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“Lady Liberty and I frequently visited the libraries in most of the towns on the tour,” I explained. “I examined several old newspapers, the issues that came afterCirque du Noirvisited their villages.” My voice faltered when I saw the foliage in the background of the painting shaking once more. I started to look away, but something compelled me to keep watching. I only wished I could somehow alleviate the terror and peril those poor people trapped within the picture were experiencing. When the shaking finally ceased, I started to explain again.
Clearing my throat, I continued, “Each audience member that participated onstage with Laurent, Rex, and...” Once more, my dwindling courage made me falter, but I pushed through it. “And me,” I forced out. “All of them died unexpected deaths in the days afterward.”
“How did they die?” Jiang asked, and I knew my word was the gospel truth to her.
“All kinds of ways,” I answered, my voice small. “Tornadoes, house fires, drownings, robberies and murders... the point is…they all died.” I rubbed the scar on the back of my hand nervously. “Now I’m sure all of their deaths are our fault.”
Jiang nodded and almost in reaction, the first spotlight suddenly doused its light and the knob faded away like a ghost. The second spotlight suddenly shut off as well, as my heart beat started to pick up.
“We should go now,” I said.
Moving towards the quickly diminishing spotlights ahead of us, Jiang took the lead. She extended her long-clawed hands in front of her as if they were talons that could tear anyone apart. For all I knew, perhaps they could. I was only half a step behind her when the spotlight by the painting also went out.
Only two spotlights remained before we reached the opposite wall. I couldn’t leave without taking something very precious with me, and quickly scanned the shelves for one particular doll. When I couldn’t find her right away, I started to panic, fearing we’d already passed her. But my panic turned to joy as soon as I caught a glimpse of the now-familiar porcelain face sitting at the edge of the shelf. I quickly snatched her off the shelf and Amelia’s tiny arms wrapped around my neck in a hug.
Jiang turned to look at me as we stepped into the final spotlight. Her curious eyes landed on the doll who responded by turning her head towards Jiang.
“Jiang, meet my best friend, Amelia. Amelia, Madame Jiang.”
Jiang curtsied as she stopped in front of the door. “A pleasure to meet you, Amelia.” Her greeting was swift, and she raised her right foot to the doorknob, deftly twisting it with her amazing toes. It opened instantly.
I held Amelia tightly to me as we went through the doorway and, to my surprise, the final spotlight remained on. The door even remained open even after we walked inside. I watched Jiang’s reaction to our new surroundings.
Laurent’s workshop was, as usual, in a state of orderly chaos. I looked at the jumble of parts, half-finished dolls and various tools strewn around the workbench. Every spotlight above us was lit, extinguishing all traces of shadows. Amelia shuddered in my arms and I couldn’t really blame her. Her prison was created here, after all.
Jiang scanned the ominous room, taking in the loose glass eyes, half-constructed torsos, and assorted clothes and props that would soon have new owners attached to them. I saw her stiffen when she saw one half-constructed doll on the workbench. Its clothes and eyes were still missing, but the hands had been worked on rather extensively. The preternaturally long, painted fingernails on them filled me with horror.
“It’s,” Jiang started, but her knees suddenly buckled and she started to fall. Rushing across the space, I caught her shoulder before she completely collapsed. Amelia leaped off me to grab her by the neck, causing Jiang to freeze for a moment. But Amelia gently patted Jiang’s back, and the woman began to relax. I saw silent tears rolling down her cheeks although her eyes remained tightly clenched shut.
I breathed in deeply. “I’m sorry you had to witness any of this,” I said, regretting the fact that I’d brought her here. And yet… there had been something within me that thought it necessary—something that didn’t believe this place should remain a secret any longer.
Jiang inhaled an unsteady breath that belied the calmness of her next words. “Is this the fate for all of us at the end of our tour?”
“I believe so,” I confirmed. “From what I’ve observed.”
Her eyes focused on mine. “But not you?”
“Notyet,” I replied as we both stood up. Amelia was still hanging onto Jiang. “But I have no doubt it’s coming… eventually.”
Jiang frowned as she stared at the components of her doppelganger. “Lady Liberty and the sisters should also be informed.”
“Definitely,” I agreed. “But how can we prove it—?”
Jiang swept the doll of herself off the bench with a long fingernail and it dropped onto her left foot. She replied, “This is how we prove it.”
“What about Laurent? He might miss his latest creation.”
“Very unlikely he would miss it tonight,” Jiang insisted. “If we need to return it, we will.”
Even though I had misgivings about removing the Jiang doll, I couldn’t refuse Jiang and her stubborn determination. Besides, we needed some kind of evidence to back up our claims to our fellow troupe members.
I carried Jiang’s doll so that she could lower her foot to walk.Jiang nodded before the door slowly began to close. The spotlights on the doll shelves suddenly came back on. The message was clear and simple: it was time to leave. We both hurried through the door—which offered no resistance when we pushed it open wider. I suspected we were lured here tonight, but I couldn’t conceive of a reason why.
Chapter Ten
Despite the shadows of the tent, the disbelief that shone on Lady Liberty’s face stood out like a beacon.
I could see the same incredulity on the faces of Bernice and Vernice as they absently played with their impressive lengths of hair. I was thinking how close the ebony caravan was, just outside, no more than three tents away. It suddenly felt too close for comfort, but I guessed if it were anywhere else on the circus grounds, I would have probably felt the same.
