by Colin Forest
Rose and Thorn
by Colin Forest
Copyright 2010
Chapter 1: Titus Rose
The Ringmaster watched from the sidelines as the audience looked on, rapt, at the spectacle of Felina performing stunts with Suresh. One member of the audience in particular, intrigued him. She sat upright, looking ahead. He tried hard to pierce her thoughts, but was unable to do so.
Somewhere in the audience, a gentleman gasped in wonder and clapped his hands enthusiastically. He looked on as if caught in a hypnotic trance. A perpetual smile stayed on his face and his eyes betrayed a look of longing.
“Wonderful!” he cried as the show ended.
As the audience left, he rushed forward to the Ringmaster. He took off his cap and stood expectantly near the stage, eyeing the Ringmaster who was speaking with a bespectacled man. A sound as of grating metal resounded all around him, and there seemed to be a slight trembling in the air. The two men turned to look at him in curiosity. He beamed even more greatly at this acknowledgement of his presence.
“Welcome, sir,” said the Ringmaster.
The bespectacled man retreated out of the tent.
“And how did you find the show, er, Mr…?”
“Rose. Titus Rose.” He shook the hand proffered by the Ringmaster. “I enjoyed it immensely, sir. Especially the display of the wondrous beasts you have in your collection.”
“I’m glad to hear it, Mr. Rose.”
“Truly impressive. Pardon my saying this. I hope I don’t offend, but I was sceptical when I saw the advertisement for this show. The proclamations seemed too outlandish, but … I’m glad to be proven wrong. Your Beastmistress, and the tiger – an Indian breed if I’m not mistaken – ?”
“Ah. You have some knowledge of such things.”
“It is what I do, sir. I am a zoologist.”
“And which institution do you work for, Mr. Rose?”
“None. I work independently. Truth be told, I seek more esoteric specimens than those of interest to the institutions of this country,” he said with a glint in his eye. “Which is why I would be greatly honoured if you would permit me to spend time with your magnificent beasts.”
“I’m afraid I can’t, Mr. Rose. I do not think they would like it very much to receive such scrutiny.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, sir. If you should re-consider, please do not hesitate to call on me. My residence is but a few miles south of here. Ask for the Rose Estate.”
He re-placed the cap on his head, gave a slight bow and left. Not long after, the Ringmaster did likewise and saw, wondering among the crowd, smiling at the children on the carousel, the woman who had been of such great interest to him. She looked very refined, and carried herself with a dignified bearing. He approached her from behind and she turned, as if in expectation.
“Good day, Miss.”
“Good day, Ringmaster. I recognise you from the show.”
“Yes. As do I.
“This is a surprise. I wouldn’t have expected the Ringmaster to recognise an anonymous member of the audience.”
“Normally, no, but you are a very special member of the audience.”
“You flatter me, sir.”
“Not at all. And call me Adam. Adam Delfay.”
“A pleasure, Mr. Delfay. I am Isabella Archer.” She looked around and continued, “This is an intriguing circus you have here, Mr. Delfay. Quite unlike anything I’ve ever seen. And you are an equally intriguing and talented man.”
“Now YOU flatter me, Miss Archer.”
“Oh, you are talented, there’s no doubt about that. I felt you during the show.”
“Oh?” he asked as he raised his delicate eyebrows.
She gave a soft chuckle and said, “There’s no need for that. I felt you in my mind. And where does a man get a talent like that?”
“And where does a woman learn how to block me?”
“It appears we both have our secrets.” She looked into his eyes and said, “You’re doing it again.”
Her hands clasped in front of her, just below her belly. With a gentle clench of her fingers, she said, “That’s as far as you go, Mr. Delfay,” and a wall sprang up, blocking the Ringmaster’s probing thoughts.
The Ringmaster went through a series of hallways and finally came upon Professor Icarus Abacus tinkering at the Omniportallis machine.
