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The stagehand appeared unconvinced.
“Leave it for now, Zeke,” Hep said. “After so much commotion, Laurent’s gonna want to hear all about it.”
Zeke looked between the two of us as though he were deciding between two equally terrible options.
“Ah, it’ll keep ‘til morning,” he finally grumbled, looking down at the coffee pot. “Right now, I need a strong cup o’ coffee.” Then he pointed at me. “And you, young miss, need to stay inside your tent.”
I responded with an offended huff before obeying his order. I had to smile though when he poured his coffee because it gave me a reason to believe I wouldn’t remain here for too much longer.
Chapter Seven
As I had neither a watch nor a clock to mark the time, I could only guess that an hour had passed after the incident with Samuel.
For the entire time, the men kept talking quietly among themselves. Mostly they were grumbling about Samuel’s antics and having to watch me. They also complained that they’d rather sleep in their own tent. Zeke, the cad, crudely suggested all the nasty things he’d like to do with my all-too-flexible limbs if we were alone together. But as time slowly passed, their talk became less lively and more lethargic. In the end, they were both slurring their words and sometimes not even completing their sentences.
All the same, I didn’t dare move from the cot I lay in since being told to go back inside. Only when I heard the sound of something heavy hitting the ground did I even turn towards the entrance. Hep tried to talk but his tongue failed him and he could only squeak out some incoherent mumbles. That was swiftly followed by the sound of another thump landing on the ground. After a few more moments, I slipped out of my cot, walking to the entrance and gingerly peeking outside. Both men lay prostrate, their breathing harsh and heavy, and I finally relaxed at the doubly welcome sight. Whatever the vial contained, it didn’t appear to be fatal.
Still, I moved as quietly as possible back to my tent. After pulling out a warm coat for the chilly night, I peeked out the tent flaps again to check my surroundings one last time. Feeling duly satisfied that all was quiet—aside from my snoring guards—I snuck out into the now-darkened circus grounds.
I couldn’t say the grounds were a welcome sight. No matter how many times I stole away after the rest of the troupe were asleep and the crowds long gone, it never ceased to be a harrowing experience. Labyrinth-like empty pathways, unlit tents, and the absence of any artificial light, with only the stars and moon to guide me, I found it hard to articulate how much the darkness unnerved me. An ominous atmosphere surrounded me, something our preacher from back home would have called “the presence of God,” always hung in the air. Or maybe it was the presence of the devil, making sure the souls he stole stayed in hell, where they belonged. Truth be told, either of those would have been more comforting than the heavy air I felt all around me. A great, dark presence was crouching over all I could see, revealing its malicious influence now that the show was over for the night. That was accompanied by total uncertainty. If I hadn’t been noticed yet, how long until I was? And if that malevolencedidnotice me, why did it fail to react to my presence?
My disparate thoughts occupied my mind when I reached the first pair of tents. Then an important detail occurred to me: I’d received no instructions about where to go after the guards fell asleep. I presumed Jiang would meet me once I was free but where was she? My sudden revelation made me halt in my tracks and look around as I wondered: where should I go now? Did I dare risk a visit to the ebony caravan? Or The Dark Room inside it?
A long, thin claw of silver appeared from behind a tent on my right. The sudden appearance and unusual nature of the sight frightened me initially, and I gasped. Then, stealing my nerve, I kept my eye on the claw, and it slowly gestured for me to follow it. The light from the half-moon caught the front of the nail, which glittered with elaborate patterns and decorations atop a silver background. Eagerly, I hastened my pace towards where the claw beckoned me.
As expected, Jiang, who was not much older than me—although shorter—waited for me on the tent’s other side. The silver nail she extended was matched by several other nails, though those were painted a muted gold with different distinct patterns. When Jiang smiled at me with her small, full lips, I looked at her eyes and didn’t miss the deep sadness I saw in them.
“I wish I could say it was good to see you again, Bindi,” she told me in a husky whisper.
I couldn’t say anything, so I settled for closing the distance between us and giving her a heartfelt hug. In seconds, my tears started falling on her shoulders. As much as her nails would allow, Jiang hugged me back, speaking in her native tongue, which was a soothing balm to my ears and soul. I cried even harder and hugged her tighter. I feared releasing her, as if she would vanish the moment I did.
Finally, I let go and wiped away the ensuing tears with my hands. After the third swipe, I saw a handkerchief clasped between the toes of Jiang’s right foot as she offered it to me. Taking the handkerchief, I marveled at her natural sense of equilibrium. Balancing on her left foot while giving me the handkerchief with her right seemed as natural as bending my limbs was to me.
After my eyes stopped leaking, I asked, “Is Samuel okay?”
“He is well,” Jiang assured me with a clipped nod. “When he returned with the empty vial I gave you, I knew you would be too.”
I looked over my shoulder in the direction I’d just come from. “I’m not so sure the same could be said for Hep and Zeke.”
“Aside from too much caffeine, the only thing they received tonight was some laudanum,” she assured me. “Not enough to kill them, mind you, but strong enough to ensure they sleep until well after dawn.”
“What if they report what happened with Samuel?” I anxiously inquired.
“Most likely, they will, yes,” Jiang said with a lack of concern. “But who would believe such a story? The first whiff of their laudanum breath would tell any listeners to discard their stories. Thus, the only thing that might be terminated is their continuing employment.”
I laughed at her subtle joke. Sure, I also felt a bit bad for them, since they were just doing their job and causing me no real harm. But I had to admit it was nice to see someone besides me getting the shorter end of the stick for once.
“At the risk of being nosy,” Jiang continued, “I must ask why you decided to return, Bindi.”
“Rex and that sharpshooter, Ned, caught me at the train station in Dubuque. They forced me onto the first train to Grand Forks.”
Jiang slowly shut her eyes, bowing her head and sighing. “I see. Would that I could say I was surprised but, I am not. I knew Rex would not allow you to leave so easily.” She opened her eyes again, and I saw the light of truth shining in them. “Nor would the other Elilchelvan brother.”
I didn’t know what to make of that, so I didn’t address it. Instead, I asked, “Laurent told me that Ned showed up right after I left Olathe?”
“He substituted for you in several performances,” Jiang answered with another nod. “The most complimentary thing I can say of that man is his unparalleled target skills. No matter what was thrown, placed or otherwise put before him, his bullets never once failed to find their mark.”
“Sounds like he would have been the new star if I never came back,” I remarked, wishing such were the case.
