The Midnight Carnival (11 page)

Trying not to ignore Mr McQuaid’s droning voice, her
gaze drifted towards the window and the grounds outside. She glanced away, then snapped back for another look. She hadn’t imagined it. One of the Melancholy Clowns stood on the grass beyond the dismal, grey carpark.

He looked so out of place that Grace gave a small, nervous laugh, but she found it more frightening than funny. He stood so still he could have been a statue, his silk suit covered in faded swirls of brown and red. She couldn’t tell if he could see her, though he was facing her direction.

For the whole class, he didn’t move. She forced herself to look down at her copybook and write the notes from the whiteboard, but every so often, she stole glances out of the window, waiting for the clown to leave. But he didn’t. Was he smiling? She thought so, but it was impossible to be sure from that distance.

With her heart pounding in her ears, she began to sweat even in the bitter cold. Finally the school bell went and, when she looked up again, the clown was gone.

‘Did you see him?’ she said to Jenny and Adie in the corridor as students filed past.

‘Who?’ said Jenny.

‘The clown. There was a clown on the grass by the carpark.’

She saw the blood drain from Adie’s face.

‘Did you see him, Adie?’ said Grace.

‘No,’ Adie said, turning quickly. ‘I have to get to my locker.’

‘Wait, hang on…’

But Adie’s dark curls had already disappeared into the crowd.

‘I think you’re losing it, Brennan,’ Jenny said.

‘It was one of the Melancholy Clowns, from the carnival. He just stood there. It was so strange.’

‘You’re totally losing it.’

‘Shut up and pull up your socks.’

10

The Straw Doll

‘That is seriously creepy, Grace,’ Una said, on the way to Mrs Quinlan’s. ‘Honestly, I think I would have peed myself.’

‘Luckily, it didn’t get to that point,’ Grace said, giving Jenny a pointed look.

‘But what would a clown be doing in school?’ Jenny said. ‘Seriously, in make-up and everything?’

‘I don’t know, Jenny. Being creepy and weird, and trying to scare people into peeing themselves?’

‘I’m not saying I don’t believe you–’

‘Yes, you are.’

‘–I’m just saying that maybe you
thought
you saw a clown, but it was actually, like, a traffic cone or something.’

Grace stared at her. ‘I’m ending this conversation.’

Rachel’s face was buried in her phone, but she quickly
changed the subject.

‘Where’s Adie? Isn’t she coming to class?’

‘Said something strange, like she had to go to her cousin’s clarinet recital,’ replied Una.

‘Really?’ Rachel finally slid the phone into her back pocket. ‘Clarinet recital instead of magic lessons?’

‘I know. Weird. We hardly see her anymore, I’m starting to forget she exists. Her name’s Amy, right?’

Rachel turned to Grace.

‘Do you think something’s wrong? I know we’re at the carnival a lot these days, and it’s not her favourite place, but you think she’d come the odd time, just to hang out.’

‘I’m not sure. I don’t know what’s going on with her.’

‘Maybe she’s seeing a therapist,’ Una said.

‘Why would she be seeing a therapist?’ said Jenny.

‘People have their reasons.’

‘If she is seeing a therapist, shouldn’t she be getting better, not worse?’

‘Maybe she’s seeing a bad therapist.’

‘Stop it, you two,’ said Grace. ‘We shouldn’t speculate when we don’t know what’s going on.’

‘We shouldn’t use words like speculate,’ Una said, ‘when some of us don’t know what it means.’

‘It means guess.’

‘Oh. Right. Well, I speculate that if we’re late for Old Cat Lady, she’ll have our heads.’

When they reached Mrs Quinlan’s door, Rachel rapped on the frosted glass. The door opened and everyone trooped in, but Mrs Quinlan stepped in Jenny’s way and blocked her.

‘Not you.’

‘What?’ said Jenny. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘You’re expelled.’

‘What? You can’t do that!’

‘I just did.’

‘Mrs Quinlan,’ Grace said from the hall, ‘we’re very sorry about what happened in the last–’

‘I’m not talking to you, missy!’ the woman growled. There was real anger in her pale eyes. ‘Mind your own bloody business.’

