Cirque

I eventually end up staring out the window while Cirque reads.

It reminds me of like Kansas or something. Literally, nothing except for rolling plains.

"What are you thinking about?" Cirque asks me.

"Not really anything," I murmur. "And you?"

"You," she says. "Your predicament is rather exciting, I must say."

I let out a harsh laugh. "Glad someone is enjoying it."

"Come on. I know what will cheer you up!"

She opens the door that connects the car to the tunnel inbetween the cars. And steps in. I follow after her. Then she opens the skylight. "Give me a boost!" She says.

"You're going on top of the train?"

"Of course. The tunnel is always so difficult. Come on."

I lift her up and she hooks her arms outside and swings up like a gymnist. Then turns back around and leans into the hole. "Give me your arms."

There's no way she can lift me up, but I obey. And with a sudden jerk she yanks me up until I'm cussing and sprawled out on the roof of the train. Cirque stands above me, grinning in amusement, her hair whipping around her face. "We're only going fifty. Cool down."

I glare at her. "Are you trying to kill us?"

"I do this every day. Stand up Jax."

I cautiously rise to my knees. Then I see the land to the sides of us whirling by and I almost fall over. She grabs my arms and drags me to my feet. I start cussing again and almost pitch over, grabbing Cirque.

She laughs at me. "Calm down! I wont let you fall off!"

"You're like half my weight," I snarl.

"Whatever." she grabs my hand and begins to drag me down the train.

"I'm not cheered up!" I shout over the wind.

She laughs. Its like bird song only deeper, like a tropical bird. Its beautiful, flowing like water.

I'm momentarily mesmorized by the sound. Then the train jerks, dragging my back to reality.

We get to the end of the car and Cirque just jumps over the gap, then looks back at me.

"Fuck you," I mutter, then jump after her. Its not far, but the train is moving.

I way over estimate it because the train is moving opposite the way of my jump, so I more or less tackle Cirque halfway down the train car.

She bursts into more laughter, pinned under me. She looks at me, my face inches from mine as she's pinned under me.

'Sorry," I grimance, sitting up. She squirms out of the way. "Least you didn't knock us off."

She smells like those raspberry lemon drinks. Its wonderful. She leads me further down the train and it takes a few tries before I fully correct my jump.

Then she stops at a car and opens a hatch in the roof before dropping in. I si on the edge and drop in after her.

"Salve Covie. Sunt quomodo animalibus?" Cirque asks.

"Magna. Quis est hic?" Replies a woman sitting on the floor. Bushy, tangled reddish hair is tied back in a ponytail.

"Est nomen eius jax. Novum auxilium." Cirque says.

"Bonum in occursum tibi. Ego sum Covie," the woman directs at me.

Cirque laughs. "He only speaks basic. This is Covie, Jax. She's one of the animal care-takers."

"Oh, sorry," Covie says, brushing off her lap and standing up, a puffy white cat cradled in her arms. Thats when I realize what sort of cart were in. The performing dogs from last night are fenced on one side, all waving their tales and looking at me. Another cat sits on the floor (it'd been in the show too). On the opposite side is a rabit hutch, a goat, and multitudes of bird cages.

"This is where we keep the smaller animals," Cirque explains. "And our rabbits just had babies."

"Cirque I'm a guy."

"Baby animals cheer everyone up," Covie says. She goes over to the rabbit hutch and leans into it, emerging with two little fluffballs, handing one to me. Covia puts the cats up.

A tiny ball of blonde fur twitches in my hands, stretching so I find myself face to face with a little baby bunny. "Oh my God," I gasp. "Its adorable."

Cirque proceeds to let all eight baby bunnies out, plus their parents, and we end up playing with them.

"Rabbits are easy," Covie says. "We can breed them quickly and cheaply, then sell them for a sizable profit."

"Babies always go the fastest," Cirque says, five of the eight little balls rolling around on her.

"How long have you been with the circus? Both of you?" I ask.

"Three years," Cirque replies.

"Seven," Covie says.

"How long has the circus actually been around?" I ask.

"Twenty five years in two months," Covie replies.

"Thats awesome."

"We know," Covie says happily. "Circo Insomnia is the biggest circus in the Empire. The biggest performing act. We bring in more money than every stage but the Center Stage dramas."

"But we're close to even surpassing them," Cirque says. "We're the best there is."
~
I'm sleeping on Cirque's floor again, only this time I have a thin mattress between the floor and me. Cirque isn't asleep yet.

"Cirque?" I ask qietly.

"Mmm?" She murmers, rolling to the side of the bed and looking at me.

"Why don't you have your own act like the others?"

"I'm Dux's second in command. I'm being trained to be ringmaster whenever he's gone," Cirque says.

"So? You're certainly talented enough. I heard you sing. And I bet you're just as freakish as those acrobats."

"Go to sleep Jax. We'll be in Kaysh by tomorrow. Maybe you'll be home by tomorrow night."

"I'm not tired."

"I am."

"I'm obnoxious though. Tell me a story."

"About what?"

"I don't know."

"Jax I'm sleepy."

"C'mon Cirque. I've just been dragged against my will to a new world."

"I'll sing one to you," she offers.

"Alright. What is it?"

"One of my favorites." She clears her throat and sits up.

"'You are old, father William,' the young man said,
'And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head -
Do you think, at your age, it is right?'

'In my youth,' father William replied to his son,
'I feared it would injure the brain;
But now that I'm perfectly sure I have none,
Why, I do it again and again.'

'You are old,' said the youth, 'as I mentioned before,
And have grown most uncommonly fat;
Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door -
Pray, what is the reason of that?'

'In my youth,' said the sage, as he shook his grey locks,
'I kept all my limbs very supple
By the use of this ointment - one shilling the box -
Allow me to sell you a couple.'

'You are old,' said the youth, 'and your jaws are too weak
For anything tougher than suet;
Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak -
Pray, how did you manage to do it?'

'In my youth,' said his father, 'I took to the law,
And argued each case with my wife;
And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw,
Has lasted the rest of my life.'

'You are old,' said the youth; one would hardly suppose
That your eye was as steady as ever;
Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose -
What made you so awfully clever?'

'I have answered three questions, and that is enough,'
Said his father; 'don't give yourself airs!
Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?
Be off, or I'll kick you down stairs!'"

"What was that called?" I ask when she's done.

"Father William. I adore silly poems like that," Cirque says, smiling.

"I like it too. You're really good."

"Thank you. Now go to sleep?"

I laugh, tired. "I really like you Cirque. You're a lot of fun."