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“I gotta say, Bindi,” Liberty finally said, “I’m intrigued by the tale you’ve spun. The best I’ve heard in a long time, too.”
“Certainly beats the best ones we’ve ever heard,” Bernice agreed while Vernice nodded.
I knew they were all trying to spare my feelings, but it didn’t ease the sting of my failure to convince them of the truth. “Look at what Amelia is doing right now and then I dare you to say I made it all up!” Amelia stood next to me, her hands planted on her hips, and her posture a clear reflection of my disgust. I also caught a small simian shadow in between the tent flaps, his head cautiously looking around to watch for danger. I only hoped Samuel would see any peril coming our way before we did.
“We didn’t actually say you made it all up, dear,” Vernice argued, letting go of her long strands of hair. “I know you both believe every word of it. Except—”
“Is it so above and beyond that your mind cannot conceive of such mayhem?” Jiang interrupted, a steely edge in her voice. “Even after all the evidence you see?” She held up her doll for emphasis and pointed at Amelia with one fingernail. Amelia nodded to convey her accord.
“Hell, Jiang,” Liberty said, holding up her hands. “Could be ol’ Laurent is just makin’ dolls for the games the rubes like to play on the fairway!”
“Amelia is not inanimate, as you can see, she moves entirely on her own,” I pointed out, stroking Amelia’s hair.
“Well, maybe someone’s purposely deceiving both of you,” Bernice suggested.
The icy fury that imbued the tent all at once seemed to come from every pore in Jiang’s body. “We, who survived the degradations of the Yihetuan Movement are not susceptible to anyone’stricks,” she growled, practically spitting out the last word.
“I’m sorry, what movement?” I inquired innocently, hoping my genuine confusion would restrain Jiang from causing any harm, because I was also fairly sure that no one else in the tent had any idea what she was talking about.
To my relief, my timely interruption distracted Jiang ,and she turned around to answer me. “You Americans call it the ‘Boxer Rebellion’,” she explained.
“And remind us what that was,” Vernice started.
“The unofficial purpose was to liberate my homeland from all the depravity and exploitation of the West. But we and others like my family were lied to...” She choked up and clenched her jaw tightly. Silence hung in the air until she took a slow, steadying breath. “Until with good reason, we welcomed the armies from the West. It is why my mother and I fled China, never to return.”
“Unfortunately, you endured some ugly injustices, I wouldn’t wonder,” Liberty replied, and she gave Jiang a small nod of understanding. I had an idea that Lady Liberty had firsthand knowledge of how ugly people could be.
Her calmness returned, and Jiang turned back to The Human Atlas and nodded. “This is the first time in a long time that I have experienced atrocities that could rival those of that rebellion and what is happening in this circus… well, it isn’t right.”
“Damnation! Therejusthas to be a logical explanation,” Vernice protested. “Therehasto be.”
I could sympathize with all of them. Rational thoughts were irrelevant regarding the how and why of the ebony caravan, specifically, The Dark Room. “Do you know how often I told myself that?” I replied with weary sadness. “But the occurrences only got worse and I could never find another explanation. I know better now.”
“Okay, ladies,” Liberty said, holding up her hands in a calming manner. “We all agree that a lot of things go on in this circus that’re mighty peculiar.” She cast uneasy eyes outside the tent. “That strange fog Bindi spoke about, for instance... I saw it too. There are too many odd sights for all of them to be coincidences.”
“C’mon, Lib, lots of places get foggy,” Bernice argued. Samuel stuck his tongue out at her and blew a raspberry. “Oh, who asked you, fuzzy-butt?” the long-haired sister snapped in irritation.
“He’s just saying you’re wrong,” Liberty countered, raising her pointer finger. “You know, this isn’t my first circus. I’ve been with several before now. Fake fog is always slightly different wherever you go... but the fog atCirque du Noiris the closest to real I’ve ever seen.”
“Why are we constantly moving from state to state? And why, at the end of each circuit, does Laurent replace the entire cast?” I said, introducing another question I often mulled over to pass the time. “That doesn’t make any sense at all when the money’s rolling in hand over fist.”
Though her face remained as hard to read as a book with fine print, I saw something in Jiang’s expression I never saw before: relief. “Also, such intimidating luminaries as Mr. Grey could be a danger we would be foolish to ignore.”
The sisters were looking a little more convinced than minutes before, but I could tell they still needed extra persuasion.
“Why don’t you try to run away again, Bindi?” Vernice suggested.
“Yeah, you nearly made it all the way home last time,” Bernice chimed in.
“And take Amelia with you,” Liberty added.
“Home is exactly where they’d look for me,” I replied with a sigh as I shook my head. “That’s how they found me last time, remember? Where could I go?”
There was something else, a deeper fear I didn’t dare voice. But Jiang must have sensed it, and she effortlessly lifted her leg up to my shoulder and squeezed it with her toes.
“You are among friends here,” she told me. “Friends should never be burdened with dreadful secrets.”
I couldn’t quite face her, but I voiced my fear at last. “If I run away again, Mr. Grey made it pretty clear that if he catches me...” I didn’t finish my thought because I didn’t have to. Every woman in the tent tacitly told me they were well aware of how bad the consequences could be.
