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Tillie stepped out of the train and was overwhelmed by an oversized sign posted on the cavernous station walls. Welcome to Cavenwell, Home of Théodore Coddlefin’s Amazing Feats and Extraordinary Traveling Menagerie! it proclaimed in bright, cherry-colored letters.
“Hurry up! Henry is out there somewhere!” she beckoned the others and weaved through the marble tiled station amongst an elbow-to-elbow crowd.
Cavenwell Station, modernized and gorgeously detailed, was even larger than the station at Waterbridge; it had been built to accommodate the mass of visitors to the circus training ground, the sole destination for the stop, as no one other than Coddlefin and his entourage lived in the remote area of the country. The passengers had traveled long and far, paying a large sum to be there for this very special day, and everyone rushed through the terminal, eager to grab a good spot in the stands of the big top for the show.
“Where is Coddlefin? I’ve been waiting all day!” a child stomped his foot and shouted at his mother.
“He’s just so talented and handsome!” a woman overdressed in a fine, violet-colored crepe evening gown bragged to a group of ladies. They clucked back in delight.
“You’ve never seen one of his previews before? Oh, amazing doesn’t even express half of it,” another fan gushed. “Coddlefin is marvelous, everyone adores him.”
“Oh, do they now?” Tillie muttered under her breath as they walked past.
Lina snorted a laugh.
They continued to dodge between the passengers, busking musicians, and wandering circus performers donned in bright colored silks, all milling about in the crowded station. Music blared from trumpets, drums, maracas, cellos, and flutes.
Tillie, Elinora, Lina, Graham, and Jamie followed the masses down a manicured trail, making the pilgrimage from the station to the training grounds. While the terrain outside Coddlefin’s universe was barren, the plush oasis they had entered stood out in startling contrast. Lush trees, fountains, meticulously manicured gardens, and flickering torches and lanterns surrounded them on all sides. The main circus tent, crimson-red and looming like a castle on the horizon, came into view long before they reached the front gates. It was the largest tent any of them had ever seen. Jamie let out an involuntary gasp when he saw it.
Circus performers were everywhere, hundreds of them now. Performing animals, including lions, tigers, and giraffes, walked obediently with their trainers. Vendors were busily selling food and souvenirs from their little carts that lined the inner perimeter of a long, spiked, white fence. The public area abruptly ended at the back of the big top, the fence concealing the private areas where Coddlefin and his staff lived.
“I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” Graham remarked, walking ahead with Lina.
“Nor have I, it is rather impressive.” She looked at him guiltily. “I wonder where Henry is?”
He sighed. “Indeed, we need to stay focused. Let’s see if he’s part of the show to start, shall we?”
They walked on, but as they neared the big top, Lina hesitated.
“What is it?” he asked. Her eyes were fixed onto something in the distance and he turned, curious to see what she was looking at. “It’s just like the carousel in the forest,” he said with surprise.
Tillie, Elinora, and Jamie had heard what Graham said and rushed to catch up, but a man with shiny black hair stepped out of the tent holding a megaphone. “This way folks! This way to the show!” he called loudly.
“We’ll go look at the carousel later. I think we need to be in there,” Graham said, motioning for them to follow to the big top.
Elinora walked slowly, trailing behind, her stomach pitching nervously. She was unsure how things would play out considering their plans were not very well thought out.
“Look, the tent is made entirely out of velvet!” Jamie marveled when they arrived at the entrance.
Tillie reached out to touch it, and the tent flap opened slightly; Elinora peered through, hoping to catch a glimpse of Henry inside.
But a man inside pushed the flap fully open and stepped in front of her, blocking her view. He stood over seven feet tall, with long, silk trouser-clad legs and skin as white as his ruffled blouse. “Welcome. Please take a seat anywhere and make yourselves comfortable. The show will begin soon,” he said with polite melancholy, directing them into the stands.
“Thank you,” she replied, surprised by his demeanor as she had envisioned everyone in Coddlefin’s circus to be aggressive and frightening.
Jamie took the lead, heading to a remote corner in the tent. He made sure to choose five seats near the front of the ring but at the end of the row, close to an exit. Soon after they sat down and got settled, the lights went down and the tent flaps closed again, shrouding them in darkness.
