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Authors: Emma Carroll
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brunt.’
‘Too right!’ yelled someone else. ‘Poor girl. It ain’t fair she gets to risk life and limb. I’d rather it was t’other way round.’
More laughing and jeering. I didn’t dare look at Kitty. And that stupid knife of hers still wouldn’t come free. Bracing myself, I heaved and heaved. But the damned thing stayed bedded up to its hilt.
Her face appeared right next to mine. ‘You’re useless, weasel.’
I despised her more than ever. Gripping the knife one last time, I imagined it was her neck. At last, with a kissing sound, it slid free.
Kitty wrenched it from my hand. As she did so her eyes went wide in surprise. The crowd gave an enormous jeer, as she spun round, arms flailing. A small white dog was swinging from her tunic.
‘Get him off me!’ she screamed.
Where Pip had come from, I didn’t know. He certainly wasn’t part of the act.
Now he wriggled and thrashed like a fish on a hook. He wouldn’t let go. I knew I should stop him, but I couldn’t quite move.
‘Get him off me!’ Twisting round, Kitty tried to grab Pip. I got to him first. His little body was all tight and bristling. I wasn’t sure I could hold him.
Then Mighty Ned’s voice filled the tent. ‘John Robinson, please come to the exit.’
It was the name no artist wanted to hear. It meant the act had gone so far wrong it had to be halted. The band struck up a tune, the lights brightened. Kitty stormed out of the ring, her tunic in tatters. Pip and me followed at a distance. The very thing I’d feared had happened; now I felt sick with dread.
Backstage, Ned gripped my shoulders and peered into my face. ‘What’s got into you, Louie?’
‘I . . . I . . . I don’t know.’ I was too embarrassed to meet his eye.
‘Well, you’ve run out of chances,’ he said, as if this was news to me.
The clowns and Rosa looked on awkwardly. There was no sign of Gabriel, which was a small relief. But still I wanted to curl up and hide. For my shame was their shame; one bad performance affected us all.
‘You were stealing the show with all that smiling and bowing,’ Ned said.
I shrugged. I’d enjoyed the crowd, they'd enjoyed me. Yet that was now a crime too, apparently.
‘And getting Pip to attack Kitty? That’s a low blow, Louie.’
‘I didn’t make him do it!’
Ned gave me an ‘I don’t believe you’ look. Tears sprang in my eyes. Why the heck was Ned siding with Kitty all of a sudden? I buried my face in Pip’s fur. There didn’t seem much left to say.
‘I’m going to put some proper clothes on,’ I said.
Once I’d changed out of the clown suit I thought I’d feel better. But even in my own frock with my hair loose again I still felt awful. Ned was right. And so was Kitty. I’d done myself no favours tonight.
Just as I was about to slope off, the backstage curtains flew open. Mr Chipchase came marching towards me.
‘What the devil!’ he bellowed. ‘Do you mean to ruin this circus, once and for all?’
Kitty was right behind him.
I shuddered. Mr Chipchase had given me another chance and I’d thrown it away. There was nothing I could say. I turned and made for the side of the tent. Pip raced ahead of me.
‘COME HERE THIS INSTANT!’ Mr Chipchase yelled.
I didn’t look back. Ducking under the canvas, I ran out into the night.
Halfway across the showground I slowed to a jog, unsure what I was doing or where I was going. I couldn’t go home. It’d be the first place they’d look for me. And Jasper had to be spared.
Pulling Pip to me, I hid behind the nearest tent. My heartbeat began to slow.
Then came footsteps.
Shadows fell across the grass. I held my breath and put a hand over Pip’s muzzle to stop him barking. Two figures approached. One was tallish, wearing a ringmaster’s hat. The other was squat like a toad.
‘I’ve let this go on too long,’ Mr Chipchase said.
‘But Louie’s marvellous,’ said Ned. ‘If you saw her, you might change your mind.’
‘That girl’s had
‘Too right!’ yelled someone else. ‘Poor girl. It ain’t fair she gets to risk life and limb. I’d rather it was t’other way round.’
More laughing and jeering. I didn’t dare look at Kitty. And that stupid knife of hers still wouldn’t come free. Bracing myself, I heaved and heaved. But the damned thing stayed bedded up to its hilt.
Her face appeared right next to mine. ‘You’re useless, weasel.’
I despised her more than ever. Gripping the knife one last time, I imagined it was her neck. At last, with a kissing sound, it slid free.
Kitty wrenched it from my hand. As she did so her eyes went wide in surprise. The crowd gave an enormous jeer, as she spun round, arms flailing. A small white dog was swinging from her tunic.
‘Get him off me!’ she screamed.
Where Pip had come from, I didn’t know. He certainly wasn’t part of the act.
Now he wriggled and thrashed like a fish on a hook. He wouldn’t let go. I knew I should stop him, but I couldn’t quite move.
‘Get him off me!’ Twisting round, Kitty tried to grab Pip. I got to him first. His little body was all tight and bristling. I wasn’t sure I could hold him.
Then Mighty Ned’s voice filled the tent. ‘John Robinson, please come to the exit.’
It was the name no artist wanted to hear. It meant the act had gone so far wrong it had to be halted. The band struck up a tune, the lights brightened. Kitty stormed out of the ring, her tunic in tatters. Pip and me followed at a distance. The very thing I’d feared had happened; now I felt sick with dread.
Backstage, Ned gripped my shoulders and peered into my face. ‘What’s got into you, Louie?’
‘I . . . I . . . I don’t know.’ I was too embarrassed to meet his eye.
‘Well, you’ve run out of chances,’ he said, as if this was news to me.
The clowns and Rosa looked on awkwardly. There was no sign of Gabriel, which was a small relief. But still I wanted to curl up and hide. For my shame was their shame; one bad performance affected us all.
‘You were stealing the show with all that smiling and bowing,’ Ned said.
I shrugged. I’d enjoyed the crowd, they'd enjoyed me. Yet that was now a crime too, apparently.
‘And getting Pip to attack Kitty? That’s a low blow, Louie.’
‘I didn’t make him do it!’
Ned gave me an ‘I don’t believe you’ look. Tears sprang in my eyes. Why the heck was Ned siding with Kitty all of a sudden? I buried my face in Pip’s fur. There didn’t seem much left to say.
‘I’m going to put some proper clothes on,’ I said.
Once I’d changed out of the clown suit I thought I’d feel better. But even in my own frock with my hair loose again I still felt awful. Ned was right. And so was Kitty. I’d done myself no favours tonight.
Just as I was about to slope off, the backstage curtains flew open. Mr Chipchase came marching towards me.
‘What the devil!’ he bellowed. ‘Do you mean to ruin this circus, once and for all?’
Kitty was right behind him.
I shuddered. Mr Chipchase had given me another chance and I’d thrown it away. There was nothing I could say. I turned and made for the side of the tent. Pip raced ahead of me.
‘COME HERE THIS INSTANT!’ Mr Chipchase yelled.
I didn’t look back. Ducking under the canvas, I ran out into the night.
Halfway across the showground I slowed to a jog, unsure what I was doing or where I was going. I couldn’t go home. It’d be the first place they’d look for me. And Jasper had to be spared.
Pulling Pip to me, I hid behind the nearest tent. My heartbeat began to slow.
Then came footsteps.
Shadows fell across the grass. I held my breath and put a hand over Pip’s muzzle to stop him barking. Two figures approached. One was tallish, wearing a ringmaster’s hat. The other was squat like a toad.
‘I’ve let this go on too long,’ Mr Chipchase said.
‘But Louie’s marvellous,’ said Ned. ‘If you saw her, you might change your mind.’
‘That girl’s had
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