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around the center ring and turned the hat upside down to show that it was empty. Annabel stepped forward to join her father in the spotlight. As everyone leaned forward expectantly, Max’s young assistant reached into the hat.
    Even from his seat high up in the bleachers, Sam could see that something was wrong. There was a bewildered expression on his sister’s face, and she had stopped to whisper something into her father’s ear.
    â€œWhat is it?” Harriet asked.
    â€œI don’t know,” said Sam. “Maybe the hat really is empty. Maybe Snowball is missing.”
    Magic Max whispered something to his daughter and then signalled for another drum roll. With her eyes screwed shut and her teeth clenched, Annabel reached into the top hat and slowly removed the animal inside.
    The audience gasped. They’d been expecting a rabbit—not the large lizard that Annabel was holding up in obvious discomfort!
    â€œOliver!” Harriet and Sam said in unison.
    As they watched, Oliver wriggled free of Annabel’s grasp and fell to the floor. Annabel squealed and jumped back as the chameleon scurried over her feet and made its escape.
    Sam groaned and let his head fall forward into his hands.
    â€œAre you okay?” Harriet asked.
    â€œJust wait—I’m going to get blamed for this too!”

    They didn’t have to wait long. “I
hate
you, Sam!” Annabel hissed as she stormed onto the Stringbini bus immediately after the show.
    Max climbed onto the bus behind his daughter, just in time to prevent her from slugging her brother. “Calm down, Annabel,” he said, grabbing both her arms. “As for you, Sam, I think you and I need to take a little walk.”
    â€œI can explain,” Sam said as soon as they were away from the bus. “I didn’t steal Martin’s dishes, and I didn’t plant the lizard in your hat—”
    â€œYour sister says she saw you put Martin’s dishes in Mary Ann’s bunk. Is that true?” asked his father.
    Sam nodded. “But—”
    Max shook his head. “I’m disappointed in you, Sam. First you take your brother’s plates, and then you try to frame your cousin.”
    â€œI’m the one who was framed!” Sam exploded.
    â€œYou don’t know for sure that Mary Ann hid those dishes in your drawer,” Max said after Sam had finished telling his side of the story. “You should have alerted your brother the instant you found them instead of putting them in her bunk. You know that, Sam.”
    Sam was silent.
    Max ran his fingers through his beard and sighed. “What about the chameleon? What do you know about how Snowball and Oliver got switched this afternoon?”
    Sam shook his head angrily. “I told you, I had nothing to do with that. No matter what Annabel says!”
    Max studied his son’s face. “All right,” he said. “I believe you. But I’m telling you the same thing I’m going to tell everyone else. It’s hard enough all of us living together without everyone playing pranks on each other. It ends here, are we clear?”

Chapter Nine
    The Triple Top caravan arrived on the outskirts of Winnipeg at lunchtime the following Wednesday. Everyone pitched in, and soon the circus was set up for its first performance on Thursday night.
    â€œHey, wait up,” Harriet called as Sam walked toward the main tent with a tray of cotton candy hanging from his neck. “Are you selling that tonight?” she asked.
    Sam nodded glumly. “I have to sell snacks at every single performance from now on. It’s supposed to keep me out of trouble.”
    â€œAt least it’s something to do. Want some help?” his cousin offered.
    Sam shrugged. “Sure. Thanks. Man, it’s hot out tonight,” he complained as they approached the tent entrance. “They better have the air-conditioning running full blast.”
    But the temperature