by Ioana Visan
“You don’t know what my job is,” Dale said between gritted teeth. In two steps, he had a blade pressed against her throat. “My friend has burned his arms. I have only two weeks, and I need him to be able to use his hands by then. So think hard.”
This wasn’t good. The security downstairs was obviously slacking. She’d have to do something about that. Instead of panicking, Aurore held up her right hand. It was perfect, all except for the golden glow. “Do I look like I care?”
It took him a couple seconds for the words to sink in. “Well, there goes my leverage,” he said, releasing her.
“There wasn’t much leverage to begin with,” Aurore said, resisting the urge to check her neck. He acted too much like a professional to have nicked her.
Dale shrugged with a rueful smile. “So, are you going to set your goons on me?”
“Yes, sorry. I have a reputation to protect.” She reached for a button on her desk. “What happens in two weeks?”
“Sorry?”
“Don’t play dumb with me. I can get my ‘goons’ to make you spill it.” Her hand froze on the button. “You’re not from here, and you need a pair of working hands by a certain date. What happens in two weeks?” Aurore’s hand hovered above the button, next to an ad for the museum open night and a Nightingale Circus flyer.
Dale’s eyes briefly stopped on the two flyers.
“You want to enter the Hrad?” The open night was scheduled in two weeks, which meant access to the Bratislava Castle would also be free. “That’s a bold move. Why didn’t you say so?”
“So you can send me to a hack technician? If it works, fine. If it doesn’t, fine,” Dale said. “You’re the mayor’s protégé, but even you wouldn’t get away with it if I got caught. There’s a fortune stored inside the Hrad. That’s how I was planning to pay you. You’re into jewelry. There must be something you’d want in there.”
He didn’t know even half of it. There was something she wanted badly, but it wasn’t jewels.
“Well, in that case…” Aurore hesitated, her eyes scanning the desk. “I know someone who might be able to help. He doesn’t only do maintenance. He builds things from scratch. Of course, it depends on how badly your friend is injured and if you can keep him out of harm’s way long enough…” Catching a glimpse of the surprised look that flashed over Dale’s face, she smiled. “Do you think I don’t know what’s happening in my city, right across the street from me?” Shaking her head, she picked up the flyer and handed it over. “Ask for Big Dino.” From a drawer, she pulled out a business card with gold engraving, handing that over, as well. “Tell him I sent you. Do not tell him how you plan to pay for his work, just say I guarantee you.”
Dale slipped the two pieces of paper in his pocket and started for the door. In the doorway, he turned. “Why did you change your mind?”
“We haven’t had any excitement in this town in way too long. But it will cost you…”
4
The polished set of knives gleamed in front of Spinner. Rake still sharpened his across the table from him.
“I don’t like this,” Spinner said, gingerly putting the knives away in their box. He kept only one out with which to practice. After days of practicing in a moving train car, it felt weird to do it while the car stood still.
“You should consider a change of career then,” Rake said. “By the way, you need to adjust your fields. I nearly cut you earlier today.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my fields.” To demonstrate, Spinner made the knife glide up and down the entire length of his arm without the assistance of either hand. “See? It’s your knives that aren’t properly balanced.”
Rake grunted, focused on sharpening the blade.
“But that isn’t what I meant.” Spinner put the knife down on the table and had it turn in circles around his open hand. His fingers tingled from the extra charge, but it was good practice. “I don’t like that Miss Aurore wants to do business with us, not when Big Dino can’t deal with her.”
“We will,” Rake said, without looking up from his blade. “We’ve handled his business before, and we will do it again.”
“Yes, but—” Spinner shuddered, “—she creeps me out.”
“Because you’re such a handsome fellow,” Rake drawled out slowly, testing the blade on the tip of his index finger. He stopped pressing before breaking the skin.