“We’re set to go for tonight, Del,” he said without looking up. Steam and smoke enveloped his head and wafted around the room. The hissing and clanging of the surrounding machinery almost swallowed up his words.
“Let’s wait a few more days, Icarus.”
“Why?” asked Icarus, looking at the Ringmaster’s frowning face.
“There was someone in the audience today, a woman. I don’t know how, but she blocked me. I tried piercing her thoughts and I felt her mind push me back. But there was something else there. I can’t put my finger on it.”
“Are you going to look for her then? Do you know anything about her?”
“She did give me her name. And I know where to start.” He brightened. “Tomorrow, we’re visiting the Rose Estate.”
“We? You mean I have to come along?”
Early the next morning, a carriage headed south to find the Rose Estate. The steeds pulling the carriage drew curious stares from onlookers. Several people recoiled from the horses as they passed. With skin drawn tight over prominent ribs, they exuded an unhealthy and unwholesome appearance. However, one or two people waved, for they recognised the carriage as coming from the circus. A soft whistle emanated from Icarus as the Rose Estate came into view.
“That’s the Rose Estate? I’d like the see what’s inside this man’s purse!”
The Rose Estate comprised the main residence, which dominated the scenery and several more modest, understated dwellings. In the surrounding area was a sort of prettyish, slightly wooded garden. Overall, it looked luxurious without being ostentatious.
Titus Rose received the two men warmly, though his attention was diverted to the steeds. “I’ve never seen such horses. Magnificent creatures,” he said.
“My apologies for calling on you so suddenly, Mr. Rose. May I introduce a member of the circus and a close friend, Professor Icarus Abacus. It occurred to me that I didn’t introduce myself properly yesterday. I am Adam Delfay,” said the Ringmaster with a bow.
“No apologies needed, Mr. Delfay. I am so glad you have come. Have you re-considered my request?”
“I come for another reason. However, it would be ungracious of me to come with a request of my own while denying you yours. So, please feel free to spend as much time as you want with our animals.”
“Thank you. I’m glad to hear it. Now, how may I help you?”
“I’m looking for someone. I’m unsure if she’s a resident in these parts but she appears to be a woman of some standing in society. Perhaps you’ve heard of her. She introduced herself as Isabella Archer.”
Titus knotted his brows in concentration.
“I’m unfamiliar with that name, but I’ll ask around.”
“Thank you.”
“Now, let me show you around,” he offered. His guests accepted, and he guided them through the house, explaining each item of interest. On a wall in the library were several paintings, one of which immediately caught the eye of the Ringmaster. It was an oil of a woman in the woods, dressed as a wood nymph. She sat leaning against the trunk of a tree with a unicorn resting its head on her lap.
“That’s her. Isabella Archer,” said the Ringmaster. “Where did you get that painting?”
“That’s been in my family for years, since my grandfather’s time. It was done by an unkno
wn artist, but my grandfather took a liking to it. The man wouldn’t part with it, even with all the inducements my grandfather made. It was only after he died that my grandfather was able to acquire it. In any case Mr. Delfay, this must be an ancestor of Miss Archer or someone who bears a close resemblance. This painting was done well over a hundred years ago.”
After the tour, during which he invited his guests to lunch – an invitation refused politely – the Ringmaster and Icarus made an excuse to return to the circus. Titus offered to follow them and within minutes the three of them were northward bound for the circus.
The road passed green pasture dotted with grazing cattle. About halfway along the journey, the Ringmaster’s attention was drawn to a small crowd gathered in a pasture not far away. The level of fear emanating from the crowd was of great interest to him and he decided to stop the carriage. He and Titus alighted from the carriage while Icarus stayed behind. A low ominous murmur passed among the gathered men with dark looks exchanged. There was a scent of death in the air, slight though it was. The steeds tethered to the carriage stomped their feet on the ground and sniffed the air hungrily.
“What’s happened?” Titus asked a man standing nearby.
