Big-Top Scooby (4 page)

T
hat night, everyone slept in Marius's office, just in case the werewolf came back. They woke with a start the next morning when Marius hollered, “Unbelievable!”

Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, Scooby, and Velma all leaped up. Scooby jumped into Shaggy's arms for protection. “What's that?! Is it the werewolves?”

Marius was smiling broadly. “There were critics in the audience last night!” He slapped down a pile of newspapers on this desk.

“Circus critics?” Velma asked.

Marius nodded. “These are the most incredible reviews I've ever seen! They all assumed the werewolves were part of the show. And look
at this!” He pointed to the front page. Everyone crowded around him and saw Shaggy grinning back at them. Scooby was in the very bottom corner of the picture. “They're calling Shaggy the greatest circus artist since Felix Adler!”

Scooby unwrapped his arms from Shaggy's neck. “Rhut?!”

Shaggy's face reddened, and he couldn't stop smiling. “I'm so excited … and I would be so much more excited if I had any idea who Felix Adler was!”

“This is great, Shaggy,” Daphne said, patting him on the back.

“Congratulations!” Fred seconded.

Velma nodded. “Way to go!”

Scooby looked disappointed. “Rhut rabout re?”

“Well,” Marius said, trying to come up with something. “Listen to this: ‘The performance young Shaggy Rogers gets from his trained dog, Scabby —'”

“Rabby?!” Scooby barked.

“— is so remarkable that one might almost
believe the animal has a mind of its own!'” Marius continued.

Scooby snatched the newspaper away from Marius. “Ri
do
have a rind of ri own!”

“It's true,” Daphne said. “He does.”

Marius didn't really seem to care. “Well, this is fantastic news! Excuse me, I have to show these around.” He hurried out of his office to share the reviews with the other members of the circus.

“Looks like we're a hit, huh?” Shaggy said, beaming at Scooby.

“‘Rabby …'” Scooby moaned.

As Shaggy reveled in his newfound fame, Archambault burst into Marius's trailer. “You have heard? The newsies are loving the show! We sell many tickets now,
oui
?” He looked around on the shelves, searching for something. “You all be sure to come to breakfast today, okay? Archambault is going to make his famous crêpes!” He held up a key. “Aha! Kitchen trailer key. Breakfast be ready soon.”

As Archambault backed away from the shelf, he knocked a book to the floor. It landed at Velma's feet.

“What…?” she asked, picking it up. It looked very old. “This is a book about the Ingolstadt werewolves!” she cried.

Archambault and the others stared at her.

“But I thought Marius had never heard of them!” Daphne said, peering over Velma's shoulder.

“That's what he
said
….” Fred mused.

Shaggy rubbed his chin scruff. “Like, maybe he just bought that book yesterday?”

Velma continued to look through the old book. “It was printed in Estonia in eighteen fifty-three. You really think Marius could have found this in just a day?”

“What are you saying?” Archambault asked. “That Marius is werewolf?”

Fred didn't look convinced. “But last night, he was with us when the werewolves attacked.”

“He still might be one of them,” Daphne said slowly. “Maybe he can change whenever he wants, like in Ingolstadt.”

Velma pointed to something in the book. “Someone has circled all the jewels that Hans
supposedly collected. They're the same ones our werewolf has stolen … except one.” She held up the book. Someone had circled an illustration of a large, black gem. “It says it's a ‘carbonado.'”

“What's a … car now?” Shaggy asked.

Archambault shrugged. “Carbonado … very puzzlement,
oui
? Okay! Time to make the crêpes. Breakfast in one hour!” He headed out toward the kitchen.

Shaggy's stomach growled. “Ooh, I'm not gonna last an hour. Hey, Scoob, is Cap'n Fatty's Rib Ranch open for breakfast?”

“Reah!” Scooby cried.

“Then let's head on out,
Scabby
!” Shaggy laughed all the way to the restaurant, but Scooby got more and more annoyed by the minute.

While Shaggy and Scooby were at the diner, Velma, Daphne, and Fred tried to get to the bottom of the werewolf mystery. Velma cradled
the Ingolstadt werewolf book in her arm as they walked through the circus searching for Marius.

“Care to explain this?” Velma demanded when they finally found the circus owner. She waved the book in his face.

Marius stared at her blankly. “Well … it's a book. You see, they print words on sheets of paper, bind them together, and —”

Daphne sighed impatiently. “It's a book about the Ingolstadt werewolves!”

“And we found it in your office,” Fred declared.

Marius was stumped. “And what, that makes me a werewolf? My office is usually unlocked. Anyone could have planted it in there.”

Just as Velma was about to ask another question, a voice rang out across the circus. “Mr. Brancusi?”

“Over here,” Marius called wearily. A thin, balding, middle-aged man with a briefcase strolled over.

“It's Phil Flaxman,” the man said. “Call me Phil, everyone calls me Phil. Even my kids call me
Phil.” He looked at the gang, who were still wearing their circus outfits. “Ooh! Circus folk!”

“Come into my office please, Phil. If you'll excuse me” — Marius shot Velma, Fred, and Daphne an angry look — “I have some business to discuss.”

