CIRCUS by Dorothy Davies

A warm welcome to Dorothy Davies and this little tale of speculative fiction...


“Mummy, there won’t be real animals, will there?”
“No, dear, they’re all robots.”

“Nice crowd tonight, Mr. Glover.”
“That there is, Ted, that there is.”
“It’s a good thing they still turn out for a show, innit?”
“Isn’t much else for people to do these days, Ted.”
“You’re right there, Mr. Glover.”
“I usually am, Ted.”
I usually am. That’s why I’m, boss around here and you’re just a technician. At this rate it’ll never be any different. Every last one of you bores me to death with your inane conversations. Conversations! Ha!
“Five minutes to opening, Mr. Glover!”
Five minutes. Time for a quick drink or maybe two before I have to go out there and face them. All those people packing the seats, murmuring, talking, pushing, squabbling, shrieking – how I hate people! Don’t much care for robots either, come to that.Let’s get it over with.
“Cue fanfare, Jem!”
“Right, Mr. Glover!”
Here goes.
“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, to the greatest show on earth! I’ve got elephants, horses, monkeys, lions, acrobats, clowns, trapeze and high wire artists, jugglers, in fact, all the things you ever thought should be in a circus, right here.”
That’s got them, they’ve shut up now. Listen, you could hear a rivet drop in the workroom!
“Well, you’ve paid to see a show, not to listen to me – so enjoy yourselves –let the show begin!”
Music - where’s the damn blasted music - that’s better.
“Mr Glover!”
Patience. Always be patient with the hired hands. No matter how difficult.
“Yes Ted.”
“One of the Flying Olettas can’t be repaired, Mr. Glover.”
“What’s the matter with it?”
“Well, to be honest-”
“Out with it, man, don’t mumble!”
“Well, they’re getting old, Mr. Glover, worn out, in fact.”
“What do you want me to do about it? Am I a technician?”
“No, but-”
“But me no buts, too many of them damned Nobutts getting in around here lately. Do something about it or get out!”
“Yes Mr Glover.”
That’s stopped him for a bit. What happened to the patience, I wonder? Oh shut up!
“Mr. Glover,"
“Yes, Jem.”
“Ted asked me to come, Mr. Glover. You see, there’s a space in the Flying Olettas now.”
“Ted too scared to come and face me again, is he?”
“No I mean yes I mean-”
“Another mumbler! Come on, Jem, spit it out!”
“We’ve taken the dolls’ places before, Mr. Glover, but not up there.”
“So what?”
“Well, they might fall and-”
“So what?”
Nothing. Stupid, like the rest of them. I wish, just once I wish, someone would stand up and fight back. Mind, I’d get rid of him double quick, but at least I’d be sure there were some men left in the world!
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I hope you’re enjoying the show. Our next act, as you can see, is the lions...”
Lions on the loose, coming for me, they wouldn’t ... they couldn’t … they didn’t …

“Mummy, was that a real man the lion ate?”
“No dear, they’re all robots.”
-----------------------------
Dorothy
Amor Vincit Omnia

Dorothy Davies, writer, medium, forum fanatic, lives on the Isle of Wight and loves life.

http://www.circle-of-light.co.uk/
http://www.oneinspecyal.com/