House of Mirrors Read Online Free PDF Page A

girl.”
    Sour as a green apple, Jonah would’ve said, but it was pretty clear Sam was smitten with Mindy.
    “How’d you happen to join the carnival?” Jonah asked as they strolled between the bare spots where tents had stood.
    “I’m from Duck Holler, Kentucky. Couldn’t see no future there. Didn’t fit in nohow.” His accent grew more pronounced as he spoke about his home state. “I took one look at the freaks in Grim’s traveling show and knew this was where I belonged. Ain’t regretted it once.”
    Jonah nodded. He wondered how old Sam was. It was hard to tell from his appearance. He could’ve been anywhere from eighteen to twenty-eight. Surely no older than that. But Jonah wouldn’t ask. He’d finally learned the first rule of the code—don’t ask questions that could be considered too personal.
    “So, how does this place work?” He changed the subject. “It looks as if everyone knows exactly what they need to do.” In fact, the place reminded him of a Chinese puzzle box, each segment fitting together precisely.
    “Sure.” The giant gave a deep laugh, followed by a loud cough. “We set up and set down a thousand times or more. Too bad you missed the best of the takedown.”
    Jonah recalled the whistle blasts and chanting.
    “All of us can do it in our sleep. I been ailing, so the boss told me to take it easy. And it’s no big hurry today, ’cause we’re not so close to town here. It being the Lord’s Day, no one wants to see us.”
    Sunday. The very first Sabbath in his life that he wasn’t in church at worship. A sharp pang of guilt lanced through him. Would God forgive him for that, or for any of the things he’d done? Another rope tying him to his old life was cut. He would float away into a void. The thought made him walk faster, his leg aching from a boot that had raised a knot on his shin. The pain was good because it anchored him to the earth.
    A man on horseback rode by, waving a hand in the air with a flourish before taking off at a gallop. He wore a bright red coat and looked like a magnificent soldier from an imaginary, extravagant army. His saddlebags were crimson and gold. He looked slightly ridiculous yet heartening.
    “Who’s that?”
    “Our advanceman. He makes sure arrangements are settled and plasters the next town with posters. Usually he hangs about the place, drumming up business.”
    At the site where the main tent had stood, three men coiled ropes expertly, looped them in a knot, and flung them in a waiting wagon. One of them caught sight of Sam and shouted a good-natured insult about lazy tree stumps. The broad-shouldered bald man noticed Jonah and scowled. “That our helpless baby?” He turned his back before Jonah could introduce himself.
    Sam chuckled and coughed again. After they resumed their slow walk, Sam jerked his thumb back at the bald man. “That sweet-talker is Dimitri, our strongman.”
    “I thought he was a, um, a roustabout.” Jonah was proud to recall the word.
    “In a small outfit like this, we all got more than one role. Even the artistes have more’n one job.” He pointed at some men tossing knives back and forth. “They’re supposed to be helping Pete get the animal carriages ready, but no one’s going to start yelling ’less the rain starts. Told you it was a lazy sort of a day. Grimstone ain’t the sort to push when he don’t need to. He’s a good boss, best I’ve ever worked under. Mysterious as the devil, but, like I said, all of us got our secrets to hide.”
    Those were the truest words Jonah had heard in a long time. And it was right then that he was sure he’d found a place where he might belong.

Chapter Four
     
    Despite Sam’s assurance that the takedown was slow-paced, the carnival was packed into wagons faster than Jonah imagined possible. He looked around at the trampled grass and tried to recall how it had all looked set up, but could only conjure a nightmarish jumble of bright colors and noises in the dark. And