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CHAPTER TWO

ALEXANDER RIBSwas sleeping in a large tyre hanging from a tree He always slept curled up - it kept his body supple and made it easier for hi Normally he kept the tyre on a special stand in his caravan, but occasionally he’d drag it outside and sleep in the open It was a cold night for sleeping outdoors - the middle of a wintry Nove to keep the chill out

As Alexander snoredboy crept towards hiht hand, with the intention of dropping it into Alexanders er sister looked on with iestures whenever he paused nervously

As the boy neared the tyre and held up the cockroach, his mother - always alert to mischief - stuck her head out of a nearby tent, ripped her left ear off and threw it at hi and knocked the cockroach fro, he raced back to his brother and sister, while Alexander slept on, unaware of his narrow escape

"Urcha!" Merla snapped, catching her ear as it circled back, then reattaching it to her head "If I catch you bothering Alexander again, I’ll lock you in with the Wolf Man until !"

"Shancusin the ribs from his older brother

"I don’t doubt he put you up to it," Merla growled, "but you’re old enough to know better Don’t do it again Shancus!" she added The snake-boy looked at his ht, I’ll hold you responsible"

"I didn’t do anything!" Shancus shouted "They’re always?"

"Enough!" Merla cut hi in the shadow of the tree next to the one Alexander Ribs was hanging from Her expression softened "Hello, Darren," she said "What are you doing?"

"Looking for cockroaches," I said,a short smile Merla and her husband, Evra Von - a snake-man and one of my oldest friends - had been very kind to h I found it hard to respond to their kindness in my miserable mood, I made as much of an effort as I could

"It’s cold," Merla noted "Shall I fetch you a blanket?"

I shook ht frost to chill a half-va an eye on these three as long as you’re outside?" she asked "Evra’s snake isIf you can keep the kids out of the way, it’d be a real help"

"No proble myself down as she went back inside the tent I walked over to the three Von children They gazed up atto the Cirque Du Freak, and they weren’t quite sure what to make of me "What would you like to do?" I asked

"Cockroach!" Lilia squealed She was only three years old, but looked five or six because of her rough, coloured scales Like Shancus, Lilia was half-huh he wished he could be like the other two, and so his mother ith exasperation

"Noelse?"

"Show us how you drink blood," Urcha said, and Shancus hissed at hi?" I asked Shancus, who’d been named in my honour

"He’s not supposed to say that," Shancus said, slicking back his yellow-green hair "Muht upset you"

I ss Don’t worry - you can say whatever you like I don’t mind"

"Can you show us how you drink then?" Urcha asked again

"Sure," I said, then spreadnoise The children shrieked with delight and ran away I plodded after the to rip their stoh I was able to put on a merry display for the kids, inside I felt as empty as ever I still hadn’t co very little, no hts, and I’d lostthe city Nor had I washed, changed out of rew quicker than a hu in the world seemed hile

When I’d arrived at the Cirque, Mr Tall had spent the day locked in his trailer with Evanna They eht and Evanna took off without a word Mr Tall checked that Harkat and I were OK, then set us up with a tent, ha else we required Since then he’d spent a lot of ti tales of Mr Crepsley and what the pair of the me to chip in with my own recollections, but I could only smile faintly and shake my head I found it impossible to htening andwith pain

I hadn’t said much to Harkat lately He wanted to discuss our friend’s death but I couldn’t talk about it, and kept turning hi selfish, but I couldn’t help it My sorroas all consu me off from those who cared and wished to help

Ahead, the Von children stopped, grabbed twigs and pebbles, and threw thehts flashed back to that underground cavern and Mr Crepsley’s face as he let go of Steve and crashed upon the fiery stakes Sighingno notice as the Vons covered ht this was part of the game I hadn’t the heart to tell therew bored and wandered away Then I rerew colder around ed by, I withdrew further and further inside er answered people when they asked a question, only grunted like an ani me out of my mood three days earlier, but I swore at him and told him to leave me alone He lost his temper and took a swipe at rey fist, but I let hiround When he bent to help me up, I swatted his hand away He hadn’t spoken to me since

Life went on as usual around row a beard at will, then suck the hairs back into her face - had returned after an absence of several hts perfor and singing I didn’t attend I sat by- as usual - about Mr Crepsley

Late in the night, there was a tap onout a slice of cake "I know you feeling low, but I’ht like this," she said Truska was still learning to speak English and often ry," I said "Good to see you again How have you been?" Truska didn’t answer She stared at me a moment - then thrust the slice of cake intoto uts," Truska laughed "I know you sad, Darren, but you can’t sit round like gru about it," I snapped "You don’t knohat I’ Nobody does!"

She looked at me archly "You think you the only one to lose soet killed by evil fishermen"

I blinked stupidly "I’m sorry I didn’t know"