Cancer Dignified: Third Draft (2)

 

“What does it involve?” (Said Rack)

“You standing still.” (Said Saj)

Rack smiled.  “All right.”

“Good, I’ll pick you out of the crowd tonight.  Try and get a front row seat.”

 

5.

They ate in the tavern, and when sundown came, they rode back to the carnival.  With the two tokens that Saj gave them, they got in for free.  Hucksters tried to get them involved in games, which Dan refused to participate in.  Rack wasn’t a gambler, either, so he just watched.

He put a hand on Dan’s shoulder and they went to the big tent.  It was starting to fill up, and kids took most of the first rows.  Rack and Dan sat in the second row instead.

Rack pointed up, and Dan could see a trapeze set up in the rafters.  Dan saw members from church come in with their children.  Some passed by him without even a glance.  A couple of the townsfolk did sit next to Dan.  The woman, who was holding a baby, smiled at Dan.  The man leaned forward and tipped his hat to Rack – Dan noticed it was one of the workers from the first day he worked on the farm.

Most of the people sitting in the tent were whites, though Dan saw a collection of negros standing in the back or on the sides.  Dan leaned over, “Why don’t you hire a negro to do the washing?”

Rack laughed, “Oh, don’t like doing that anymore, do you?  Then you can milk the cows or take care of the animals while I do the washing.”

“Well, you can do it faster than me.”

“Because I cheat,” he said, leaning over to whisper in Dan’s ear, and then giving it a quick lick.  Dan sat up straight, and Rack chuckled lowly, patting Dan on the back.

A man came out to the middle of the ring.  “Ladies and Gentlemen!  Welcome to the Derry Brothers Show!  I am your host, Master Derry the elder!  First, ladies and gentlemen, we bring out – the parade!”

A small horse-drawn flat cart came out carrying the clowns, who were playing instruments as they went around, followed by another flat wagon with men and women in tight clothes glittering in the lantern-light.  They waved to the people as they went by.  Along with them was Robin Hood, who bowed to women and waved.  Following up at the end was the lion in the cage, and then, something they hadn’t seen – an elephant.  The entire room gasped as it came into the room, and Dan stared, his eyes as wide as saucers.  “Have you ever seen one of those before?” Dan asked Rack.

“A long time ago, yes,” he said quietly.

The elephant remained, and a tall, thin man did also.  Master Derry introduced the “180 year old pachyderm” as “Louis,” and the trainer as “Monsieur DeBourey.”  He had the elephant sit on a stool, legs up.  Somewhere a cymbal crashed, and some people clapped.  The audience got the hint and whenever the animal did something, a cymbal would sound, and people cheered.

“She’s a very smart animal,” said Rack, watching the elephant twirl in place.

“It’s a she?”

“No tusks.”

Then the elephant turned from them, and, with her trunk, pulled a net out to the middle of the area. Master Derry came out and pointed upward, so everyone had to look up.  There were three trapeze artists, a man and a woman.  They swung on what looked to Rack like rickety sticks attached by rope, twisting in the air catching each other.   Then they took the net away and they did some more dangerous stunts.  Rack couldn’t watch, he was afraid to see them fall.

After the trapeze came the clowns, midgets all, about five of them.  They tumbled and juggled while something else was being set up.  When they got out of the ring, there was a  large black curtain.

Master Derry introduced”Cosmo the Magnificent” who appeared before them in a flash of smoke. Dan ribbed Rack – it was Saj.

He pulled rabbits out of hats, he made doves come out of of a handkerchief (the doves sat on his shoulder for the rest of the show), he pulled pennies out of childrens’ ears.  He swallowed fiery swords, and did a lot of things with fire.

Next came some tumblers, who cleared the place, and a pair of horsemen who jumped from horse to horse, or used the horse to do gymnastics.  The horses galloped dangerously, or pranced around, while the gymnasts did their thing.

Then came Robin Hood, who needed no introduction.  Rack and Dan sat up straight.  A pole was set up in the middle of the ring.  Clowns came out dressed in black like bad guys, and Robin shot at them while he galloped around the ring, and they would fall, dying dramatically and humorously.

