.

I read all about it, says Katherine. But tonight, we'll have plain pumpkin soup. It's much quicker. Now where is that onion?

Here, says Quiet-Tartus. 

He tosses it to Katherine. She fails to catch it, and it drops to the floor.

Never mind, you can't hurt an onion, says Katherine.

She heads out to look for the kitchen.

Letitia is there.

I've already cut it in half, says Letitia. I hope you don't mind.

The two halves of pumpkin sit on the chopping board, side by side.

They weep transparent sticky droplets, at one another.

We'll keep one half for the emu dish tomorrow, says Katherine. That's if I ever do it.

So, it's plain pumpkin soup tonight, says Letitia.

Yes, says Katherine. But at least I have an onion.

Letitia takes the onion and chops it in two.

It is brown in the middle.

Could this be the result of my dropping it? asks Katherine.

When did you drop it? asks Letitia.

Just now, says Katherine. One of the frogs threw it towards me, and I missed.

Then no, says Letitia. It was probably like that already. 

She winkles out the brown middle parts with her knife.

Coming on the night walk? asks Letitia.

Yes, says Katherine. Let's hope the rain eases.

Wear a raincoat, says Letitia. How much do you know about frogs?

Not a great deal, says Katherine. Gaius is the expert. He even went to Riobamba seeking the Andean marsupial tree frog.

Woo! The one with the dorsal pouch, says Letitia. Hey, are you crying?

No it's just this onion, says Katherine. And yes, now I think of it, he's also done research on the Baw Baw.