Longyear, Barry Circus World 1 Circus World

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through the dust-covered side port behind his head. The ugly, patched hulk of
the Baraboo, it's superstructure, vanes and fins sagging against the grav-
As the junior Momanjmest on the City of Baraboo II, he had been assigned ta
collect information on the competing circus, and that he had done.
While Allenby's Greater Shows used lizard power and human muscle to move canvas,
timbers and heavy equipment, Arnheim & Boon was fully mechanized, with quiet,
powerful tractors and cranes to use against the heavy Pyr-oelian gravity.
Instead of hectares of painfully hand-woven, hand-stitched canvas, Arnheim &
Boon sported a huge, light fabric dome inflated by compressed air that, because
it was clear as glass, needed little additional lighting at night, and none in
the daytime. While Allenby's lizards and humans vented their frustrations on
each other, Arnheim & Boon's company was finished setting up and was preparing
for its great free parade through Cukyu, Pyroel's principle population center.
There is more, thought Bunsome, always more. Even though the Baraboo has spun to
provide increased gravity the entire three weeks from Momus to allow the
performers to adjust their acts, few of them seemed confident about working at
the heavier weights. The Arnheim & Boon unit on Pyroel, only one of twenty-four
such companies, did nothing but play the heavier gravities, and even had a
number of Pyroelians in its acts. Pyroel had been picked because it was the
closest planet to Momus that could be booked, and Allenby's Greater Shows
couldn't afford to fuel the Baraboo any further. Who could have known that
Arnheim & Boon would be there?
"Hey you!" Bunsome turned toward the voice and saw a figure standing in the
hatch of the Baraboo's decrepit cargo van. "You waiting to go back to the ship?"
Bunsome nodded. "Yes."
The figure waved. "Let's go, then. We're empty as Allenby's purse."
The priest climbed down from the crate and shuffled through the dust, recalling
the five brightly painted shuttles that put Arnheim & Boon's Circus on the
surface. With no shuttles in working condition, the Baraboo itself had put down
outside of Cukyu using up the remainder of its fuel in the landing. The artwork
on the ship had burned off in the atmosphere, leaving the Baraboo black and
mottled. As he stepped up and entered the hatch, Bunsome bumped into a Montagne
wearing the roustabout's black-and-tan robes.
ity, looked back. Bunspme snorted. Threads of his dream, of the Dovinite
minister's service, still ran through his mind the congregation uplifted by the
Dovinite's story, and by the promises the Dovinite had made. Bunsome sighed,
turned from the port and released his straps.
As he stepped down from the hatch and walked around the van, Bunsome saw the
next load of lizard-drawn equipment waiting to pile on the vehicle. Against the
open door to the Bamboo's cargo bay stood Nusset, the apprentice to the ship's
senior priest, Shelem. Nusset picked his teeth with a fingernail and watched
Bunsome approach through half-closed eyes. The apprentice priest wagged a finger
at Bunsome. "You'd best get cleaned up. Shelem wants to see you."
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Bunsome reached into his purse. "What about, Nusset?" The apprentice shrugged
and turned into the ship's bay door, leaving Bunsome with his coppers.
Nusset looked over his shoulder. "Will you recite your notes for me to copy
right away?"
"No. I shall have to see what Shelem wants of me first."
"I'll be at level six, then, watching the flyers practice, if they'll let me."
Bunsome nodded. "I'll be in the scriptorium."
Nusset laughed. "Where else?" The apprentice turned off the main corridor
leaving Bunsome to himself.
Bunsome walked quickly, his nose wrinkling at the lizard stench. If we do manage
to get some customers into the big top, despite Arnheim & Boon, the smell will
probably drive them out again! He shrugged, remembering it was mostly the
closeness of the ship. On Pyroel's surface, the lizards would be able to wash
themselves. A chip of consolation, Bunsome snorted to himself, floating in a sea
of disaster.
As his path took him deeper into the bowels of the Bar-aboo, others passed him
in the corridor, or stood in small groups clowns, freaks, magicians,
roustabouts either arguing or talking sadly in low voices. Even the usually
emotionless Arvanians in the company were shouting and fist-shaking. Bunsome
shook his head, sighed, and turned right into a narrow corridor.
As he approached the door of the scriptorium, at the end of the dimly lit,
deserted corridor, Bunsome hesitated as he recognized Allenby decked in gold
cape and black slouch hat, pacing in front of the door. Allenby looked up at the
sound of Bunsome's"footsteps.
"Ah! I hoped you would be back soon."
Bunsome halted in front of Allenby and nodded. "What may I do for the Great
Allenby?" He held out his hand and Allenby dropped several copper movills into
it.
"Arnheim & Boon are they ready for their parade?"
"Yes." Bunsome couldn't meet Allenby's eyes. "They will march before the sun
sets."
"What do they have for great beasts, Bunsome?"
The priest pulled at his lip, then dropped his hand. "Nine acts, Great Allenby,
from as many planets "
"Do they have elephants?"
Bunsome nodded. "Twenty. They're magnificent animals. Before, I had only seen
pictures "
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"Yes, yes." Allenby waved his hand for silence, his pale blue eyes staring into
an ocean of poor options for the unknown thing that would save the Baraboo's
bacon.
"Great Allenby, at least we have the lizards. Arnheim & Boon has nothing like [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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