The Tiny Ringmaster (15 page)

Ruth eagerly grabbed the bag from his over-sized hands and unzipped it. She squealed with delight when she saw an exact shrunken replica of Eritol’s costume. The black top hat, the sparkling tuxedo jacket, the red tie, and the striped pants – it was all there. Eritol winked at her. “A Ringmaster’s got to look the part, no?” Ruth beamed and hugged Eritol’s leg. “Oh thank you! Thank you!” Eritol patted her head and pointed off to his side. “I’m not the only one you have to thank.”

Pepé was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. He was nervous to come any closer. Ruth was embarrassed. She should have known Pepé wouldn’t have betrayed her trust so easily. She ran over to him. “Oh Pepé, thank you. Thank you for everything.”

A huge smile broke across Pepé’s face. He fell to his knees and started kissing her feet again. “Oh! Oh! My dear BEEEUUUTIFUL prinzezz!!! Pepé lovaz youz two! Pepé iz juz zo happy! You are going to be zo lovaly on stagez! Mua. Mua. MuaMuaMua.”

Eritol wiped a tear from his eye. “Oh I’m just so proud of my girl!” Ginger walked over, and Eritol blushed as he tried to hide his tears. Ginger reached up and brushed a tear from his cheek. “Oh Eritol, you big sap.” She leaned over and kissed Eritol on the cheek. Eritol stood dumbfounded, and Ruth could practically see the hearts swimming around his head. Ginger winked at Ruth and pointed at Pepé.

“Ok. Let’s get Ruth ready!”

Ruth and Pepé obediently followed Ginger as Eritol stood gazing blissfully into space.

Ruth stayed in her tiny pop-up dressing room well after she had her costume on. “This is nothing more than a dress rehearsal. This is nothing more than a dress rehearsal.” Tryfod’s voice boomed over her thoughts. “Places everyone! Places!”

Ruth took a deep breath and stepped out. Everyone was rushing quickly to their spots. She saw Eritol and headed towards him. He looked calmer than Tryfod. One by one, the performers left the backstage area. Ruth peaked out from the curtain in the corner. The tent was packed with hundreds of cranky, dirty men. She swallowed hard. She peered around to the stage area and noticed that there was only one big podium. Her miniature podium was missing.

“Eritol! Eritol! Where’s my podium?! Where am I going to stand?!”

Eritol beamed as he heard Tryfod’s announcement beginning. “That is your podium, my dear. I’m watching from back here.” Ruth looked up in horror, but Eritol kept his smile. “Only one Ringmaster, remember?”

Through the curtains, Ruth heard Tryfod finishing up. “… Our newest and tiniest Ringmaster, Ruth!” Eritol gave Ruth a gentle push into the front of the tent. Ruth walked cautiously out towards the podium. Every step required more bravery than the last. The audience looked mean and unimpressed.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of Pepé. He had a jacket made of sequins, and he looked like he was already crying. He blew her a kiss as she climbed the steps to the podium, bowed, turned around, and raised her baton as the lights dimmed. “It’s just like practice. It’s just like practice.”

Once Ruth was on the podium, everything felt ordinary. Her hands were so familiar with the cues that her baton felt like it had a life of its own. Lady Karinza and the acrobats performed flawlessly, Ginger and the dancing girls outshined the glitter they wore, Boobamboo and the animals looked bigger and braver than they had before. Sir Adalberto and the flame throwers lit up the sky, Reeceecee and the trapeze artists dazzled on the pencil-thin wire, and Ruth charmed nearly everyone in the tent. As Ruth lowered her baton and made her final bow, the lights went out to thunderous applause. Ruth beamed. They did it! They did it! She could just feel it in the air.

All of the performers were laughing and cheering. Everyone was so proud of their work, but the celebration was halted quickly with a single word. “SILENCE!!!!”

Druskov, who had been hiding in the back, marched forward inch by inch. He was very large, though not nearly as large as the performers. A cloud of dust and dirt followed him, and he was as dark as the dust on his skin. Everything about him was dark – dark eyes, dark hair, dark clothes, and dark grimace. Tryfod followed him forward. “Druskov, I think it’s time for a vote.”

