Dark Carnival

A few minutes later, after a stern talking to by Mr. Moggie on the merits of punctuality and a good work ethic, Adric dusted himself off and clambered back to his feet groggily.

Still, Mr. Moggie's attentions were by no means as final as those of a certain brown-haired Trakkenite, so the erstwhile barman quickly put the "lecture" out of his mind and turned his attention to serving the somewhat ungrateful patrons of the bar.

Much later, in between a couple of requests for Adric's Demise and Number Six's Black & Tan, Adric discovered the crumpled flier in his pocket.

Smoothing it out, Adric read: "The Internationally Famous Tod Brothers Carnival. Thrills! Chills! Scantily Clad Women! Manly Men! Kumba, Lord of the Freaks! The Death-Defying Ahkanten Brothers! Fritz, The Fire-Eating Moron! Smeff, Lord of Lightning! The Terrifying Chronal Explorations of Doctor Mekt! Come One, Come All! Engaged For This Month Only!:

Adric, musing about the idea of cotton candy, posted the crumpled flier on the 'Round bulletin board and promptly forgot about it.

At the end of his shift, Adric took off his apron and carefully hung it on a peg. Nyssa was nowhere in sight, so he sighed in relief, got himself a ginger ale and made his way to an empty table. Halfway there, the Alzarian unexpectedly exploded into a coruscating ball of gas and flame. Surprised patrons took cover under tables.

[Magnus looked at Number One noting the bruises, contusions and oozing wounds.]

Magnus " Now that we have sorted out sides, I can help you, it will hurt of course. If you could just hold still for a minute."

[ Magnus grabbed Number One's shoulder with a glowing hand. A wave of intense pain went through him as he healed. When the pain passed he felt healthy, fresh and hungry. Magnus started going through his bags.]

Magnus " Sorry, this is the best I can do unless you want some thing futuristic. A Walther P38 and an MP 40 plus ammo. Oh and assorted knives, ah a genuine Bowie."

[A faint presence hovered near the burned area where the Alternate Magnus had "died"]

"Where are they? they have not had time to go far."

[The presence extended it's senses.]

"No, I kill him no one else does that."

[ In the tent Magnus vanished.]

" I wonder am I sane, possibly not but then that hardly matters. I get to define reality. Now to let Gideon know."

[ The Black Jelly Baby stopped it's mindless gorging, by now it had grown to about five foot. The Something Else settled in with a mental sigh of relief. The body was not ideal, but the nervous system was complicated enough to allow him to think. Even the body's instincts fitted in with his desires. A mouth formed on the parody of a face.]

Something Else " Everything must go especially Magnus."

The black jelly creature pressed itself against the bars, snarling an incoherent and rather gurgly snarl, its stubby arms reaching for Gideon Tod.

Gideon ignored it. He was well out of reach, and although the bars were already beginning to corrode at the creature's touch, it would be hours before they became weak enough to be a concern.

He turned to the carnival barker by his side. "What do you make of it?"

The barker jerked to life. "Ladies and Gentlemen! Tonight, for the first time anywhere in the world: Br'er Rabbit versus the Terrifying Tar Baby! Can our courageous coney evade the monster's glutinous grasp?"

Ezekiel Tod looked up from his contemplation of a carnival hand who had failed to maintain his distance while the creature was being maneuvred into the cage. "It has a ring to it," he said. "But who is to be your Br'er Rabbit?"

Gideon shrugged. "Something will come up," he said. "If nothing else offers, we can always call for a volunteer from the audience."

***

Anji slumbered on, her transformation nearly complete. With her covering of fur and elongated ears, she looked - wickedly-sharp talons and big sharp pointy teeth notwithstanding - rather like a rabbit. A large mutant carnivorous rabbit, perhaps one that had been run over several times, but definitely something that would look at home beneath a sign proclaiming THE AMAZING RABBIT WOMAN OF ANTIOCH.

The potential future Amazing Rabbit Woman of Antioch stirred uneasily, nose whiffling, as the door of the room opened and a tall figure appeared silhouetted against the light.

Adric " What if you win?"

Fat Johnny " Then I find another opponent, you perhaps. The Captain and I have been hear longer than most and we still have the facilities we arrived with. The alternative is staying here with our minds rotting away."

Adric "But I thought you said the Captain did not remember his name."

Fat Johnny " He lost that before he got here, when he first arrived he was bit more talkative. He came through Yondo. Directly away from the gate. It's where the flotsam of a universe ends up. If you could reach there you would be safe from the hounds, according to the Captain they are terrified by the place."

Sandra focused again, shaping her intent: repair the body. Accelerate the healing.

Then she let it go.

For a moment, it seemed to the onlookers as if Number One's body were outlined in white light.

Her eyes rolled back, showing only the whites.

And then-

---

-flicker-

-a woman, maybe a bit older than Sandra, the same dark brown hair, same large grey eyes, her face round, her expression quiet-

-flicker-

-a man, an older man, already beginning to go bald, a close-cut beard, blue eyes within an oval face-

-flicker-

-a baby sleeping in her cot, breathing gently, in and out, in and out, her expression peaceful-

-flicker-

-a girl, long brown hair, grey-blue eyes, a mischievous glint in her eyes... familiar, familiar, though never seen...

-flicker-

---

And Number One's eyes flew open.