Broken People (Serial)

Twenty-Two

As it was only early afternoon when they arrived at the circus, they found the fair dead. Still, Rosie's eyes opened wide at the sight of several gymnasts doing somersaults on a trampoline. She hadn't uttered one word during their ride, but now she pulled closer to Dale, watching her surroundings with infinite curiosity.

The temptation to take her small hand in his was strong, but Dale had noticed the way the girl avoided any physical contact. He didn't want to scare her. He settled for walking by her side, guiding her towards the train parked at the opposite end of the fair. There were fewer people than he expected, so he assumed they had gone to the theater for rehearsals. The entire city was raving about the circus show brought in the middle of it. Although many people grumbled about "breaking the law" and "freaks of nature", all of the tickets had sold out the first day.

"Hey ..." Dale stopped a young woman. He didn't recognize her pretty, heart-shaped face, but her long legs identified her as the Swan, the mechanical ballerina from the show. "I'm looking for Renard. Do you know where I can find him?"

"Nicholas is still at the theater. He won't return before five."

Well, that wouldn't do. He couldn't wait until five to get Renard's permission because there wouldn't be enough time left to have the procedure done before the public arrived. And Rake and Spinner didn't work while the fair was open.

The Swan smiled, seeing him frown, and glanced at Rosie. "But you don't need him. Rake and Spinner are here."

He didn't need Renard's approval? He found it a little strange, but he didn't have time to dwell on that.

"So I should just ... go?" Dale gestured in the direction of the train.

"Sure. They'll find time for her," the Swan said. "And before leaving, you should take her to see the animals. She'll like that."

Dale wasn't sure he wanted to go that far with his babysitter attributions, but if the kid was in too much pain by the end, it sounded like a good idea to distract her.

"Thanks. Come." He placed a hand on the little girl's shoulder.

Rosie, who was enthralled by the aerialists practicing on the trapeze, turned and hissed at him. Dale quickly withdrew his hand. Those pieces of metal in her teeth looked menacing enough. He didn't want to become one of Rake and Spinner's clients. He couldn't afford to owe any more favors.

"No-no, sweetheart. Those are just oversized, flying toys." The Swan placed her hands on both of the girl's shoulders and steered her in the right direction.

Rosie didn't hiss but held tighter to her prosthetic.

With a smiled thanks, Dale fell back into step next to her, leaving the ballerina behind. They passed by unguarded kiosks and attractions. No one was working, except for Jacko, who waved at them from on top of a ladder where he was changing broken light bulbs.

Walking up to the new door of the car, Rosie hesitated at the sight of the bright lizard painted of it. That work was recent and still smelled of fresh paint. In the absence of another way to announce his presence, Dale placed his hand on the square panel near the lizard's mouth, not exactly thrilled by having his handprint taken. The panel flashed once, and the door slid open.

"I already let you know how it went!" Spinner's voice came from deep inside the car. "Nothing's changed. You didn't have to come—ah ..." The tirade abruptly stopped when Spinner laid eyes on Dale's companion. "I told Rake we need a smaller size," he grumbled as he stepped around the workbench to come and join them. "What do we have here?" He bent at the waist to look at the girl.

Rosie gave the knife thrower an up and down look and, apparently satisfied with what she saw, she thrust the package at him. Spinner unwrapped it on the closest table.

"Hmm." He frowned at the metallic parts held together by thin wires. "I haven't seen one of these in a while. They're not making them anymore. EQ84 standard replaced many of the old ones. Of course, you must be able to charge it which—" Spinner eyed the kid, "—I reckon is not the case."

The Golden Lady seemed too efficient to give Rosie a prosthetic she couldn't use, so Dale asked, "Can you do it?"

"Yeah, sure ..." Spinner's eyebrows rose as if surprised someone doubted it. "It's basic surgery, nothing fancy."

"Can you do it now?"

Rosie looked from one adult to the other, following the exchange.

"Uhh ... now?" Spinner scratched his head. "I was going to take a nap, but ... well, there are no other clients waiting in line so ..." He hesitated, then narrowed his eyes. "Let me guess. This is another one of Miss Aurore's projects."

"What gave it away?" Dale asked dryly.

"It's not the first time she's sent me one of her protégées. I don't know where she finds them or the parts, but in this rhythm, their no-spare-parts rule will never take full effect." Spinner paused and proceeded to clean the prosthetic. "Besides, you don't look the type," he said over his clunky shoulder.

Dale would have felt insulted if he hadn't spent so much time working on the new disguise.

"Okay," Spinner said, "but she needs to take a bath before I get her into the clean room." He rolled his eyes when Dale raised an eyebrow. "I'll ask Cielo to do it. Meanwhile, I'll wake up Rake. You stay here." He reached for the prosthetic.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Dale said before Rosie could hiss again and possibly launch herself at the knife thrower.

Spinner blinked at the girl. "Ah, okay ... I'll leave it here then. You guard it for me. I'll be right back."

After Spinner left, Dale leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. No effort to make conversation was necessary because Rosie ignored him while she walked around the room, alert to any sound and never fully turning her back to the door.

A few minutes later, Cielo arrived, coming from the corridor leading deeper into the car. The sea-colored top and flowery skirt dancing around her legs looked very different from her working attire.

"Spinner told me I needed to prepare you for surgery." She walked straight to the little girl and stretched out her hand.

Rosie's deep brown eyes scanned her, and the young woman's friendly smile seemed to convince her because she placed her right hand in the open palm.

"We won't be long," Cielo said to Dale. "The food quarter is open if you're hungry."

He wasn't. He'd been left with direct orders to guard Rosie's prosthetic, so he didn't move. Sometimes he hated his military training.