Ruth couldn’t breathe. Every one of the performers stood nervously behind her. Even Eritol had made his way to the stage. Druskov eyed everyone with hatred. “Fine! VOTE!!”

All hands but four hands went up. Ruth’s mouth dropped in surprise as she felt her eyes welling with warm tears. She had let everyone down. Druskov smiled with venom and leered at the performers. “HA! You fools! You thought you could outwit me by placing a CHILD onstage?! Imbeciles!!!”

The three men in the audience who hadn’t raised their hands began to murmur to each other behind Druskov’s back. Unexpectedly, one of their hands went up to join the rest of the crew. Ruth covered her mouth from a gasp. Druskov turned impatiently to glare at the other two. Slowly another hand went up, and then, finally, the third. Druskov’s eyes nearly popped out of his head from anger. He rushed over to the three men and lifted his sword in the air. “YOU DISGRACE MY FAMILY!”

Ruth closed her eyes; she couldn’t bear to look. Tryfod spoke softly. “A deal is a deal Druskov.” Druskov spun around with his sword still raised. “Do you want me to kill you too, old man?! WE HAVE NO DEAL! I did not raise my hand!!”

Tryfod smirked as his gaze followed Druskov’s raised sword. “You lifted your sword.” Druskov looked around the room like a crazed mad man. He roared a deep, guttural yell, and the entire tent shook from his anger. Druskov ran up to Ruth and pointed his sword at her. The performers gasped. “You. Him.” He pointed his sword at Tryfod. “Tomorrow. 3 o’clock.” Druskov ran out of the tent, and everyone breathed a temporary sigh of relief.

Ruth was angry. They had won – fair and square. It wasn’t right that Druskov just got to make up his own rules at the very end. Ruth hopped off the podium and ran after him.

Eritol saw the tiny child take off after the mad man. He yelled desperately, “RUTH!!” He began to run after her, but Tryfod held him back solemnly. “She must go.”

Ruth made it out of the tent and into the darkness. She looked around to see where Druskov went and darted after him. “Sir?”

He turned around crazed. He unsheathed his sword again. “Why should I not kill you now, child?! I should have killed you in the forest when I had a chance!”

Ruth swallowed. Tryfod had been right. “Sir, your men are ready to leave.”

He scowled at her. “How do you know what my men want?!”

“They all voted tonight sir. I think you should let them go.”

“Excuse me, underling?! Are you saying that I should let my men go on without me?! And stay here?? With? With CIRCUS PEOPLE?!”

Ruth took a deep breath. He was obviously more offended than she thought he would be. She had to think fast. He turned and started walking away.

“Or… or… you can come to Earth.”

He stopped dead in his tracks.

“That’s what you’ve always wanted anyway, right? That’s why you’ve stayed so long? Spending your nights learning magic? You didn’t want to stay here either. You wanted to go to Earth.” He turned around with hatred in his eyes. “So we’re bargaining are we, child?” Ruth nodded. Druskov thought for a moment. “You can have your little town and library back if you show me where the portal to Earth is.”

Ruth shook her head. Her hair flipped over her shoulder softly. “No. But I have a set of stars you can have.” Druskov looked at her incredulously. “Stars?! STARS?! What would I do with those?!”

“The stars… well… they are a moveable portal. You can create a portal… anywhere… with… with both sets.” Druskov was still unconvinced. “Where are these sets?”

“One set is here… and… and… and the other set is… on Earth.”

Druskov’s eyes twinkled, but he shut off his excitement quickly. “How do I know you aren’t tricking me?”

At this, Ruth’s eyes twinkled back. “Because I’m only a child.”

Druskov nodded, and his eyes filled with greed. “You have a week to get me the stars. I’ll clear out my men, unless you don’t hold up your end of the bargain.” Ruth nodded once and walked victoriously back to the tent.