Spinner glanced at his bulky arms and shoulders, bulging in places where mechanical parts were hidden. He didn’t need to use the blade as a mirror to know he was far from being handsome. Scars left by old war wounds covered his body, the same as Rake. He could have had them removed, the skin was the easiest to regenerate, but Big Dino liked the badass look. It fit the parts they played in the circus. “I wasn’t here when Big Dino fixed her, but all we hear is what awesome work he did.”
“Too bad she hates it.” Rake put his sharpening tools away.
“Yeah, well, it doesn’t stop him from considering her his masterpiece. He would leave her the circus if he could.”
“Then we’d get to park the train on her front lawn,” Rake deadpanned.
“Does she have a lawn?” Spinner asked. “I thought she lived—”
“Beats me. I haven’t been in the city in two years, ever since they banned us to this abandoned railway track.”
Spinner let out a sigh. “It’s a miracle we get customers at all.”
“We’ll always get customers,” Rake said with a pointed look.
People in need would find them even if the circus was camped kilometers away from the city, but Spinner wanted an audience for their shows, too. Being stationed on the other side of the river made that difficult, and the rain wasn’t helping things, either.
The air vibrated, and Spinner raised his hand in time to grasp the knife flying his way. He caught it, but his grip slipped, and it flew past him and got stuck in the wall.
Spinner winced and answered Rake’s arched eyebrow, “It’s not the field. It’s my wrist that’s acting up. I’ll have a look at it in the morning.”
Rake nodded and went to retrieve his knife. The new hole in the wall had joined an already large collection, proof that Spinner’s wrist slipped often. At least he caught the knives when it counted.
The car door opened, and a wave of cold air burst inside, along with clouds of mist that surrounded the tall silhouette standing in the doorway.
“Nicholas, how nice of you to join us!” Spinner jumped up from his chair. While standing, the other two men towered over him, but he compensated with the bulk of his arms.
“Good evening, gentlemen. Brrr … It got pretty chilly out there,” Nicholas said with an easy smile, removing his white gloves and top hat. His black hair shone in the fluorescent light. “A little bird told me you could use my help. What can I do for you?”
“We’re expecting a potential client,” Spinner said. “We need you to speak to him for us.”
“Won’t Big Dino mind?” Nicholas asked. “I wouldn’t want to step on his toes. This is his business.”
“Big Dino hasn’t been conscious in two days,” Rake said. “It’s unlikely he’ll wake up tonight.”
“Ah … I see.” Nicholas shrugged off his coat and straightened the lapels of his tailcoat. “Of course, I’ll help if I can, although you’ll have to guide me through the process as I know nothing of your trade.”
“We’ll take over once he explains his problem. Don’t worry,” Spinner said. “All you have to do is nod when we tell him the price.”
“And try not to look surprised.” Rake smirked.
“Your fees are different than mine,” Nicholas said. “So, basically, you need a puppet. Very well, I can do that. It’s the least I can do to repay Big Dino’s generosity.”
“Yeah. When will you admit you’re one of us and ask for a big headline?” Spinner asked.
“Oh, I don’t know about that. I wouldn’t want the ad to catch my creditors’ attention. It’s hard to live off magic these days.
Even kids can’t be fooled anymore.” Shaking his head, Nicholas pulled a chair to sit down. “Where’s this client of yours?”
“I sent Jacko to show him around,” Spinner said. “He wasn’t thrilled, so I doubt Jacko will manage to delay him much longer.”
“Do we know anything about him?” Nicholas crossed his long legs and linked his hands on top of his knee.
“He was sent by Miss Aurore,” Rake said. “There’s bound to be a catch.”
5
Rake refilled his glass and held the flask out to Nicholas, but the magician declined, shaking his head and covering the glass with his hand. He’d never seen Nicholas drink much anyway. While Spinner chatted about getting a new and, presumably, important job, Rake watched Nicholas from his corner of the table.
