Ruth ready!”
Ruth and Pepé obediently followed Ginger as Eritol stood gazing blissfully into space.
Ruth stayed in her tiny pop-up dressing room well after she had her costume on. “This is nothing more than a dress rehearsal. This is nothing more than a dress rehearsal.” Tryfod’s voice boomed over her thoughts. “Places everyone! Places!”
Ruth took a deep breath and stepped out. Everyone was rushing quickly to their spots. She saw Eritol and headed towards him. He looked calmer than Tryfod. One by one, the performers left the backstage area. Ruth peaked out from the curtain in the corner. The tent was packed with hundreds of cranky, dirty men. She swallowed hard. She peered around to the stage area and noticed that there was only one big podium. Her miniature podium was missing.
“Eritol! Eritol! Where’s my podium?! Where am I going to stand?!”
Eritol beamed as he heard Tryfod’s announcement beginning. “That is your podium, my dear. I’m watching from back here.” Ruth looked up in horror, but Eritol kept his smile. “Only one Ringmaster, remember?”
Through the curtains, Ruth heard Tryfod finishing up. “… Our newest and tiniest Ringmaster, Ruth!” Eritol gave Ruth a gentle push into the front of the tent. Ruth walked cautiously out towards the podium. Every step required more bravery than the last. The audience looked mean and unimpressed.
Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of Pepé. He had a jacket made of sequins, and he looked like he was already crying. He blew her a kiss as she climbed the steps to the podium, bowed, turned around, and raised her baton as the lights dimmed. “It’s just like practice. It’s just like practice.”
Once Ruth was on the podium, everything felt ordinary. Her hands were so familiar with the cues that her baton felt like it had a life of its own. Lady Karinza and the acrobats performed flawlessly, Ginger and the dancing girls outshined the glitter they wore, Boobamboo and the animals looked bigger and braver than they had before. Sir Adalberto and the flame throwers lit up the sky, Reeceecee and the trapeze artists dazzled on the pencil-thin wire, and Ruth charmed nearly everyone in the tent. As Ruth lowered her baton and made her final bow, the lights went out to thunderous applause. Ruth beamed. They did it! They did it! She could just feel it in the air.
All of the performers were laughing and cheering. Everyone was so proud of their work, but the celebration was halted quickly with a single word. “SILENCE!!!!”
Druskov, who had been hiding in the back, marched forward inch by inch. He was very large, though not nearly as large as the performers. A cloud of dust and dirt followed him, and he was as dark as the dust on his skin. Everything about him was dark – dark eyes, dark hair, dark clothes, and dark grimace. Tryfod followed him forward. “Druskov, I think it’s time for a vote.”
Ruth couldn’t breathe. Every one of the performers stood nervously behind her. Even Eritol had made his way to the stage. Druskov eyed everyone with hatred. “Fine! VOTE!!”
All hands but four hands went up. Ruth’s mouth dropped in surprise as she felt her eyes welling with warm tears. She had let everyone down. Druskov smiled with venom and leered at the performers. “HA! You fools! You thought you could outwit me by placing a CHILD onstage?! Imbeciles!!!”
The three men in the audience who hadn’t raised their hands began to murmur to each other behind Druskov’s back. Unexpectedly, one of their hands went up to join the rest of the crew. Ruth covered her mouth from a gasp. Druskov turned impatiently to glare at the other two. Slowly another hand went up, and then, finally, the third. Druskov’s eyes nearly popped out of his head from anger. He rushed over to the three men and lifted his sword in the air. “YOU DISGRACE MY FAMILY!”
Ruth closed her eyes; she couldn’t bear to look. Tryfod spoke
Ruth and Pepé obediently followed Ginger as Eritol stood gazing blissfully into space.
Ruth stayed in her tiny pop-up dressing room well after she had her costume on. “This is nothing more than a dress rehearsal. This is nothing more than a dress rehearsal.” Tryfod’s voice boomed over her thoughts. “Places everyone! Places!”
Ruth took a deep breath and stepped out. Everyone was rushing quickly to their spots. She saw Eritol and headed towards him. He looked calmer than Tryfod. One by one, the performers left the backstage area. Ruth peaked out from the curtain in the corner. The tent was packed with hundreds of cranky, dirty men. She swallowed hard. She peered around to the stage area and noticed that there was only one big podium. Her miniature podium was missing.
“Eritol! Eritol! Where’s my podium?! Where am I going to stand?!”
Eritol beamed as he heard Tryfod’s announcement beginning. “That is your podium, my dear. I’m watching from back here.” Ruth looked up in horror, but Eritol kept his smile. “Only one Ringmaster, remember?”
Through the curtains, Ruth heard Tryfod finishing up. “… Our newest and tiniest Ringmaster, Ruth!” Eritol gave Ruth a gentle push into the front of the tent. Ruth walked cautiously out towards the podium. Every step required more bravery than the last. The audience looked mean and unimpressed.
Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of Pepé. He had a jacket made of sequins, and he looked like he was already crying. He blew her a kiss as she climbed the steps to the podium, bowed, turned around, and raised her baton as the lights dimmed. “It’s just like practice. It’s just like practice.”
Once Ruth was on the podium, everything felt ordinary. Her hands were so familiar with the cues that her baton felt like it had a life of its own. Lady Karinza and the acrobats performed flawlessly, Ginger and the dancing girls outshined the glitter they wore, Boobamboo and the animals looked bigger and braver than they had before. Sir Adalberto and the flame throwers lit up the sky, Reeceecee and the trapeze artists dazzled on the pencil-thin wire, and Ruth charmed nearly everyone in the tent. As Ruth lowered her baton and made her final bow, the lights went out to thunderous applause. Ruth beamed. They did it! They did it! She could just feel it in the air.
All of the performers were laughing and cheering. Everyone was so proud of their work, but the celebration was halted quickly with a single word. “SILENCE!!!!”
Druskov, who had been hiding in the back, marched forward inch by inch. He was very large, though not nearly as large as the performers. A cloud of dust and dirt followed him, and he was as dark as the dust on his skin. Everything about him was dark – dark eyes, dark hair, dark clothes, and dark grimace. Tryfod followed him forward. “Druskov, I think it’s time for a vote.”
Ruth couldn’t breathe. Every one of the performers stood nervously behind her. Even Eritol had made his way to the stage. Druskov eyed everyone with hatred. “Fine! VOTE!!”
All hands but four hands went up. Ruth’s mouth dropped in surprise as she felt her eyes welling with warm tears. She had let everyone down. Druskov smiled with venom and leered at the performers. “HA! You fools! You thought you could outwit me by placing a CHILD onstage?! Imbeciles!!!”
The three men in the audience who hadn’t raised their hands began to murmur to each other behind Druskov’s back. Unexpectedly, one of their hands went up to join the rest of the crew. Ruth covered her mouth from a gasp. Druskov turned impatiently to glare at the other two. Slowly another hand went up, and then, finally, the third. Druskov’s eyes nearly popped out of his head from anger. He rushed over to the three men and lifted his sword in the air. “YOU DISGRACE MY FAMILY!”
Ruth closed her eyes; she couldn’t bear to look. Tryfod spoke
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