In the evening, as the light began to dip into darkness, they had their last dress rehearsal. Walter’s wife and his son Jimmy sat in the middle seats, and though Alask couldn’t see them as the lights were too bright, he could hear the soft patter of their applause after each act, their gasps and laughter, their excitement. It was going to be a good show. He could feel it. When they were finished rehearsing, Celayn reached for his hand, hugged him. Her heart was beating fast, and she smelt of rose water. Orpheus eyed them, sullen, said nothing. The beauty and his second-in-command were more off than on these days, but Celayn’s presence still affected the big guy. Alask promised himself he’d keep an eye on things; during long tours, such a small group confined to limited space, relationships of all kinds took on bigger meanings, grew out of hand. They could sometimes end in tragedy.

And the people came. While they waited backstage, punters trickled, stopped, changed direction like halting beads of sweat, found seats, read programmes, discussed what they might see, what they had heard, their last tour. The murmured hum. The expectation. The rise in temperature, the loud beat of his heart. He was always nervous before a performance. Thousands of shows later, since he first raised his hat to the rafters and proclaimed their name, his heart still thumped in his chest, and he still paced the room, muttered lines, gave obvious advice to anyone he bumped into. The Brants joked among themselves, costumes sparkling like constellations. Orpheus moved his hands over his instruments, metal plates and mechanics’ tools, testing for sound. Celayn danced to music from the radio, and sang. Meimo cut his toenails, which always disgusted everyone, and sharpened his knives. The Palmer twins kept apart. Alask checked the buttons on his shiny red and blue suit.

It was time. He put on his hat, moved out of the back room and jogged into the auditorium. The low hum fell into a hush. He raised his arms wide.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I bid you all good evening and welcome to the Stelarc Nation Circus, the most talented group of individuals you’ll ever see this side of Montrayn West Side, or anywhere else for that matter!’ A brief halt for applause, look at everyone but no one in particular, smile into the lights. ‘I am your ringmaster for the evening, Alask Barron, and I promise you what you’re about to see is the most spectacular display of skill and augmentation the world has ever known! There is speed, there is athleticism, there is wondrous mental ability, there is the impossible made real, there is strength and courage, all in one night! Please prepare yourselves for a glorious evening of entertainment! Before we begin, I would like to ask you, yes you, madam, to lift my sleeves and tell our audience what you see …’