Free The Carnival of Lost Souls : A Handcuff Kid Novel by Laura Quimby Page A

of an old-time circus. It was painted in the same dull red, black, and tan colors that the box in the professor’s office had been.
    Jabber, who looked about nineteen, give or take, kicked through the leaves and fog and kneeled down to untie Jack’s feet. Jack was surprised when he saw Jabber. From the strength of the arms that held him in a headlock, he expected a much tougher-looking guy. His skin looked pale, an ashy blue color. A black hat rested on Jabber’s head. His black velvet jacket, black pants, and black boots looked old, but not worn, more like vintage—as if he had been born one hundred years before Jack. His hands were wet, and his shirt was speckled with water marks. Jack gnawed at the rope binding his hands.
    “You’re going to want to ride up top,” Jabber said.
    “Huh,” Jack said, spitting rope fibers onto the ground.
    “Get a little air.” Jabber motioned to the circus wagon. “You need it. You stink.” Jabber gave Jack a good sniff, then stood, slapping him on the back.
    “I smell as good as those horses. I was wrapped in their blankets.”
    Jabber ignored him and walked back to tend to the horses. Four speckled gray horses with long white manes stood in the clearing hitched to the gigantic wagon. One of the horses looked at Jack with somber eyes. He rested his forehead against her large body and stroked her soft coat.
    “Who’s this Mussini guy?” Jack asked, wondering what Jabber would divulge about the magician.
    Jabber pointed to the side of the wagon. Painted inswirled black script on the side of the wagon was the phrase:
The Amazing Mussini and His Traveling Players
.
    “He’s your new boss, and he runs the show,” Jabber said.
    As if on cue, a ferocious bear of a man came out of the woods and barreled past the wagon toward them. Enormous was an understatement. He was well over six and a half feet tall in his heavy leather boots. His thick, wavy black hair accentuated his bristly beard and black eyes. He snapped a long leather whip in the air. And when he spoke, his voice was deep and rubbed against Jack’s eardrums like sandpaper.
    “Hurry up, Jabber. It’s a long ride to where we’re headed, and we don’t want to get caught in the forest at night.”
    Black crows erupted in flight through the treetops. Jack stumbled to his knees and then righted himself, trying not to look too freaked-out.
    “Well, looky here. Sleeping Beauty is awake. Sorry about the rope and hood. I’m not a man of bondage by principle, but we couldn’t take a chance you wouldn’t try and leave without saying good-bye again.” Mussini clapped a massive callused hand on Jack’s back and his black eyes gleamed. “It was a show of spunk, I’ll give you that. But if you try it again, I’ll chain you to the back of the wagon like a beast of burden. Are we square?”
    “I get the picture,” Jack said, afraid to look Mussini inthe eye but more afraid to look away. Mussini smiled, but it wasn’t friendly, more like a show of teeth, like a grizzly bear licking its chops.
    “Good man. Then we won’t have any more trouble before we make camp.” Mussini stalked off, boarded the smaller carriage, and drove ahead of the larger, colorful wagon.
    “Better do as he says,” Jabber said as Mussini pulled out of sight. “You work for him now. You should consider yourself lucky.”
    “Lucky? Are you kidding?”
    “You should be grateful Mussini took you on as a member of the troupe. I’d do my best to not screw this up. The forest can be a dangerous place for someone who gets lost or
accidentally
left behind.”
    Great, a slightly veiled threat, and we just met. Way to make friends
. Jack looked around for his duffel. He saw it on the ground and heaved it up on the seat next to Jabber. He was so exhausted he could hardly think straight, but he had too many questions to fall asleep. “Where am I?” Jack asked as they rode through the forest.
    “You aren’t in your world anymore. You’re in the Forest