Vampire Circus by Mark Morris

Author:Mark Morris [Mark Morris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2012-10-04T00:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

AS DUSK SETTLED on the land, the softly glowing light within the big top seemed to increase in brightness, making the tent look like a vast domed lantern. Pete Blackstock stomped to the entrance, which was still sealed up tight, and kicked out at the dirty canvas.

‘Oi!’ he shouted. ‘Anyone home?’

The only reply was the faint rustle of wind in the treetops at the edge of the field.

‘I know you can fucking hear me,’ he continued, ‘so fucking come out unless you want me to cut my way in.’

Behind him, Darren, a pocket-sized version of his father, sniggered.

‘Get down, you cunt,’ said the cadaverous man standing next to Darren, his shaven head like suede in the encroaching gloom. He yanked back on the metal choke-chain wrapped around his hand, half-strangling the pit bull on the other end, which was rearing up on its stubby hind legs as if eager to enter the fray.

‘Can I help you gentlemen?’ The voice came from behind them. The pit bull spun, snarling, almost yanking the cadaverous man off his feet as it lunged at the white-faced dwarf who had seemingly appeared from nowhere. Although to the little man the dog must have seemed almost as big as he was, he didn’t flinch. Indeed, he sneered with disdain as the dog reached the limit of its chain and was jerked off its feet forcefully enough that it flipped onto its back, its hindquarters coming down in the mud with an audible splat.

‘You in charge here, shorty?’ Pete Blackstock demanded, bunching his fists.

‘I have authority enough to deal with the likes of you,’ retorted the dwarf.

Pete stomped towards the little man. ‘Don’t get clever with me, you pint-sized fucker, or I’ll get Brutus to rip your fucking head off.’

The dwarf rolled his eyes. ‘Which one’s Brutus?’ he asked drily. ‘The dog or the boy?’

Pete narrowed his eyes. ‘You taking the piss?’

Clapping his hands, the dwarf said, ‘Look, friend, do you think we could skip the whole testosterone bit and get to the point? Box office opens in an hour and I’ve got to make myself pretty for my audience.’

He grinned, revealing teeth that looked as brown as wood in his bone-white face.

‘I want to talk to the organ grinder, not the fucking monkey,’ Pete said, causing Darren to emit such a snort of laughter that snot shot out of his nose.

‘Oh, now you’re just being rude,’ said the dwarf. ‘In fact, I’ve a good mind to shoot you.’

So saying, he fanned out his stubby fingers in a magician’s flourish, and a split second later a gun magically appeared in his right hand. He pointed it at the pit bull and then at Darren.

‘Now which shall I shoot first, the mutt or the brat?’

The cadaverous man gave a bleat of distress, crouched down and wrapped a protective arm around the dog’s neck. Darren took a step backwards, his face going almost as white as the dwarf’s.

‘Dad?’ he said in a quavering falsetto.

Pete Blackstock’s demeanour changed in an instant.

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