Spring 1959

[fiery_ring]

It's a warm spring evening.

If you follow the lanterns down the path, you'll soon be mingling with the crowd. You may be interested in purchasing a sizzling sausage in a bun for two shillings, or some popcorn for sixpence, or a miniature poster of the Fiery Ring Circus to remind you of what promises to be a spectacular night.

You can hear the music of the organ playing cheerfully in the big top. As you approach the brightly lit tent, a boy of about eight dressed as a clown is selling tickets.

"STEP RIGHT UP, TO SEE THE GREATEST SHOW!

FREDDIE SPARKS THE FIRE-EATER WILL STUN YOU AND SURPRISE,
THE GREAT GONZALO WILL SWALLOW HIS SWORD BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES!
RUFUS DOG OF WONDER WILL PUT ON HIS TRICKS WITH EASE,
MARTINA AND MAURITIO AMAZE ON THE TRAPEZE!
LITTLE MOLLY BROWN PERFORMS HER ACROBATIC FEATS
SO STEP INSIDE, EYES OPEN WIDE, FOR ALL OUR CIRCUS TREATS!

FOUR SHILLINGS FOR ADULTS, HALF A CROWN FOR CHILDREN, UNDER FIVES ARE FREE!"

He rattles the box on a string around his neck, and continues with his sales.

"That'll be eight bob, sir. Yes, the dog is free, miss, so long as he stays out the ring."

Comments

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric wanders in from the bar, dressed in a simple linen shirt and trousers that hopefully don't look out of place in this time. He hands the boy the ticket the bar gave him, admiring the brightness and colour of the tent.

[fiery_ring]

"Thanks mister."

If the small clown notices anything amiss in his outfit, it certainly can't be told through the greasepaint. He points to the big top. He punches a little hole in the ticket and hands it back.

"First two rows, you might get wet, otherwise sit where you like."

[thewidewideworld]

"Thank you for the warning." He gives the young man a little bow and heads toward the tent, tucking the ticket in his pouch.

He has a handful of coins from the bar and buys a little bag of popcorn, finding a seat high up in the stands.

[fiery_ring]

The crowds pack in, lively and chattering. It looks like it'll be a sellout tonight. A woman with small twins sits next to Sinric, sitting one twin on each knee as the small people can hardly contain their excitement.

"Was that clown Bobbie Brown, Mummy?" one twin asks their mother.

"I think so, we'll see him perform later, I'm sure." the woman smiles.

Just then, said small clown enters the ring to tell everyone where the fire exits are, and to ask that they not smoke inside the tent.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric doesn't take up much room, leaving a space for the twins and their mother. He listens to their chatter with a pleased smile. This all seems very fun.

When the clone comes out, Sinric listens with care, trying to pick the accents and languages in the crowd.

[fiery_ring]

The accents around him are English, Midlands and Nottingham if Sinric can detect this. The little clown, however, has a different accent - half cockney, trace of Spanish.

The lights dim, and a spotlight points at the top of one of the stands. The ringmaster whips off her cloak, and somersaults all the way down the stairs into the ring.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls! Thank you for coming, I can see we have a tremendous crowd here tonight in the Big Top in Nottingham. But first, raise the roof and raise your eyes to the skies for Martina and Mauritio!"

The spotlights shift over to a high platform, where the trapeze artists begin their act.

[thewidewideworld]

His gift for languages makes him particularly fascinated by accents and dialects and he listens with delight.

Sinric gasps at how high they are. His hand flying to his chest. He glances to the children, curious how they're reacting.

[fiery_ring]

The twins clap and cheer, oblivious of the risk of death and serious injury. There is however a loud gasp when Martina lets go, flies through the air, and is caught by her partner. On the next swing, she sprinkles confetti over Sinric's area of the audience.

[thewidewideworld]

The fall of colour makes Sinric smile, catching a little of the confetti in the plan of his hand.

He's fascinated by the acrobats, unable to take his eyes from them. There's a little shine of gold in his eyes, not so bright that it gives him away but joyous.

[fiery_ring]

After the trapese artists, comes the sword swallower, and then the fire eater.

Then a little girl of about eleven comes into the ring, and there is an 'aww' from the audience: until she starts her performance, and then they are held spellbound by her acrobatics.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric watches with a mix of admiration and sadness. As impressed as he is with her performance, he wonders how free she is. If she chose this life.

[fiery_ring]

The girl is certainly smiling now - but that doesn't necessarily back up his theory one way or another. She takes a bow and departs in a puff of smoke.

An older woman takes the stage, with three parrots, and begins to sing. At the end of each couple of lines she pauses, and a parrot fills in the gaps.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric finds himself fretting for her, wondering if he might find her after to show to speak with.

The parrots are charming but Sinric finds he can no longer enjoy the performance. Instead he slips quietly out of the tent, seeking fresh air.

[herr_bookman]

Autor hangs around the fringes of the circus. He wouldn't look out of place with a cigarette, but he doesn't smoke, so there's no chance of that. He watches the boy, highly amused by his antics, and approaches with a ticket.

[fiery_ring]

"Thanks mister." The boy punches the ticket with a little hole and hands it back. "Sit where you like, front two rows you might get wet."

[herr_bookman]

"Oh, yeah? Why's that?" Autor says, raising his brows.

[fiery_ring]

"Let us say." the little boy says, in his half-cockney, half-Spanish accent, "That Rufus and I sometimes have a little mishap with the bucket."

[herr_bookman]

Autor chuckles. "Well, all right, then. Thanks for the warning," he says, and then heads on inside. Finding a seat on the wooden pews of the stands is no problem, though Autor does note a few enterprising souls braving the first couple of rows. He leans back in his seat and folds his arms, waiting for the show to start.

[fiery_ring]

The lights dim, a spotlight points at the top of one of the stands, and a woman emerges from under a cloak. She somersaults down the stairs, landing gracefully in the ring.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls! Thank you for coming, I can see we have a tremendous crowd here tonight in the Big Top in Nottingham. But first, raise the roof and raise your eyes to the skies for Martina and Mauritio!"

The spotlights shift over to a high platform, where the trapeze artists begin their act

[herr_bookman]

Autor is thoroughly impressed. He's never seen a trapeze act, and each death-defying swing and flip off the hanging bar thrills him. He applauds throughout.

[fiery_ring]

Martina lets go, flies through the air, and is caught by her partner, with a gasp from the audience. On her next swing she showers the audience in confetti.

[herr_bookman]

Autor cheers with the rest of them. He wonders if he should have bought some popcorn or other treats to munch on. But the trapeze artists arrest his attention.

[fiery_ring]

After the trapese artist, comes the sword swallower, and then the fire eater.

Then a little girl of about eleven comes into the ring, and there is an 'aww' from the audience: until she starts her performance, and then they are held spellbound by her acrobatics.

[herr_bookman]

The sword swallower and fire eater make Autor distinctly uncomfortable. Don't they cut or burn themselves? He wants to know. But since they seem okay, he's free to concentrate on the little girl. He's shocked by her movements, as he could never do them himself.

[fiery_ring]

Molly the acrobat takes a bow at the end of her performance.

An older woman takes the stage, with three parrots, and begins to sing. At the end of each couple of lines she pauses, and a parrot fills in the gaps.