“Mr. Rose. It’s the cattle sir. A couple went missing yesterday and now we found this,” he said gesturing at a carcass. It looked like it had been killed only recently, with bits of flesh still sticking to the bones. “Whatever it was, it made a clean picking here.”
“Hmmm. Interesting,” muttered the Ringmaster.
“It’s not one of your animals, is it?” one of the men there asked accusingly.
“Gentlemen, please,” said Titus, trying to calm things. “Let’s not jump to conclusions.”
“Begging your pardon, Mr. Rose, but how can we be sure it’s not one of his beasts broken loose? Look at the horses he’s got,” he said pointing in the direction of the carriage and the horses, which now looked at them with menacing eyes. “Unpleasant looking things.”
Another wave of dark mutterings passed through the crowd. A man with red hair raised his voice, “Tom said that he heard wings. And a cry like it was made by the devil himself.”
“He heard wings all right. He’s got his head up in the clouds,” another voice retorted.
“I wasn’t dreaming,” said Tom. “I really did hear wings.”
The Ringmaster and Titus felt compelled to look from the carcass to the skies. It was covered in thick clouds. Even then they scanned it, half-hoping for beating wings to emerge out of the clouds to the accompaniment of a piercing scream.
When they got to the circus, Titus went immediately to Suresh’s cage, which was being attended to by Felina. She turned at the sound of Titus’s approach. He gave a smile and she turned shyly away from him, seeming to take greater comfort in Suresh’s company than his.
“Hello,” he said. “I am Titus Rose.”
“I am Felina,” she replied without looking.
“Mr. Delfay tells me that the tiger is yours; that the two of you arrived at the circus together.”
“Mr. Delfay?” she asked with a puzzled look.
“The Ringmaster.”
“Ah, of course. Yes, we both joined the circus together.”
“Suresh is a beautiful beast.”
“Beast!? Is that what you see?”
Taken aback, he muttered an apology. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend.”
Mollified, she asked, “Would you like to pat him?”
“Would he let me?” he asked.
“Why don’t you come in and find out.”
He clambered into the cage and allowed Felina to guide his hand onto Suresh’s pelt. The bristles felt soft to the touch. He was greatly relieved that Suresh allowed the touch, and even turned his head lazily to cast his eyes on Titus. Titus looked at the magnificent eyes and felt held by the hypnotic stare. Felina rested her head on Suresh’s front shoulder and curled up her legs. Titus followed suit, and felt the tiger’s breathing in the slow rhythm of a rising and falling chest.
By day’s end, Titus had got to know all the animals. He helped feed the elephant and clean the pens of Suresh and Cuddles; and he helped brush the coats of the carnivorous horses. The coat felt velvety under his fingers and seemed to glide over the bones with ease, as if it were drapery moving over a wooden frame. Even with all that boniness, he could feel the tough knottiness of the muscles under skin and he knew that these horses harboured a strength which was not apparent at first glance.
When his carriage came for him, he was a contented man. He promised he would be back the next day. The Ringmaster stood next to Icarus as they saw him off.
“Well, what do you think of him?” asked the Ringmaster.
“Honest. Eager. Loves animals. Wears his heart on his sleeve. Just your type,” he said with a metallic sounding chortle. “But you don’t need me to tell you that.”
“No. He’s certainly very demonstrative.”
After a moment’s silence Icarus asked, “Was he hiding something about the painting?”
“No, he was speaking the truth. But that is her. I’m sure of it.”
Chapter 2: Sasha’s Attack
Titus Rose spent as much time as he could at the circus, arriving early in the morning on horseback and returning at sunset. He insisted that his affairs were well and did not require his constant attention. He made himself useful by assisting Felina care for the animals and when the shows were on, he watched the performances along with the audience.
