about it the entire time.
But she would keep her word.
Sometimes that was all a person had left. Or a part-person-part-eldritch-horror.
Pulling back the flap to the tent where Rudy kept his weird and unnatural animals, she looked around the dim space. It was huge, and she could see the different bizarre creatures moving about in their cages or pens. “Rudy?”
Silence.
“Hey, Rudy, you around?”
Nothing.
With a shrug, she walked farther into the tent. She was sure he wouldn’t mind. She just really needed to smile. She felt so broken down about the whole thing. So overwrought. And through it all, she just wanted to scream and break something. But that’d hardly be productive.
Besides, who knew what would happen if she lost her temper now that she was part Cora, part who-knows-what-percentage-extra-dimensional, probably-evil being? So instead, she walked toward the back of the tent where she found the large pen that contained three animals that instantly made her smile.
“Hey, there, freaky tiger-moose family,” she said as she walked up to the edge of the pen.
The male of the three grunted and stomped his right front clawed hoof on the ground, trying to look intimidating. But when he sniffed the air, catching her scent, the fur on his back lowered. It let out a quiet chuff and walked toward her, sticking its head over the edge of the pen and nosing her shoulder. Whether because it recognized her from before, or because she was part of Harrow Faire and so was he, she didn’t know. But she’d take it.
“Well, okay, then.” She laughed and petted the creature’s neck. “Good to see you, too.” When the tiger-moose dropped his head to try to steal a carrot, she laughed again and held them out of his reach. “Nice try! You sneaky critter.”
Mom and the baby were at the gate now as well, each of them nudging her and asking for treats like horses. She smiled. This was one of the simple pleasures in life. Feeding animals always cheered her up. She offered each one a carrot and watched as they happily chewed on them. She had to hold on to the carrot for the baby, as it couldn’t fit a whole carrot in its mouth like its parents. “I hope you’re not on some wacky special diet and Rudy’s going to be mad at me.”
“They’re not.”
She shrieked and whirled around. There was Zookeeper, watching her with a flat expression. He was in human form, but his eyes were yellow and glinted like a wolf’s in the dim light. “God damn it, don’t sneak up on me.”
“I don’t sneak.” He walked to the edge of the pen and reached up to pet the neck of the male tiger-moose. “I prowl.”
“Whatever. Don’t prowl up behind me. And don’t be pedantic.” She shoved his shoulder.
Rudy smirked briefly and, taking one of her carrots, held it up for the big animal to munch on. “Why are you here, Cora?”
“I love animals. I like to feed them to cheer myself up.”
“I do the same thing.”
“You come in cheerful mode?” She shot him an incredulous look. “Bullshit.”
That got him to smile. It faded quickly, but it was there. “I wasn’t always like this. But the Faire reeks of death, and it…ruins my mood. We’ll put it that way.” He grimaced then sighed. “I will be happy to have this all over with soon. One way or another. I dislike the uncertainty.”
“I do, too.”
“Then why hold the vote? You could beat Ringmaster in a fight. Especially with Simon and me at your back, he would not stand a chance.” Rudy turned to face her. “I don’t understand.”
“I know. Neither does Simon.” She paused. “But it’s about having a chance to choose. So many of us were taken against our will. We were made part of Harrow Faire by no choice of our own. It’s only right that everyone gets a say about something for once.” She scratched between the ears of the baby tiger-moose, smiling as it made a weird, presumably happy, grunting noise. She held up another carrot for it to nibble on.
They stood in silence for a long time. Finally, she worked up the nerve to ask. “What was it that Lazarus said to you yesterday at dinner?”
Rudy winced.
“If it’s private, you don’t need to tell me. I’m sorry.”
Zookeeper shook his head. “Funny that you wish to give everyone here a choice. I would prefer mine to be taken away from me. That is why I came here. That is why I