The Arcanum of the Pak-ans ~ Chapter 01

Chapter 1

The factories’ chimneys were already spitting big puffs of gray smoke. It was a bright autumn morning nonetheless. A few brave rays of sunlight reached the city. The streets were bustling with activity; maids were going to and fro around the marketplace, mothers were pushing strollers through the park and boys were lazily taking the longest route to school, their leather school bags hanging from their shoulders.

The city’s peaceful routine was to be disrupted though by a newly arrived presence; Circus Monstre. The dealers fell quiet in their stalls, the children hushed and the women stopped their chattering halfway, to turn their attention to the large chariots that were crossing the main street.

Loud music enveloped the quiet neighborhood as the circus band followed behind the majestic chariots. Men dressed in matching costumes were blowing with all their might their brass instruments, playing a familiar circus tune. Ahead of them, on top of the first chariot stood a fat man dressed in red, with a top hat on his round little head, a megaphone in one hand, and waving at the people with the other. “Come and see, come and see, to you the world’s greatest wonders we shall bring! Come to Circus Monstre, you won’t regret it, only until this Sunday we’ll be waitin’!” he yelled in a funny, heavy accent.

Behind him goofy clowns with painted faces and coloured wigs juggled balls and did handstands, earning the applause of some bystanding children.

“Come and see, come and see, to the world’s edges we have been! All things odd that we have found, we will show to you around! Come and see, come and see, Circus Monstre will be right next to the old oak tree!”

* * * * *

At the same time, on the outskirts of the big, industrial city, right next to a big oak tree, Circus Monstre’s people were working feverously to set up the Big Top, their largest tent, as well as the stalls and smaller tents that would surround it.

Joe the Great, the circus’s strongman, a man of truly monstrous proportions, was carrying five large poles, while behind him three skinny, short acrobats were struggling with merely one. Martin, one of the tightrope walkers, along with Isaac and Rico, two of the acrobats, were nailing benches and some clowns farther ahead were teasing the tigers in their cages with a slab of meat.

Young Everett was watching them all with glazed eyes, still heavy with sleep. Once again, he had been dragged out of his covers quite violently by Boomer, the circus’s scariest clown. Trying to shake Boomer’s image from his mind, he went back to polishing stalls. Just before leaving, the ringmaster had said he wanted them sparkling when we returned. “I don’t care how, lick them if you have to! I don’t want to see a single grain of dust on them!”

Everett feared the ringmaster as well, but a little less than Boomer. Boomer was always close, always watching him, ready to give him a good scare with the first chance. The fat ringmaster instead prefered to lie in his floppy couch and gulp down rich lunches with the mayor of the city rather than yelling to the likes of Everett.

After four tough years of travelling with the circus, Everett still seemed not to have earned anyone’s respect in there. Everyone continued to treat him like an outsider, a useless little kid. He had trained by the acrobats on tightrope walking and trapeze, unicycling and even rolling globe; he had learned to juggle balls from the clowns and could even do some simple stunts with the hoopers as long as the hoops weren’t set alight, but no one wanted him permanently in their group. He was still sleeping in the horses’ carriage, on top of itchy balls of hay.

“Everett! Are ye deaf boy?!” Olaf grabbed him roughly from the shoulder and turned him around as if he weighed nothing. The boy shrunk himself, lowering his head and lifting his shoulders. “Com’ wit’ me!” With the same ease, he pulled him along the stalls and left him holding a pole.

“But… but the ringmaster had me polishing the stalls…” he muttered quietly.

“Don’t be stupid! We’ll throw some fabric on ‘em anyway, nobody e’er cares if they’re polished ‘or not!” he exclaimed, carrying a pole along. “Now keep that old’ thing still.” Everett nodded and tried to use his whole weight against the pole to keep it straight. “Stephanie, come help him!” Olaf roared at a young acrobat.

Stephanie wasn’t more than six years older than Everett but she was still as tall as him. She had never started a conversation with him, even though she was the one who taught him how to walk on tightrope. She merely walked away when the two of them were left alone, with a sour expression on her face.

