Enjoy Them And Die

The saints' beanies have dried.

The scorched wool smell has lingered.

The saints are discussing the filling.

Prune, says Saint Maclou, chewing his slice of gâteau Breton.

Salted caramel, says Saint Méen.

Prune, says Pierre-Louis.

It tastes mainly of butter, says Belle. 

A gâteau Breton must be at least twenty percent butter, says Jeanne Jugan. The trade guild is strict about that.

That's a hell of a lot of butter, says Belle.

Ha ha, laughs Saint Méen.

Sorry, says Belle. I meant a large proportion.

Your words don't offend us, says Saint Méen.

Certainly not, says Saint Maclou. How about we finish it off, Jeanne?

Jeanne Jugan cuts the remains of the gâteau into five equal slices.

And then we should be going, says Pierre-Louis.

Is your hat dry? asks Belle.

Not quite, says Pierre-Louis, but it will do. The side flaps will dry as we ride.

Okay, says Belle, I'll go and find Terence.

She goes outside. 

Terence is sitting on the grass with the frogs and a pile of tiny pink flowers with no stems.

What are you doing? asks Belle.

Fixing it, says Terence.

Is that the hydrangea you ruined? asks Belle. You can't really fix it.

That's what we said, says the knowlesi.

You're just a frog, says Terence. You don't know.

How about you bring the flowers inside and give them to Jeanne Jugan, says Belle. She might like to sit them in a saucer on her kitchen table.

And watch them die, says the knowlesi.

And enjoy them, says Belle. 

Yay! says Terence. Who's going to help me?

We all will, says Belle. 

The frogs can only manage two or three.

Terence has ten.

Belle has at least thirty.

They carry the flowers inside.

These are for you, says Terence. Enjoy them and die.

That's not it, says Belle.

Enjoy watching them die, says the knowlesi.

Nor is that, says Belle. The idea is that you may as well enjoy them in saucer on your kitchen table, for as long as they last, rather than letting them wither outside on the grass, unnoticed.

A lovely thought, says Jeanne Jugan. I'll just find a saucer.

She looks for a saucer.

With a tear in her eye.