Page 18 (1/2)

HARKAT AND ot up an hour or so before sunset and walked around the camp with Evra and Shancus I was chuffed that Evra had named his first-born after me and promised to send the boy birthday presents in future, if I could He wanted ive him a spider - Evra had told hi him one of the poisonous arachnids from Vampire Mountain - I knew from painful experience the trouble a tarantula could cause!

The Cirque Du Freak was much the same as ever A fe acts had joined, and one or two had parted coh the circus hadn’t changed, I had I sensed that after a while, as we strolled fro to chat with the perfor - in appearance at least - and people treated me as a child They didn’t any more While I didn’t look thatdifferent about er spoke down toas an adult for years, this was the first tied and how I could never return to the lighter days of es - usually when I coht would coain Now I realized he was right My childhood had been a long, drawn-out affair, but within a year or two the purge would rid me of both oing back

"You look pensive," Evra noted

"I’hed "You married and with kids Me orries of my own Life used to be ," Evra agreed "I keep telling Shancus that, but he doesn’t believeup"

"We’re getting old, Evra"

"No we aren’t," he said "We’re getting older It’ll be decades before I hit old age - centuries for you"

That was true, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d soht For ht as a child - Darren Shan, the boy Prince! - but now I didn’t feel I was a child any longer

Mr Crepsley tracked us down as ere devouring hot sausages around a ca them out The vampire took one, thanked her, and sed it in two quick bites "Savoury," he said, licking his lips, then turned to leaht? Hibernius has said we may perform"

"What would we do?" I asked "We don’t have Madaic tricks, as I did when I first joined the Cirque Du Freak, and you can be th, we can pull off so feats"

"I dunno," I said "It’s been a long tiht"

"Nonsense You are doing it I will not take no for an answer"

"If you put it that way" I grinned

"You will need so if we are to present ourselves to the public," Mr Crepsley said, eyeing me critically "A haircut and manicure are in order"

"I take care of that," Truska said "I also a Darren’s old pirate costuain"

"You’ve still got that old thing?" I asked, re how cool I’d felt when Truska kittedafter I’d joined the Cirque Du Freak I had to leave the fancy clothes behind when I left to travel to Vas," she sht not be ready this tonight, but tomorrow I have it in shape Co"

Vancha was jealous when he heard ere going to be perforic Why can’t I go on too?"

Mr Crepsley stared at the green-haired Prince, with his bare feet, s and arms, his animal hides and shurikens He sniffed the air - Vancha had showered in rainfall about six nights earlier, but hadn’t washed since - and crinkled his nose "You are not the essence of presentability, Sire," he re withaant when one takes to the stage," Mr Crepsley said "You lack a certain je ne sais quoi"

"I don’t know about that," I said "I think there’s a perfect part for him in the show"

"There!" Vancha beao on at the start, with the Wolf Man," I said, only barely ht face "We could pretend they were brothers"

Vancha glared at me as Mr Crepsley, Harkat, Evra and Shancus fell apart with laughter "You’re getting too smart by far!" he snapped, then stormed off to find someone to rant at

At the appointed tiet my hair cut by Truska Evra and Shancus also went to prepare for the shohile Harkat helped Mr Crepsley search for props to use in his act

"Is life being good to you?" Truska asked, snipping e

"It could be worse," I said

"Vancha tolda Prince"

"He wasn’t supposed to tell anyone," I complained