Read Online Circus by Alistair MacLean - Free Book Online

reasons why Dr Harper reportedly held her in such high regard. 
    Henry, quite unnecessarily guiding her by the upper arm, showed her round the tethered and caged animals and introduced her to Malthius and Neubauer, who were putting the big cats through their last-minute paces. Malthius was charming and graceful and wished her a very pleasant stay:Neubauer, though civil enough, didn’t know how to be charming and wished her nothing.
    Henry then led her through to the raucous blare of the fairground. Kan Dahn was there, toying with an enormous bar-bell and looking more impressively powerful than ever: he took her small hand carefully in his own gigantic one, smiled widely, announced that she was the best recruit to arrive at the circus since he himself had joined it years ago and altogether gave her a welcome so courteous it bordered on the effusive. Kan Dahn was always in high humour, although nobody was quite sure whether it stemmed from an innate good nature or because he had discovered quite some time ago that it was unnecessary for him to be unpleasant to anyone. Manuelo, the Mexican genius with the knife, was standing behind the counter of a booth, benevolently watching considerable numbers of the young and not so young throwing rubber-tipped knives at moving targets. Occasionally he would come round to the front of his booth and, throwing double-handed, would knock down six targets in half that number of seconds, just to show his customers that there was really nothing to it. He welcomed Maria with a great deal of Latin enthusiasm, putting himself entirely at her service during her stay in the circus. A little farther on, Ron Roebuck, the lasso specialist, gave her a grave but friendly welcome: as she walked away from him she was astonished and then delightedto see a shimmering whirling circle of rope drop down over her, barely touch the ground, then effortlessly rise and disappear without once touching her clothes. She turned and gave Roebuck a wide smile and he no longer looked grave.
    Bruno emerged from his little performing hall as Henry and Maria approached it. He was clad in the same Mandarin robe as previously and, also as before, looked anything but impressive. Henry made the introductions and Bruno looked at her with a kind of inoffensive appraisal. As usual, it was almost impossible to tell what he was thinking, and then he smiled, a rare gesture for Bruno but one that transformed his face.
    He said: ‘Welcome to the circus. I hope your stay is a long and happy one.’
    â€˜Thank you.’ She smiled in turn. ‘This is an honour. You – you are the star of the circus?’
    Bruno pointed skywards. ‘All the stars are up there, Miss Hopkins. Down here there are only performers. We all do what we can. Some of us are lucky in that we have acts more spectacular than others, that’s all. Excuse me. I must hurry.’
    Maria, thoughtful, watched him go. Henry said in amusement: ‘Not quite what you expected?’
    â€˜Well, no.’
    â€˜Disappointed?’
    â€˜A little, I suppose.’
    â€˜You won’t be tonight. Nobody ever is, not when they watch the impossible.’
    â€˜Is it true that he and his brothers are completely blindfolded up there? They can’t see at all?’
    â€˜No faking. They are in total darkness. But you’ll notice that it’s Bruno that conducts the orchestra. He’s the co-ordinator and catcher. Maybe the three brothers share some telepathic gift. I don’t know. Nobody else seems to know either. And if Bruno and his brothers know they’re not saying.’
    â€˜Maybe it’s something else.’ She indicated the legend ‘The Great Mentalist’. ‘A photographic memory, they say, and can read people’s minds.’
    â€˜I hope he didn’t read yours tonight.’
    â€˜Please. And he can read the contents of sealed envelopes. If he can see through paper why can’t he see through a