Free Circus of the Grand Design by Robert Freeman Wexler Page A

answer, his voice hoarse from thirst, from the intense relief that follows terror. "Not assistant. New publicist."
    But the man had already followed the elephants into the smaller pen. Lewis ignored the order and walked away.

Chapter 10: Celebration
     
    The press release was gone from Dillon's desk, so the manager must have been there at some point. Lewis pulled aside the red velvet curtains. Now dark outside, the lights of cars moved along a highway fifty or so yards away. The train lurched. Lewis's stomach twisted, and he grabbed a thick handful of curtain to steady himself. When he looked again the window was cloudy.
    He stared at the glass for a while, then turned and left Dillon's room, hurrying through an empty gymnasium and into a dining car swarming with the entire circus crew.
    Feeling as though he had been in isolation for days, the scene overwhelmed him. Everywhere, people laughing, shouting, jumping on tables. The noise was appalling; it battered at him, a sinuous force that froze him in place. He started to ease himself into the tumult. The activity here, it had nothing to do with him. The outsider, he would be invisible, could likely walk straight through the crowd without being noticed. He scanned the room, seeing the acrobats at a table, that giant Bodyssia woman at the food counter. And on registering the food counter, a world of scents paraded before him. When had he last eaten? He could get some food and take it back to his room.
    A clown—Miss Linda?—sat at a booth surrounded by acrobats. She covered her head and ducked when two of the acrobats rose and leaned toward each other over the table. Lewis expected them to hit each other; instead they embraced. The scene was so outlandish—Miss Linda in long-sleeved coveralls, red wig, face painted white, and the acrobats in their gold face paint.
    Between Lewis and the food counter, Brisbane juggled oranges while Gold, Dawn, and Desmonica watched. Lewis would have to pass them quickly. He hid his bandaged hand in his pocket.
    Gold saw him.
    "Holy Max!" Gold punched Lewis's shoulder. He had a red welt on his cheek. An accident during his act? "That was some run we had, buddy. Your PR is crackling!"
    "Be right back," Lewis said. "I've got to eat something." That wasn't so bad, he thought, starting toward the counter. Now nothing between him and the food except that giant.
    "I'm starved. I'll go with you," Dawn said. She tugged on his left arm, pulling the bandaged hand from his pocket. She smelled worse than she had at their first meeting. With her silver eye shadow she looked like a mannequin. It would be nice to see how she looked clean. He thought about how he had liked her when they met. Although that was before the appearance of the citrus woman. Would she join the party? He looked around the room again, wondering if he could have missed spotting her.
    "Hi Sunrise," Bodyssia said to Dawn.
    Lewis stayed behind Dawn, thinking it would be best to be out of Bodyssia's reach, but he had forgotten how long her arms were. She gripped his shoulder and pulled him closer.
    "Hey handsome, did you like the show?"
    "We've got Lewis to thank for the fabulous crowds," Dawn said.
    "Well cheers to you." Bodyssia leaned over to bring her face level with his. He thought she was about to kiss him. Instead, she squeezed and lifted him. At least she smells better than Dawn, he thought as his nose pressed into her neck muscles.
    She put him down and returned to her food. His sides hurt where she had held him. He would take the first thing Cinteotl offered and run back to his room with it before anything else happened. Cinteotl stood behind the counter, wiping his hands repeatedly on the sides of his apron, as if he couldn't quite get them clean enough to keep preparing food.
    "The fine art of circusing is a hungry and thirsty business."
    Cinteotl spoke with an odd formality that Lewis supposed he saved for special meals.
    "I have cooked for all of you several hearty dishes