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Medieval 6: Giovanni 9 Three Ring Circus, part 4 of 4

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Giovanni traded places with Junior, but Junior kept up a glamour so he looked and sounded like Giovanni. “No,” she said. “I felt that. Let me see,” she insisted.

Junior frowned. He dropped the glamour for a moment, but quickly put it right back on again and spoke in Giovanni’s voice. “Ravi needs to meet Giovanni, his boss in the circus. Thank you Madam Figiori,” he said as he, Leonora, and Oberon vanished from the Venetian swamp and appeared in a hot and dusty land where few trees grew beside a very small river.

The woman stood from the cooking fire and stared at her guests. The young man, Giovanni’s age of nineteen, though Giovanni would be twenty soon, came from beneath the trees, followed by an enormous beast that made Leonora gasp at the size of the thing.

“I did not know you were coming,” the man said, and Leonora marveled at being to understand the strange language. Junior saw to that need. Of course he did not have to help Oberon understand. Oberon was graced with the gift all the little ones shared of being able to understand and be understood no matter the language spoken.

“I did not know either,” Junior said in Giovanni’s voice. “It was sort of last minute. I decided we need a few weeks to get used to having Mombo and her children around before we start out on the road. We need to practice a few things for your part in the center circle under the big tent. Mombo and her children need to get used to the circus people as well as the other way around.”

“Oh, she is very gentle and maternal. I don’t expect there to be any problems there.” Ravi smiled and encouraged Surti, his new wife, to greet their guests.

“Welcome to our fire,” she said and lowered her eyes, uncertain what to think about these magical people who appeared out of nowhere.

Leonora could not resist trying out this new language in her head. “Thank you,” she said and did a perfect cartwheel to get closer to the woman and further from the beast. “What are you making? It smells good.”

Surti sort of smiled.

“This one will do,” Oberon spoke up and took everyone’s attention. Somehow, he snuck over to the elephant and examined the beast in more ways than just physically.

“I think you have some gnome in you,” Junior teased and grinned for the dwarf so Oberon would not be too insulted. Junior’s point was that Oberon was very good with animals and a good judge of animals, too.

“Careful with Guru-something-something.” Ravi used an unrepeatable name. “The male is seven and growing up.”

Oberon picked up on the beginning of the name. “Guru might get a little rough when he gets older and bigger, but maybe protective, like a watchdog.” Guru became the elephant’s name. “Pretty Girl seems very nice, young as she is.” Oberon translated the smaller one’s name into Venetian.

“Pretty Girl,” Ravi said and paused to think he understood Venetian. “She is two, not quite three. Mombo…” he paused again as he realized that name was also shortened and made more palatable to the European mind and tongue. “Mombo is twenty-seven and won’t be ready to mate again until Pretty Girl is weaned.”

“No,” Leonora said and grabbed everyone’s attention, but she did not struggle too much when Surti took her hand and dragged her to the face of the elephant. Mombo reached out with her trunk, acknowledged Surti, and sniffed Leonora. Surti hugged the beast, and Leonora felt obliged to do the same. Mombo responded by wrapping her trunk around the two women and hugging them gently in return. Of course, Pretty Girl came right up wanting some of that hugging and petting, and Surti and Leonora both turned and fawned over the baby like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Ravi smiled for his wife and said, “Surti is a true reghawan. Mombo does what she asks out of love. When I married Surti, I believe Mombo adopted her.” He shrugged.

Junior looked out across the plains. There were a dozen more elephants in the small herd. He noticed the men and few women among the herd. This was a semi-captive herd sometimes use to carry lumber or pull wagons of stones for building purpose. He knew they were all cows and babies. The bulls got driven out when they reached puberty. He imagined Guru might be good for another five or seven years. No immediate concern about him becoming too aggressive just yet. He watched as Surti and Leonora moved on to include Guru in their loving. Oberon stood right there to keep watch, so Junior let Giovanni come back and he stepped up beside Ravi, so Mombo came to them and gave Giovanni a good sniff.

Oberon took that moment to offer a word of caution. “You realize bringing elephants to Europe will alert any Servants of the Masters that you might be the Kairos. It might not be hard evidence that you are the Kairos, but even if you produce a ship’s manifest that says they came to Venice from the east over the sea it will still raise questions.”

“Understood,” Giovanni said. He understood from Kirstie and others before her that once the Masters figured out who the Kairos was, he would become a target for assassination or elimination in some other way.

Giovanni traded again with Junior and Junior kept up the glamour so he looked, sounded, and even smelled like Giovanni, but as he suspected, Mombo sensed the change and became very still as Junior put his hand on her trunk. The elephants in the herd looked up when Giovanni came back. They moved partially in his direction when Junior returned, and the mahouts in the herd also moved and looked toward Ravi and Giovanni, curious about what might be happening. Junior ignored the men and spoke to the elephants.

