Carlotta Brown (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fiery_ring) wrote2011-11-19 11:51 pm
fiery_ring) wrote2011-11-19 11:51 pm
(no subject)
"I think we've gone the wrong way, lass." Humphrey the conjurer says, leaning over the side of his caravan.
Carlotta lets the 'lass' slide. Traditionally, it ought to be 'Ringmaster', or even 'Mrs Frances', but she acknowledges that the seventy-year-old performer hasn't been used to taking orders from a twenty-year-old girl.
"Who's navigating?" she asks, handing the reigns of her caravan to one of the twin acrobats. "We're supposed to be sticking to villages and small towns. Ideally, Kenilworth."
"Daisy was, but she's taken over the creche, so I took over." Rita says, holding up the map. "We're here, right?"
"We can't be there." Carlotta peers at the map. "This is clearly a city, there's a cathedrel over there, look."
Rita peers over at the cathedral in the distance. They've been travelling all day, and the sun is starting to head downwards. It's been challenging navigating since someone in power had the bright idea of taking down all the road signs.
"Ringmaster, I think we're in Coventry." Ethel says, peering out of the caravan.
"Coventry!" Humphrey says, in alarm. "Heavens above! We have to turn back."
Carlotta thinks rapidly. Coventry has had some of the worst of the air raids, which was why they were heading for Warwick.
"Everyone stay calm." She resists the urge to put her hand on her bump, otherwise concealed under her coat, as the baby kicks. "Let's locate on the map exactly where we are."
They stop the procession of caravans and gather around.
"I think we're too far in to get out before dark." Carlotta says, after they establish their precise location. "I suggest we get as far from the centre as possible, find somewhere to park, and take shelter in case there's an air raid."
They manage to find a park to put the caravans in. They'd taken time some months ago to paint 'CIRCUS' on the top of each one, to try and deter them being mistaken for military vehicles, but it isn't very safe to stay in them. Nevertheless, Humphrey and his wife remain behind in their caravan, on the grounds that having lived in it together for fifty years it'll take more than a war to make them leave it. Reluctantly, they had to leave the horses too, because there was no way the public were going to let them into the shelters.
"Where can we find an air raid shelter?" Carlotta asks a local, as the crew, complete with children and primates, head down the road. With some reluctance, the woman directs them to a railway arch. When they reach there, there is a murmur of discontent.
"We ain't having a damn monkey in here!"
"Never mind the monkey, we'd probably get fleas off the people."
"That's if we don't get robbed. Did you see them camping on our park?"
"We don't want gypsies!"
Carlotta bangs her cane on the ground loudly. She doesn't need to lean on it these days unless she's had a really long day, but it's good for effect.
"This is wartime, we all have to pull together. Please let my people shelter, and tomorrow we'll be sure to leave no trace of our presence on your park. We have young children here."
"Shelter's full anyway." a man at the front complains.
Reluctantly, some of the people move up a bit, enough to let the children and the three mums with babies in. Carlotta glances at the mime, and Ethel, the old lady with her three little dogs.
"Shame on you not letting Ethel in too." she says to the people, then the three of them and the poodles head off down the road in search of shelter. The streets are now deserted, and the sirens are going off.
"I think you should leave me." Ethel says, panting. "I'll head back towards the circus."
"It's okay, look, I think that bombed out building has a basement." Carlotta says, ushering the woman, mime and dogs into it. She pauses as they go down the steps, holding her bump, as the baby kicks her right in the bladder.
"Are you all right?" Ethel asks, watching her as they go down the last few steps.
Carlotta sits down gladly on the stone floor. Ethel stares at her for a moment, then reaches over and gently pulls her coat apart.
"I see." she says. "Were you planning to tell us at some point? Gracious girl, you should have been in that first shelter! How far along are you?"
"Twenty three weeks." Carlotta says quietly. "I kept meaning to tell you all but I didn't know how. I thought you'd try and make me step down."
