“I tell you there was a coyote loose here last night. A white peacock, flesh chewed clean to the bone, an’ a trained terrier, same marks, sure signs of a coyote,” a lanky worker said as he leaned on the handle of his spade.
“Were me best dog, Tippy,” a female trainer added between sobs. “Had her for five years in the act.”
Ravi put a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Sorry for loss of your dog. Where did the body get found?”
She pointed in the direction of the same well where he found the dwarf gnawing on the peacock.
He shuddered and wormed his way out of the crowd, scanning everywhere for the manager. Telling others what he suspected would only bring chaos. After asking a few more folks, he finally located Jack assigning train cars to performers. “I must speak. Something terrible wrong.”
“What is it?” Jack looked up from his clipboard. “We don’t have much time.”
“That dwarf you just hired?”
“Sadie? Yes?”
“Last night a peacock she ate. Dead with limp neck, she chewed its flesh. This morning hear dead dog body found.” Ravi’s hands moved up and down, desperately trying to make up for his language limitations. “And at practice she spat on Gladys—called her slut.”
“She did? Circus dwarfs are mostly a tricky lot, but that’s a real problem. Usually, they think they can command their price or special treatment ‘cause there are so few of them. I heard the talk about the peacock and dog bodies. Thought it was a coyote. I need to find Sadie and clear this up before we leave. Can you help me search? Don’t want anyone else helping or the entire camp will go nuts.”
Ravi and Jack checked and locked each loaded train car. No sign of the dwarf. The whistle blew. They gave up their search and went to their assigned cars.
Their first tour stop was in Mobile, to arrive just before midnight. The train cars groaned, set back into motion after months off. Inside, the old leather smell of the coach cars mixed with fresh disinfectant.
For hours, Ravi and Alice played cards with a couple of clowns. Throughout the evening, she took turns reading aloud with him, teaching him written words. In turn, he taught her the constellations visible outside the train window. Being a sun-bird, he knew all the stars. He intentionally kept her up late, studying the sky. If she slept in a berth alone, it would be hard to protect her. Instead, she fell asleep against his shoulder, tired from searching for falling stars.
When the train stopped, everyone followed their assigned tasks. Some slept and some worked, so at dawn the big top would be ready to greet the townspeople and the performers fresh to entertain.
Ravi helped unload performers’ trunks.
Sadie stepped past him while he hoisted a large trunk onto a wagon bed.
How had she accessed the train? He eyed her suspiciously.
Probably zozzled, she teetered and lost her balance. “Suparna, you’ve been lookin’ into my business. Stay clear of me, you hear? Best keep to your lady friend. She’s a ripe one. You should spend your time givin’ her a poke or some other fellow will.”
He bristled, wanting to throw a fist at the dwarf’s crude mouth. If his hands weren’t on a fifty-pound locker… “You touch a hair on Alice’s head, you pay.” She knew he was a Suparna. Only faeries and spirits could identify his divine status—that confirmed his guess about her.
The lips of her filthy mouth turned up in a sly smile, parting enough to show her few protruding teeth.
Ravi’s restraint snapped. Power surged through his body. The nubs of his wings throbbed and pressed hard against his shirt. While he worked to keep them in check, heat surged into his eyes. Glaring at the demon, he used his fiery power to lift her stump of a body high off the ground onto the top of a train car.
Ravi didn’t care how or if she got down, but worried whether others witnessed his action. All around, men continued heaving loads as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. Ravi blew out a sigh. Too close. He knew better than to risk his accepted status among his peers—been treated like a freak too many times. He needed to remember to corner Sadie in private next time…unless she took his hint and left. Fat chance. Glancing to the roof of the car, he saw no one there. A second later, the unmistakable shrill squeal of a raptor pierced the air. Could she transform?
A shiver ran down his spine. Alice was in danger. He quickly finished transferring the load in his hands and made his way to the tent area. He stopped at the one she always stayed in and whistled for her, their signal, to not disturb her roommates.
In a moment, the tent flap lifted, and she stuck her head out. “Phew! Glad it was you and not someone faking your call,” she whispered. She placed a foot outside to join him.
