Chapter 74 aftermath

New York, November 1, 1902 Bailey finally made it to the fence, suffering from stabbing pains in his side and heavy breathing from running through an area with more woods than fields.He thought to himself that, though the surroundings had changed, the circus looked just as it did in the fields of his native land. But it's not just the environment that has changed.He took a moment to catch his breath by the gate, staring at a sign with the following message: closed due to bad weather Just above the general notice stating opening hours. What was different, he realized, was the smell.Not caramel blended perfectly with the wood smoke of a warming campfire, but some sort of burnt, damp, heavy smell with a sickly sweet undertone.

Make him nauseous. There was no sound within the curving iron fence.The wind of the tent does not move.Only the clock behind the gate was moving, ticking slowly through the afternoon. Bailey soon found that he couldn't get into the gap between the fences as easily as ten years old.No matter how he moved his shoulders, the space was too narrow.How much he wished that Bobby could wait for him there, but there was no one there. The fence was too high to climb, and Bailey considered sitting in front of the gate until the sun went down, when he caught a glimpse of a crooked branch, not quite the fence but close enough, hanging over the Above the twisted iron spikes at the top.

He can jump from there.If you get the angle right, you can land on the trail between the tents.If you get the angle wrong, you could break your leg.But that was a manageable niggle, at least he could sneak into the circus. The tree was easy to climb, and the branch closest to the circus was wide enough before he got any closer to the fence.But he couldn't grasp the balance point, so although he wanted to jump gracefully, he fell more like planned in advance.He fell heavily on the trail, rolled and hit the side of the tent, his body was covered with a lot of white powder spread on the ground.

His legs were sore but seemed to be serviceable, but his shoulders felt badly bruised, and his palms were bruised and covered in dirt and powder.The powder from my hands was easily patted off, but the coat and trousers of the new suit stick as tightly as paint.Now he's standing alone in the circus again. Truth or Dare.he murmured to himself. Dry, brittle leaves fluttered around his feet as the wind blew in through cracks in the fence.A few swirls of understated fall color disrupt the otherwise black and white. Bailey wasn't sure where to go.He wandered between the trails, expecting to meet Poppy at every turn, but all he saw was streaks and hollows.Finally he made his way to the courtyard, toward the campfire.

He rounded the corner leading to the wide open space of the Campfire Atrium, where there were indeed people waiting for him, but what surprised him even more was that the campfire hadn't been lit. But the figure standing beside the cauldron made of bent iron sheets was not Bobby.The woman was too short and her hair was too black.When she turned around, she held a long silver pipe in her mouth, and the smoke coiled around her head like a snake. It took him a moment to recognize Cartilage, the stuntman he'd only seen once on stage, when she bent herself into unimaginable shapes. You're Bailey, right?she says.

Yes.Bailey replied, wondering if everyone in the circus knew who he was. you are late.The cartilage stuntman told him. What are you late for?Bailey said confusedly. I doubt she can last much longer. who?Bailey asked, though it occurred to him that the cartilage stuntman might be referring to the circus itself. Of course, she went on, if you had arrived earlier, the outcome might have been different.Timing is a sensitive thing. Where's Poppy?Bailey asked. Miss Penelope is not well at present. How could she not know I'm here?he asks. She may know you're here, but that doesn't change the fact I just mentioned: she's not feeling well.

who are youBailey asked, shoulders tingling now.He couldn't tell where everything started to deviate from common sense. You can call me Yuezi.said the cartilage stuntman, taking a long drag on his cigarette. The vast hollow of curled cast iron behind her sat still.The ground around it was paved with black and white spiral patterns, but at this time there was nothing but pitch black, as if it had been completely swallowed by empty space. I thought the campfire would never go out.Bailey said as he leaned over. Never turned off before.Yuezi said. Reaching the still-hot coiled iron, Bailey stood on tiptoe and peered inside.It was almost full of rainwater, and the breeze rippled the dark water.The ground beneath them was black and muddy.As he took a step back, he accidentally kicked a black bowler hat.

What happened?Bailey asked. It's a bit difficult to explain, Yuezi replied: It's long and complicated. You're not going to tell me? She tilted her head slightly, and Bailey could see her mouth twitching in a half-smile. No, I'm not going to tell you.she says. Very good.Bailey muttered under his breath. It seems that you have joined the ranks of the support group.Yuezi said, pointing at his red scarf with a cigarette.Bailey wasn't sure how to respond, but Tsukiko didn't wait for an answer before continuing: I guess it was an explosion. The campfire exploded?how come?

Remember how I said it was hard to explain?That still hasn't changed. Why didn't the tent catch fire?Bailey asked, looking around at the seemingly endless streaks.Some of the closer tents were splashed with mud, but despite the scorched earth surrounding them, none were set ablaze. That's Miss Bowen's credit, Yuezi said: I guess if there is no precaution, the scope of damage will be wider. Who is Miss Bowen?Bailey asked. You have so many questions.Yuezi responded. But you don't answer much.Bailey snapped back. At this moment, her smile was blooming like a flower, and the corner of her mouth was raised in such a friendly way that Bailey almost felt uneasy.

I am just an emissary, Yuezi said: I am going to escort you to a meeting to discuss such things, I think, because I am the only one alive who knows the ins and outs of the matter and why you came here.Your questions are best left for others to answer. Who is that person?Bailey asked. Just wait and see, Yuezi said: Go here. She motioned him forward, leading him around the campfire to the other side of the courtyard, and then a short walk along the adjoining passage, the mud coating Bailey's otherwise gleaming shoes. arrive.Yuezi stopped in front of the entrance of a tent, and Bailey leaned over to look at the notice. As soon as he saw the words on it, he immediately knew which tent it was.

Scary Beasts & Strange Creatures Wandering between paper and fog Do you want to come with me?Bailey asked. No, Yuezi said: I am just a messenger, remember?If you want me, I'll be in the atrium. As soon as the words fell, she nodded politely to him, and went back along the way she came.Bailey watched her go, noticing that her boots were completely free of mud. After she disappeared around the corner, Bailey went into the tent.