‘You can’t kick me out,’ Jenny protested. ‘It’s not up to you.’

‘Take it up with the school board, sweetie,’ Mrs Quinlan said, swinging the door shut.

Jenny banged on the door with both fists.

‘Keep that up,’ the woman yelled, ‘and I’ll make you my new favourite cat!’

The banging stopped. Grace stood with Rachel and Una in the hall, shocked and unsure what to do. Inside the kitchen, Delilah slumped by the counter, a pained look on her face.

‘What are you all doing standing around?’ Mrs Quinlan said. ‘Get inside and take out your notebooks. And where’s that little, curly headed one?’

‘She had to go to her cousin’s recital,’ Grace replied, not moving.

‘Another waster.’ Mrs Quinlan glared at them. ‘I told you to get inside and take out your books.’

Grace could feel Una trembling beside her as the woman stalked towards them.

‘You can’t kick Jenny out of class,’ said Grace. ‘We’re in this together.’

She could feel Mrs Quinlan’s breath on her face as the pale eyes came close.

‘Listen to this, Miss Grace, and listen well. This is not school. I don’t have to pander to the thugs and the weaklings. I’ll teach who I think is worthy. And she’s not worthy.’ She wiped a bit of spittle from the corner of her mouth. ‘And if you don’t cut the crap, I might just find that
you’re
not worthy either!’

‘You won’t keep her out,’ Grace whispered.

‘Oh, I will, missy.’

Grace stared at the bouncing straggles of grey hair as Mrs Quinlan turned and strode into the kitchen.
No, you won’t
, she thought.
Not Jenny
.

Grace shivered as the alligator slid past her. The yaw of his long frame through the grass gave her a moment’s panic every time she saw him. The lesson with Mrs Quinlan had
not lasted long. The girls had refused to do anything they were told, and the woman had eventually kicked them all out. Poor Delilah was left behind to bear the brunt of her guardian’s bad mood.

‘Hey there.’ Justine came towards them, a long woollen dressing gown over her costume. ‘How you girls been?’

‘Okay, thanks,’ replied Grace. ‘Is Agata on yet, do you know? We’re looking for Jenny, and she’ll probably be around Agata’s trailer.’

The ballerina walked with them towards Agata’s spot in the park. They could see Drake curled up on the nearby tree stump, as usual, but when they saw the doctor waiting by the trailer steps with his back to them, Justine stopped short. Agata popped her head out the door, and the doctor handed her something wrapped in grey cloth. The woman took it and ducked back inside.

Justine gasped and pulled Grace behind a grimy, yellow tent. Una dramatically threw Rachel against the tarpaulin.

‘Ow!’

‘Sorry,’ shrugged Una. ‘I’m not sure why I did that.’

‘Oh, my lord, girls,’ the ballerina breathed, ‘it’s true.’

‘What’s true?’ asked Grace.

Justine leaned her face against the tent pole and watched the trailer with a mournful look.

‘I thought everyone had it wrong. I thought it was just nonsense, but it’s true. They took it.’

‘Took what?’

‘The straw doll.’

‘A toy?’ asked Una.

‘No, no, you don’t understand.’ Justine paced, running her hands roughly through her hair. ‘It’s precious, we need it. We can’t survive without it. It’s the end… If
he’s
got it, it’s the end.’ Tears glistened in her eyes and she seemed almost out of her mind. She buried her face in her hands. ‘We’re lost. The doctor will burn it and we’ll all die with it. We’ll all die with it…’

She mumbled incoherently until Grace gently prised her hands from her head.

‘It’s okay, Justine, it’ll be okay. We’ll help you if we can. He stole something you need?’

‘We all need it, all the carnival folk. He and the other two have stolen the doll.’

‘You think the doctor and Agata and Drake took a doll?’ asked Rachel, puzzled.

‘Agata’s a good soul,’ Justine replied, ‘but Drake… she cares for him more than he deserves, I reckon. She’d do anything for him. And then there’s the doctor… ‘

Grace watched a spiral of smoke drift up from the doctor’s cigar, as he loitered around outside the trailer, whispering to Drake.

