The Circus Infinitus Stories Volume 2

By Ethan Somerville

This book features the following short stories:
“The Tiger Mistress and the Werewolf” – This is the story of Felina the Beast Mistress, and how she came to join the Circus Infinitus.

“Murder Hotel” – Dr Tumblety, aka Jack the Ripper, meets Dr H. H. Holmes and becomes trapped in the convoluted confines of his diabolical Murder Hotel in Chicago.

“Dark Reflections” – Now the darkness that lurks within men’s soul is free and wreaking havoc on the Circus Infinitus. It will take the combined resources of all the Circus’s folks to defeat the dark reflections from the mirror maze.

“Round and Round the Mulberry Bush” – No-one wants to buy Andrew Dobson’s carousel because it is haunted by the spirit of a 9-year old girl. No-one, that is, save the Ringmaster and Professor Abbacus.

“The Magic Show” – A young man watching the Ringmaster’s magic demonstration decides that he wants to be a magician himself.

“The Immortality Machine” – Where do the zombies who work for the Circus really come from? New employee Whitey Smith is about to find out.

“King of the Apes” – A rich noble who loves animals visits the Circus and discovers a kindred spirit in Felina, the Beast-Mistress.

“The Ringmaster’s Cure” – How did the Elephant Man come to join the Circus Infinitus, after he had always been so badly treated by fairs and sideshows?

“Crime and Corruption” or “How to Get Ahead” – Criminal on-the-run Jurgen Stein discovers there is a dark side to immortality.

“Seven Lives for Seven Lovers” – Victoria-7 reveals more secrets behind her bizarre composite self.

Also available:
The Circus Infinitus Stories Volume 1
The Circus Infinitus - Broken Promise
The Circus Infinitus - The Bidgee Code

• Language: English
• Publisher: Storm Publishing
• Release date: Mar 2, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301072941

Ethan Somerville

Ethan Somerville is a prolific Australian author with over 20 books published, and many more to come. These novels cover many different genres, including romance, historical, children's and young adult fiction. However Ethan's favourite genres have always been science fiction and fantasy. Ethan has also collaborated with other Australian authors and artists, including Max Kenny, Emma Daniels, Anthony Newton, Colin Forest, Tanya Nicholls and Carter Rydyr.

Book preview

The Circus Infinitus Stories

Volume 2

By

Ethan Somerville

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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PUBLISHED BY:

Storm Publishing on Smashwords

The Circus Infinitus Stories Volume 2

Copyright © 2011/17 by Ethan Somerville

www.stormpublishing.net

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The Tiger Mistress and the Werewolf

A small traveling carnival arrived at the seaside town of Orlonne Sur Mer early one afternoon. It was run by a florid, theatrical fellow who had gone by several different names during his life. Now he called himself Marcel Boucher. He collected interesting specimens and had a number of bizarre creatures to exhibit, including multi-limbed cows, two-headed sheep, several dwarves, an immensely fat woman, a bearded lady and numerous others. Almost as soon as he’d jumped up onto his podium and started spruiking his show, an eager crowd converged. Among them was a skinny, pale faced woman in a shapeless dress and baggy shawl. She didn’t appear amused by the show at all, drifting through the exhibits until she finally managed to corner the owner by himself.

Looking furtively over her shoulder, fearful of eavesdroppers, she approached Boucher.

I may have a new exhibit for you, she whispered. Can I sell it to you?

I have to see it first. As you can see all my freaks are real. No make-up or papier-mache here.

I’ll bring it tonight. Late. She scuttled off before he could answer.

Boucher sighed. People were always bringing weird stuff to him. Most of it he couldn’t use. He ran a traveling show. He couldn’t carry too many jars of mutant fetuses or stuffed animals. His freaks had to be living, breathing creatures that could move on their own and help take care of the place. But he’d agreed to the woman’s request, so he waited for her to return.

