Beast Master's Circus by Andre Norton

Author:Andre Norton
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: &WORKING
Published: 2011-03-19T06:17:49+00:00

Chapter Eleven

The circus had been pulling in crowds. Cover, it might be, but Dedran was delighted. Laris, too, was pleased. The animals were always happier playing to a crowd. They understood the approval, the shrieks and applause. Credits had flowed in. The whole circus atmosphere lightened. Dedran was even pleasant to Laris, who was surprised but hid it. She supposed that his boss, whoever that might be, preferred the circus to pay its way. And what pleased his boss pleased Dedran.

Prauo enjoyed seeing the performances through her eyes. He still spoke little most of the time but increasingly she was aware of his emotions. It seemed that he was aware of hers as well and sometimes when she was unhappy he'd transmit scenes from the better times. Or just the remembered feeling so that she laughed and felt happier. Their performances in the ring drew crowds, which always pleased Dedran. Prauo playing the ferocious predator, kept only in check by Laris, dressed in her boy's costume, with a whip and courage.

Dedran preferred it to appear there were more performers than there were in fact. So to that end Laris appeared in a different costume, makeup, and wig for each of the acts in which she was involved. She loved being in the ring. The feel of the animals' anticipation, their innocent pride in the applause and a job perfectly done. And she had no need to strike any of them, only to pretend she did in the tigerbat act. That pleased both her and Prauo.

She wondered when Cregar would return. He'd been gone just long enough to be due back if nothing much had gone wrong. It was nice staying somewhere for a while. There were times when she wondered wistfully what it would be like to have a real home. To be settled. To live on a ranch, say, on Arzor. To ride the land knowing it was yours to care for, to live on for the rest of your life. To love. She wondered what Storm and Tani were doing just now. And Logan. Particularly Logan.

She'd liked him. More than she wanted to admit. But she was bonded. There was no future for her there. Not until the bond was canceled, and not even then if he ever discovered her part in his brother's loss.

Oh, yes. There'd been a spacegram from Ideena's ship. Laris had managed a brief sight of it and been interested to learn that there'd been a good season for swingleberries and that Baris and Ideena had placed and received a very large order on Dedran's behalf.

Laris grinned wryly. Dedran wasn't so smart. He'd left that lying about briefly, believing it would tell nothing to anyone who read it. She'd done so, seen who'd sent it, and guessed the simple code. Cregar had made a real haul of beasts. They had to be some of Storm and Tani's teams. She mourned both for the humans she'd liked and the bewildered animals torn from their homes. They'd be here any day now and it would be her duty to keep them alive.

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