Birth of a Killer (10 page)

“Seba told me a vampire shouldn’t seek power,” Larten said instead. “We leave humanity behind when we’re blooded. He said the Generals take a dim view of any vampire who tries to set himself up as a lord of humans.”

“So why do you hunger to join the clan?” Mr. Tall
asked again, and looked up. His gaze was dark and burning. Larten wanted to look away–he felt oddly afraid–but he didn’t break eye contact.

“I don’t know,” Larten said. “It’s just something I have to do. If I could explain it, I would, but…”

Mr. Tall grunted. “A victim of destiny,” he muttered, and his head turned slightly as if he was sniffing the air. Larten realized that the caravan had come to a halt. Mr. Tall always led the way, guiding his troupe from one place to another. He had a faithful piebald horse but rarely sat up front to direct her. He was able to transmit his thoughts to the beast and steer the caravan from within.

Larten glanced out of the window. They had come to a crossroads. The horse had started to take a right turn, but now she hesitated, her head flicking to the left. To an outsider it would have looked like she was unsure of which path to take. But Larten knew that it was actually Mr. Tall who was caught between two minds.

“There are some in life who serve destiny unconsciously,” Mr. Tall said softly. “Their lives are mapped out for them, but they are unaware of it. I envy their ignorance—I, alas, know far too much. Others make of life what they wish. They are free to choose and go this way or that on a whim. I envy their freedom—I,
unfortunately, am bound never to make such a loose choice.

“I see the paths of other people sometimes.” Mr. Tall’s voice was now a whisper, and his eyes were distant. Larten wasn’t sure if the tall man even knew that he was speaking. “I try not to, but on occasions I cannot avoid it. It’s tempting to make a change, to interfere, to avert the pain one can see lying in wait for others. Destiny is a tower of cards—nudge one just an inch and everything stacked on top comes crashing down. To be able to help people, but to live in terror of the dire consequences…”

Mr. Tall’s face darkened–his features seemed to vanish–and then cleared. He smiled thinly at Larten. “Sometimes I think too much and say even more. Ignore me, my young friend. I should stick to what I am good at—running a freak show and carving dolls that nobody wants to buy.”

As Larten stared at the mysterious owner of the Cirque Du Freak, not sure what to say, Mr. Tall lowered his head and concentrated on the doll. Outside, the horse’s head steadied, and the animal took the right turn. Without hesitation it followed its original route, carrying Larten forward into the darkness and damnation of destiny.

Three nights later, Larten Crepsley took his first-ever stage bow. Merletta sprang it on him at the last moment. He had been preparing his tray, and smiled briefly as Merletta approached, expecting her to pass him by. When she stopped, he looked up, slightly annoyed–she knew he was on a tight schedule–only to almost drop the tray with shock when she said, “Would you like to be part of my act tonight?”

Larten thought he must have misheard. But before he could ask Merletta to repeat herself, she said, “You won’t have to do anything hard, just wriggle out of some locks and chains. It will be easy. If you’re not scared, that is.”

She smirked, confident he wouldn’t turn away from a challenge. But he nearly did, regardless of the shame it would bring.

“I can’t,” Larten gasped. “I don’t have anything to wear.” Every performer had a specially designed costume.

“I’m going to plant you,” Merletta said. “You’ll pretend to be part of the crowd. I’ll ask for a volunteer and pick you. That way you don’t need a costume.”

Larten tried to think of another objection, but Merletta headed him off at the pass again. “It was Hibernius’s idea.”

“Mr. Tall wants me to go on?” Larten groaned.

“He thinks you have what it takes. I do too, though I wouldn’t have introduced you to the act this soon. I’d have given you another month. But Hibernius thinks you’re ready, and he is rarely wrong in these matters.”

“All right,” Larten mumbled, and set his tray aside. He didn’t ask anyone to take it for him—he was sure Mr. Tall would have thought of that and sorted it out already.

