Zany Circus: Pythagoras Rules

By Nanci Nott and Xanthe Turner

Zandee, Tobelia, and Kadin Zany live in a circus, don't go to school, and have a habit of wreaking historical havoc. 

With the help (and hindrance) of the world's lamest math-magician, a high-voltage stalker, two quirky cousins, and a whole lot of moths, the Zany Circus kids must prevent the destruction of the universe, and oc

• Language: English
• Publisher: Turner Books
• Release date: Jul 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9780648130192

Nanci Nott

Nanci Nott likes writing for children almost as much as she loves reading with them. Her own three children are particularly fun to read and write with. Nanci Nott believes in the abolishment of boredom, and the presence of play in education. She loves persuading people to pursue their particular passions, adores alliteration, and stays up way too late.

Book preview

Before you begin…

If you haven’t read Zany Circus: Paradox, don’t worry. You haven’t missed much, and you’ll still enjoy this story.

If you have read the first book, you will notice things others won’t see, thereby proving the existence of invisibility, and therefore, magic.

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Too many secrets are revealed in this book. I hope nobody reads it.

- Pythagoras

Chapter One

A New Rule

Tobelia twirled, swirled, and whirled around the aerial silks, as agile as a flying cat.

Zandee and Kadin were much higher up, on the flying trapeze.

I did it! whooped Kadin. I'm flying! His long hair fanned out behind him as he zoomed through the air. At the crucial moment, he swung his legs, let go of Zandee's arms, and then...

Kadin! barked Dad. Get down from there!

Kadin missed the bar by mere millimetres. He plummeted (kamikaze-spider-style) into the vast web of safety-netting. He crawled to the edge of the net, and swung himself to the ground, still smiling. Don’t worry, Dad. I only fell because you scared me. I’m actually getting good at this, finally!

Dad glared up through the net. That’s not the point. Zandee, you should have known better than to encourage him.

But I like encouraging people. And we followed all the safety rules.

I don’t care. It’s still dangerous.

Tobelia fan-kicked into hip-lock, poked one leg through the aerial silks, and pulled herself into a sitting position. According to statistics, driving is more dangerous than flying trapeze. Anyway, Mum said we could practise today. 

Oh really? said Dad. Mum’s only been home from hospital for a few days, or have you forgotten? If I had things my way… Dad gestured at the shiny purple walls of the Big Top, as if waving his hands around could make the circus vanish.

I'm glad you don't have things your way, muttered Tobelia, not mentioning the fact that Mum hadn't really been in hospital at all. She'd been adult-napped by her own children, in an attempt to fix the paradox they'd accidentally created by travelling back in time. But Dad didn't believe in the magic, so there was no point in arguing.

Dad shook his head, sighed disapprovingly, and floated away like a dissipating fart-scent.

Seconds after Dad’s departure, a five-headed cloud of colourful leotards stampeded into the Big Top. Mum and the aunties were ready to rehearse. 

Aunty Lori said, How did the practise go, kids? 

Pretty good, replied Kadin, waving at the baby in Aunty Lori's arms. Maali waved back.

Tobelia replied by launching into a series of death defying aerial moves. The aunties and Mum applauded. Baby Maali clapped too, and everyone said, Awwww!

When Tobelia finished, she landed perfectly on the mat, and bowed. So, she said, not even slightly out of breath. Can I join the show?

Say yes, Mum, implored Kadin.

Mum didn't say yes, but she did say, I'll think about it, which was (slightly) better than if she'd said no.

Aunty Lori put Maali down on the purple circus-ring mat, and gave her a picture book. Maali somersaulted over the book, and giggled.

Let's do this, Aunty Lori said to Mum, Aunty Crystal, and Aunty Sadie.

Aunty Sadie climbed up Mum's back, and stood on her shoulders. Aunty Crystal climbed up Mum's back, and Aunty Sadie's back, and stood on Sadie's shoulders.

Finally, Aunty Lori began to climb her three sisters. She made it all the way to Aunty Crystal's underarm before the human tower began to wobble, and everyone fell to the floor.

Oh well, giggled Mum, poking her head out from underneath a pair of Aunty-feet. It was worth a try. 

What were you trying to do? asked Kadin.

Mum stood up, straightened her leotard-strap, and said, We were thinking about adding a Human Tower act to the show, seeing as the Vanishing Horse routine is so successful. She winked knowingly at Zandee. 

Zandee smiled, and said nothing. She was the only Zany kid old enough to be in the circus shows, because Dad had decided only teenagers and adults were allowed to perform.

Zandee was fourteen, and had been performing for almost a year. She had her own aerial act, and had single-handedly invented the Vanishing Horse routine. Everyone assumed the act was based around an optical illusion, as opposed to the logical answer - invisibility. Only Mum, Zandee, Tobelia, and Kadin knew about the magic.

For the next half hour, Zandee, Tobelia, and Kadin amused baby Maali on the mini-tramp, while the grown-ups failed hilariously at making a human tower. 

Well, said Aunty Crystal, I think this is going to require a lot more practise. But I need to go now. It's time for me to meditate with the cats, and paint whiskers on my fingernail glitter.

I need to go, too, said Aunty Lori. She jogged over to the mini-tramp and picked up Maali, who pulled a funny face. Come on, baby. Let's find your Dad, and get ready to visit Grannie. Maali climbed up her Mum’s long hair, and allowed herself to be carried out of the Big Top.

Aunty Sadie said, I'm going to head back to my caravan, to get everything ready for Annie and Mika. 

I'm so excited to see them! squealed Kadin, jumping up and down. I wish it was school holidays all the time. 

Me, too, said Zandee.

Me, three, said Tobelia.

Me, four, said Aunty Sadie.

Once the Aunties had disappeared, Zandee, Tobelia, and Kadin were alone in the Big Top with Mum. 