She came back after midnight, after the very last customer had gone, and Marcel was onto his second bottle of wine. She was carrying a small bundle in her arms. Not another dead baby, Marcel thought. But when she unwrapped the child, he saw that it was still very much alive. It stared curiously up at him through a pair of big yellow eyes, shaped exactly like a cat’s.

My daughter, the woman explained with tears in her eyes. My husband thinks I slept with a demon.

Boucher took the baby girl her for a better look. She had a harelip and birthmarks all over her body that looked like tiger stripes. Boucher already had a spiel figured out; ‘Come and see the wild cat-girl, found prowling the deepest, darkest jungles of India!’ Does she have a name?

Felice, the woman answered. What will you give me for her?

Oh, I think I can spare a few francs. She is quite cat like. He found some coins and pressed them into the mother’s hand. She stared at the paltry sum in disdain.

Surely you can give me more than this! I have other mouths to feed!

A woman who is willing to sell her child is in no position to bargain. Boucher growled, his bloodshot eyes suddenly cruel.

She sniffed, realising that she was trapped between a rock and a hard place. Now she had a chance to be rid of the devil child, she had to take it. Sobbing, she turned and ran.

Boucher chuckled. This was a fine exhibit indeed. Apart from her feline features, she was fit and strong. She would grow into a much valued addition. He carried her over to the bearded lady’s caravan and banged on the door. Monique! Rouse yourself! I have something for you!

Monique poked her head out, bleary-eyed. What is it, Mr. Boucher?

You can stop mooning over that dead monkey child of yours. I have a new freak for you to take care of! He shoved the baby into her arms. Her name is Felice. She is my new cat-girl.

Felice was indeed fit and strong. She was crawling at five months, but didn’t walk upright until the age of three. She could move far more quickly on four legs. She understood language at a very young age, but because of her harelip she didn’t speak until the age of six. She never cried and loved to creep about by herself. She caught rats and rabbits to eat, hunting at night. And as she grew older, she began to develop even more catlike features; whiskers, wild yellow hair and sharp fingernails like claws. She was Boucher’s prize attraction, and he renamed her Felina.

For her part, Felina initially didn’t mind her life as part of Marcel’s traveling freakshow. She may have been quiet and aloof, but she got along with all the others, especially Monique the bearded lady who had brought her up. She thought Marcel was harsh but fair. He made sure everyone shared the work and was properly fed. Those who misbehaved were whipped and locked up in a punishment cage. She thought he was a little hard on the animals, and as she grew she began to develop an affinity for the creatures, especially those whose deformities affected their mobility. She helped Beau, the ape-man, take care of them. When one died, she grieved along with him.

But Felina couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to life. Was she destined to wander with this little show for the rest of her existence? Surely the great Earth Mother hadn’t given her such wonderful catlike abilities to waste them crawling around the French countryside? As puberty approached, she began to feel like something was missing, a deep, empty feeling that grew stronger day by day. She thought she was teetering on a great threshold. But a threshold to what?

Marcel Boucher continued to collect freaks. People on the fringes of society, driven out of their communities, drifted to him for security, and animals were donated by farmers who couldn’t use them. Some of the more exotic ones he had to pay for. But never again did he find one as magnificent as Felina. That is until one night, when another stranger showed up at the door to his caravan.

I have a new exhibit for you, the man declared. I work for the Marquis de Routier, who’s a bit of an explorer. He has brought some tigers back from Bengal. One is a freak, which he is willing to sell. It’s yours if you want it.

What kind of a freak?

I’ll show you tomorrow, but you’ll have to bring some friends to take it. It’s very big and quite wild.

Boucher gathered several of his strongest freaks, including Felina. The Marquis de Routier brought out the beast, and at first Marcel couldn’t see anything wrong with it, other than it was larger than normal. It had a wonderful glossy coat, bright, intelligent eyes and gleaming fangs that could probably tear him from navel to nuts. It sat in a large cage, just waiting for the opportunity to leap out and savage someone.

Its name is Suresh, De Routier explained.

What’s wrong with it, sir? Marcel asked.

