Dancing on Strings

The Missing

"That makes it sound like magic. There has to be a logical explanation," Anna-Beth said.

"Almost certainly, but no one knows what it is," Ophelia said, "All they know is a handful of people would vanish in a short space of time and then everything returned to normal... only people were gone. Certainly, the capital is suffering worse than most but it's like a plague sweeping the land."

"Don't make it too dramatic," Mai warned. "There's no reason to say things that would spread panic."

Ophelia held up a hand. "All I'm saying is The Missing have yet to be found – dead or alive – and the only correlation people continued to comment on was the entertainment around that time, though no one thought anything of it and seems they still don't."

"Entertainment? What entertainment?" Mai asked.

"Oh, some circus show," Ophelia said.

Mai looked at Anna-Beth.

"Surely not," Anna-Beth said quickly, "The guards searched that entire camp just the other day after the girls went missing. They didn't find anything and there are other travelling shows – a lot. And they're famous, they couldn't risk something so outrageous and expect to not getting caught."

"What if there's nothing to be found there though?" Mai asked. "What if they do something with the... The Missing? Sell them off? Hide them? He said himself that a lot of his staff spends more time in town than at the camp."

"Then you should probably hope there's nothing to it," Anne-Beth said with a frail laugh, "You spend an awful lot of time with him after all."

"Who are you talking about?" Ophelia interrupted.

"The Black Rabbit," Anna-Beth said.

"He's the ringmaster of the circus Genevieve had hired for The Season," Mai said, "The troop has a campsite in the gardens and they've been here since just before the first girl went missing. Did those people you spoke to give you a name? The Midnight Troop?"

Ophelia frowned, shaking her head. "No," she said, "No, they could never remember. But they would remember the name, The Midnight Troop."

"Why?" Mai asked and Ophelia chuckled.

"Oh darling, because they're such a famous name."

"Oh, of course," Mai said, reminded again that she had somehow missed a major name in the entertainment circles when so wrapped up in her own role as an entertainer. "And, as you said, they're famous," Mai said, looking at Anna-Beth, "Would they build such a reputation if they could be connected to the missing people?"

Anna-Beth shrugged. "Who knows? He a master of illusion, we saw that. Maybe he's gifted in more than just one type of manipulation."

"He sounds intriguing, let's go say hello," Ophelia said and Mai waved at her to stay put.

"I highly doubt he'll appreciate being accused of abduction by way of a greeting from a stranger," she said.

"Now, now, I remember my manners," Ophelia said, "It will merely be a 'How do you do? Did you kill those girls or sell them?'

Mai frowned at her.

"Mind yourself, Ophelia; The Black Rabbit has Her Highness's favour," Anna-Beth said.

"Ohhhhh!" Ophelia said.

"He does not," Mai snapped.

"Of course, of course," Anna-Beth said then looked at Ophelia, "You'll see him tomorrow anyway. He has a show after the ball tomorrow night."