Mum said, Can I talk to you guys for a second?

Sure, but only for a second, joked Kadin as he sat down next to Mum. His sisters sat beside him.

Mum smiled. The only rules I really expect you to follow are the principles of safety, honesty, and respect, and that’s pretty fair, right?

The children nodded. 

Well, I think we have to include a new rule, just temporarily.

Tobelia narrowed her eyes. Zandee waited patiently for Mum to explain, and Kadin wondered whether a triangle-shaped human tower would work better than a tower-shaped tower. He pulled a notebook and a pencil out of Zandee’s backpack, and sketched out a rough plan of the triangle he could see with his mind’s eye. 

Is this one of Dad's rules? asked Tobelia, suspiciously. 

Mum shook her head. No, it has nothing to do with him. It's about the magic.

Zandee looked concerned. What has our magic got to do with this new rule?

Mum sighed, stretched her legs out, and wrapped her hands around her toes. Can you promise not to do any magic until Annie and Mika are back at boarding school?

Tobelia crossed her arms, and glared at Mum. That sounds like a stupid idea.

Kadin froze, with the same look on his face he got whenever he ate sour lollies. Then he drew a triangle made out of dots.

Zandee frowned. But aren't we going to be doing circus shows in Grannie's town? How will I do the Vanishing Horse routine without using magic?

We will just have to skip that act for now, said Mum. Maybe Uncle Addie can do extra motorcycle tricks, or we could do the clown act in slow motion. When Annie and Mika go back to school, you can use the magic again.

Okay, said Zandee, in a quiet voice. 

Tobelia rolled her eyes, and Kadin frowned at a moth that was flying around Mum's head. 

Somewhere outside a pigeon cooed, but nobody noticed.

Chapter Two

Flying Poo

A little while later, Mum and Kadin were alone, but together, on the windy, grass-covered oval.

Can't we at least turn invisible? Kadin begged, even though he knew whining was rarely the best way to accomplish a goal.

Mum shook her head, and picked up a bucket of poo. Nope. No magic at all, until after the holidays. Mum’s voice was annoyingly cheerful. She pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket, and winced when she saw how late it was getting. She plonked the poo bucket down on the grass, and said, Could you please finish cleaning up? I'm going with Sadie to pick up the girls.

Kadin nodded. "Sure, I'll clean up all the animal poo. And then I'll make a nice surprise for my cousins. When Mum raised an eyebrow he added, I won’t make their present out of poo."

Mum grinned, and bent down to hug him. I’m glad to hear that. Annie doesn’t like it when her presents are made out of poo. See you soon! Mum kissed Kadin’s wind-tangled hair, and jogged towards the car park. 

Kadin grabbed the stinky bucket, and glanced around the oval. No one was watching him. Tobelia was hula hooping at the park with Aunty Crystal. Zandee was reading up a tree on the other side of the Big Top. Mum was running across the car park. Aunty Sadie was sitting in the car, waiting for Mum, so they could pick up Annie and Mika. The rest of the family were packing up the Big Top, and getting ready to travel.

Kadin waited until Aunty Sadie’s pristine white car had disappeared into the distance. Then he focused on the poo. Not just the dog poo on the oval, but the horse poo on the other side of the paddock fence, and random poos from Random Goat, sprinkled around the circus grounds.

Kadin used his mind-magic to levitate hundreds of individual droppings into the air to form a spinning, flying, ring of poo. Kadin was the planet Saturn, and the floating, rotating poos were his rings. For a moment, he considered turning the poo-cloud into some kind of sculpture. But that would have been gross. A neat pile of poo would be perfect. The rings rotated faster and faster, until the poo clumped together to form a blurry ball. Kadin plonked the poo in a tidy mound behind the transportable horse stable, and walked away, satisfied.

In less than a minute, Kadin's mind had completed a chore his hands would have taken an hour to accomplish. Now he had time to make a present for his cousins.

Kadin patted Luka and Luna, the circus huskies, on the way back to his caravan. Luka panted enthusiastically as he dropped a tennis ball by Kadin’s muddy sneaker. Kadin threw the ball as hard as he could, and both dogs bolted after it. Kadin hurried into the caravan before he got roped into a never-ending game of fetch.

That was quick, said Zandee, peering up from behind the cover of, 'Robot Brain’. Weren't you on dog duty? She stretched out on her bunk.

Hehe, dog doody, echoed Kadin, and they both giggled. Kadin washed his hands in the caravan sink. I thought you were reading up a tree? 

Zandee stopped stretching, and put her book facedown on the bed. I was, but it got too cold, so I came back in. I saw what you did with the poo, by the way. I won't say anything to Mum, but you'd better not do any magic while Annie and Mika are here. 

Kadin pulled an exasperated face, and dried his hands on an old yellow tea towel. Wouldn't it just be easier to tell our cousins the truth? We could teach them all about magic, and do awesome-fun things together. I don't see why it has to be a secret from them. It's not like we're in the middle of trying to fix a paradox.

Zandee slid down from her bunk bed, and stepped over to the kitchen section. She put her arms around her little brother and said, We have a responsibility to keep our cousins safe. 

Safe from what? challenged Kadin, hands on hips.

Tobelia opened the door at that moment, and stomped dramatically into the van. "This no magic rule is stupid, she said, kicking off her thongs and throwing them at the shoe-pyramid. How are we supposed to protect ourselves from stray dogs at the park, if we can't even put up a forcefield? She flung herself onto a chair, and slumped over the table. This day is so unfair."

Are you hurt? Zandee asked, in a worried-big-sister-voice.

Tobelia shook her head. I swung myself up into a tree just in time. But magic would have helped a lot. Force-fields don’t give me pinky-splinters. 

Kadin