Larten took a seat in the tent and chewed his fingernails as the rows around him filled. He felt dizzy and sick. He would have backed out if it had just been Merletta, but he was certain Mr. Tall was
watching him. He didn’t want to let down the man who had given him a temporary home.

When the lights dimmed and the show began, Larten could hardly breathe. The first few acts came and went without making any impression on him—afterwards he couldn’t remember what the lineup had been. He sat chewing his nails or squeezing his hands, praying to the gods for a miracle.

But Larten’s prayers went unanswered, and Merletta took to the stage as usual. She normally held back her chains for the second act, but mindful of what Larten was going through, she opened with them that night. She performed a few tricks, slipping free of handcuffs and knotted ropes. Then she stepped forward and asked if any young man would be so good as to come up and assist her.

A few dozen hands shot into the air–Merletta’s beauty ensured that she never went short of love-struck volunteers–but Larten’s wasn’t among them. He had made a spur-of-the-moment decision to keep his hand down. Mr. Tall might criticize him later, but that was better than having to get up there and…

To his amazement, his right arm shot into the air, and he half leapt out of his seat. He tried pulling his hand down, but he was no longer in control of the limb.

“There we go!” Merletta cried. “You’ll do, young sir. Give him a warm round of applause, please, ladies and gentlemen. He’s a brave young man, isn’t he?”

As people clapped and cheered politely, Larten found himself edging forward, propelled, he was sure, by the magic of the unseen Mr. Tall. About halfway to the stage he regained control, but it was too late to back out. Gulping, he mounted the steps and grinned crookedly as Merletta turned him to face the crowd.

There were so many of them! Larten had viewed audiences from the wings and moved among them with his wares. But now that they were staring at him, he realized for the first time how tightly packed in they were. He saw hunger in their eyes—they wanted to be entertained and would be merciless if they were denied their sport. Their lives were short and hard. This was a rare chance to escape to a more fantastical world, and they would shower abuse on anyone who disappointed them.

As Larten’s knees trembled, Merletta stroked his cheek and said, “I think he’s shy.” There were catcalls, and some people roared at Larten to kiss her. He felt even more nervous now than he had felt in his seat.

As Larten thought about fleeing, Merletta grabbed
his wrists and pinned them behind his back. He yelped as she snapped handcuffs on them and forced him to his knees. There were lots of cheers—the crowd liked it when their stars played rough.

“Will I make this young fool beg for freedom?” Merletta crowed.

“Yes!” the audience screamed.

“Will I make him crawl on his stomach like a toad and kiss my feet?”

“Yes!”

“Will I—”

“You’ll do nothing,” Larten snarled, snatching her arm and dragging himself to his feet. In his anger, he’d picked the lock of the handcuffs and tossed them aside. Squaring up to Merletta, he steadied himself to deliver a foul curse. Before he could, Merletta gasped theatrically.

“I was sure I locked those cuffs,” she called to the crowd. “Maybe there’s more to this boy than I thought.”

Larten hesitated as a few of the people–mostly ladies who felt sorry for him–clapped halfheartedly. He was glowering at Merletta, but he sneaked a sideways glance and saw that the hunger in the eyes of the crowd had been replaced with mild curiosity.

Merletta took Larten’s arms and bent them behind
his back again. But this time she was gentler, and he didn’t resist. He kept still as she bound him with ropes and another pair of handcuffs, then turned him so that the audience could see.

“There,” she exclaimed. “That will hold him.” She spun Larten so he was facing the crowd again. “Now what should I do with him?”

A few of the men shouted suggestions. As they yelled, Larten worked quickly, loosening the ropes and picking the lock. As Merletta considered the cries of the crowd, Larten slipped free, tapped Merletta on the shoulder, and coughed softly.

Merletta gave a shriek, as if taken by surprise. Larten held up his hands and smiled. The audience applauded enthusiastically, accepting him as a performer. And the rest of the show flew by smoothly after that.

