Madagascar

Chapter 27

Misty turned her head and saw him. Stefano told her to stay quiet. Misty and Alex were curious what Stefano wanted, so he opened the train door. A gust of wind pulled Alex and Misty outside. The door slammed shut and the humanoids looked up.

Gloria: Where did Alex go?

Marty: l don't know.

What the others didn't know was that Misty and Alex were outside the train. Somehow, they managed to climb up to the top of the train. Once at the top, they saw Stefano a few cars away leaping from one car to the next.

Stefano: Come on! This way!

Alex: No, no, no. You come this way!

Misty: Wait. Stefano!

Stefano: Hey Alice, Misty, watch your head!

Head? Misty wondered. They turned to see a tunnel was approaching them and fast! They sprinted across the car. He turned back. The tunnel was gaining on them. In a few seconds they would be crushed. Thinking fast, Misty did a handspring leaped into the air and flipped. All which carried her and Alex to the gap between the cars as the lip of the tunnel blew over head. Misty catches her breath as she and Alex hung upside down between the cars. The train barreled through the dark tunnel. They were startled as the sparks came off the tracks, but they took comfort in the fact that they were safe. A train door opened and a worried Stefano appeared, holding a lantern.

Stefano: Alice! Misty!

Alex: l'm fine!

Misty: We're okay.

Stefano followed the sound as they saw them hanging their claws between the train cars.

Stefano: Fantastic! Was that trapeze americano?

Alex: Yeah. Sort of.

Misty: This is totally new for me. A flip and a hoop skill.

Stefano: Incredible!

Alex: l hope this is important.

Stefano: Come this way, Alice!

Alex: By the way, it's "icks" not "iss." Alex. Like New York Knicks.

Stefano: l know. New York Kniss. ls not hard.

Alex retracted his claws and jumped down. Misty followed carefully. Then they sprang off the trailing and did a shoulder roll to an open train car. 

Misty: What is it, Stefano?

Stefano: I want to show you something.

Jewel poked her head from Misty's jar for a moment. Stefano followed Alex inside the train car and turned on the lights. As the train car illuminated. Misty looked around the fancy room. Red velvet curtains hung on the windows, antique furniture sat on the floor, and walls were covered with framed photos and posters from the circus' past. Misty turned another light that illuminated a poster of a younger happier tiger.

Alex: Whoa. What is this place?

Stefano: l know you think we are a stinky, poopy circus, but there is something you must know. There was a time when Circus Zaragoza, we were a great circus! Numero uno in all the Europa! And Vitaly, he was the biggest star of us all. He was fearless. Taking risks. Always new. He jump through the hoop like he could fly! lt had never been done before because it was physically impossible! And the people... they loved it! And the hoop, she got smaller! Like the ring on a finger of the tiniest lady with the slimmest of fingers. He would not stop pushing. And one fateful day, he pushed too far. He fly too close to the sun and he got burned. Literally, the extra virgin olive oil is extra flammable. And he lost everything. His wife, she ran off with a musician. He lost his dignity. his fame, his passion, and his fur. And when it grew back, it is less soft. More like a prickly beard. His only passion now is the borscht.

Alex: Whoa.

Misty can't believe it. So it was true when Stefano told the story.

Stefano: He was our inspiration. So when he lost his passion, well... as Vitaly goes, so goes the circus. This is why we need your help.

Alex: What sort of help?

Stefano: You can teach us to do new circus. Americano style! We find a new passion. Make a new show. And we go all the way to US and A!

Stefano jumped on a chair and slid past Misty and Alex but he ended up facing the wrong way. Without missing a beat, he twisted and turned his body to get the chair to face them. After a few times, he got the chair to face the right way. Misty tipped her head to the seal humanoid, lost in thought.

Stefano: A! l know. lt is stupido idea. We are a lost cause.

Alex: No, no, no, this isn't stupido. This could work!

Stefano: What?

Alex: What you just said.

Stefano: What?

Misty: The idea you said. Two seconds ago.

Alex: Your stupido idea!

Stefano: lt could?

Stefano became excited.

Alex: Stefano, you're a genius!

Stefano: No, no, no, no. l am only average intelligence. Some say l'm even slightly below.

Alex: We are gonna rethink everything anybody's ever known about circus! l call it Phase 4-7B, wherein, in order to get home, we will come up with something fresh, something amazing, something brand-new! Fresh, never before seen! Off the chain! Something that'll blow that circus promoter away!

Misty was amazed. And who could blame them. Misty had found the zooster's ticket home.