The Trapolator

Gaius is enjoying his mustard fried cauliflower, with onion puree.

We were lucky to get this, says Henriette.

She is having it too.

Indeed, says Gaius. Chicken salad would have been plain in comparison.

Although I do like edamame, says Henriette.

I'm not sure what that is, says Gaius.

Beans, says Henriette. Immature soy beans.

Ah, says Gaius. Henceforth I shall know.

Terence comes back with a piece of paper, on which Denis has written his email address.

Denis sent this, says Terence.

Henriette takes it.

I wonder if we'll correspond? says Henriette.

It depends if you have anything to say to one another, says Gaius.

He was explaining the algal bloom, but he had to go back to his seat, says Henriette.

He knows very little about it, says Gaius. 

I thought you and he were going to work on it together, says Henriette.

All we can do is collect information, says Gaius.

Like me, says Terence. I collected some froth, but I lost it.

And I hear you counted dead pipis, with the help of your parrot, says Henriette.

I mixed up the zeroes, says Terence. 

That's no good, says Henriette. Zeroes are important.

Indeed, says Gaius. Are you going to eat that last bit of cauliflower?

No, do you want it? asks Henriette.

If you don't mind, says Gaius. It's delicious but not very filling.

He prongs her fried cauliflower with his plastic fork, and eats it.

You are lucky to have a parrot that can count, says Henriette. I would like such a parrot.

Can't you count? asks Terence.

I can count, says Henriette, but it's difficult to estimate large numbers of anything. People for instance. I imagine it's the same with dead pipis.

Not quite, says Gaius. The pipis are dead, and therefore not moving.

Yes, but I imagine you tried to extrapolate, says Henriette.

No we didn't, says Terence. We didn't have a trapolator.

And what would that be? asks Gaius. 

Something to put them in, says Terence. We should get one.

We might need something to put cuttlefish eggs in, says Gaius. Why don't you think about that?

Okay, says Terence. Give me some paper.

Henriette gives him the paper with Denis Diderot's address.  And her pencil.

Gaius admires the fact that Henriette has a pencil.

Terence starts drawing the trapolator.