Nicholas’s relaxed stance said nothing about his thoughts as he nodded, pretending to understand Spinner’s technical jargon. The magician’s chameleon skills were so good, they even made Rake feel at ease in his presence. And Nicholas wasn’t doing anything special to achieve that. It was a gift. Rake shook his head. That was why they needed him.
The door leading to Big Dino’s bedchamber opened silently, and Cielo slipped out.
“Any change?” Spinner asked.
The girl closed the door, careful not to make any sound, and pushed a blonde lock behind her ear. “No,” she whispered, her eyes downcast. “No change since yesterday. I replaced the drip because it was clotted. It should hold him until morning.”
Spinner thanked her with a nod. Nicholas’s dark eyes followed her while she limped around the table. People didn’t usually notice the clumsy girl with sea-colored clothes and a timid, little smile. But Nicholas did, and he left his chair in time to gallantly hold the door open for her. Cielo’s smile became less reserved, only to fade a moment later.
“And here is our headquarters,” Jacko’s voice came in from the darkness. He climbed up the steps of the car, taking them two at a time. The clown’s patchy jacket brought a hint of color into the otherwise spartan room. “Come, come, Mr. Armstrong, before we all catch a cold.” Jacko waved his hand at someone still waiting outside. “We circus people can’t afford medical insurance.” He glanced around the room. “Hey, Cielo … Oh, Mr. Renard, you’re here, too …”
Nicholas ignored the comment and focused his attention on the visitor. “Good evening, sir. It’s always a pleasure to meet one of Miss Aurore’s friends.”
“Dale Armstrong,” the man said, entering the car.
The name didn’t ring a bell. However, the visitor’s leather jacket concealed a gun on the left side. No surprise there. No one in their right mind would venture into this part of town unarmed, especially this late at night. The irony was that the train station area became safe when the circus was visiting, but a stranger wouldn’t trust that.
With a murmured “Goodnight,” Cielo left the car without making eye contact.
“How is Miss Aurore doing?” Nicholas asked with an affable smile. The magician was one of the few people who was never unsettled by the Golden Lady’s presence.
“She’s … fine,” Dale said. “She recommended I see someone called Big Dino?”
“Big Dino is indisposed,” Spinner said, “but you can talk to Mr. Renard over here. He’s Big Dino’s right-hand man.”
“Nicholas Renard.” Nicholas held out his hand and added, “Nicholas le Fleuriste is my stage name. You must have seen the posters in town.”
They shook hands, the visitor refraining from adding his input to the conversation. Instead, he looked around the room, his eyes stopping briefly on each of the men. His cold assessment put Rake on guard. The man was either a killer, or a damned great actor. He’d make a fine match for Nicholas.
“These are my … associates,” the magician said. “Rake and Spinner.”
The “associates” nodded, grunting. Neither of them offered their hands.
The awkward silence was broken by Nicholas, “I’m afraid they know more about the technical parts of the business than I do, but I’ll do my best to accommodate you. What seems to be the problem?”
Dale looked from one man to the other. “My friend had an accident. His arms got badly burned. He needs to regain his hands’ dexterity as soon as possible.”
“Are we talking about full prosthetics, or muscle and nerve regeneration?” Spinner asked.
“The latter would be preferable. He needs ninety-five percent accuracy in his movements,” Dale said. “And I’d like to stress the soon part.”
“Nerve regrowth can take time,” Spinner said. “We’ll have to see how serious the damage is before we promise anything.”
“It’s serious, though the bones weren’t damaged. Can’t you speed up the process?”
Spinner and Rake exchanged a glance, and then Spinner said, “We can … up to a point. When can you bring your friend over?”
“He’s waiting in the car in the parking lot near the train station.”
“Oh dear, you left him out in the cold?” Spinner jumped up. “Do you want to add pneumonia on top of it? Let’s go and get him!”
“I’ll gather some boys to help.” Jacko rushed out the door.
“One second,” Nicholas said, all business-like. “We need to discuss payment first.”