Make it stand up, the Marquis ordered. One of his servants prodded the tiger and it snarled. Felina gasped, as though she had been poked, and the tiger stared at her through the bars. Their gazes locked.

Suddenly, Felina felt herself looking out through the animal’s eyes, experiencing everything that it was feeling; the power of its magnificent body, its gnawing hunger for fresh meat, and its rage at being imprisoned. He skin prickled all over with phantom fur and she felt a rush of warmth in her blood.

This was what she had been waiting for! This bond that reached down into her very soul.

The tiger got up with a growl, and everyone realised why it was so much larger than a normal wild cat. It had six powerful, fully functional legs. Boucher gasped. He had seen many creatures with extra limbs during his lifetime, but all the superfluous legs had dangled limply from the animals’ flanks, unable to move. This cat could flex all three. Claws like dinner knives unsheathed. It’s … beautiful! the carnival owner cried, clasping his hands together. I must have it!

Yes, Felina whispered, realising that if Boucher didn’t buy this beast, she would have to follow it. She couldn’t, wouldn’t be parted from her new soul mate.

De Routier asked a very high price, but he threw in the cage as well. Marcel paid every sou. This tiger would be his show’s new centerpiece. Maybe Felina could tame it. She certainly seemed to be very interested in the beast, and walked alongside the cage as it was towed back to the carnival.

From that day on, Felina and Suresh were kindred, able to communicate without words. They slept together in Suresh’s case, the tiger’s massive body keeping Felina warm. She convinced Boucher that he was docile enough to be released from his cage and so he could roam freely around the camp. I understand him. He will not hurt anyone, she told him.

Boucher trusted Felina. All of a sudden she seemed to have changed. She was taller, more developed, even more catlike. Her eyes glowed in the dark, she could detect scents far beyond the range of a human nose and her teeth had sharpened into fangs. She truly was a cat woman. She developed an act with Suresh and they began performing together for the benefits of the ever-increasing crowds. Marcel began to believe that he would finally make a real fortune with his traveling show.

And he would have, had it not been for his increasing desire to drink. Hidden demons troubled his soul, driving him into the bottle every night. The red wine began to addle his once acute intelligence. His temper and paranoia increased, and he began to beat his subjects whenever they didn’t move fast enough. At first his charges accepted the punishments, but after a while they began to feel he was becoming unstable.

One night Monique dropped several boxes and Boucher took to her with a riding crop. Felina stepped into stop him – and he slapped her across the face, sending her staggering. She should have seen it coming, but she had never thought that he would stoop to hit her.

"You are becoming too big for your boots!’ he roared at her – then stopped dead in horror as Suresh stalked up close, shoving his big, hairy face right into Marcel’s. He released a growl so thunderous it knocked Marcel onto his backside, where he promptly lost control of his bowels.

That is enough, Felina cried, climbing to her feet. Your behaviour is becoming intolerable! We’re going. She turned to leave with Suresh.

Boucher scrambled up. "You can’t leave! You’re mine! I paid good money for you! Both of you!"

She turned to glare at him. Just try to stop us.

He could only stare as Felina and Suresh left, with Monique hurrying after them.

When the bearded lady shaved off her distinctive facial hair, she was able to pass for normal. After Monique bid a tearful goodbye to the young woman she had raised, she found her way into a nearby town, and no-one batted an eyelid. So long as she kept her facial hair down, she could live out the rest of her life unnoticed.

But Felina and Suresh could never join society. They realised how much Boucher had protected them as they were forced to move only by night, and stick to the forests and mountains. They lived quietly for almost a year, hunting rabbits, deer and stealing the occasional sheep and cow. Rumours about a wild woman and her tiger started, but few spotted the unusual pair.

Keeping her ear to the ground, Felina learned that Boucher’s carnival broke up not long after their departure, and he drank himself to death. The thought of all her friends needing to seek out other employment saddened her, and she decided to find out what had become of them by looking for other traveling carnivals. Soon a new show attracted her attention, and she and Suresh journeyed to visit it.

It was called the Circus Infinitus.

Felina figured she and Suresh