Velma gave the others a serious look. But Marius and Phil had already closed the door behind themselves, so the gang wandered back toward the big top, searching for more clues.

As they approached the main ring, they could hear that Shaggy and Scooby were back from their breakfast. They were arguing.

“What do you mean, you won't do the show tonight?” Shaggy demanded.

Scooby growled. “Rou heard me.”

“Aw, c'mon, Scoob!”

“Ro.” Scooby was still upset that Shaggy was getting all the credit when he was the one who'd done all the cool tricks.

Shaggy knelt down in front of Scooby and held a big box of Scooby Snacks. “Would you
do the show again for a Scooby Snack?”

Scooby turned up his nose. “Ruh-ruh!”

“Would you do it for two Scooby Snacks?” Shaggy
really
wanted Scooby to do his circus tricks again that night.

“Rorget rit!”

“Fine.” Shaggy stomped off.

He returned a moment later, pushing a wheelbarrow full of Scooby Snacks. “There are three hundred and forty-two pounds of Scooby Snacks here. Happy now?”

Scooby dove into the wheelbarrow and began to munch. “Reah! Happy now!” he said with a huge smile. It was easy to forget he was angry with Shaggy when he was stuffing his face with tasty treats.

As Fred, Velma, Daphne, and Shaggy watched Scooby chow down, Marius and Phil returned. “Thank you, Phil,” Marius said. “We'll see you at tonight's show!”

“Wouldn't miss it!” Phil said as he waved good-bye.

“Guess what?” Marius said, his eyes
sparkling. “That man just bought out all the seats for tonight's performance. We're doing a private show for the Wûlfsmöóon guy.”

Shaggy gaped at Marius. “Wulfric Von Rydingsvard?! Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh!”

Fred stepped over to Shaggy and gave him a paper bag to breathe into. Marius looked concerned. “Is he going to be all right?”

Fred shrugged. “As all right as he ever is.”

Velma looked up from the Ingolstadt book, which she was studying. She narrowed her eyes at Marius.

“I am not a werewolf!” Marius insisted again.

“I really don't think it's him, Velma,” Fred agreed.

“We'll see.” Velma kept squinting at Marius. “Okay, so I found out what a carbonado is. It's also known as a black diamond.”

Shaggy suddenly screamed so violently that he popped his paper bag.

Daphne rubbed her ear. “Thanks, Shaggy. Deaf in this ear now.”

“Black diamond,” Shaggy screamed.

“What?” Fred yelled, covering his ears.

“Wulfric! Wulfric! Wulfric!” Shaggy hollered.

“Shaggy!” Velma shouted back, shaking him. “How about a verb?”

Shaggy calmed down for just a moment, and then he freaked out again. “Wears! Wears! Wears!”

Fred handed Shaggy another paper bag, then said, “Let's see, if we put them together … Wulfric … wears … black diamond?”

Shaggy pointed at Fred and nodded. Then he pointed at a Wûlfsmöóon billboard. Everyone noticed the same thing at once. Wulfric was wearing an amulet with a huge black diamond!

“Well,” Velma mused, “I guess we know what the werewolves' next target is….”

Fred nodded. “And this time, we'll be ready!”

L
ater that night, the gang stood outside Archambault's trailer. The circus was about to start, but Archambault was nowhere to be seen. The door of his trailer dangled off its hinges, and the inside was a mess.

“I hate to say it, but it looks like the werewolf has struck again,” Velma observed, her nose still in the Ingolstadt werewolf book.

Marius paced nearby. “Archambault is gone! We can't find him anywhere! And look at his trailer — there's obviously been a struggle here.”

Oliverio stormed up just as Marius finished talking. He pointed at Fred. “You! Where is she?!”

“She?” Fred asked, backing away from Oliverio. The guy made him nervous.

Oliverio stepped forward menacingly. “Where is my Lena?! She is missing! You two are planning to run off together, aren't you?”

“What?” Fred asked. “No!”

Oliverio grabbed Fred by the collar. “Don't lie to me!”

Daphne realized that Oliverio was jealous — and really worried about Lena. “Oliverio, stop,” she said soothingly. “Lena could have been taken by the werewolf.”

“Hmph,” Oliverio said. “Net Boy is the only wolf I see.” He stormed off.

Marius stopped pacing long enough to look at Fred. “I hope Oliverio isn't too upset, Fred. Because you're going to be doing the trapeze with him tonight. Someone has to fill in for Lena.”

Fred gulped.

“We can do this,” Marius reassured them all. He began to lead the gang toward the big top. “We can! We just need to get through this show, then we can find out what happened to everyone.”

As they walked up to the performance area, Velma said, “Our audience is here.”

“There's Wulfric!” Shaggy exclaimed. “He looks shorter in person.” Wulfric Von Rydingsvard, Phil Flaxman, and a few other people were walking toward the big top. A huge black diamond necklace hung around Wulfric's neck.

Marius looked at Wulfric, and then back at the gang. “Okay, here we go. There's just one thing you have to remember —”

Suddenly, Marius was yanked backward by a pair of huge, hairy hands.

