Scampi: Let us listen to the birds sing.
Peter: Ah.
Scampi: We shall be immune to the trivial fripperies and discontentments of the modern-day world.
Peter: Quite.
Scampi: Like that snooty guy in the bookstore.
Peter: He wasn’t snooty.
Scampi: Who said he was?
Peter: You did. You just did.
Scampi: [snorts] Nonsense.
DIAPHANOUS SILENCE.
Scampi: It sure is a beautiful day.
Peter: It is.
Scampi: This is springtime, right?
Peter: Is it?
Scampi: Well?
Peter: What do you wish to know?
Scampi: What season is this?
Peter: Spring.
Scampi: Well. That’s what I was asking.
Peter: Okay.
Scampi: I love this song.
Peter: What song?
Scampi: It doesn’t matter.
Peter: Fine.
SCAMPI HUMS HAPPILY.
Peter: Ahem.
Scampi: What?
PAUSE.
Scampi: What?
Peter: Lovely weather.
Scampi: I said that already.
Peter: Not exactly.
Scampi: Yes, I did.
Peter: You said—
Scampi: Don’t tell me what I said. I am not a gnat.
Peter: Pardon?
Scampi: As though I have the memory of an infant octopus. I know what I said.
Peter: Octopi are relatively bright creatures.
Scampi: Octopuses.
Peter: SIGHS.
Scampi: Yeah, yeah.
Peter: Excuse me?
Scampi: What? What?
Peter: You are being dismissive.
Scampi: Jealous?
Peter: I decline to comment.
Scampi: Heh. Ha.
Peter: What’s so funny?
Scampi: You want some lemonade?
Peter: No. I do not.
Scampi: Ha. Ho ho.
Peter: What are you laughing about?
Scampi: Why are you so against laughing? All of a sudden?
Peter: I am not.
Scampi: Well then.
PAUSE.
Scampi: Is it spring now? Or was it spring then?
Peter: Pardon?
Scampi: Did this happen already?
Peter: What?
Scampi: This.
Peter: Now?
Scampi: Or then. I mean, if this has already occurred, then it isn’t now.
Peter: I am not enamoured with this breed of sophistry.
Scampi: Peter!
Peter: Yes?
Scampi: What time is it?
Peter: After noon.
Scampi: But that’s everything. Everything except twelve o’clock, anyway.
Peter: After noon. Before sunset.
Scampi: What breathtaking accuracy.
Peter: I lay no claims upon perfection.
Scampi: You should live in Switzerland. And get adjusted one one thousandth of a second per annum.
Peter: That’s not what happens.
Scampi: Maybe not yet.
Peter: Ahem.
Scampi: But it might be what happens next.
PAUSE.
Scampi: Peter?
Peter: Yes?
Scampi: Will you remember this spring separately?
Peter: From what?
Scampi: From all the others.
Peter: I don’t know.
Scampi: Come on.
Peter: Presumably I will remember certain events. In their context.
Scampi: I don’t even know what that means.
Peter: I cannot predict the future.
Scampi: I can.