“Stay inside, covered as much as can.” He dug a hand in his pocket and pulled out a switchblade. “Here, keep under your pillow, in case.”
“Oh, Ravi. Now I’m really scared.” She took the knife into her shaking fingers.
He kissed her forehead and helped her reposition the tent flap.
***
In the morning, shouts outside his own tent got him on his feet even before his eyes opened. He and his five roommates pulled on trousers and raced out into the dawn, bare-chested. With Fred on his heels, he ran straight for Alice’s lodging. She stood beside the doorway in her dressing gown.
Ravi pulled her into his arms. “You okay?”
She trembled under his touch. “Yes. There’s been another killing. One of the cooks found a carcass of a monkey in his waste bin, its leg muscles chewed to the bone. Ravi, this has to stop.”
“It does, and I’m going to stop it.” He stepped away from her. “Keep in groups always.”
She nodded.
“Ravi! Hold up!” Jack, their manager approached with wide strides. “Have you heard? The monkey?” He gulped air between short sentences.
“Yes. Look for Sadie now.”
“Good thing. I wanted you with me to search for her. This is upsetting the whole camp. If she’s involved, she’s got to go.”
They looked from tent to tent, but found no sign of the dwarf. They inspected the animal carriers, thinking she might be eyeing her next victim. No sign anywhere.
After three hours of searching, the harsh whistles of the calliope signaled the start of the afternoon show. Ravi and Fred left to dress for their high-wire finale act.
They performed their show without a hitch. Still no sign of the dwarf. She missed her time slot in ring two for her act with the clowns. Ravi hoped she’d left camp for good.
Before the evening show, he dressed early and patrolled the grounds. Nothing appeared suspicious outside, so he stood between sets of bleachers, watching for trouble during the performances. Again, Sadie missed her cue. It seemed too easy for her to give up at his warning—demons liked to fight.
Clowns, trained dogs, unicyclists, and fire-eaters all came and went without issue. Alice was in his sight, in the watchful company of her brother and the manager. Aromas of buttered popcorn and spun cotton candy mixed with animal odors—the typical circus smell. Nothing odd. He scanned through the crowd for the dwarf. Instead of finding her, the number of children in the audience impressed him. All those smiling, young faces he must keep safe.
After a deep breath, he refocused, looking for any strange happening in the performing arena. Clown acts took the right and left rings. In the center, the snake charmer and his assistant wheeled out carts of large rush baskets. Three would contain his Naga friends. Upon the sweet notes of the charmer’s wooden flute, lids of the baskets opened and ropes danced up in response to his calls. Henry, Walter, and Gladys actually controlled those ropes, using their magic to extend them above their bodies. Ravi seldom watched the shows anymore. In full costume, the act came off well, a crowd-pleaser that earned lots of cheers.
Tigers growled and pawed the wagon bed of their holding cage as it rolled in behind where Ravi stood. The sensed his magic and clawed the bars nearest him, creating a spectacle.
Blocked from leavi
ng by the animal wagon and not wanting to walk in front of the crowd, he climbed into the stands. When at last he found a seat, chaos ensued in the center ring.
The Nagas crawled in all directions, writhing and coiling. Above them a white bird with a forked black tail swooped—a kite. It struck the snake people with both its talons and beak.
The charmer, his assistant, and half a dozen other men ran around frantically. Some waved large nets on poles to catch the bird, and others yelled in various languages.
Ravi jumped to his feet, struggling to keep his wings from expanding.
Soon everyone around him stood, craning to see the ruckus.
The snakes hissed and struck, but the bird soared out of reach. In one ill-fated attempt, Henry missed and bit the shoulder of his trainer.
The men in the ring dropped their nets and kneeled beside the wounded man. They slapped his hands and cheeks. It was too late. Few knew the snake people possessed real, deadly venom.
The kite continued to torment Gladys, despite her attempts to slither under a cart. Her snake tail hung limp, wounded.
The tigers roared and flung themselves at their cage walls.