“Alright, let’s move to the next one!” Olaf said and had them old the next pole. Everett noticed with relief that weren’t many more that needed nailing, so he could go back to polishing the stalls soon enough. No matter what Olaf said, he had to get the job done, because otherwise he’d be the one who’d get beaten. He couldn’t just blame Olaf for it, no one would ever believe him.

As soon as everything finished and he was dismissed so that the strongest men would put up the Big Top, he rushed back to the stalls. Half of them were dirty again, brown with dust raised up probably by the clowns. They always did some horrible pranks to him. He hurriedly started to clean them again, but he knew he would never make it. The familiar circus tune seemed to be getting closer and closer, and he knew that the chariots and the ringmaster were coming back.

“Young one,” a low voice called. Everett turned around, spotting Merlin the Magician leaning comfortably against the oak tree.

“What is it?” he mumbled and went back to scrubbing.

“Why bother with that?” Merlin continued, coming to stand on the other side of the stall. He looked ahead at all the dusty stalls that stretched on forever and he seemed tired by the mere look of so much work needing to be done. “How about I help you?”

“And what do I have to do in exchange?” Everett asked suspiciously, scrubbing harder than before.

Merlin sighed and took off his black hat, pulling a little white rabbit from it. He placed it on the table in front of the boy. “Just go get him a carrot. I’ll take over from here on.” Everett stared at the rabbit, then at the magician dubiously. This could simply be another prank that would get him in even bigger trouble.

“Are you sure?” he asked, deciding that he was in trouble if he stayed anyway.

“Sure as eggs is eggs!” Merlin replied, placing the hat back on his head and smiling cryptically.

Knowing that was nothing more than a fifty-fifty chance, Everett picked up the rabbit by the ears and holding it to his chest, he made his way to the carriages where the livestock’s food was stored. The old hag of a cook was standing right outside, investigating Everett with her good eye before finally letting him get a single tiny wrinkled carrot. Although he was out of breath, Everett hurried back; there wasn’t a ghost of a chance that even a grown man like Merlin would be able to clean them all by himself.

“Oh, you’re back already? You could have taken your time.” Merlin’s voice came from afar and it took a while for Everett to spot him. The young boy’s eyes widened as he saw the lazy magician sitting below the oak, the brim of his hat pulled so low that it hid his eyes. Everett felt betrayed, and was staring at him accusingly, but the magician didn’t seem to notice. “Come sit with me,” Merlin continued.

“Are you nuts? I thought you’d help, you did nothing but sit under the shade of that stupid tree and the ringmaster’s almost here! I had to have all those cleaned!”

Slowly, Merlin lifted his head, and a smile spread from ear to ear was revealed. “Why so serious? Really now, come sit with me.”

“No, I… I have to…” A shiver went through Everett’s spine. Just the memory of the last time he got beaten was painful enough. The bruises had been there for a whole month. “I have to go clean them.”

“What are you talking about? But they are clean,” Merlin said calmly, pulling his hat again low enough to hide his eyes.

Everett was on the verge of panic as he rushed to the stalls. He stared at them intensely, one by one, unable to believe his eyes. Indeed, all of them were clean, sparkling more than he could ever imagine. Slowly he went back to the magician and sat on the grass beside him, speechless.

The rabbit escaped his loose grip, hopped off his legs and found the carrot stuffed in his pocket. The little animal pulled it out and started nibbling on it, its teeth being the only sound breaking the silence.

“You need to learn how to enjoy life, you know. Not everything is work,” Merlin mused.

Everett was staring intensely in the distance, at the gray city. “Maybe not for you. You’re one of the big shows, everything is good for you. I’m the one getting sent to do all the dirty work.”

“What a wimp that you are. I’ll tell you this; things don’t go well for most people. Some are destined for greatness, doing private demonstrations in glamorous little reception halls among little circles of rich people’s friends. Yet they end up in circuses, doing some cheap illusion show while clowns pickpocket the viewers. It’s even worse when you know what you’re missing.” The boy couldn’t see the magician’s expression in the shadow, but the man slid down, laying on the grass. “Close your eyes, boy. Tell me what you feel.”

