Shoe To Shoe

Alas, says Quiet-tartus, regarding the slug smear.

He hops back to his place.

Where is it? asks the rana.

Yes, where is it? asks the knowlesi.

Some of it is smeared on the floor of the train, says Quiet-tartus. And the rest is probably on the bottom of the shoe that smeared it.

Shoe to shoe, says the rana.

Is that a saying? asks the knowlesi.

Yes, says the rana. Seeing that I said it.

I mean a general saying, says the knowlesi. Like ashes to ashes.

It depends, says the rana. It's not universal. Not all slugs travel that way.

Well, shoe to shoe, says Quiet-tartus. And no dinner.

I apologise, says the rana. I should have picked it up while it was intact, and brought it with me.

Never mind, says Quiet-tartus. There'll be good pickings in Paris.

This will be my first time in Paris, says the rana.

Not ours, says Quiet-tartus. 

We crashed our bike there, says the knowlesi.

You had a bike? says the rana.

We shared it, says the knowlesi. It was the spare bike of Baby Pierre.

Not THE Baby Pierre ? says the rana.

Yes, says Quiet-tartus. His bike crashed too. 

So you were in the Tour de France? says the rana.

Yes, says the knowlesi. 

Then you must know one of my companions, says the rana. 

There were no other frogs, says Quiet-tartus.

He's a human, says the rana. He was supposed to be bringing two frogs back to.... hey!

Hey? says the knowlesi. You mean Paris?

Yes Paris, says the rana. I just thought that you might be the two frogs he brought me instead of.

Why would he.... but wait, is his name Arthur? asks the knowlesi.

Yes, says the rana. But it's his companion who brought me.

Instead of us? says Quiet-tartus. Is the companion Pierre-Louis?

Yes, says the rana. Pierre-Louis Maupertuis. He wears a hat with side flaps.

That's them, says the knowlesi. Are they worried about not having us? 

The rana would like to say yes, they are worried.

But cannot, in honesty.

Why not ask them? says the rana.