“Not this time,” he said. “It won’t work to take the whole herd. But Mombo and her children will be back when the days turn cold again.” With that, he blinked and Mombo, Guru, Pretty Girl, Leonora and Surti, Oberon, Ravi and all his equipment including his Ankus, Junior, and the cooking fire with whatever Surti was cooking that smelled so good disappeared from that place and reappeared in the Venetian Swamp.

The elephants reacted the least, though Pretty Girl went around in a circle several times, like a dog chasing her tail, until she fell in the slushy March mud at her feet. Ravi and Surti let out a small shriek, and Leonora yelled that next time he should warn her. The other members of the circus who saw or soon saw tended to scream, and Mombo answered with a small trumpet.

Madam Figiori stood nearby, unmoved, and Sibelius stood next to her. He mumbled. “So, that is an elephant.”

Madam Figiori let out a small “Ugh,” and wandered off to her tent, probably to lie down.

Sibelius stepped up to Mombo, who sniffed him but did not mind him taking her gently by the trunk. Full grown elephants had no fear of the little spirits of the earth, even trolls or ogres. So she let Sibelius lead her gently to the enclosure he built for her and the tent Needles made. The babies followed, and after a moment to get over his shock, Ravi followed as well.

Surti and Leonora settled down quickly to finish cooking whatever concoction Surti invented. “I’m not going anywhere until I taste some of this,” she told Giovanni, who had come back to his own time and place.

“Okay,” he said with a knowing smile. He had an idea how spicey that concoction might be. He noticed Nicholi, Gregori, Rosa, and Pinky the monkey all raced up to the enclosure to see the elephants. Meanwhile, Giovanni had to calm down the rest of the circus and get Titania to stop screaming.

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MONDAY

Flesh Eaters, Witches, and Apes make their appearance in the center ring, more or less…Until then, Happy Reading

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Medieval 6: Giovanni 9 Three Ring Circus, part 3 of 4

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February turned to March, but outside of the calendar, one could hardly tell. The days remained cold and they had some snow in the swamp where the swamp remained half-frozen with ice. Giovanni thought there was no time like the present so he first taught Leonora, that is, he taught Harley the expression that March came in like a lion and went out like a lamb. He trusted her completely to know when to use that expression. She had proved her sense about that sort of thing as well as her comedic timing was much better than his.

The second week in March was not much better than the first, so again Giovanni thought there was no time like the present. He gathered Gabriella, once he got her away from the cooking fires, and he got Constantine, Madigan, Baklovani and Titania together with Madam Figiori and said he did not know how long his errand might take.

“What errand?” Constantine asked.

“Where are you going?” Titania wondered.

“You found a new act?” Madigan guessed.

“A new act. Yes,” Giovanni said. “And I need you people to keep things together while I am gone.” They all laughed a little because when did everything stay together? “Constantine. Seriously. You need to keep Nicholi, Gregori, and Rosa working on the swings, but under no circumstances are they allowed up there unless the net is beneath them.”

“I understand.”

“Madigan…”

“They fly through the air with the greatest of ease. I think Marci has the song perfectly.”

“She has a lovely voice,” Titania agreed.

“Just keep Sir Brutus in sight if he wakes. Don’t let Vader cut anyone and tell Rostanzio that he may be magnificent but he still needs to practice, and maybe come up with something new. Don’t let Rugello burn down anything while I am gone and watch out for Piccolo’s practical jokes. Tell Leonardo and Marta not to worry. I suppose it was inevitable that Marta’s mare should become pregnant. Leonardo and his stallion have a few tricks still, so we will make it work.”

“But where are you going?” Titania wondered.

“Far away,” Giovanni said as Leonora grabbed his arm.

“Not without me,” she said and gave him a hard stare.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said and stared right back at her. “And I’ll be taking Oberon with me. Does Needles have the tent ready?” He asked Oberon.

“All set, and Sibelius has the reinforced fence up,” Oberon said. “ But it is going to take some extra work to carry that fence around with us.”

“Understood,” he said and dismissed the group, though he kept Oberon with him and asked Madam Figiori to stay. Leonora was not going anywhere without him. Madam Figiori kindly did not say anything until Giovanni seemed to have a hard time finding the words.

“Will you be traveling as Nameless or Junior?” she asked, referring to the gods he had once been.

“Junior,” he said and took Leonora’s hands. “I’m going to borrow someone from the past to transport us instantly to where we need to go.”

Leonora looked at him and trusted him completely, but she shook her head. She did not understand what he was saying.

“This is not my first rodeo,” he said, and she grinned, knowing the expression. “In the past, I lived as different people, though still me” He paused. He honestly did not know how to explain it.

“You lived before?” she asked. “You have other lives—lifetimes?”

