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[fiery_ring]

It's very dark, and full of dust and smoke, when Carlotta and Teja emerge from the bar. They're coming out of a small room in a cellar, into another room.

Just aside the doorway is an old woman, who appears to be unconscious, and is being licked in the face by a small poodle. The second poodle is pawing at a third poodle, also unconscious. There is a pile of rubble in the room, and the mime is nowhere to be seen.

Comments

[fiery_ring]

"The way we came in is just past the pile of rubble." Carlotta says, helping the elderly lady up as she starts to come around. The woman insists on picking up the fallen dog in her other hand, and they try to move towards the exit.

"Teja, can you help the mime?"

[ostro_goth]

Teja helps the man up, finally deciding to pick him up bodily and carry him over his shoulder to make faster headway as he follows Carlotta towards the exit, or at least towards where it's supposed to be.

[fiery_ring]

As they get up the stairs, the rest of the ceiling comes in. It's almost pitch black outside, just as inside, with all the artificial lights blacked out.

"I don't know where we should go." Carlotta says, helping Ethel.

"Maybe we should go back to the others in the park." Ethel suggests. "It can't be less safe in our caravans."

Another bomb falls about half a mile away, demolishing a building.

[ostro_goth]

Teja tries not to let his alarm show. "Where is the enemy," he asks, "that is besieging this city?"

[fiery_ring]

"In the sky." Carlotta says. "In the aeroplanes. The air forces of England are fighting the planes from Germany dropping the bombs."

[ostro_goth]

Teja watches the planes in dark fascination, for a moment.

"We must move!" he then declares.

[fiery_ring]

The mime gestures that he could manage to be put down now.

"I think the park is back this way." Carlotta says, helping Ethel. "The risk is that it'd be mistaken for an airfield."

"Ringmaster, you won't be responsible if we die." Ethel says. "We're living on chance and prayer. Let's go."

[ostro_goth]

Teja puts down the mime and holds his axe at the ready. "Those that lead are ever responsible for each that dies under their command," he says, darkly. "But we must go and find the others of your troupe, and get all from this place to safety."

[fiery_ring]

"This ain't an army honey." Ethel says to Teja. "The Ringmaster acts on guidance of the council, and the council agreed."

"We don't have time to debate fault now." Carlotta says. "The others in the tunnel shelter may well be in a much safer position than we are. We are a long way from the edge of the city."

[ostro_goth]

Teja gives Ethel a strange look for calling him 'honey', but does not waste time and breath on protesting.

"The we should find the others first, or we might not find them again at all," he declares.

He looks up, again, at the fiery display in the air, the searchlights crossing the sky, the flak...

[fiery_ring]

"The tunnel was back that way." Carlotta says, pointing. "The caravans are in that direction. We'd be exposed in the caravans, but if the tunnel came down we'd be killed."

There is another large explosion a few hundred yards to their left, before a plane, in flames, hurtles down to smash into another building in the distance.

[ostro_goth]

Teja lopes off in that direction, never flinching. He has been where Greek Fire was hurled, before. This is just bigger.

[fiery_ring]

Carlotta follows, trying not to feel as exhausted as she suddenly feels. The baby kicks her hard in the bladder, which doesn't help.

They soon come to the tunnel, which has a material door draped across its large entrance.

[ostro_goth]

Teja pushes it aside and peers into the gloom.

[fiery_ring]

"No room!" people start to shout at once.

"Let them in!" a small group of people, whose attire suggests circus, start to plead.

[ostro_goth]

"Or we might make our way back to the caravans," Teja suggests, not wanting to wait among the scared women and children.

[fiery_ring]

"Can you let Ethel in? She's injured." Carlotta says.

The people reluctantly shuffle up to let the elderly lady in. And, under duress, the three poodles.

Then, Carlotta turns away from the shelter, pulling the door back across.

[ostro_goth]

"Now, we must find your caravans again in this fiery hell," Teja says, turning to Carlotta and the mime.

[fiery_ring]

"I think they were over that way." Carlotta says.

The mime suddenly tugs at them to get down. A second later, a shockwave blows a great deal of debris across the streets.

[ostro_goth]

"Hell indeed," Teja says, looking to where the blast came from.

[fiery_ring]

The mime indicates that he can feel the vibrations through the ground.

"We need to head back that way." Carlotta says, setting off.

[ostro_goth]

Teja hefts his axe and lopes off towards where Carlotta is pointing.

[fiery_ring]

Carlotta hurries on, but she's feeling increasingly exhausted.

[ostro_goth]

Teja turns around to hurry her on, but the impatience on his face turns to worry.

"What is it?"

[fiery_ring]

"It's fine." Carlotta says. "Just... carrying extra weight."

[ostro_goth]

"Shall I carry you?" Teja says.

[fiery_ring]

"No, just slow down a bit. We won't be any safer when we get there."

[ostro_goth]

"Should we hide in another place, then?" Teja says. "How long will this siege last?"

[fiery_ring]

"It could be hours." Carlotta says. "We might need to find another cellar."

[ostro_goth]

"One that is not filled with people," Teja nods.

[fiery_ring]

Carlotta heads back towards the park, where there are a collection of caravans.

From one of them, there is the sound of singing.

[ostro_goth]

"If times are dire, and there is no enemy at hand you might fight, why not sing?" Teja says, shrugging as he walks. "Who is that?"

[fiery_ring]

"Humphrey and his wife." Carlotta says. "They're conjurers."

She heads towards the sound, and sees the old couple sitting in the doorway of their caravan, with all the horses tethered sitting in front of them.

"Hitler, has only got one ball,
Goering, has two but very small
Himmler, is somewhat similar,
And Goebbels, has no balls, at all."

[ostro_goth]

"Who are these people they are singing of?" Teja asks.

[fiery_ring]

"They are lead Germans. The enemy." Carlotta says quietly.

[ostro_goth]

"Mocking the enemy while under siege and unable to fight back must feel good," Teja says, nodding. "We must make ourselves know; I would not wish for them to think us the enemy and attack us."

[fiery_ring]

The elderly couple have seen them, and wave.

"You didn't find shelter lass?" Humphrey says.

"Not really." Carlotta says.

"Come and have some cocoa, we got the stove lit inside." Humphrey's wife says. "We're just sitting here to comfort the horses."

[ostro_goth]

"This fire and noise must be so fearsome to them," Teja says. "Greetings! I would go and see Orion, also, for he might remember me."

[fiery_ring]

Carlotta sits next to the couple, explaining vaguely that Teja is her uncle and raised Orion.

Orion appears to be rather pleased to see his old friend!

[ostro_goth]

Teja speaks gently to the horse and pats his neck, to calm them both as the falling bombs shake the very ground of the stricken city.