Larten felt like he was dreaming. He didn’t want the act to end. He cherished every laugh and clap from the crowd. He wasn’t up there with Merletta more than three or four minutes, but when he later looked back at this time and broke it down into every delicious second and thrill, it would seem to him as if he’d been onstage for an hour.

Larten relished his moment in the spotlight and couldn’t understand why he had ever been scared. He
had never been drunk, but he figured this must be what it felt like. It was as if he owned the world and could do no wrong.

Larten left the stage to a huge round of applause. The crowd had taken a liking to him and were pleased for his sake—they could see that he was a newcomer and that this meant a lot to him. Larten would never forget that wonderful feeling. It was a special moment in his life, and he drew all the happiness from it that he could.

Mr. Tall was waiting in the wings as Larten made his exit. The giant nodded to show his satisfaction. “You did well,” he murmured. Larten beamed in response, his thoughts a hundred miles high. “But now you have a more mundane but equally important job to do.” When Larten frowned, Mr. Tall angled his head to the left and Larten saw his tray, waiting on a table for him.

“Oh,” Larten said, his smile fading slightly. “I thought…”

“No resting on your laurels around here,” Mr. Tall said. Larten had never heard that expression before, so Mr. Tall translated it for him. “No sitting around on your backside. You had your moment of glory—bravo. I am pleased it went well. But you must not let yourself get carried away. There will be
other nights and better performances, but now you must earn your keep. It is our way.”

“Of course,” Larten said, putting his childish disappointment behind him. He was glad Seba hadn’t seen him act so vainly. Picking up the tray, he waited for the next act to finish, then wound his way through the crowd. He smiled when people said something nice or slapped his back, but he also stayed focused on his job and sold steadily, like a true professional.

There was a party later that night. They held parties regularly at the Cirque Du Freak. The celebrations served as a reward for the hardworking staff and stars, but they were also a chance for Mr. Tall to invite influential people from the towns and villages near where they performed. While there was no law against a freak show (such restrictions would not come into play until the next century), life was easier if you kept a certain breed of man happy. It was better to flatter than annoy people with money and power.

Larten had always been shy at events like this. He normally kept to the sides, serving drink and food, avoiding conversation. But tonight he was on a high. It helped that some of the guests recognized him from his stint onstage and paused to commend his efforts. He even chatted with a few young ladies, who smiled
at him and shot him sly looks that the innocent boy missed completely. Larten was able to learn the ways of magic quickly, but it would be a long time before he learned much about women!

He tried to sleep after the party, but he was agitated and couldn’t keep his eyes shut. He kept flashing back to his time onstage, wishing he could have done more, trying to decide what he would do the next time he was up there.

Since sleep was proving elusive, Larten got up to watch the sunrise. He beamed as daylight crept across the world, warming the earth and waking the animals and birds. He considered going back to bed, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep. Besides, it had been a long time since he’d been abroad at so early an hour. It would be nice to go for a stroll and watch the world come to life.

Mr. Tall had set up camp close to several towns and a scattering of villages. People would travel many miles for a performance of the legendary Cirque Du Freak, but the owner tried to make things as easy as possible for them. Larten skirted the homesteads, preferring the countryside. He smiled as he walked, as if the cattle and sheep he passed were old friends. He spotted a fox on its way home. He could have stalked and caught it, but there was no need—Seba
would soon be feasting in the Halls of Vampire Mountain, and the cupboards and barrels at the circus were always well stocked.

Larten wove his way along paths and through forests for a few hours before pausing to rest. He sat on a hill overlooking a village and soaked up the sunlight. He was hungry, so he looked for a shop or an inn where he might be able to buy food.

As Larten was studying the village, he spotted a handful of people scurrying towards a tiny church. A few more tore along after them less than a minute later. Larten’s interest was aroused. This wasn’t a holy day, and even if it had been, the people hadn’t looked as if they were on their way to a service. They’d looked
scared
.