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

from which you may make your choices." He pointed at the blackboard and began reading off several dishes: "marbled groundhog casserole, cephalopod with quinoa..."
    "I don't know when my last meal was," Lewis said. He placed both hands on the counter to steady himself.
    "And for you, grilled locobird with butterfly sauce," Cinteotl said, pointing to Lewis.
    Lewis didn't have the strength to disagree
    "I slipped, Cinteotl, but I caught myself," Dawn said.
    "Melon for desert?" Cinteotl asked, and passed another plate to Bodyssia.
    "I've got to go sit down," Lewis said. "Call me when the food's done, and I'll come get it."
    Alone, finally alone, he sat at a booth, his back to the counter, willing everyone to stay away. He pulled out his legal pad and tore off the pages containing the rough diagram of the train. He would recopy it later, in his room. On paper it looked so simple. A few cars, animals. How many other people, he wondered, had gone to the empty passenger car? Was he the only curious person on the train?
    One of the acrobats walked past, then stopped and spun around to face Lewis. "May you excuse me," the man said. He had a long scar across his forehead. His breath smelled like alcohol.
    Lewis drew the paper closer and folded it, not wanting anyone to see what he had been doing.
    "So sorry to bother you, to whom I have not yet been properly introduced, but I must have a fragment of paper. May you give?"
    Lewis tore off a sheet and held it out for the acrobat, who bowed and thanked him. Then, with the acrobat gone, he unfolded the pages, but had difficulty focusing on the words. Annoyed, he turned around to see if his plate was ready. Bodyssia blocked his view of Cinteotl.
    He closed his eyes, trying to visualize trees, a stream, and himself sitting on a rock eating bread and cheese, but the images were forced out by a shriek and a slap from the other side of the room. He threw his eyes open.
    Desmonica stomped past him, toward the table of acrobats.
    "Lumpy track!" Gold yelled after her.
    The acrobat next to Miss Linda hopped up and bowed to Desmonica. With Miss Linda's path now clear, she bolted. Her red shoes, like oversized ballet slippers, slapped against the floor as she hurried from the car. Desmonica threw her arms around the acrobat.
    "Hot and tasty, ready or not," Dawn sang. She deposited a plate and a glass of beer on the table, covering his diagram with the plate.
    Lewis jerked the diagram out and folded it. He slipped it into the sanctity of his shirt pocket.
    "I brought your food for you because you look like splat." She sat down opposite him. Her hair, which had been falling into her face earlier, was now pulled back by a leather hair band, and she had wiped off the eye shadow.
    Lewis started eating without looking at his food. A few bites later his mouth was on fire. The sauce was the spiciest thing he had ever eaten. He gulped down some beer. The way he was feeling, alcohol was the last thing he wanted, but he was too tired to get water. What a mess—he finally got some food, but it was inedible. No choice though, have to eat this stuff. Dawn was eating the same thing. The spice didn't seem to bother her.
    Leonora came in from the direction of the residential cars. Her hair was wet. "All clean," she said.
    Lewis wished the same was true of Dawn. Leonora moved past them, toward the counter. Lewis heard Gold's voice, asking Leonora about her back.
    Dawn leaned closer to Lewis and whispered. "Garson is rubbing her back."
    So what? Lewis looked down at his plate and breathed in the aromas. He scraped the sauce off the meat (locobird breast?) and cut off another piece.
    "He's been after her for the longest time."
    The beer was already making Lewis dizzy and his eyes watered from the pepper. He wanted Dawn to leave, but she kept talking. At least his runny nose kept him from smelling her.
    "It took me a while to get used to her, but now she's like a sister. I've never been able to get to know the acrobats