The boss took Earl to the animal shelter on the other side of the building. The place was like an indoor zoo, filled with all manner of circus animals. A yellow-haired clown woman scrubbed the backside of an elephant in a tutu. The confined creature trumpeted at them as they passed its cage. A zebra kicked over a bucket of its own feces into their path while an old clown janitor tried to sweep out its enclosure. Earl didn’t like seeing the animals in such small confines. They didn’t seem exactly neglected, but they didn’t look happy, either. It was obvious they were in need of a proper caretaker and a proper habitat.
“These are my children,” said Don Bozo as they passed the giraffes, the seals, the ball-balancing bear. “I’ve raised them since they were just pups.”
As they walked, the boss made balloon animals. He pumped them full of air then twisted them into shape, sculpting them to match each animal they passed. When they came to the ponies, he made a balloon pony. When they came to an ostrich, he made a balloon ostrich. But these weren’t ordinary balloon animals. Once Bozo twisted them into shape, the creatures came to life. They fell to the floor and walked around, sniffing at Earl’s heels.
“They need more space,” said the vet, kicking a balloon pony out of his way.
“Don’t worry about them,” said the boss, dropping a balloon boa constrictor on the ground. “They got plenty of room when we let them go in the field out back. They’re better taken care of than most animals in the circus.”
The balloon snake coiled around Earl’s leg and squeezed. He couldn’t pry the thing loose. Captain Spotty had to pop it with his pointy green fingernail to get it off. The boss didn’t notice.
“At least they’re well fed,” Earl said, as they passed a morbidly obese kangaroo sitting like a drunken couch potato inside a tractor tire.
The lion was at the end of the line, away from the other animals. She had her own private room. A pink sign on the door read HAPPYTOOTH. Inside, it was like a luxury hotel suite. The beast even had a heart-shaped king bed to sleep in. The boss obviously spoiled the creature like he would his own daughter. He probably loved her even more than his real kids.
“There she is,” Bozo said with a sigh. “My poor, sweet little girl.”
The lion was lying on a rug on the other side of the bed. She was medicated and hooked up to an IV drip. One side of the animal’s face was so swollen that her eye was squeezed shut.
“Have you ever seen a sadder sight?” the boss said.
Earl nodded. “I’d like to examine her now if possible.”
“Of course, Doc. Of course.” Bozo turned to his men. “All you mugs outside, on the double.”
“But boss…,” a bodyguard said.
“The doc’s scared of clowns. I don’t want him any more nervous than he already is.”
“You really want us to leave you alone with this guy?” another guard said.
“He’s just a vet. What could he possibly do to me?”
“Come on, move it,” Spotty said, pushing the three brick-wall-sized clowns out the door.
The boss grumbled at his men. “Ya buncha lousy bums. Think I can’t take care of myself? Who do you think I am?”
When the door closed and Earl was alone with Don Bozo, the boss gave him a stern look.
He said, “So you think you can save her, Doc?”
Earl glanced over at the lion. “Yeah, I do. It looks worse than it is. Once I cut it out, she’ll be right as rain.”
The boss’s demeanor suddenly changed. It took Earl by surprise. All of a sudden, a droopy frown appeared on Bozo’s face and his white bulldog jowls trembled.
“Oh, thank God!” Bozo cried.
Then the big man burst into tears. He wrapped his flabby arms around Earl and squeezed him into his belly, bawling his eyes out. It was as though he’d bottled up his emotions that whole time, trying to act tough in front of his men, only now letting them all out.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Doc,” the boss sobbed, squishing his big red nose into Earl’s shoulder. “She’s all I have in the world.”
Earl didn’t know what to do but pat the clown’s back with one hand. He wasn’t expecting the hardened criminal to get so emotional on him. It was enough to make him feel sorry for the guy.