Wilhelm

Seattle, WA—Beacon Theatre

Wednesday, June 23, 1909

I STOOD ON the stage of the Beacon Theatre and looked out across the sea of empty seats that would soon be filled by people from every part of the country who had paid to see Laszlo. They would never know my name and, after seeing Jessamy, they probably wouldn’t remember my face, but at least for a time they would see me.

Teddy threw his arm around my shoulders. “Isn’t it grand, Wilhelm? We’re playing three shows per week. They’re during the afternoons, but once we prove our worth, we might get to take over the Enchantress’s showtimes.”

I had my doubts about that—our act was good, but I’d seen the Enchantress, and I didn’t think anything could top her. Not even real magic. Laszlo had lacked the name recognition to secure a spot playing the exposition, so our surprise performances had been designed to win the attention of the fair’s organizers. And it had worked. We were officially part of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. I only wished I believed this was Teddy’s endgame, but I suspected it was merely his opening gambit. Unfortunately, I had no idea what Teddy’s true intentions were. For the time being, I was determined to enjoy our success while it lasted.

“We’ll need Miss Valentine, of course,” Teddy was saying. He’d been speaking while I’d been daydreaming. “And I have a spectacular idea to improve The Butterfly.”

“Why does it need improving?”

Teddy smiled at me and patted my cheek. “The people have seen it, Wilhelm. We have to give them something new. Something they haven’t seen before.”

We had spent months preparing The Butterfly. I wasn’t sure it was a good idea to change the trick that had helped us win our spot at the exposition, with our opening at the Beacon less than a week away, but Teddy hadn’t asked my opinion.

A short, portly man entered the theatre from the back and waved.

“Ah, there’s Mr. Cooper,” Teddy said. “Why don’t you look around while I discuss some things with our new stage manager.”

I wandered backstage taking it all in. It went far deeper than it seemed from the audience. I felt like I could wander in and lose myself forever in a world of curtains and ropes and backdrops. This was the same theatre where the Enchantress performed. And Jack.

I’d thought about him nearly every moment since waking to find him in my room. Sometimes I wished I could forget him entirely. His presence complicated my life in a way that I couldn’t afford. At the same time, I longed to sit across from Jack and hear his voice. I wanted to see him, to talk to him. I wanted to feel like a normal boy, if only for a night.

I reached into my pocket and touched the note I’d written to Jack asking him to meet me the following evening. Teddy had told me he would be away, and when I learned we were coming to the theatre, I hoped I’d find an opportunity to leave the letter for Jack. I didn’t know where to hide it that he might find it. But more than that, I didn’t know if I should. I considered his threat but thought it unlikely that a thief would willingly involve the police.

Just as it wasn’t fair of me to draw Jessamy into my dangerous life, it wasn’t fair to involve Jack. Yet I wondered, if I found a way to leave him this note, would he come?

“What’re you doing back here?”

I turned to find a man my age but with a bully’s scowl and blond hair setting a crate down in the hall.

“I, uh, I’m Laszlo’s assistant,” I said. “Wilhelm. We’ll be performing here—”

The brute cut me off and pointed at the door I was standing in front of. “That dressing room’s off-limits. Belongs to the Enchantress, and she’s not real keen on anyone else going in.”

“The Enchantress?” I asked.

The boy misread my curiosity and puffed out his chest. “I know her, you know. I even help her with some of her act.” He shoved his hand at me. “George McElroy.”

I accepted his hand, and he squeezed hard as we shook.

“If you help the Enchantress, you must know Jack, her assistant.”

I thought I saw his lip curl slightly, but it might have been my imagination, because George quickly smiled and said, “Me and Jack are old pals. He’s friends with my girl, Ruth.”

I couldn’t believe my good fortune. Running into a friend of Jack’s was surely a sign from above that I was meant to leave the letter. It felt like fate guiding my hand.

“Would you give something to Jack for me?” I reached into my pocket.

“Wilhelm?” Teddy’s voice carried through the theatre, echoing off the walls and making it difficult to tell how near he might be.

“Well, I don’t know—”

I shoved the envelope into George’s hand. “Please,” I said. “It’s important that he gets this and that no one else knows.”

As Teddy turned the corner, I pleaded with George with my eyes, hoping that he had the sense to keep my secret.

“There you are,” Teddy said. “Didn’t you hear me calling you?”

I began to respond, but George said, “My fault. I’ve been talking his ear off.” He stuck out his hand the way he had to me. “I’m George McElroy. I work here. You’re Laszlo, aren’t you?” Without giving Teddy the chance to answer, George barreled ahead. “It’s a great honor to meet you. I saw you do that trick in front of the Tickler, and I gotta tell you that butterfly of yours is a real beauty.”

The only thing Teddy loved more than taking something that didn’t belong to him was praise, and he soaked up George’s words like he was a bee and they were nectar.

I let out a sigh of relief. Jack would get my letter. Now I just had to wait another night until I could see him again. If he came.