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Jun. 18th, 2009 02:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fiery_ringHaving snuck out of school for the afternoon, Carlotta rides bareback over to the circus camp a few miles away. She ties the horse up and jumps down, to be greeted by a gang of overexcited small children.
"Lotta you got so tall!" exclaims a little girl who insists on glomping her as she tries to walk through the camp.
"So did you." Carlotta says, laughing and gently shoving her off. "Give me a few minutes kid, I've got to see the Ringmaster."
Pleased to see her, the Ringmaster listens carefully to her reasons for coming; her desire to know more about her mother and father. But his initial reply comes as something of a blow.
"I'm sorry Carlotta, but I took over as Ringmaster and your guardian when you were four. I only met your mother shortly before she died."
"Oh." Carlotta says. "What happened to the previous Ringmaster?"
"He became ill and had to retire." the Ringmaster says sadly. "I'm afraid he passed away about a year ago. But don't despair, there must be others still living who knew your mother, if not here."
He goes to the corner of his caravan and gets out a large box, full of red and gold leather-bound books. He checks along the edges for a moment, then pulls three out.
"Let me see, you're sixteen now, and your mother had you when she was nineteen, so these should cover her life. I'm not sure whether she was born in this circus or not..."
"What are those sir?" Carlotta asks, coming over to look at them.
"These are the Ringmaster's Log Books." the Ringmaster says. "It's not a practice found in every circus but when I took over here I found them to be very useful, so I continued. I will of course need them back at some point, but you may borrow them for now if you wish. I'm not sure how much they will help you get to know your mother, it depends what she got up to, but even if not much is said they may lead you to someone who would know more."
"Thank you!" Carlotta says, looking in awe at the books. "I'll guard them faithfully, you can be assured. Do I feature in these books?"
"Of course you do." the Ringmaster says, smiling in amusement. "But only a little way in these volumes. You ought not to carry more than that anyway, they're heavy."
"Can I ask one more question?" Carlotta asks."
"You may."
"Is my father definitely my father?"
"Goodness, child, what put such a thought into your head? Of course he is, we would not have let you leave with him if your paternity was in doubt." He smiles reassuringly and hands her the books.
"Now, come sit by the fire and tell us all how you're keeping."
"Lotta you got so tall!" exclaims a little girl who insists on glomping her as she tries to walk through the camp.
"So did you." Carlotta says, laughing and gently shoving her off. "Give me a few minutes kid, I've got to see the Ringmaster."
Pleased to see her, the Ringmaster listens carefully to her reasons for coming; her desire to know more about her mother and father. But his initial reply comes as something of a blow.
"I'm sorry Carlotta, but I took over as Ringmaster and your guardian when you were four. I only met your mother shortly before she died."
"Oh." Carlotta says. "What happened to the previous Ringmaster?"
"He became ill and had to retire." the Ringmaster says sadly. "I'm afraid he passed away about a year ago. But don't despair, there must be others still living who knew your mother, if not here."
He goes to the corner of his caravan and gets out a large box, full of red and gold leather-bound books. He checks along the edges for a moment, then pulls three out.
"Let me see, you're sixteen now, and your mother had you when she was nineteen, so these should cover her life. I'm not sure whether she was born in this circus or not..."
"What are those sir?" Carlotta asks, coming over to look at them.
"These are the Ringmaster's Log Books." the Ringmaster says. "It's not a practice found in every circus but when I took over here I found them to be very useful, so I continued. I will of course need them back at some point, but you may borrow them for now if you wish. I'm not sure how much they will help you get to know your mother, it depends what she got up to, but even if not much is said they may lead you to someone who would know more."
"Thank you!" Carlotta says, looking in awe at the books. "I'll guard them faithfully, you can be assured. Do I feature in these books?"
"Of course you do." the Ringmaster says, smiling in amusement. "But only a little way in these volumes. You ought not to carry more than that anyway, they're heavy."
"Can I ask one more question?" Carlotta asks."
"You may."
"Is my father definitely my father?"
"Goodness, child, what put such a thought into your head? Of course he is, we would not have let you leave with him if your paternity was in doubt." He smiles reassuringly and hands her the books.
"Now, come sit by the fire and tell us all how you're keeping."