Everett glared at him annoyingly, wondering why he was asked to do such a ridiculous thing.

“Are they still open?” Merlin demanded.

With an exasperated sigh Everett closed his eyes. The smell of rain lingered in the air and there was something else, heavy and stuffy. “The city stinks. It’s all this smoke of the factories,” he remarked.

“Unbelievable. You’re plain awful and you’re not even trying. It’s better than the horse feces you’re sleeping with, isn’t it?”

“Feces?!” Everett asked, making a face. “Who are you, some rich lady with a feathery hat and a fluffy dress? Call it dung like every normal person.”

Merlin seemed to ignore him. “The city’s smell isn’t the only thing up here. Close your eyes again.”

“This is plain stupid,” Everett said out loud, but shut his eyes nonetheless. He could hear a bug flying near his ear and above them birds singing. The grass was tickling his bare ankles and the cool wind was caressing his face. It actually felt nice, although he didn’t want to say it out loud.

“Well?”

The boy simply shook away the annoying bug and turned his back to the magician, enjoying the moment. A smile of satisfaction was etched on the magician’s face who sat up, setting his hat right.

“It’s about time we get up,” he said, picking up the rabbit and nudging Everett. Instinctively the boy pulled away and stumbled to his feet.

A whip was heard not too far ahead and the trotting of the horses came to a stop. Soon a loud thump followed, which was obvious that was the ringmaster jumping off the chariot and more noise followed as the rest of the acrobats and clowns that had gone to the city with him started going to all directions.

“Everett! Everett!!! Where’s that little mongrel?!” The boy felt like hiding at the sound of the ringmaster, but he knew that he had to go there before things got worse for him. Quietly he pushed through the people to get there. Before he knew it, the ringmaster was standing before him, seemingly tall as a house before skinny little Everett, with his fat belly making the buttons of his red shirt stretch so much they were about to explode. “Where have you been?! Did you do what I asked you to?” he asked in an angry voice.

“I… I did…” Everett replied quietly, trying to shrink away as much as possible.

“What? Speak up, boy!”

“I did, sir!” he replied, just a little louder.

“Don’t you yell at me, you ill-bred mutt! Do you think I’m deaf?” the ringmaster roared back.

Everett closed his eyes, already picturing a big hand raised over him, and shook his head.

“Aaah, I can’t bother too much with you. Come on, let’s see what you did.” Everett felt the sleeve of his shirt being pulled and he was led through the people where the endless line of stalls was. He stood crouched in a corner quietly while the ringmaster inspected his work, looking more and more sour with each passing moment. Eventually he came back. “Everything seems in order,” he said curtly. “I didn’t imagine you could do such a good job. You’re a little less useless than I thought after all.”

Everett couldn’t hide the relief from his face. He nodded quickly.

“Or…” the ringmaster started again. “Is it perhaps that you had someone’s help?”

A million different thoughts crossed Everett’s mind at that moment, to fall down on his knees and apologize, to throw the blame at Olaf and Merlin, to even run away as fast as he could. His mouth was hanging open, unable to decide what to say, until someone came from behind and pushed his chin up. “Shut it, young one. A fly’s gonna get in.” Everett pulled away just before he realized the man behind him was Merlin the Magician. “He scrubbed them all on his own, ringmaster,” Merlin said reassuringly. “I had to remind him we were looking for someone to be a human cannonball once or twice, but he got the job done.”

The ringmaster stared at Merlin with his little bead-like eyes, but eventually he nodded. “Very well then, very well.” He nodded a few more times to himself. “Well then…” He turned to Everett again. “What are you still looking at? Go to the acrobats and get some practice, we’re having our first show tonight! Quick, now, before I have you scrubbing the elephant’s cage!”

Everett didn’t stay a second longer than needed. As fast as his legs could carry him, he ran off, heading for the acrobats’ tent.

