【明報專訊】The girl Shelley and Balloon Boy have just met is Greda. She was born with seven fingers on each of her hands and seven toes on each of her feet. Her extra fingers and toes are long and crooked (彎曲) like claws. Greda has told them everyone in the circus was born with peculiarities (奇特).
Greda﹕The one over the table is John. He has wings, real wings with feathers like birds'. He also has horns like goats'. His parents treated him like a monster. You see the green guy leaning against the wall? He is Greene. He needs not eat to live. He lives as if he were a plant, and he's sort of secretive. And, of course, you have got to meet Mrs W. She cooks for us and does all the odd jobs.
Balloon Boy﹕What do you guys do in the circus?
Greda﹕Well, eat and practise and rest. What else?
Balloon Boy﹕That doesn't sound very interesting.
Greda﹕You've to find your own fun.
The show is about to begin. To watch it, Balloon Boy and Shelley quickly seat themselves. Circus manager Pradia appears and introduces the circus. Balloon Boy finds the show more extraordinary (非凡的) than he says. It is like a dream to him.
Greda is the first to perform. With the "hooks" on her hands and feet she can easily hold onto ropes and frames, and she makes lively music with a piccolo (短笛) using her normal fingers. She does all sorts of difficult acts while producing mysterious and enchanting (迷人的) music. Balloon Boy sees some little men pop up from the floor as if they were elves (小精靈). They dance to the music and vanish into dust as it ends.
Then John goes onstage. He starts by holding a little kid up in the air and hurling (猛力投擲) it to the floor. When everyone fears he may get hurt, he turns into a ball and just rolls away upon touching the floor. Balloon Boy subsequently learns that he is called Dot. He can be in whatever shape he likes because his body is soft, like a piece of clay. He can even move his eyes, ears, nose or mouth to any part of his body.
Meanwhile, John chases after Dot the way a bull chases after a bullfighter. His horn suddenly pierces through Dot. Dot seems dead. However, a second later, he gets up and runs just like any normal kid.
Greene performs with fire. His is the most horrible show because everyone thinks he would be burnt to death. The fact is that, though he sits in the fire and becomes black like coal, he casts his skin off as a snake moults (脫皮). His show depicts the rebirth of a person who has just died.
Balloon Boy﹕They are amazing, aren't they? I can't believe my eyes!
Shelley﹕True. But the audience does not seem amused. Some in it have even dozed off!
Balloon Boy﹕Why? Does the city seem dead?
The Circus (2 of 4)
Text﹕Ashley Ley
Illustration﹕Iris Tsoi