Robin switched arrows while the clowns got up and ran to the back, to the applause of the people.  “I need a volunteer!”

All the kids in the front row raised their hands, and Robin looked down at them, smiling.  He looked up to the back – adults, women and men, all had their hands raised.  Robin finally centered on Rack, and pointed to him.

Rack stepped down, and most of the townsfolk sighed in disappointment.  Rack came down the few steps and stood before Robin.

“Sir, if you would please step to that pole over there.”

Dan watched as Rack walked over to the pole.  Then Robin took out an apple, shined it against his clothes, and showed it to the people.  He put the apple on Rack’s head.  Rack said something, but he didn’t hear it.  Robin patted Rack’s shoulder, then got back on the horse.  He pulled out his bow and an arrow, then jumped onto the back of the horse so he was standing.

Dan was at the edge of his seat, watching.  Robin went faster and faster around the ring – the entire room was hushed.  Dan could hear the arrow let loose, the twang of the bow, and he saw the arrow stick out of the apple, spearing it to the pole.

Cymbals crashed, and Dan breathed.

Then Rack crumpled to the ground.

“No!”  Dan ran from his seat, at the same time Robin jumped off the horse and dashed to Rack.  A couple of other people from the carnival came out of the wings too.  Dan shoved by them staring at Rack.  He had gone pasty white.

“He fainted,” pronounced one of the tumblers.

The Master took out a flask, and passed it under Rack’s nose.  The clown said, “You carry that thing around everywhere, don’t you?”

Rack sniffed, coughed.

“It’s useful,” said the Master, and stood up. “He’s all right, ladies and gentlemen!”

Robin, the tumblers, and Dan helped Rack to his feet.  Rack started to get his color back.  Dan started to go to lead him to their seats, and Rack said, “No, I need air.”

They went outside, Rack leaning hard on Dan, taking in gasping lungfuls of air.  “Never doing that again,” he said.  “It was like staring down a barrel of a gun pointed right at you.”

They wandered the midway a little bit, catching their bearings and breath.  They stopped in front of the fortune teller’s booth.  It was the dark haired women who had brought them to Saj.  She had no customers, but saw them and waved them over.  “I will read your fortunes for one bit.”

Rack took out two coins and dropped them on the table.  “Make it good.”

“I tell the truth,” she said, and shuffled the deck of cards.  Rack held the chair out for Dan, who sat down.

She laid out the cards.  She looked up at the two of them and smiled.  “You are lovers, and this is good.”

Dan’s face went red.

“You will receive a message, and a visit,” she said, looking at Dan.  “Both are not wanted.”  She then turned to Rack.  “You must defend him.  His past comes to haunt both of you.”

She looked among the cards again and then said, “The crab will succeed, so long as he is by the river.  Leave the land to those who can take care of it.  This is the last time the crab is by the river.”

Rack exhaled sharply.  “Good,” he said.

Dan looked up at Rack.  “What does that mean?”

“It means I can’t leave where I am.”  He bent his head to the cards.  “What does this one mean?”  He pointed to a card with four cups.

She smiled, and looked up at them.  “You are joined in the heavens, and by the sight of God.”

Rack put a hand on Dan’s shoulder, and rested his chin on Dan’s head.  He nuzzled Dan’s hair.  Dan stiffened, everywhere, but Rack didn’t seem to care.  The woman laughed.  “Also, you will gain more land, if you give.”

“That’s my plan,” he said, straightening.  “Any more?”

“You will both need to fight for what you want, and what you want is each other.”

Rack removed his hand from Dan’s shoulder.  Dan coughed.  “Thank you,” he said, trying to fight the blush.

“You are welcome!” she said, gathering her cards.  “Devlesa!”

“Devlesa,” said Rack, as Dan got up.  When he turned to go, he saw Saj standing a few feet away.  “I didn’t want to disturb you,” Saj said.

He wore plain clothes, hand his hands deep in his pockets.  He looked embarrassed.

His hands clenched into fists, Dan stalked over to Saj, and socked him in the mouth.  “That’s for almost killing him!”

Saj took the punch, and touched the side of his mouth.  “I deserved that, I guess.”