A Lesson for the Cyclops by Jeffrey Getzin

Author:Jeffrey Getzin [Getzin, Jeffrey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy
Published: 2014-04-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

The Cyclops waited until well after midnight before she slipped from her tent. She was getting better at moving silently due to all her recent practice. The circus grounds were still as death at this hour, with only a few sleepy dogs chained to stakes to keep watch. The new moon’s light was too feeble to cast so much as a shadow, and it was difficult to see.

She experienced a certain liberation, a feeling of power, walking the grounds while everyone else slept. Yet even though she felt that odd sense of power, the excursion also exacerbated her loneliness. She wondered what it would feel like to be the only woman left in the world, without even the horror and contempt of others to keep her company.

She heard Alfredo’s snores as she passed the tent he shared with his wife, dispelling the melancholy illusion. No, she wasn’t the only living being in the world. It just felt like that sometime.

It had taken the Master Fencer and his wife less than an hour to settle down after their latest shouting match. With practice came efficiency.

The argument had been the usual. She felt cheated being forced to live a circus life with Alfredo; he was convinced (not unjustly) that she had had numerous dalliances with other men in the circus. A few shouts and accusations, a slap and a shove or two, and then the tears. Minutes later, the apologies, the kisses, and the lovemaking.

The Cyclops envied their relationship, even their fights. To have someone who argued with you meant that he cared enough about your opinion to disagree. The Cyclops knew that she was largely irrelevant, not worth more than a snort of contempt or an absent-minded shove out of the way.

She slowed her pace as she neared D’Arbignal’s tent. Unlike Alfredo, D’Arbignal did not snore, which made it very hard to determine when he had fallen asleep. The first time she had made this excursion, the Cyclops had spent the better part of an hour just approaching his tent. She had been in mortal terror that she would be discovered at any moment. By now, though, she had been here a handful of times and recognized all the various nighttime sounds he made.

Once again, she wondered why she couldn't stop herself from doing this. She knew she wasn't worthy of D'Arbignal; she wasn't worthy of anyone at all. But for whatever reason, she just couldn't stay away from him no matter how hard she tried.

The need to see him, to be near him, kept her up until dawn. After many sleepless nights, she'd learned that it was just better for her to succumb to the urge. Afterward, she would sleep soundly for the rest of the night. Even Pahula had commented on how better rested the Cyclops had seemed of late.

D’Arbignal’s breathing was calm and steady. Sometimes, he suffered from terrible nightmares, but not tonight. Every few minutes, he turned over, adjusting his position without moving the covers at all.

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