Spectators screamed and rushed down the steps to leave. The rickety bleachers swayed with the frenzy of motion.
Ravi’s wing tips burst out of the slits in his costume at his shoulder blades. The tangle of people stopped him from getting to the ring, so he climbed atop the handrail and lifted into flight.
Someone high in the stands cried out, “Birdman!”
He soared after the kite. In seconds, he was in firing range and seared the long tips of its black tail with his fiery gaze.
It gave up the fight and turned sideways to slip through a narrow opening at a tent flap.
Ravi, full human size, could not fit through and was forced to land. Adrenaline fueled his desire to chase, but logic told him he’d lost the trail of the smaller bird, now little more than a foot long after what Ravi did to its tail. Instead, he flew to where Alice and Fred stood in a group near Gladys.
The evening show ended without the favorite tiger or high-wire acts most came to see. The snake woman lay on the ground in human form. The circus doctor slung her arm across his shoulder and attempted to pull her to standing. She screamed as her legs buckled under her weight. Alice dropped to her knees and held Gladys to her bosom. Men brought a canvas stretcher alongside and eased the injured woman onto it. Unable to move her legs, she wailed.
Alice clung to Ravi as they watched their injured friend being carried away. “Ravi, end this. Find a way.”
“I will,” he said through gritted teeth.
***
Once again, Ravi, Fred, and Jack lead a search for any sign of the dwarf or the tailless kite. With torches in hand, they divided into three groups of twenty and combed the premises. Tension filled the air as camp members packed to leave. No one wanted to take the problem to the next stop. After two hours the searchers met, having no luck.
“I’m not done,” Jack said, wiping sweat from his forehead with a bandana. “If we don’t stop this, our tour’s ruined. I told the packing crew to go through all the storage as they tear down. Engineers are gonna pull us out later to give us more time. It’s only a three-hour trip to New Orleans. The train will leave at midnight. Secure your belongings and meet back here pronto for another round.”
In less than thirty minutes, Ravi and his team reformed and took a different area than before. After about an hour, they trudged back to the gathering place. Fred and his men were already collapsed against wagon wheels or seated on upturned crates, staying clear of the main path where workers tore apart tents.
“What time is it?” Ravi asked.
Jack’s voice answered from behind as his group filed in. “Half past eleven. I’m whipped.” He called out in a loud, authoritative voice, “Get some sleep on the train to be alert during unloading.”
Ravi found Alice in their regular car, surrounded by a bevy of clowns, all good-natured circus veterans. He was glad to see her in safe company.
Her eyebrows raised, but after seeing him slump into the seat, she didn’t ask.
As the train pulled out, he held her to him and gazed out the window, examining the stars. Her touch was comforting, but the constellations confounded him—he needed answers. Where and what was that demon?
***
At three o’clock the train whistle blew. The Big Easy. A four-night stay. Everyone moved slowly while unloading. With the incident during last evening’s show, sleep evaded most. Ravi didn’t shut his eyes once during the ride, constantly scanning the night sky, afraid to not keep active watch on Alice.
He helped unload trunks as usual, then checked on her in one of the female group tents. After finding her secure, he reluctantly plodded toward his assigned quarters. He flung himself onto his cot, hoping for sleep to give him some respite. Instead, nightmares marched through his slumber. In a cold sweat, he sat upright, shaking and exhausted. Maybe a walk around camp would unwind his nerves.
In the pre-dawn darkness, he turned a corner of a tent and a woman stepped out of its flap. By the way she dressed, he guessed her to be a cheap quiff—hem angled high up her thigh and neckline way low, giving good view of her rounded bubs.
“Hey, you. I’ve got a bottle if you’ve got a ciggy,” she said to him.
Ravi offered her a smoke and held the light for her as her lips drew into a tiny cupid’s bow. “Don’t drink much. Thanks,” he said and continued on his way.
The woman of the night followed. “I’ll walk with you. That man in there turned out to be an Ethel—gave me an icy mitt.” She brushed her shapely hip against him. “Bet you wouldn’t do that to me, would you?”
“Sorry, doll. Not interested.”
