Broken People Read Online Free Page A

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.
     

6

    As he sprinted up the City Hall steps,
Nicholas felt more optimistic than he should have about this new
adventure. But the beautiful sunny morning resembled spring rather
than fall, and the city buzzed with life around him, putting him in
a good mood. Even the delicious aroma of fresh croissants failed to
make him long for home because, for once, he had other things with
which to occupy his mind.
    He’d spent the night pondering their
predicament, and while the feasibility of the action was debatable,
he had to admit it was a bold move. The only downside he saw,
besides not being able to do his regular shows, was that some of
the acts might require his assistance, but he’d been careful for
too long. He could use a change.
    If they were allowed to do the show, the
locals would see the circus folk were people like them—just with
better enhancements. Maybe the next time they stopped by, they
wouldn’t be forced to pull up on an abandoned track far out of
town. The circus could surely use it, as the past few years had
been tough because of the war and the population being tight with
their money. And what was good for the circus was good for all of
them.
    Of course, this was all propaganda, part of
the pep talk Rake had given him before leaving the train. Rake had
been playing with his knives at the time. Nicholas didn’t fear him
or any of the crew members, but he did want to keep his place at
the circus. With Big Dino hibernating and no one else officially
appointed in the boss’s place, Nicholas needed to tread carefully
for a while.
    He shifted the small chrysanthemum bouquet
to his other hand and, after knocking on the office door, he walked
in. “Madame Odette, thank you for scheduling the appointment on
such a short notice. These are for you.”
    The middle-aged, plump woman sitting behind
the desk became flustered when Nicholas offered her the flowers.
“Not a problem, Mr. Renard. Mayor Ternchiev is eager for news from
the east. Real news, not like the media.”
    “I’ll be happy to give him news, though I’m
afraid it’s not good.” Nicholas put on a grim face and took off his
gloves. “Is he in?” He nodded towards the heavy, wooden door at her
right. “I hope I’m not late.”
    “No, no, go right in.” Madame Odette waved a
hand and pushed her glasses up her pointed nose. “He’s expecting
you.”
    Nicholas smiled to himself as he entered the
larger office. One didn’t have to use any special type of “magic”
to have people accommodate you. In most cases, it was enough to be
nice. A different kind of “nice” was needed when dealing with Mayor
Ternchiev,