* * * * *

“Try to keep your arms outstretched!” Julia said. “No, not like this, straight, straight!”

Everett was feeling confused but before asking, his mind was set on balancing on the ball. He felt the ball shift beneath his feet and momentarily losing his balance, he flailed his arms in the air.

“No, no, no! You can’t do this, if you act this way on stage we’re screwed. Get off, get off now!” she demanded.

More eagerly than he should, Everett jumped off the ball, landing face first on the old dusty mattress. The particles of dust made him sneeze a couple of times and eventually he sat up. An angered Julia though was standing right above him, her eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. It was a fact that what female acrobats lacked in strength, they had in temperament.

“What am I going to do with you? You could balance on the damn thing just fine last week! What’s gotten into you? And it’s before the show too!”

“I’m sorry,” Everett said, looking at his feet. “I’ll try again.” He got back on his feet and went to get the large ball, which had rolled to the edge of the tent.

“You’d better make it. Remember, I just need you to balance decently for about three minutes, then Rico will pick you up and the rest of the act is trapeze for you.”

Everett nodded. He knew the routine, they had done it once again in the last town. He had made a small goof on the last jump, but nobody had seemed to notice back then. He was so anxious today though, wondering if they would indeed make him human cannonball if he was useless for everything else.

“Come on, get up there!” Julia urged him and he hurried climbing on the ball.

I’ll do better this time. I don’t want to fly anywhere, Everett thought stubbornly, finding a way to center his weight and stretching out his arms again.

“That’s it, now start walking, one leg, then the other,” Julia continued. The boy followed her instructions and started to move around the tent, properly this time. “Come on, that’s it, one leg, then the other again,” she said, clapping her hands together.

You’re only encouraging me because you want the act to be right, Everett imagined himself saying Julia. But I’ll get the act right anyway.

“Okay, and at around this point Rico comes to scoop you up, is that clear?” she asked. Everett nodded and jumped off the ball, landing on his feet this time. “Okay, then take a small break and we’ll do it a few more times just to be sure.”

Everett lied back on the mattress. It felt as if the stripped top of the small tent was spinning. He was grinning to himself though. See? I’ll do it right, and sooner or later you’ll have to take me in your group.

* * * * *

Evening came quickly. The sky darkened and the first stars began to make their appearance in the sky. Everett was sitting on the edge of the horses’ carriage, staring at the stars lazily until it was his turn to get on stage. As usual, the first day wasn’t too crowded, there were only a few families walking around from stall to stall, trying shooting games and watching clowns with their goofy acts.

He could hear the ringmaster in the distance barking at somebody about the animals and the tightrope walkers going through their routine somewhere nearby. He could see the entrance of the Big Top, where Merlin the Magician invited the crowds to buy tickets for the show starting in half an hour inside.

An unpleasant smell came from inside the carriage and the young boy decided to take a walk around. He knew he’d have to do something entertaining if he started mingling with the crowd, but it was better than sitting around and smelling horse dung. It was enough that he’d have to clean them later before going to sleep.

He wandered around the stalls, juggling four colourful balls, observing the crowd. There were almost no children above the age of six, only babies and toddlers along with stern looking parents or funny looking grandmothers with ridiculous hats stuffed with feathers so much you expected something alive to pop out of them. Eventually his hands got numb from all the juggling and he stuffed the balls in his pockets and started walking through the people, doing a cartwheel here and a handstand there, just so that he wouldn’t get yelled at.

The scent of greasy sausages and caramel apples made his stomach rumble as he passed by a canteen set up at the end of the stalls. His lunch had been next to horrible and most certainly not enough, especially given all the things he’d done today. When he had asked the old cook for extra though she had just stared at him with her good eye and saying, “And where would a little shrimp like you fit any more food than what you already got? I’ve been feedin’ kids for years, I know how much y’all need to grow!” She had shaken her wooden spoon threateningly as well, to make sure he’d leave and not continue asking for more.