“I have. And I can borrow them sometimes when there is something that needs to be done that I cannot do myself.”

“I don’t understand that part. How do you borrow other lives?”

“Still my lives. Still me, just a different me, if you follow me.”

Leonora looked down at her hands in his. She shook her head again. “I am not aware of having other lives.”

“No. Most people don’t. It is once to die and after this the judgment.”

“But…”

“I don’t die. Well, I get old and die, but not all the way. For some reason I get put into a new womb and nine months later I get born all over again.” he looked at her hands and when he raised his eyes she raised her eyes with him and looked deeply into his eyes. “Very disturbing when it happens, too,” he said.

“But… You are not kidding are you?” She looked at Oberon and Madam Figiori and asked them. “Why are you not saying anything?”

“We know all about it,” Oberon said.

“Our people have known the Kairos for thousands of years,” Madam Figiori said.

“Kairos? Wait. Your people?”

“I’m an elf,” Madam Figiori said plainly and removed her glamour of humanity so her ears and all could be clearly seen. Leonora surprised them. She merely nodded like it was something that now made sense to her.

“And Needles and I are dwarfs,” Oberon added.

“I know you are little people…”

“No. Dwarfs.”

“But you don’t have a beard. In all the stories, dwarfs are bearded.”

“To my shame,” Oberon said and stuck out his chin. He rubbed it. “See? Smooth as a baby’s bottom. I can’t grow a beard. My fellow dwarfs asked me to leave.”

“And you sometimes glimpse the future,” Leonora said. Her eyes shot to Madam Figiori as she thought things through. “I bet the other elves did not like that.”

Madam Figiori looked down. “It is true.”

“And Sibelius?” she asked Giovanni and he answered.

“Half human. three eighths troll and one eighth ogre.”

“I thought so,” she said. “And you have lived before?”

“Lord Giovanni is our god,” Oberon said without thinking. “But he doesn’t like the G-word so it is Lord or Lady when he lives as a woman.”

“You have lived as a woman?” That shocked Leonora.

“Yes,” Giovanni said and turned on Oberon. “I wasn’t going to tell her that part right now. And as for the G-part, sometimes you need to keep things to yourselves,” he scolded Oberon and turned to Leonora. “It isn’t what you think.”

“You don’t know what I am thinking… Do you?”

“No. No idea what you are thinking,” he said and she grinned. “I just did not want to scare you off, er, because of how I feel about you.”

“Yes. You should explain that part, about how you feel.” Giovanni shook his head so she continued. “Anyway, given the way I feel, it is going to take a lot more than strange tales to scare me off. I’m not leaving… but I do have a question.” she paused to think it through. “Why are you telling me this? I mean, is this something everyone knows? Who else knows?”

“Only you, as far as I’m aware. Of course the little ones know.”

“Little ones? Oh, you mean the elves and dwarfs.”

“And others. Not going into details right now. Anyway, I wanted to tell you so I can take you with me to India.”

“The faraway place,” Leonora said and smiled at the idea.

Avalon 8.0 Confrontations, part 6 of 6

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Elder Stow arrived at about the same time as the lead dwarf reached the group.  Elder Stow got right up on Mudd.

“Welcome travelers,” the dwarf said.  “Sanyas has been informed of your presence. Chief Pavhara is talking to the Princess, there.”  He pointed toward Boston.  “I think Sanyas wants us to escort you to her, but first, you should come inside for the night.  The grub-diggers won’t find you in the underground.”

“Grub-diggers?” Lockhart asked.

“Humans,” Alexis said.

“You got a name?” Katie asked.

“Yu Me,” a second dwarf said.  “His family is all immigrants, but Yu know how immigration works.  Get it?  Yu knows?”

“Got it,” Katie said, and managed a smile.

“Can I give it back?” Decker asked.

“Underground?” Lincoln complained, but it was not so bad.  The dwarfs had a big cavern, well lit by fires and plenty of torchlight.  They also had plenty of food, as might have been expected.  Best of all, they had a long tunnel, big enough for the horses and wagon, that led to the far end of the pass and the hills of Gandhara.  The Swat River was not far.  There, on the first hilltop, they found Sanyas and her camp.  She had roughly three hundred soldiers hidden among the trees.

The travelers moved slowly into the camp.  Soldiers saw them, but also saw the dwarfs, so they waited for orders from higher up to make a move.  When it appeared that the dwarfs were leading these strange people straight toward the command tents, a large number of soldiers got in their way.

A woman in her fifties pushed through the line of soldiers and yelled that these were old friends, and the soldiers should go back to whatever they were doing.  The soldiers parted, without question, and more than a few bowed as they walked off.  The travelers figured this had to be Sanyas.

“Boston,” Sanyas said, with a happy smile, as the red head jumped into her grandmotherly embrace.