“Marius?” Fred prompted, turning to see what he was about to say. “Yes?”

“Aw, like, not him, too!” Shaggy whimpered.

Sisko ran up, honking his horn.

Fred nodded along. “Sisko is right!” he said certainly. “The show must go on!”

“But, like, what if the werewolves show up?” Shaggy said, trying to hide.

“I'm counting on it!” Fred said. He put on Marius's top hat. “We've got a little surprise in store for them!” The lights dimmed, and Fred
stepped out of the fog into a spotlight. “Ladies and gentlemen! With the finest talent from ten continents …”

Phil leaned toward Wulfric in the stands. “I thought there were only seven continents.”

Wulfric shrugged. “Well, they're discovering new ones all the time.”

Fred cleared his throat and shouted, “I present … the Brancusi Circus!”

The circus began, and the Mystery Inc. gang did their best to fill in for all of the missing circus performers. Daphne rode her motorcycle and took Shmatko's place in the clown act. Then Fred partnered with Oliverio on the trapeze … and didn't break anything. Finally, it was time for Shaggy and Scooby to come out to the center of the ring.

“Hello, Wulfric Von Rydingsvard!” Shaggy said, waving.

Wulfric had to look around before finally noticing Shaggy. “Where…? Oh, right.” He waved.

Shaggy beamed. “I give you … Shaggy!” Then he lowered his voice and said, “And his performing dog.”

Scooby rolled his eyes, but he began his act.

“The guy in the dog suit is fantastic!” Wulfric cried halfway through Scooby's performance.

“That's a real dog,” Phil said.

Wulfric laughed. “Phil, you'll fall for anything! I bet you believe in kangaroos, too!” He was laughing so hard he didn't notice the shadowy figures creeping up behind him in the stands.

Fred looked up at Wulfric just in time to see several pairs of red eyes glowing behind the rock star's head.

“They're here!” Fred yelped. “Go!” He gestured to Velma, who pulled a rope. A sandbag swung down from above and knocked one of the werewolves away from Wulfric just as the creature reached for the musician's necklace.

The other werewolf, the one in Shmatko's clothes, jumped out of the way just in time. It grabbed for the amulet.

Wulfric turned just in time to spot the werewolf behind him. “Now this is what I've been waiting for!” He whooped. “Hello, wolfy, wolfy, wolfy!”

The wolf was surprised at the cheerful
greeting. It paused for a moment — just long enough for Daphne to hop on her motorcycle and gun her way toward Wulfric.

“Sorry, Shmatko!” she cried as she lassoed the werewolf with a rope. She dragged Shmatko the werewolf out of the stands and tied it to a pole. She backed away, saying, “We'll get you back to normal soon … if that's really you!”

That's when Daphne heard a low growl behind her. Three more werewolves were approaching her from the other side … and they were wearing Archambault, Lena, and Marius's clothes!

“Oh!” Daphne cried, trying to escape without startling them. “Not good…. Fred!” The werewolves stepped forward, and Daphne ran.

Back in the stands, the werewolf that had been hit with the sandbag was back in action. It leaped to its feet and reached for Wulfric's black diamond amulet.

“Hey, what —?” Wulfric gasped as the werewolf grabbed at his neck. Phil jumped on the werewolf's back and tried to pull it off of Wulfric.

“Ow!”
Wulfric cried, trying to free himself
from the werewolf's grasp. “That's a titanium chain!”

Finally, the clasp snapped, and Wulfric's amulet came free. The werewolf shrugged Phil off its back and ran.

Just then, the werewolf wearing Lena's clothes spotted Fred and crept toward him. “Good dog …
goooood
doggy … don't bite Freddy now …” Fred cooed.

Oliverio leapt in front of Fred. “Come back to me, Lena! I don't care if you're a dog! Bite me and we shall stalk the night together, two wolves in love!”

The werewolf studied Oliverio, and then threw him into a wall.

“You two obviously have some stuff to work out, so I'll just be …” Fred said, backing away.

The Marius and Archambault werewolves were chasing Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby around the main ring. It was complete chaos in the circus — there were almost as many werewolves as there were people. Everyone ran and scattered, but the werewolves pursued them.

“I'm coming, Scoob!” Shaggy cried, as a werewolf grabbed at Scooby-Doo. He grabbed the werewolf by the arm. “Like, leave my friend alone!”

Shaggy pulled and pulled at the werewolf's arm, until finally a chunk of brown fur came off in his hand. Under the brown fur, Shaggy noticed something strange. “Red fur?” he wondered aloud.

The werewolf roared and snarled, pulling Shaggy out of his confused trance. “Zoinks!” Shaggy dropped the fur and zoomed away.

The werewolves ran after Shaggy. Soon they had Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy cornered. They were getting closer by the second.

Scooby stopped long enough to notice the fur Shaggy had dropped. “Rhut?” He thought for a moment, and then peeked out of an opening in the circus tent. He saw the animal cages, and noticed that the baboon cage was empty. His eyes grew wide as he realized something. “Rhey're rone!”