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Isaiah nodded.
“You can help Giacomo and Johnny take care of the beasties,” she said, and Isaiah grinned to think about getting to feed the elephants and brush the horses. He wished he could tell Memphis that he’d been chosen for this very special job, and he tried not to worry that he didn’t know where in the world his brother was, whether he was safe from cops or mean people or ghosts.
Zarilda moved on to Evie. “You’re cuter’n a june bug.”
It bothered Evie to be called cute instead of beautiful. Even so, she smiled her charming best. “Why, thank you ever so much,” she said, using every bit of the elocution lessons she’d had for the radio.
Zarilda hooted, a big, cracking laugh that rang over the road. She hooked a thumb at Evie. “Where’d ya pick her up, Sam?”
“Would you believe a museum of the occult?”
“I’d believe just about anything. Listen, honey, you can drop the debutante act. Just speak plain and honest.”
Evie blushed. She wanted to protest, but she knew it would only make her sound more like a princess. “I really can read objects,” she said.
“Well, now. That might come in real handy. But first, we got to get you a proper disguise. Follow me.”
Zarilda led them through the camp, which was alive with excitement. A whole family of acrobats practiced together, leaping onto one another’s shoulders and grabbing for hands to form a human pyramid, all of it happening so fast it was like a magic trick. A trainer coaxed a trio of elephants onto three different round steps, where they balanced on their rear legs, front legs resting on the back end of the elephant in front of them to form a chain. A girl vaulted onto the back of a horse like it was nothing.
“This way,” Zarilda said, taking them into a room filled with traveling trunks open to reveal all manner of costumes.
“Holy Moses,” Theta said, holding up an ornate jeweled headpiece for one of the horseback riders. “It’s like a whole traveling Follies show.”
“Let’s see. Theta, try this on.” Zarilda handed Theta a green toga-style gown, and Theta disappeared behind a dressing screen. Evie looked lovingly at the sparkly sequined numbers with their plumes of feathers at the shoulders.
“Just like a diamond,” she said, stroking one.
“Yeah. Diamonds get noticed,” Zarilda said, closing the trunk. “Come with me.” From another trunk, she selected a pair of baggy pants with suspenders, a puffy shirt, and a plaid jacket. Two big brown shoes and a red straw wig completed the outfit.
“A… clown?” Evie said, her heart sinking.
“Best way I can think of to disappear,” Zarilda said.
“It had to be clowns,” Evie said and sighed.
Fifteen minutes later, Evie emerged from the costume cabin in the ridiculous getup. Her face had been coated in greasepaint, with an elongated, sideways red mouth painted over her own Cupid’s bow lips.
Sam grinned and elbowed Theta, who tried not to laugh. “How ’bout that? Your outside finally matches your insides, Baby Doll,” Sam said.
Evie ignored the jibe and admired herself in a funhouse mirror. Nobody would recognize her. The glamorous Sweetheart Seer from New York City was gone. It thrilled her, and it made her a little sad, too. She was perfectly anonymous, the very thing she’d fought becoming her whole life.
“This is pos-i-tutely the worst moment of my life.”
“Look here, Baby Vamp—Zarilda is giving us safe passage as far as Kansas. We all gotta give something back.”
“I know, but”—Evie shuddered—“clowns.”
Sam came up behind Evie and hugged her. “Aw, I think you’re just about the cutest clown I’ve ever known.”
Evie raised an eyebrow. “How many clowns have you known?”
Sam mimed zipping his lips. “I promised not to talk about that. I’m a gentleman.”
Evie turned side to side, examining the costume. “I sure hope these clown pants don’t start talking to me. I don’t think I wanna know their history.”
“I’ll second that,” Theta said. She was dressed in the sparkly green toga-style gown, complete with shiny crown and tap shoes. “Behold, Lady Liberty, minus the torch.”
“Hey! How come Theta gets to look good?” Evie grumped.