A collective gasp was followed by excited whispers. Seconds later, the crowd was startled back into silence as a single, focused spotlight switched on with a loud pop. It was very bright, and it illuminated the man standing in the center of the ring.
“A velvet tent, and they have electricity all the way out here? Who are these people?” Jamie whispered to Tillie.
The ringmaster, a young man with black hair, the same man who had called everyone to the tent, was holding a baton, which he lifted in the air to command attention. He then pulled the megaphone dramatically to his mouth with the other hand. “Welcome Guests! Welcome Children! Your attention please!” his amplified voice echoed in the tent. His glittering, red-sequined pants sparkled under the spotlight as the band began a cascading drum roll.
“You have made it this far, and we applaud you—for what a long journey you must have made to be with us.” He paused for a trombone slide, his round face breaking into a grin. “We welcome you on this special opening night of the season. I know who you came to see; you know who you came to see! So, without further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce the man that you adore, here, in the flesh, before your very own eyes, the dazzling, the extraordinary and most amazing, the one and only Théodore Coddlefin!”
The crowd screamed madly as he swaggered into the ring accompanied by the feverish music of the circus band. He cut a striking form in his eccentric outfit—the sleeves and chest of his black suit were emblazoned with crimson-red sequins that matched the velvet big top and the ring master’s own sparkling, sequined pants. Beneath his jacket was a button-down black shirt, and on his feet he wore shiny leather boots.
He was handsome—much more handsome, and certainly more beguiling than Tillie, Elinora, or any of the others had expected. He was an older man, and though time had roughened his face a bit, he moved about with flair and energy, smiling broadly. The spotlight hit his gold-plated front tooth and it glinted brightly, giving him a wild, toothy grin.
He bowed deeply then threw his arms dramatically in the air. “Good evening folks!” he shouted, then took the megaphone from the ringmaster. “Children, my dear children. Thank you all for coming! It means so much that you would travel far and wide to pay me a visit. It will be worth it, I promise you. What you are about to see, what you are about to experience, is unsurpassed, and more amazing than your wildest dreams.
“Our animal trainers are not among the best in the world, they are the best in the world. Our performers are the most skilled of any performers you’ll ever see, and they accomplish Amazing Feats! Our animals, well, do I need to say it? We’ve got the most extraordinary, exotic animals ever amassed in a single collection, and they will perform for you just as spectacularly as our human performers.” More applause and shouts followed. Single yelps swelled into a fervent wave of cheers, hoots, and hollers.
Coddlefin lowered his arms, dramatically lulling everyone back into silence. “Hold on to your hats and behold an exclusive advanced viewing of our Amazing Feats and our wild and wonderful Traveling Menagerie! Our show this season will be the best ever, and you are the select, lucky few to see it for the very first time. We are just beginning to put the final touches on the show, and I know you will love it.” He handed the megaphone back.
The band played again and another roar of cheers erupted as three beautiful mares raced into the ring—one black, one white, and one grey appaloosa. They galloped side by side in perfect step making two circuits around the arena.
“My dear audience, let me introduce our trusty stuntman, the Great Quackenbush!” the ringmaster interjected when an incredibly muscular man with curly brown hair, and wide and woolly sideburns tumbled into the ring doing back flips, then proceeded to gracefully pounce onto the back of the appaloosa. He continued on, performing handstands in the saddle and somersaults in the air as he jumped from one horse to the next. “Ho!” he finally yelled, and the horses stopped at his command. They reared up and snorted as he jumped off the black stallion.
“I introduce to you...Thunder!” the ringmaster introduced the horse to the audience. Then he turned to the appaloosa and the white stallion. “Earthquake, and Typhoon! And the Great Quackenbush!” he exclaimed.
The crowd cheered frantically. Tillie jumped up to give a standing ovation but quickly caught herself. She looked at the others guiltily, but they, too, were on their feet applauding.