The Ringmaster continued to look for Isabella Archer and was lucky when she made another visit to the circus. He spied her near the carnivorous horses, which were attended to by Titus. The horses fidgeted when she walked close by. Titus tried his best to calm them, but even with Felina’s help, was unable to steady their nerves.
“They are behaving so oddly,” he commented.
There was a palpable tension in the air. Titus patted and smoothed the coat of one of the horses – something he had done many, many times – when suddenly, it reared and kicked madly. Titus and Felina jumped out of the way but it manage to graze Titus’s arm with one of its forelegs. The claws cut a deep gash. His shirt became drenched in blood, the crimson spreading quickly across his sleeve. He cried out in pain and within moments, the Ringmaster was at his side. The horse turned its head at the sight of blood and flared its nostrils. The tendrils lining its mouth curled and reached in the direction of Titus’s wound. Out of nowhere, the bespectacled man Titus had seen the Ringmaster with the first night he came to the circus came running out of a tent. The both of them supported Titus between them and guided him into the tent. Isabella paid no mind to this until she felt a sensation she had not expected. There was just the tiniest trace of it but its presence was unmistakable.
Power, she thought. Someone’s using power. Who can it be? Surely not the feral girl.
Her mind raced to deduce its source and reached the logical conclusion.
That man.
The night was cool. Titus slept soundly. His wound had been healed by the resident doctor at the circus, John Tumblety. Titus could not believe what his eyes told him. After he had drunk the doctor’s concoction, the blood stopped to flow and the wound sealed completely, as if by magic. Apart from a feeling of soreness, it was as if he had never been wounded. The Ringmaster had convinced him to stay for the night, and after showing him his quarters, bade him a good night’s sleep.
In another room, Tumblety tossed and turned in restless slumber. A woman’s face haunted his dreams. He had but glanced her briefly earlier that day. It was hard to take note of such things, with Titus screaming in pain and the horses behaving so madly, but he was certain the horses went mad because she stood nearby, as if they were terrified of her. It was one of those few nights when he was aware that he dreamed. He wanted to wake with all his will, but his body would not obey. And so he continued to toss and to turn, while outside, the sound of rustling leaves and grass grew.
Eight pairs of l
egs scampered over fallen leaves. The night was moonless but Sasha made her way to the circus effortlessly. Her tongue flicked in and out of her mouth. She picked up the scent of people in a building adjoining the big tent. There were tall chimneys poking into the sky. Each one issued a sliver of smoke. She moved in her half-crawl half-slither way to the building, and lifted her head to the windows to have a peek inside. In one room was an ugly and deformed man and in another was a form she could not see. The blanket appeared to hang in mid-air, as if it draped over emptiness. Her heart quickened when she saw the man she was after. He lay in bed unaware that she was outside his window.
John Tumblety tumbled out of bed to the sound of splintering wood and breaking glass. He was shocked to look upon a pair of hungry, reptilian eyes. He screamed. The sound reverberated through the sleeping quarters of the circus. Felina woke and recoiled from the scent assailing her; Titus woke with a start and almost fell out of bed; the Ringmaster felt a surge of Tumblety’s terror; and Icarus Abacus, who slept nearest the Omniportallis machine, expelled a puff of smoke from his personal chimney and reached for a piece of coal.
Rushing to Tumblety’s room, they pushed open the door to be faced with a serpent’s visage glaring at them. Tumblety was caught in the coils of the serpent’s body. The window through which it had entered was gone, along with a large chunk of the wall. Splintered wood and shards of jagged, broken glass lay on the floor. A pair of taloned legs gripped the edges of the breach tightly.
“Help me,” he cried. “My talisman, Ringmaster! Keep it safe.”
Sasha tightened her body around the jabbering doctor and he yelled out in pain.
“Don’t let me die!”
Felina reached out to the serpent with her thoughts but the creature was unresponsive.
“I can’t get through to her. It’s like there’s a wall there.”
Sasha kept her eyes on the intruders and slowly edged her head out of the breach.