“Shan-eye-ash-ra-devi?” Lincoln carefully pronounced the name.  He had to ask, just to be sure.

Sanyas frowned.  “Roughly translated, that name means I renounce being ruler or goddess.  As for Ruler, my older sister Yasomati is queen, and her husband is king, and that is as close as I want to get to running things.  As for goddess, I cannot deny the sprites of the earth, air, fire, and water, but I will never be counted as a goddess over people.  Never over people.  The gods have gone and what is done is done.”  Sanyas smiled.

“And yet, here you are with several hundred soldiers who obviously take your orders,” Lockhart pointed out.

Sanyas frowned again.  “My husband, Brahmagupta is supposed to be in charge, but he has no military heart or mind.  I love him for that, but someone has to be in charge.  Come, I will show you.”  She yelled and men hurried to collect the horses, the mule and wagon, so all the travelers could follow her.  Several soldiers also followed, old friends or not.

They came to a ledge and a fifty-foot drop that gave a view clear of trees.  To their right, they saw a camp in the valley, and men on horses.  When they got the binoculars out, way in the distance on their left, they saw what looked like a city.

“Peschawar,” Sanyas named the city.  “The valley is made by the river from the Khyber.  It joins the Swat not too far from here.  The Alchon Huns still rule in Gandhara, though they have pulled back from the Punjab.”

“We saw Huns fighting on the other side of the Khyber,” Katie said.

Sanyas nodded.  “I managed to get the Nezak and Alchon to fight each other, but after the Alchon from the Punjab returned to their capital in Kabul, the Afridi moved back into the pass and now the Alchon that are still here on this side of the pass are cut off from their home.”

“We got held prisoner by the people in the pass for a while,” Lincoln said.

“Tell me,” Sanyas turned to Lincoln, and he gave a fair telling of the story.  Lockhart interrupted to tell the important part.

“The chief worked for the Masters.  He wanted our guns, not necessarily us.  I shot him.”

“You were right to kill him,” Sanyas said, even as she looked down, and would not look in Lockhart’s eyes.  “There is no telling what damage he might have done if he lived, and if he lived and had your weapons…”  She did not finish the sentence.

“Huns in the valley?” Katie asked.

“Yes,” Sanyas said.  “I had hoped trouble in Kabul might have encouraged them to abandon this side of the pass altogether and go home.  They are cruel and intolerant toward the people.  They make great demands and show neither grace nor mercy.  Now, if I can’t get them to abandon Gandhara because the pass is blocked, I don’t know what I can do.  They might not even know there is trouble in Kabul if the messengers can’t get through.”

Lockhart noticed again and pointed before he stared through the binoculars.  That same alien ship they had seen a few days earlier rose into the sky not far from the city.  Lincoln had the other pair of binoculars while Katie and Decker used the scopes for their rifles.  The ship quickly entered the clouds and disappeared from sight.

“Not your concern,” Sanyas said.  “They have been told and will leave this world alone.”

As she finished speaking, a troop of roughly thirty men rode up.  One of them turned out to be a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy, who came running to Sanyas to meet the strangers.  One of whom looked Sanays’ age, or maybe sixty.  He walked.

“The Huna are leaving their camp and going back to the city,” the boy reported in an excited voice, as he hugged Sanyas and took in the travelers from the safety of her arms.

“The thing is,” Sanyas finished her thought.  “With the Huna fighting each other, if I can get these last ones to go back through the pass, I might be able to help the local Afridi people close down the pass to all but merchant caravans.  Then we can have peace.”

“Peace is a good thing,” Alexis said, and looked at the young man.

Sanyas introduced him.  “This is my nephew, Harsha.”

“Good to meet you,” Lockhart said, as the older man arrived.

“My husband, Brahmagupta,” Sanyas introduced the man.

“They are headed back to the city,” Brahmagupta said.  “The way should be clear tomorrow.  We should be able to leave in the morning.”

“Lockhart.  I need you and the travelers to escort my husband, my nephew, and thirty assigned men as far as you are going.  They are going to Magadha.”

“Must I go?” Harsha asked.

“You must learn more than just military matters.  Yes,” Sanyas said.

Boston pulled out her amulet to take a look and offered a thought.  “But, if you go with us, that will just push the time gate further and further away.”

“I will not be joining you.  Brahmagupta wishes to see his family and where he grew up one last time before he dies.  Harsha has many things to learn, and Brahmagupta can teach him, if he will listen.  And I will stay here and deal with the Huna.”  She looked once again at the sky.  “But there is time before the morning.  Let us eat and rest and tell stories until then.”

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MONDAY

8.1 Rain and Fire The travelers find themselves in the Yucatán and among the Mayan people, all of whom seem to want to cut their hearts out.  Until next time.  Happy Reading

 

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