Chapter IV: The Beard Master's Welcome

People think running the Big Top is easy.

Smile.

Wave.

Keep the crowd entertained.

If only they knew.

I'm the one who keeps the impossible moving.

Every wagon.

Every performance.

Every cue.

Every light.

Every act.

When those curtains open, every eye in Boron looks toward my stage.

They don't come for ordinary.

They come for wonder.

The Carney may welcome them through the front gates.

But once they step beneath my tent...

They're my audience.

Every autumn I hear the same whispers.

"I wonder what they've brought this year."

"Can they really top last season?"

"Surely they've run out of surprises by now."

I just smile.

Because they never have any idea what's waiting inside.

My performers aren't ordinary people.

They're the strongest.

The strangest.

The most talented souls I've ever had the privilege of traveling beside.

Every one of them has spent years perfecting their craft.

Fire breathers.

Knife throwers.

Acrobats.

Strongmen.

Illusionists.

Contortionists.

Bearded ladies.

Sword swallowers.

Every act tells a story.

Every performance earns its applause.

People call them circus freaks.

I call them family.

Too many towns laugh before they've even seen the show.

Too many judge what they don't understand.

Not Boron.

That's one reason I enjoy coming here.

The people are kinder.

The children watch with wide eyes instead of fear.

The applause feels genuine.

Still...

This year will be different.

This year, I intend to remind everyone why the Big Top has always been the beating heart of the carnival.

Wonder deserves respect.

Dedication deserves respect.

My performers deserve respect.

When those curtains open...

I don't want the audience to simply enjoy themselves.

I want them to leave speechless.

I want children to spend years telling stories about what they witnessed beneath this tent.

I want parents to remember why they believed in impossible things.

I want Boron to remember this season long after we've rolled on to the next town.

I stepped into the center ring and looked up at the towering canvas above me.

The lanterns glowed warmly.

The sawdust had been freshly spread.

Everything was ready.

I tipped my hat, smiled to the empty seats surrounding me, and whispered,

"Let's give them a show they'll never forget."