Free Olivia Flies High by Lyn Gardner Page A

have let him attempt a seven-tier castell . But Pablo knew he wasn’t making them try anything that they couldn’t manage. Circus performers did extraordinary things with their bodies that made them seem like gods, but good performers didn’t take silly risks. They managed risk, so that nobody – themselves, their partners or the audience – ever got hurt.
    Jack did it all the time when he prepared his high-wire stunts. He would be doing it now in Idaho. Pablo sighed. He had seen Olivia working on the high-wire with Tom, had seen that she assessed risk with a maturity beyond her years and knew it was only unhappiness that was making her reckless on the trapeze. He also guessed that it was only her evenings spent on the trapeze that was keeping Olivia from breaking into pieces.
    “All right, partner? Trapeze tonight?” he asked Olivia as they cleared up. She nodded vigorously, and then ran upstairs to check here-mail. She was hoping that there would be one from Jack, and there was, but it was only a one-liner attached to a picture of Snake Canyon. But there was one from Alicia, too.
    Dear Olivia, Miss Hanbury tells me that you and she are rubbing along fine but that she barely sees you because you are helping Pablo or practising the trapeze. You will take care, darling, won’t you? Don’t take any risks. I feel as if I’m very far away from you and Eel – who Mrs Lovedale says is having a lovely time with Emmy. I’ll tell you all about Cosmo and Cosima Wood when I get back. I like them both but they are quite a challenge. When they act they run an entire range of emotions from A to B. But it’s good to be back acting again, even if it’s on screen rather than the stage. I haven’t heard anything about how Tom and Georgia are getting on in The Sound of Music. Have you? I imagine that no news is good news, but I’ll be relieved when I’m back in London in a few days’ time and can keep an eye on everything. Take care of yourself, love Alicia.
    The castell children were not the only group working after school at the Swan. In the little rehearsal room at the top of the school, Aeysha and Eel were watching Georgia gathering upher things.
    “Please don’t go yet, Georgia. Let’s run through it again,” pleaded Eel.
    “Eel, I’m exhausted. I’ve already had a full morning of lessons, followed by rehearsals all afternoon and now two hours of teaching you all the moves for The Sound of Music. ”
    “Let’s just do ‘The Lonely Goatherd’ one more time so I know exactly what Gretl does during the song. Please, please, please, Georgia. I’ll be your best friend for ever,” said Eel, getting down on her knees.
    “Oh all right,” said Georgia affectionately. When Eel launched a full charm offensive it was hard to deny her anything. “We’ll go through it once more, although you were practically perfect last time. To tell the truth, Eel, you’re a much better Gretl than Freya. If you’d have auditioned, I’m sure you would have got the part.”
    “I think I probably would have, too,” said Eel, so seriously that it made Georgia and Aeysha laugh.
    “But after this, we’re going to stop, OK? No arguments. I’ve come here every day after rehearsals this week so you can fulfil yourfantasies of playing Gretl. But it’s over. Technical rehearsals begin tomorrow, when we go through everything with all the sound and lighting, and then it’s the dress rehearsal, then the first preview on Monday and then two weeks later it’s first night – press night – when critics come and write their reviews. I can’t wait for the first preview! It will be the first time we’ve done the show in front of a paying audience. Mind you, all the tickets are discounted because things can go wrong during previews! I’ve got tickets for both of you for Monday, and there’s one for Emmy too, Eel. If Emmy’s mum can get you to the theatre, my mum will drop you both off after.”
    “Oh, Georgia, I won’t be able to