“Danger.” He spreads his arms, smiling broadly. As the blades plummet toward him, point first, everyone gasps—and then the lights snap out. I know that he’s all right, that he’ll have jumped quickly back and let the knives fall harmlessly onto the hay the split second after the lights went out, but when the lights come on a moment later and there’s no sign of Cale or his knives, I look around for him in surprise with everyone else.
Energetic music blares, and two horses race out into the arena, Elke and Anouk standing astride their backs. The girls’ arms are above their heads in a flourish and they’re wearing huge smiles. I clap as hard as I can along with everyone else. Snowdrop and Patches circle each other in opposite directions while the girls perform gymnastic moves like backflips and handstands. My heart is in my mouth watching them, not because I’m afraid they’ll fall, but because I’m trying to figure out whether I can ever hope to match what they do.
After Elke and Anouk finish their act, and bow and smile to tumultuous applause, Cale introduces three contortionists who move into impossible positions to eerie music. When they’re finished, Cale reappears and introduces a troupe of tumblers and acrobats. They make the crowd laugh with their clown-like antics, which segue into a dance routine with throws and a human pyramid.
Then there’s a break. Elke and Anouk move among the chattering crowd selling bags of popcorn and chocolates. Elke passes me one of each, and I munch them happily.
The second act opens with a stunning trapeze act, a man and a woman who swing back and forth, throwing and catching one another. Two men in clown outfits push each other across the high wires in wheelbarrows and ride tiny bicycles high over our heads.
Aura and Arvid juggle skittles, and toward the end of their act they pretend to persuade Cale, who’s standing to one side watching them, to join in. He makes a show of protesting, until Arvid hurls a skittle at Cale, who catches it and throws it back, still shaking his head. The crowd start a slow clap, encouraging the ringmaster to play along. Cale tossing the skittles back in protest turns into the three of them juggling together. Cale pretends to become overwhelmed and all the skittles fall to the ground. Everyone laughs and claps, and when the three of them resume, Cale juggles with them one-handed and reaches into his jacket for a knife. He holds it up to the crowd, letting the blade glint in the light, the question clear on his face.
Should I juggle my knives? Am I any good at this? Do I dare risk it?
I find myself grinning, and shouting “Yes, do it! Do it!” along with everyone else. He’s an excellent showman, charming and grandiose, but self-deprecating and humorous at the same time. They perform a version of the knife and skittle juggling that I saw last night, except the finale is different. Instead of hurling the knives at a stump of wood, Aura and Arvid throw their skittles high into the air and Cale impales each of them in turn with a knife. The brother and sister catch the skittles as they fall, and line them up on the ground.
There’s a huge burst of applause, and the three of them take their bows.
Cale introduces a solo performer called Tanno. He manages to keep five, ten, twenty plates spinning at once, even as he walks across a tightrope. I can’t help but hold my breath at the tensest moments.
For the very end of the show, all the performers come out for a group number, Cale announcing each of the performers over the music while they perform their skills one last time.
Then it’s all over. I jump to my feet and applaud with everyone else, my blood singing. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was tense, funny and beautiful as well. I could tell the performers had as much fun as the crowd.
When I leave the tent I see that the fire has been lit, and I head over to wait for Elke and Anouk. I’m the only one there for a while, and I watch the villagers slowly disperse and head for the pub or their homes, still chattering about the show.
A few minutes later, I’m joined at the fire by Cale. He’s taken off his jacket and his knife holster, but he’s wearing the rest of his costume as he sits on a log next to me.
“Did you enjoy the show?” He smells of hay, buttery popcorn and woodsmoke. Earlier, when he returned with Dandelion and I threw my arms around him, his scent was all horsey, which is my favorite smell in the world, but the popcorn and woodsmoke suits him, too.
“It was incredible,” I gush. “The contortionists, the acrobats, your knife act. I think I liked Elke and Anouk the best, though. They’re incredible! The audience loved them.”
I can still see them in my mind. Huge smiles, perfect poise and balance on top of their horses. I want to be up there with them.
Cale’s still looking at me, pleasure on his face, and the world swoops as if my foot has sought a step that’s not there. Elke and Anouk are approaching us with smiles, too.
“You’re going to start practicing with us tomorrow,” Anouk says, leaning down to stoke the fire.
“And you’re going to be amazing,” adds Elke, plopping down beside me. She’s changed out of her costume into a dressing gown and washed her makeup off.
I chew my lip and search their faces for any hint of insincerity or mockery. “Well, we’ll see.”
Cale takes this as his cue to go, and he stands up, brushing off his hands. “You and Dandelion will be wonderful. Night, girls.”
Anouk sits down on my other side, scrubbing at her face with a wet flannel. “Aw, Cale thinks you’re wonderful already. Ringmaster’s pet.”
“Don’t jinx it or I’ll fall off and break both my legs tomorrow.”
They ask me what I thought of the show and I tell them everything I told Cale, and even more about their act. I ask dozens of questions about their technique and how they put it all together.
“We’ll start practicing together first thing in the morning,” Elke says, standing up after we’re all talked out. “It’s time we were asleep.”
“Elke is wagon-mum,” Anouk whispers to me, loudly enough for Elke to hear.
“You bet your ass I am. Now, bed!” But she’s grinning as she says it, and we follow her inside.
Tonight as I close my eyes, I feel less of the worry and heartache of the previous night. I remember how beautiful Elke and Anouk looked atop their horses, and Cale’s devastating accuracy as he threw his knives. Even better, their sincerity as they talked to me after the show. It’s like they’re happy I’m here.
“Ryah,” Elke says patiently from atop Snowdrop the fourth time I’ve fallen from Dandelion. “You’re trying to do too much, too soon.”