Everett walked away from the canteen quickly and went to sit beneath the oak tree just like he did the same morning. Merlin was yelling that the show began in twenty minutes so he had more than enough time. He fell back on the grass and closed his eyes, trying to enjoy the peace and quiet away from the circus. His idea was short-lived though as he felt someone poking his head and pulling on his hair.

When he opened his eyes he saw a girl about the age of four, in a blue polka-dot dress and shiny shoes. “Oh, you’re awake!” she said merrily.

“Yes?” Everett asked perplexed.

“How nice, how nice!" She clapped her hands and hopped from foot to foot. “Do something!”

“Like what?”

“Hmmm… I don’t know… you’re with the circus right? Do some circus trick for me!”

Everett sighed and got to his feet. “Okay, then stand back,” he told her, and as soon as her little feet put some distance between them, he did a handstand and started walking around her in circles.

The girl was giggling and clapping excitedly at him. “More! More!” she demanded.

Everett pulled out his colourful balls and started juggling them, while asking the girl riddles. The girl laughed every time Everett told her the riddle’s correct answer.

“How do you do that? Teach me, teach me!” she asked, pointing at the balls. “I want to do that too!”

“It’s not easy. Take two for start.” He threw two of the balls at her, but she missed them and ran off to get them. Everett followed her and they sat somewhere with more light where he showed her how to do it. After two or three throws she always made mistakes, but that was enough to satisfy her.

“Lisa! Lisa, where are you?” a woman’s voice was calling nearby.

Instantly Everett stood up and walked a little farther away. “Oh, it’s my mom!” the little girl said. “Thank you! I’ll show her the trick you taught me and I’ll come join the circus too one day! Bye!”

Everett waved at her, all the time thinking, Please never do. It’s better to only come see it with your parents from the outside.

The boy returned to the Big Top and went to the back with the rest of the acrobats. Some were practicing, others were doing some last fixes on their costumes and a couple of Hoopers on the side were sharing a bottle of booze, “to gather up courage for their act” as they’d say. Everett picked a quiet corner and sat there, waiting patiently for the familiar show to start. He peeked a couple of times through the curtains, but there weren’t many people outside. He spotted the girl in the polka-dot dress with her parents, as well as an elderly lady whose hat had a stuffed eagle on the top and a couple of costumed men he had seen outside before.

Things moved quickly from that point on. The band started playing the entering tune and the ringmaster stepped out, roaring greetings in his loud voice, surrounded by the clowns doing their goofy acts. The tigers and the hoopers followed, then a comical break was made by the clowns once more and before he knew it, he was out there, on the ball.

He saw the little girl clapping excitedly at him but he tried to ignore her and focus on the task at hand. He didn’t know how he was doing, but everything seemed to be in order; no one glared at him and the viewers didn’t seem to notice anything. Suddenly Everett was picked up by one of the acrobats on the trapeze and he found himself being thrown from acrobat to acrobat, as if he was a weightless juggling ball.

This is still better than becoming a human cannonball, he thought as he was sent flying at Stephanie, who pushed him up to stand on the trapeze. Applause followed, and along with the swinging of the trapeze it made Everett dizzy. The lights went out so that everyone could get off and prepare for the next act. Stephanie was right above Everett, rushing him to hurry and get off the metal ladder and pushed him through the curtains as soon as his feet touched the ground.

Everett fell on the nearest chair, exhausted, feeling his arms trembling and his legs numb.

“What was that?!” Stephanie demanded, her eyes shooting daggers.

“What was what?” Everett asked, wondering where he had gone wrong this time. He thought everything had gone well. Stephanie’s eyes thinned to two slits and without saying another word, she turned around, flipping her long ponytail and stomping away. I still don’t get it… Everett thought to himself and stood up. The tightrope walkers and the elephant were next and Everett knew that where the elephant was, the stench followed. He quickly got up and went to the horses’ carriage, to clean it now, while the horses were still out on the show.

One more day had passed, as uneventfully as it possibly could. The next would follow, and then the one after that. That’s just how his life in the circus would be.