The Lampo Circus by Adornetto Alexandra

Author:Adornetto, Alexandra [Adornetto, Alexandra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2010-01-31T05:00:00+00:00

When Ernest regained consciousness, he was lying on his back in the wings.

‘What a beautiful touch!’ the bouncy Dame Trumps was saying. ‘The kiss literally took his breath away. The audience loved it—loved it, I say!’

Ernest opened his eyes. ‘You mean I was a success?’ he mumbled blearily.

‘An absolute triumph, dear boy!’ Dame Trumps gushed, patting her chest in an effort to calm down. ‘We’d love to take you on a more permanent basis. You’re a natural!’

‘Okay,’ Ernest said, temporarily blinded by his success. ‘Where do I sign?’

‘What he means is, he would love to work for your esteemed theatre company but can’t,’ Milli jumped in quickly. ‘We’re just passing through, you see. Could we have those directions now?’

‘Anything for the star of the show,’ Dame Trumps replied. ‘Reaching Mirth is a tough challenge, little prince. The realm of the Fada is the hardest to infiltrate. No one I know has ever managed it.’

‘We know it won’t be easy,’ Milli answered, ‘but the prince is prepared for any eventuality.’

‘That’s good to know,’ sighed Dame Trumps.

Ernest, who had propped himself onto his elbows, did not like the sound of this and muttered that he thought he’d rather try his hand at acting. Milli ignored him.

‘Where do we start?’ she persisted. ‘Someone jot this down!’

‘Well,’ began Dame Trumps, rubbing her chin thoughtfully, ‘the first thing you have to do is get to the gates of the Toadstool Palace. That’s where the trials begin.’

She pointed to an alleyway called Cat’s Cradle, so named because it had become a refuge for the city’s homeless felines.

‘Follow the alley until you can go no further. Take the path on the right and walk until you find you have come to a dense mass of white trees. This is the Wood of Tartar. You must pass through it—and try not to smile too much in there—in order to get to Mirth. Oh, and here…’

She threw Ernest a pouch that rattled with what they presumed to be payment. ‘I’ve thrown in a little extra for the improvisation. If you ever need work, you know where to find me.’

The children thanked the dame for her kindness and set off in the direction of Cat’s Cradle. As soon as they entered the dingy alleyway, they sensed dozens of eyes watching them from dark corners. A few wasted cats wandered out and rubbed against their legs in the hope of hand-outs. Ernest drew from the bundle he was carrying Nonna Luna’s idea of a sandwich: an entire loaf of bread jammed with inch-thick slices of salami and cheese. He pulled out the cold meat slices and placed them on the cobbles for the cats to feast on.

Finn was surprised by such a display of soft-heartedness. ‘We might have needed that,’ he grumbled.

‘We need all the good karma we can get,’ said Ernest.

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