The ringmaster stood in the middle of the land. The balloon like a vast moldy green cheese stood fixed to the sky. Then--darkness came.
The last thing Will saw was the balloon swooping down, as clouds covered the moon.
In the night he felt the men rush to unseen tasks. He sensed the balloon, like a great fat spider, fiddling with the lines and poles, rearing a tapestry in the sky.
The clouds arose. The balloon sifted up.
In the meadow stood the skeleton main poles and wires of the main tent, waiting for its canvas skin.
More clouds poured over the white moon. Shadowed, Will shivered. He heard Jim crawling forward, seized his ankle, felt him stiffen.
"Wait!" said Will. "They're bringing out the canvas!"
"No," said Jim. "Oh, no ..."
For somehow instead, they both knew, the wires high-flung on the poles were catching swift clouds, ripping them free from the wind in streamers which, stitched and sewn by some great monster shadow, made canvas and more canvas
as the tent took shape. At last there was the clear-water sound of vast flags blowing.
The motion stopped. The darkness within darkness was still.
Will lay, eyes shut, hearing the beat of great oil-black wings as if a huge, ancient bird had drummed down to live, to breathe, to survive in the night meadow.
The clouds blew away.
The balloon was gone.
The men were gone.
The tents rippled like black rain on their poles.
Suddenly it seemed a long way to town.
Instinctively, Will glanced behind himself.
Nothing but grass and whispers.
Slowly he looked back at the silent, dark, seemingly empty tents.
"I don't like it," he said.
Jim could not tear his eyes away.
"Yeah," he whispered. "Yeah."
Will stood up. Jim lay on the earth.
"Jim!" said Will.
Jim jerked his head as if slapped. He was on his knees, he swayed up. His body turned, but his eyes were fastened to those black flags, the great sideshow signs swarming with unguessed wings, horns, and demon smiles.
A bird screamed.
Jim jumped. Jim gasped.
Cloud shadows panicked them over the hills to the edge of town.
From there, the two boys ran alone.