Chapter 36 clock ticking

Vienna, January 1894 The office was originally quite spacious, but the bulk of the interior items made it appear smaller than it really was.Although the walls were mostly made of frosted glass, they were mostly hidden by filing cabinets and shelves.The drafting table by the window was almost entirely hidden under a jumble of carefully organized paper diagrams and blueprints.The man with glasses sitting upright behind the desk blends in with the surrounding environment, almost invisible.The rustle of the pencil scratching the paper is as precise and regulated as the ticking of the clock in the corner.

There was a knock on the frosted-glass door, the scratching pencil paused, but the ticking clock ignored it. Some Miss Burgess wants to see you, sir.The assistant called from the open door: "She said if you're busy, don't bother you. Not to disturb me at all, said Mr. Barris, putting down his pencil and rising from his seat, please let her in. The assistant walked away from the door and was replaced by a young woman in a smart lace-trimmed dress. Hello, Aiden, Tara.Miss Burgess said: I'm sorry for coming over without warning. No need to apologize, my dear Tara.You look lovely, as always.said Mr. Barris, kissing her on both cheeks.

You don't grow old with time, not even a day.Tara said pointedly.Her smile wavered a little.He looked away and moved to close the door behind her. What wind brought you to Vienna?He asked: Where is your sister?I rarely see the two of you acting apart. Leni went to Dublin with the circus.Tara said, turning her attention to the contents of the room. I'm not in the mood, so I figured I'd go for a walk by myself.Visiting friends far away seems like a good place to start.I was supposed to send a telegram first, but I'm traveling a bit casually, and I'm not sure I'm welcome.

You are always welcome, Tara.Mr Barris said.He invited her to a seat, but she didn't notice.Several desks were covered with detailed architectural models, and she wandered among the desks, stopping every now and then to check the details of the arches at the door and the spiral staircase. In our situation, it is getting more and more difficult to distinguish the relationship between old friends and colleagues, I think, Tara said: I don't know if our friendship is the kind of friendship with each other to cover up secrets, or if we are far away. Far more than that.This is amazing.She added, pausing before a model, a clock suspended from the center of the delicate hollow column.

Thank you, Mr. Barris said: it's still a long time from completion.I had to send Frederik the finalized floor plan before he could start building the clock.When it is built according to the actual proportion, I guess it will be more eye-catching. Do you have a floor plan of the circus here?Tara asked, looking up at the charts pinned to the wall. No, actually not.I left it all for Marco in London.I meant to keep a copy in the file, but I must have forgotten. Did you forget to keep a copy of the other floor plans too?Tara asked, running her fingers over a row of filing cabinets with long, thin shelves, each stacked with carefully arranged files.

I haven't forgotten.Mr Barris said. Don't you think it's weird?Tara asked. Nothing special, Mr. Barris said: You find it strange? I think a lot of things about circuses are weird.said Tara, fidgeting at the lace of the cuffs. Mr. Barris sat at the table, leaning back in his chair. Shall we talk about what you came over to talk about instead of talking in circles?He asked: I've never been very good at beating around the bush. I know it's not what you say it is, Tara said, sitting in the chair across from her, but her eyes continued to wander the room, but it's nice to be honest once in a while.Sometimes I wonder if any of us remember how to be straight.Why did you leave London in the first place?

I think I left London for the same reasons you sisters travel so much, said Mr. Barris: too many curious looks, superficially flattering flattery.The night the circus opened was also the day my hair stopped thinning, and I suspect no one figured it out at the time, but after a while people started to notice.People may think that our Aunt Padwa is just old and strong, and then take everything about Chandrash as a strange person, but they will look at our more ordinary people with different eyes. It's much easier for those who can just hide in the circus, Tara said, staring out the window: Lainie will occasionally suggest that we just go with the circus ourselves, but I don't think that's a long-term solution.The two of us have so many ideas that it doesn't do us any good.

You can forget about that.said Mr. Barris quietly. Tara shook her head. How many years will it be impossible to keep moving from city to city?What's the solution after that?Change your name?I really don't like being pushed to the point where I have to lie. I have no idea.Mr Barris said. I'm pretty sure there's a lot going on that we don't know about, Tara sighed: I tried to talk to Chandrash, but we seemed to be talking to each other.I don't like to sit on the sidelines when something is clearly not right.I don't feel like I'm stuck, but I have similar feelings and I don't know what to do.

So you're looking for answers.Mr Barris said. I don't know what I'm looking for.Tara responded, her face suddenly crumpled, as if she was about to cry.But then she calmed down.Aiden, do you sometimes feel like you've been dreaming? No, I don't feel that way. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to distinguish falling asleep from being awake.Tara said, tugging at her lace cuffs again.I don't like being kept in the dark, and I don't particularly like believing the unthinkable. Before answering, Mr. Barris took off his spectacles, wiped them with a handkerchief, and held them up to the light, checking for stubborn smudges.

I've seen countless things that I didn't think were possible.I find that I can no longer find clearly defined boundaries when it comes to these kinds of things.I choose to do my best in my profession and not to meddle in other people's affairs. He opened the desk drawer, searched for a while, and took out a business card with only a single name printed on it.Even upside down, Tara can easily see that there are only A and H.Mr. Barris took a pen, and under the printed name wrote the address in London. On that night, I don't think any of us knew what we were getting into, he said: If you insist on pursuing this matter, he should be the only one of us who can help, but I can't guarantee him Will be outspoken.

He crossed the table and slid the card towards Tara.She took a long look at it before putting it away in her bag, as if not sure if the card was genuine. Thanks, Aiden, she said without looking him in the eye: I really appreciate it. You're welcome, my dear, said Mr. Barris: I, I hope you find what you're looking for. Tara just nodded casually, and then they discussed secondary matters, the clock ticking through the afternoon, and most of the light outside the frosted glass windows had faded.Although he invited her to dinner, she politely declined and left alone. Mr. Barris returned to the drawing table, and the scratching of the pencil and the ticking of the clock sounded harmoniously again.