Tiny Bicycles

You'll be relieved to hear this news, Terence, says Gaius. The frogs have been found.

Who's got them? asks Terence

Arthur and Sweezus, says Gaius. It seems the frogs stowed away in the boot of the Mazda.

When are they coming back? asks Terence.

That is the question, says Gaius. Perhaps never.

What's this? says Katherine. 

The frogs, says Gaius. They're going to the Tour de France to be mascots. That's if they get there.

If I know Arthur, they'll get there, says Katherine. 

What's a mascot? asks Terence.

A symbolic figure, says Wittgenstein. Such as Willy.

Who the dickens is Willy? asks Gaius.

A whale, says Wittgenstein.  

Willy was not a mascot, says Katherine. He was a fictional whale in the film called Free Willy.

Good, says Terence. The frogs wouldn't want to be willies.

Olly the kookaburra! says Gaius. Year 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics. And Syd the echidna.

Syd wasn't the echidna, says Katherine. That was Millie. Syd was a platypus.

Now do you understand mascots? asks Wittgenstein.

No, says Terence. And the frogs won't. They'll want to have their own team.

Too small, says Gaius. Hard to find tiny bicycles. But then again, Baby Pierre seems to manage.

They can be in his team, says Terence.

Baby Pierre is a loner, says Gaius. And we don't even know if he's going.

I'll call David and see if he knows, says Katherine. Anyone for seconds?

The Baked Emu has congealed and doesn't look tempting.

Right. It goes in the bin, says Katherine.

She takes the dish down to the kitchen.

Those frogs will miss me, says Terence. 

They will, says Roo-kai.

Unless I go too, says Terence.

Don't even think about it, says Roo-kai.

But Terence is already thinking of ways he might do it.