'Before we begin our performance,' Valeta boomed, 'I wish to inform you that everything you see here is absolutely real. The Emporium uses no holograms, no anti-gravity generators, no genetically altered animals or people. The only concession we make to modern times is to use a sound amplification system so that everyone can hear. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, can you hear me?'
The crowd cheered again.
'I said, 'Can you hear me?' '
Wilder cheers.
'Then let the show begin!'
Performers burst into the arena. A trio of riders leaped lightly on and off the backs of six horses that cantered steadily around the first ring. Two identically dressed clowns stood on opposite sides of a full-size empty mirror frame and duplicated each other's movements. A bare-chested humanoid with scaly orange skin and hulking muscles put a set of strange-looking animals through their paces in the center ring. Kendi, who remembered circuses from his childhood in Australia, found the entire scene a wonderful mix of Earth and… other places. Still, he couldn't keep his eyes off Roon.
'He's still there?' asked Ben beside him.
'Free and clear,' Kendi said. 'The shit who's holding my family-and who knows how many others.'
'Any more information on the plan?'
Kendi shook his head. 'There will be later, I promise. Did that comm signal ever pop up again?'
'Not yet. I'll keep watching for it.' Ben leaned against the wall, his sad clown face reflected in his posture. 'Ken, I don't like being kept in the dark.'
'I know, Ben, and I'm sorry. It won't be for long. Promise.'
Ben sighed and Kendi detected a definite note of anger in the sound. Kendi firmed his jaw. He knew exactly what Ben was going through-Ara had done it to him often enough. And Kendi wanted to tell Ben everything, both to include him and to relieve the pressure that was building inside him. But Ara had pounded into Kendi's head that when it came to complex plans, the fewer people who knew what was going on, the better. Although he had chafed under this policy several times, he had also come to realize that she had been right. He wondered if Ara had ever felt this way about him and wished he could ask her.
'Kendi, is that you?' asked a familiar voice.
Kendi turned. A woman with a pretty, round face was standing behind him. White streaks shot through her long dark hair. Her skin was a little lighter than Kendi's. Beside her stood a man who was close to the woman's age, though his hair was going more silver than white. Vidya Vajhur and her husband Prasad. The two of them had been instrumental in ending the Despair, and Kendi would have lost the battle against Padric Sufur's children without them.
'Vidya!' Kendi gave her a warm embrace while Ben shook hands with the man. 'And Prasad! I was wondering where you'd gotten to.'
'You and Ben are hard men to find,' Prasad said.
'Especially when you hide yourselves under such garish makeup,' Vidya added.
'Valeta told me she'd picked you up,' Kendi said, 'but there was a lot to arrange and I didn't have time to come find you. Is everything all right? How are Sejal and Katsu?'
'As far as I know, they are well,' Vidya said, 'though I haven't spoken to either of them in some time.'
'They are… occupied,' Prasad added. 'The Council of Irfan desperately wants both of them to join the Children, since their Silence was largely untouched by the Despair, but they haven't decided yet. The Council is very worried these days.'
'About the Silent dying out,' Ben said. 'We're nervous, too.'
'This is a worry for another day,' Vidya said. 'Right now we should enjoy the circus.'
'Agreed,' Kendi said with a smile.
The performances continued. Flyers flipped and twirled among ropes and trapezes. An animal trainer trotted out a pod of small dinosaurs from Bellerophon, and Kendi felt a small stab of homesickness. Up in the stands, food and souvenir merchants hawked their wares. Smells of hot, greasy food spread everywhere. Kendi shifted uneasily. When would it be time for- 'Ready?' Val said behind him. Kendi jumped. He hadn't heard her coming.
'Gretchen's down in the dressing area,' Ben said, 'so we're set.'
Val nodded. 'One more act and we'll do it.' She trotted away.
'What are you going to do?' Prasad asked. 'You said you do not need us to steal Roon's key, but you have not explained why you do need us.'
Kendi started to scratch his nose, remembered his makeup, and dropped his hand. 'I'll tell you later. It's too complicated to go into right here.'
The dinosaur trainer ended her act, and Val stepped into the ring to introduce a magician. 'Once again I repeat-the Emporium uses no holograms or other special effects. Everything you see is accomplished by skill alone, and the Great Manzini challenges you to figure out how each trick is done.'
Ben grabbed Kendi's arm. 'He's getting up! Roon is getting up!'
Kendi gasped and wrenched his gaze to Roon's seat. Edsard Roon had indeed risen from his front-row bleacher seat and was heading for the aisle. 'All life! He can't get out of his seat now. What the hell is he doing?'
'Who knows? Bathroom break?' Ben hazarded. 'What do we do now? Val's going to announce his surprise once the magician finishes up.'
Kendi produced a packet of enzyme cloths from one of his capacious clown suit pockets and ripped it open. Roon reached the aisle and headed for one of the smaller exit tunnels used by spectators.
'I've got to get him to sit back down,' Kendi said. 'Ben, you try to signal Val, see if she can stall one more act's worth.'
'I can't,' Ben said. 'Manzini uses her in his act.'
But Kendi had already fled. He shed his clown outfit as he ran, dropping shoes, wig, nose, and baggy suit. Underneath he wore normal clothing. Several swipes of enzyme cloths rid his face of makeup, and he prayed he hadn't missed any. His heart was jerking around in his chest. Roon had to get back into his seat or everything would be ruined. Kendi dashed along the hallways, cursing the maze that made it difficult to figure out which way to go. Roon was probably heading for one of the bathrooms, but which set?
Other performers filled the hallways, forcing Kendi to dodge and weave. At one point he snatched a glittering silvery scarf from an assistant animal trainer. 'Emergency!' he shouted back over his shoulder. 'I'll return it, promise!'
He left the performers' area and entered what he hoped was the main spectator corridor. With shaking hands he twisted the scarf into a turban. Sloppy, but it would have to do. He pelted down the corridor, came around a bend- — and halted. Roon had emerged from a restroom and was turning to head for a souvenir stand. A light crowd of people kept him from noticing Kendi right away.
'Mr. Roon!' Kendi called, and dashed ahead to catch up to him.
Roon turned, surprised. 'Mr. Qiwele. So you are here.' He shook Kendi's hand in a hard, dry grip. 'I want to thank you for this. It's everything I love about the circus. Marvelous!'
'You're welcome,' Kendi said. 'But why are you out of your seat, sir?'
'Needed a short break. And the collector in me won't let me leave a souvenir stand untouched. It's all part of the experience.' He looked at Kendi's throat. 'Is that clown makeup?'
Kendi clapped a hand to his neck. Dammit! 'It is,' he admitted. 'I shamelessly exploited my connections and arranged to march in the parade with the other joeys. Great fun, that!'
'I thought one of those clowns looked familiar,' Roon said. 'But you said you always wanted to be a lion tamer.'
Kendi forced a laugh. 'I can fool a crowd into thinking I'm a clown. I doubt I could fool a lion into thinking I'm a trainer.'
'Too true,' Roon said with a laugh of his own.
Through the tunnels came the faint sounds of applause. A man's voice boomed, 'And now for the grand finale!'
'But you'll miss your surprise,' Kendi cried. 'Good heavens, man, it's going to be announced any moment. Any moment! You are sitting in seat A7, aren't you?'
