Sideshow: Tales of the Galactic Midway, Vol. 1 Read online

  I saw the aliens, most of them wearing coats and wrapped up in blankets, begin the short trek to the ship, and then Monk started unloading and moving his animals. I wiped the fog off the window, hoping for a last look at Diggs and the Dancer, when I felt a sudden cold draft.

  Thaddeus was standing in the doorway, hands on hips, looking mildly irritated.

  “Well?” he said.

  “Well what?”

  “Aren't you packed yet?”

  “I thought I'd keep on living in the trailer,” I said. “Unless you've given it to someone else, that is.”

  “What the hell are you talking about? You're coming with us.”

  “Me?” I exclaimed.

  He snorted. “You see anyone else in here?”

  “But ... but what can I do? You said everyone has to earn his way.”

  “Everyone will,” Thaddeus assured me. “Especially you.”

  “I don't understand.”

  “I'm going to be too damned busy running this carnival to do anything else. I mean, Mr. Ahasuerus is a nice guy and all, but you can fill a library's worth of books with what he doesn't know about operating a business.” He paused. “Well, how about it?”

  “How about what?” I asked.

  “You've always wanted to be a barker, haven't you?”

  “Yes, but...” I started tripping on my tongue again and couldn't get the words out.

  “Mr. Ahasuerus tells me that a hell of a lot of the worlds we're going to visit communicate by telepathy. So,” he said with a smile, “unless you stammer when you think, you've got yourself a job.”

  “Do you really mean it, Thaddeus?” I managed to say.

  “Would I lie to you, you ugly little dwarf?” he said gently.

  It took me less than a minute to fill a suitcase with all of my worldly belongings. Then I put on my coat and followed him through the cold Vermont snow to the waiting spacecraft.

  * * *

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