“Well, let’s just walk. You’re an owl tonight. Somethin’ keepin’ you up?”
Ravi didn’t respond, ignoring the half-under slut.
“Whatever it is, a snort’ll help.” She offered the bottle again. “It’s brown plaid, not no panther piss.”
He shrugged and accepted. Maybe a little would bring him some calm. Seconds after he swallowed, he felt dizzy…doped.
The woman turned him to face her and slid her hands up his chest. “You must drive all women wild as bearcats.” She pressed against him and planted a wet kiss on his lips, prying her tongue into his mouth.
His head swam, and he leaned into her to keep his balance. Unable to resist, he submitted and kissed her hard, his hand grabbing her soft curves.
Abruptly, she stepped away and laughed as he fell to his knees.
“Good to see you all balled up, Suparna.” Her laughter raised into a shrill cackle that soon changed into the raptor’s screech he heard earlier. “Now I’ll go see if your sheba wants to play.” Before his gaping stare, she transformed into the kite and glided noiselessly through the darkness.
Panic riveted his heart, then his mind went blank.
***
Ravi’s head ached with splitting pain. Something damp and warm stroked his forehead. His eyes shot open, and he jerked back to see a small dog, the circus mutt kept by the horsemen. He rubbed the dog’s head and looked around.
Although the sky hinted at dawn, the camp lay dark and quiet, save for the crew hoisting the big top.
He lay slumped against a cart outside of Alice’s tent. Judging by the grass stains on his trouser knees, he guessed he crawled there. Then, he remembered kissing Sadie in the form of the lovely harlot. His stomach quivered; he rolled to one side and upchucked. He felt like hell and let out a low groan.
The dog yelped and pulled on the cuff of his pant leg with its teeth.
“What do you want?” Ravi grunted.
The little dog persisted, stopping only to bark again.
“Okay, I come.” He rose, clutching onto the cart frame for support.
The pooch ran down the path, turned, and waited for him to follow.
As the dog led, Ravi lurched forward between carts and trailers. Fi
nally, he saw where the pooch stopped near a cluster of tall, galvanized buckets holding fresh carnations and roses.
Ravi gasped. Behind the pails lay the body of the flower lady in a pool of blood. Her neck splayed open with a wide wound. White hair spilled all around from her loosened bun, matted with dark red.
He fell to his knees to give aid. No pulse in her neck or wrist. He listened for breath. Nothing.
Clutching her hand to his breast, tears rolled down his face. He arched backward to release his pain to the sky, the source of his power. Then, in the last minutes before sunrise his answer came. Three constellations twinkled in the language of the Suparna. They said the demon was a Rakshasi and could only be destroyed by Rakshogna, the sacred light.
Ravi bowed his head in prayer. He used his power to ensure safe passage of the flower lady’s soul along a path of light to become a deva in the land of Svargam. Once her soul progressed on its journey, he let his strength flow through his eyes and lifted her body to the sun. He and the camp mutt watched as her remains and essence departed.
The dog gave a mournful howl.
Ravi poured the water from one of Mabel’s buckets to wash the earth clean of blood. He decided not to tell anyone, other than Jack. It would serve no purpose; the burden of killing the Rakshasi demon was his, and he now knew how to accomplish the task.
***
Ravi enlisted the manager in his plan, telling him about the sad murder of the flower lady. He prompted Jack to invite certain former circus employees to the evening show and then out for a visit to a speakeasy after. He obliged Ravi’s request without question.
By nightfall, all the performers dragged from lack of sleep, just going through the basic motions of their performances. Fred and Alice choked when Sadie joined the clowns in her starring act for the first time.
Alice went pale as she pointed to the crowd. “Ravi, look! More of them.”
A group of ten dwarfs sat in front row center seats—an irresistible temptation for the demon to show off.
“No worry. Not like Sadie. I asked Jack to invite them for good reason…and the snake people won’t perform. All over soon. I promise to keep you safe,” he replied.
Her eyebrows rose, she swallowed hard, and forced a weak smile. “Okay. Are those in the audience why she’s actually doing her show tonight?”