"Don't be daft, you're a damn good Ringmaster." Ethel says, snuggling up to her. The mime nods in agreement and sits close to her other side. They put on their gas masks and sit there in the cold and the dark, huddled together, listening to the sounds of the planes.
Carlotta lets the 'lass' slide. Traditionally, it ought to be 'Ringmaster', or even 'Mrs Frances', but she acknowledges that the seventy-year-old performer hasn't been used to taking orders from a twenty-year-old girl.
"Who's navigating?" she asks, handing the reigns of her caravan to one of the twin acrobats. "We're supposed to be sticking to villages and small towns. Ideally, Kenilworth."
"Daisy was, but she's taken over the creche, so I took over." Rita says, holding up the map. "We're here, right?"
"We can't be there." Carlotta peers at the map. "This is clearly a city, there's a cathedrel over there, look."
Rita peers over at the cathedral in the distance. They've been travelling all day, and the sun is starting to head downwards. It's been challenging navigating since someone in power had the bright idea of taking down all the road signs.
"Ringmaster, I think we're in Coventry." Ethel says, peering out of the caravan.
"Coventry!" Humphrey says, in alarm. "Heavens above! We have to turn back."
Carlotta thinks rapidly. Coventry has had some of the worst of the air raids, which was why they were heading for Warwick.
"Everyone stay calm." She resists the urge to put her hand on her bump, otherwise concealed under her coat, as the baby kicks. "Let's locate on the map exactly where we are."
They stop the procession of caravans and gather around.
"I think we're too far in to get out before dark." Carlotta says, after they establish their precise location. "I suggest we get as far from the centre as possible, find somewhere to park, and take shelter in case there's an air raid."
They manage to find a park to put the caravans in. They'd taken time some months ago to paint 'CIRCUS' on the top of each one, to try and deter them being mistaken for military vehicles, but it isn't very safe to stay in them. Nevertheless, Humphrey and his wife remain behind in their caravan, on the grounds that having lived in it together for fifty years it'll take more than a war to make them leave it. Reluctantly, they had to leave the horses too, because there was no way the public were going to let them into the shelters.
"Where can we find an air raid shelter?" Carlotta asks a local, as the crew, complete with children and primates, head down the road. With some reluctance, the woman directs them to a railway arch. When they reach there, there is a murmur of discontent.
"We ain't having a damn monkey in here!"
"Never mind the monkey, we'd probably get fleas off the people."
"That's if we don't get robbed. Did you see them camping on our park?"
"We don't want gypsies!"
Carlotta bangs her cane on the ground loudly. She doesn't need to lean on it these days unless she's had a really long day, but it's good for effect.
"This is wartime, we all have to pull together. Please let my people shelter, and tomorrow we'll be sure to leave no trace of our presence on your park. We have young children here."
"Shelter's full anyway." a man at the front complains.
Reluctantly, some of the people move up a bit, enough to let the children and the three mums with babies in. Carlotta glances at the mime, and Ethel, the old lady with her three little dogs.
"Shame on you not letting Ethel in too." she says to the people, then the three of them and the poodles head off down the road in search of shelter. The streets are now deserted, and the sirens are going off.
"I think you should leave me." Ethel says, panting. "I'll head back towards the circus."
"It's okay, look, I think that bombed out building has a basement." Carlotta says, ushering the woman, mime and dogs into it. She pauses as they go down the steps, holding her bump, as the baby kicks her right in the bladder.
"Are you all right?" Ethel asks, watching her as they go down the last few steps.
Carlotta sits down gladly on the stone floor. Ethel stares at her for a moment, then reaches over and gently pulls her coat apart.
"I see." she says. "Were you planning to tell us at some point? Gracious girl, you should have been in that first shelter! How far along are you?"
"Twenty three weeks." Carlotta says quietly. "I kept meaning to tell you all but I didn't know how. I thought you'd try and make me step down."
"Don't be daft, you're a damn good Ringmaster." Ethel says, snuggling up to her. The mime nods in agreement and sits close to her other side. They put on their gas masks and sit there in the cold and the dark, huddled together, listening to the sounds of the planes.