‘Who
is
he?’

Justine shook her head again and her voice dropped to a
frightened whisper.

‘There are rumours about his past, and he scares me.’ She rubbed a tear from her cheek. ‘And if he’s taken the straw doll, then we’re all lost.’

‘Maybe we can help,’ said Rachel. ‘We’re… Well, we’re good at solving problems sometimes.’

‘Our own, mostly,’ Una piped up. ‘But there’s more to us than meets the eye.’

Grace nudged her roughly, but Una waved away her concerns.

‘You’re so sweet to offer,’ said Justine. ‘But please, for my sake, just stay away from the doctor. If Felix can’t stop him, no-one can. And…’ She seemed apologetic. ‘Please be careful around Drake.’

She wandered away, as if already lost, and the girls remained hidden behind the yellow tent.

‘Maybe that’s why the clown was at school,’ said Grace. ‘Maybe they missed it and he thought
we’d
taken it.’

‘The doll?’ said Una. ‘Do you think it’s an antique? Or valuable?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘It’s gotta be something really expensive, if she’s so worried about it.’

‘I think it’s more than that. It sounded like she meant it when she said they need it to survive.’

‘You think there’s some kind magic involved?’ asked
Rachel, looking excited.

‘Yeah, I do.’

‘Then we’re up,’ Una said. ‘This is our specialty.’

‘Una’s got a point,’ said Rachel. ‘If we can do something to help, we should.’

‘Justine told us to stay away from the doctor,’ replied Grace.

‘And my mum told me not to eat any more candy floss,’ said Una, ‘but what do you think I’ll be munching on later? Besides, Jenny’s pally with Agata, and you know there’s nothing we could do would keep her away from here. We’re involved already. And we take care of our own.’

She thumped her fist over her heart and Grace rolled her eyes.

‘You just want to get into trouble.’

‘Trouble’s my middle name, Grace.’

‘Your middle name’s Attracta.’

‘Mention that again and I’ll feed you to the alligator.’

It was dim inside Agata’s trailer in the evening light, but Grace couldn’t find a light switch.

‘They use oil lamps in some of the tents.’ Rachel was somewhere behind her. ‘Have a look for one of those.’

‘I don’t think we should try lighting an oil lamp in the dark,’ said Grace. ‘We don’t know how, and we could end up setting fire to the place.’

‘Hold on, I’ve got a torch!’ cried Una.

There was jingling and then a thin stream of light stretched through the gloom.

‘Yeah, sorry,’ she said. ‘It’s a pen torch on my keyring, so it’s not brilliant.’

The girls had waited until they saw Agata and Drake leave for their evening performances; Jenny had gone with them. Grace felt bad about that. Jenny was going to think the girls didn’t even try to find her after she got kicked out of Mrs Quinlan’s class, but it was a risk they had to take; if Jenny knew they were planning to search Agata’s home, she might try to stop them.

There were a lot of postcards and memorabilia on the walls of the trailer, some in scrappy wooden frames. There was a counter top at one end, covered in delicate teacups, saucers and a large teapot, and a kettle sat on an old camping stove.

Apart from that there was just a single cot bed, a small wardrobe and a bedside table with one drawer. Grace examined some figurines on the table, but decided none of them could be the straw doll. She rifled through the drawer and found nothing but letters and a gold locket. Inside was a picture of a couple on their wedding day. It was very old.

‘I feel kind of rotten about this,’ Rachel said, opening the wardrobe.

‘Yeah, I know what you mean,’ said Grace.

Una crawled out from underneath the bed.

‘Nothing under there but old newspapers. But like,
old
. There’s one there from the 1930s. It’s American, I think. Maybe she got it from her grandmother.’

‘Maybe she bought it,’ Grace said, closing the drawer.

‘Bought it?’

‘Everything’s so old. The pictures, the trailers, the costumes. I think the carnival has been around that long. I think that’s what the doll is for. It keeps them alive.’

‘Since the 1930s?’

‘Why not? We’ve seen weirder things.’

‘Can’t argue with you there.’