The music continued, flowing into the next act. Violins swelled serenely as two women dressed in vibrant purple silk costumes dropped down from the ceiling of the tent, their legs entwined in ropes. They plunged downward, headfirst into the arena, twirling upside down, faster with each rotation, hair spinning freely. Then one of the acrobats pulled out a long, slender sword, pointing it at the other. The second performer responded by unsheathing her own and a fierce sword fight began.
“My dear audience, now I introduce to you Kano and Rikona, known far and wide as the Sabre Sisters!” the ringmaster roared as the ropes pulled them up and out of sight. Next came a parade of animals. One by one, tigers, lions, an ostrich, a giraffe, and a man with a bright yellow python wrapped around his neck entered the ring. They were followed by a humongous rhinoceros who obediently followed his master. Coddlefin smiled proudly and applauded each act, encouraging the audience to cheer louder with him.
“And now, for a very special treat,” the ringmaster continued. Fresh off the train, straight from the wilds of Rahsica, a young elephant able to perform after only four days in our care—a testament to both our animals and our trainers. I introduce to you for the very first time in the ring, the youngest elephant in captivity anywhere in the world—Wildflower, the baby Elephant!”
The audience cheered wildly.
But Wildflower did not appear.
The announcer shifted in place for a minute and tried again. “I introduce to you...Wildflower, the baby Elephant!” The band played jubilantly, but she still did not enter. To fill the awkward silence, he improvised.
As he rambled, Elinora’s attention drifted into the sidelines. There she caught sight of Wildflower, cowering with fright by the loud noises coming from the ring and from the audience. A man hulked over, prodding and poking at her. Despite the attack, the tiny elephant remained still.
The man raised his bull hook then jabbed her hard in her flank with it.
Elinora gasped. “Look what he’s doing!”
Tillie turned to look. “No!” she exclaimed as they watched helplessly as he stabbed at her with it again.
At the last minute, the trainer took out a thin wire loop and caught it around Wildflower’s tiny trunk, then he twisted it roughly. She trumpeted in distress and lurched forward. The trainer quickly removed the wire, then pushed her into the ring, confident no one had seen what he had done.
“Daddy!” A young child in the audience stood up and exclaimed when she noticed the bloody gash on Wildflower’s trunk.
“Why is the poor little elephant bleeding?” her father yelled.
A collective gasp arose from the crowd in response. Everyone stood up to gawk.
Jamie booed, and the rest of the audience chimed in, heckling and shouting at the trainer.
Tillie stomped her foot. “Hideous man!” She turned to Elinora. “I don’t care how much people love Coddlefin and his circus, they’re horrible monsters!”
Elinora nodded, not taking her eyes off the young elephant.
The ringmaster paused awkwardly, then stuttered. “Ah yes,” he said, turning to Coddlefin, whose face twisted as he tried to suppress his anger. The ringmaster turned back to the audience. “No, no, don’t do that, you don’t understand. Ahem. You are very observant, my child,” he addressed the little girl directly. “This little elephant is lucky to be alive! Thanks to the endeavors of our beloved Théodore Coddlefin, some of his men happened to be in the right place at the right time. While overseas just this past week, they chanced upon poor little Wildflower.
“Her family had just been attacked. She was left on her own but remained loyally by her family’s side until our scouts found her and took her into their care, bringing her back to us. Here at Coddlefin’s Amazing Feats and Extraordinary Traveling Menagerie, the welfare of our animals and performers is our greatest concern. Rest assured, Wildflower is in a much better place and will live a far better life than she would have ever lived in the wilds.”
Coddlefin picked up the story from there. “Wildflower suffered these wounds during the attack. Do not concern yourselves, as we are working hard to heal her. It’s just a little blood, nothing to be concerned about. She is very well and in good spirits, as you can clearly see!”
The trainer followed behind Wildflower, bowing to the audience, a wide grin forming to disguise his relief. He turned and smiled at Coddlefin.
Coddlefin turned on him abruptly, locking cold, steely eyes on the trainer.
Elinora watched closely and sensed something rise within Théodore Coddlefin, something unsettling. The others felt the shift in his demeanor, too.
His body was now stiff, clenched, his face darkened, and his mannerisms nothing like what they had been when he had first greeted the audience. He leaned in to say something privately to the trainer, who cowered in response. Then the trainer quickly coaxed Wildflower onto four pedestals.