Dale stopped on his way to the door. “Give me a number. I’ll pay you after my friend passes the test.”
“This can get expensive,” Nicholas said.
“Miss Aurore is vouching for me.”
“In that case…” Nicholas’s gesture towards the door prompted Spinner to lead Dale into the darkness outside.
Rake stayed behind. Miss Aurore was good for her word.
“You know, I don’t feel like I’ve been of much help.” Nicholas returned to the table to finish his drink.
“It went as well as expected.” Rake shrugged.
He hadn’t been worried about the meeting. Everyone knew what they did when they were not performing. Clients from all over town came knocking on their door, usually for little things like minor adjustments or small components failing, but a big job sometimes appeared, too. Like now. “Are you going into town tomorrow to rent the theater hall for your act?” Rake asked.
“Yes. I’ve got an appointment with the mayor.” Nicholas took a sip from his glass. “I don’t expect any problems. He’s let me rent it for the past few years, too.”
“Good. Rent the whole building.”
“Are you serious?” Nicholas let out a startled laugh. “What for?”
“Spinner got all excited about it, but that’s difficult work we’re asked to do, and we don’t have the funds for it,” Rake said.
The magician spun his glass, making the dark liquid swirl. “I thought the circus had some money stashed away.”
Since Nicholas handled the accounts, he didn’t just think, he knew, even if he couldn’t access it, but Rake let it go.
“It does. But with Big Dino out … We need to bring something to the table besides our skills. We can’t rely on Miss Aurore for everything.”
Nicholas nodded, but his eyebrows were still raised. “So what do you plan to do?”
“We’re going to put on a show,” Rake said, bracing himself for … He wasn’t sure for what. Maybe more laughter since this was not his area of expertise.
“Are we?” Nicholas made a pensive face, pondering the idea. “Listen, Rake, I can’t hypnotize an entire hall of people to prevent them from running away screaming. I’m good, but I’m not that good.”
“You don’t have to. We’ll put on a classy show. We’ll have to leave the animals behind, but the girls will enjoy the change. We will tell the clowns to clean up their language. The other acts will do, even if we have to do a tame version.”
“I—” Nicholas ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know. I can’t see it happening. It’s a huge load of work.”
“That’s why we’re renting the theater for a week,” Rake said. “Plenty of time to rehearse. It doesn’t have
to be perfect. Just good enough to be deemed decent by the locals.”
“If they come. And if we get permission from the authorities to do such a show,” Nicholas said.
“They’ll come. Everyone who ever wondered about what we’re doing here but didn’t dare cross the river will run to buy tickets if it’s a legit show. Those who aren’t interested but care about their social standing will come, too. It will be a full house. As for permission … well, you know the mayor. You can get it from him.”
“Assuming I do it,” Nicholas said, “he’ll insist on putting on a classy show. We can’t go with the acts we have now. I’m changing my act each time I perform in a real theater instead of a tent, and you know my tricks. There’s nothing outrageous about them.”
Not on the surface. Rake knew Nicholas’s act, even the one the magician did when he wasn’t performing. It wasn’t something obvious, but being mostly made of metal, Rake felt it better than most people. It gave him hope he’d made the right call by delegating the power to him.
“Fine, then,” Rake said. “You know what these people want. You were upper-class once. You understand them, so make sure our acts have class. You’ll be our art director.”
Nicholas choked on his drink. “Me?” He wiped his lips with the back of his hand.
“Yeah. So have Miss Aurore book the theater for us, promise the theater owner thirty percent of the profit to let us use it, arrange the whole concept of the show, and if you can pull all that off, you can keep ten percent for yourself. Hey, you can pay some of your debts this way.”
“What will Big Dino say?” Nicholas asked, but he was clearly tempted by the offer.
“Don’t you worry about Big Dino,” Rake said. “Think about the profit you can make.”
Nicholas picked up his top hat and gloves and, shaking his head, left Rake to make preparations to receive their client.