She stood with one foot on each, quivering uncontrollably. Then, at his command she lifted her front leg in the air as he removed the pedestal, leaving her balancing on three legs. The trainer pointed his bull hook at her, and she raised the opposite back leg, after which he removed that pedestal. To the audience it seemed as though she was being gently persuaded into a difficult trick; they stood up and applauded with pleasure.
But Elinora knew better. Her face was contorted with disgust and sheer horror. The others were no longer fooled, either.
A sharp crack of a whip came from another trainer as he entered the ring with his act. Five dogs—wolfhounds, huge and elegant—trotted in as Wildflower was led away. The crowd rose to their feet once again.
“Look!” Jamie whispered.
Elinora drew in a deep breath.
“Is he there?” Lina asked.
“No, I don’t see him, but that’s surely his family; he’s got to be around here somewhere, too,” Graham whispered back.
“I can’t watch this any longer. We need to get out of here and find him,” Tillie growled. She stood up, and before the crowd had a chance to settle down and take their seats, she led them out of the stands and into the grounds outside the tent.
“That poor elephant,” Elinora snarled.
“We’ve got to do something to help,” Jamie said pulling out his pocket watch. “It’s half past twelve. How much time do we have?”
“The first train back leaves at two o’clock,” Tillie replied. “We need to hurry and be on that one if we want to get home before the crowd disperses and everyone notices what we’re doing.”
Lina paused and eyed the carousel again.
“Should we go look at it?” Jamie asked.
“Let’s find Henry first, while Coddlefin and the others are busy in the ring,” she answered.
“What about Henry’s family? And the elephant. They’re still in the tent, too,” Elinora said.
“We can’t get to them. We need to find Henry now while we have a chance,” Graham replied, looking down, realizing the gravity of the situation.
“You remember what the Messenger said about this place,” Jamie replied with a heavy sigh. “We need to do what we can, while we can. If there’s anyone else we can help along the way, we will, but right now Henry is our priority. He’s not going to like it if it means leaving his family behind again, but we can come back for them.”
“Right then,” Tillie said quickly. “We should split up. Lina and Jamie, how about we go that way,” she said pointing behind the white fence. “Elinora, you and Graham go the other way. If one of us finds Henry, encourage him to come home and we will meet at the train.”
“Watch for the Messenger—he’s already scouting for Henry. Hopefully he has found him by now,” Graham said to the others as they parted ways.
Elinora could feel her heart racing. She was shaking. “Don’t do anything stupid, Tillie,” she warned. “Be careful, all of you.”
“You, too,” Tillie replied. She looked intently at Elinora, then slipped behind the white fence, squeezing her monkey figurine tight.
As Elinora and Graham made their way through the grounds, hiding in the shadows of the trees, the Messenger spotted them and flew down to get their attention. Then he turned his back, coaxing them to follow. The alternating voices of the ringmaster and Coddlefin shouting in the arena, the roars of laughter from the audience, and the music of the band faded into the distance as they moved deeper.
Meanwhile, Tillie, Lina, and Jamie were already working their way toward the living quarters on the far edge of the encampment. A few circus performers wandered by, but nobody approached or tried to stop them. “Watch yourselves—you’re asking for it if they catch you out here,” one of them finally said.
Tillie ignored the warning. “Come on, it sounds like we’re headed in the right direction,” she said, leading Jamie and Lina further.
Upon rounding a bend, they came to an area separated from the rest by another fence. They ducked under the fence and continued walking. The landscape was manicured just like at the entrance of the grounds, the tents increasing in size the further they went; the first few were very clean, but still somewhat modest in size. The next several were a little larger. Finally, they saw a tent, the largest of them, made from the same crimson velvet as the big top.
Cautiously, Tillie crept forward. She looked at Lina, who nodded back and coaxed her forward.
“Jamie, will you stand guard while Tillie and I have a look around?” Lina whispered.
He grimaced, but they advanced anyway. “Be careful!” he demanded.
Tillie peered into the tent, opening the flap quickly when she saw no one was inside. Then she and Lina entered Coddlefin’s lair.