Stage One

Tiny cogs clicked into place as Marguerite placed the finishing touches on the stink bombs. Her hands ached from the haste of the fine work, and she suspected that she would have a small rash where some chemical spilled. The animals carried the bombs nicely. Thanks to Marie's clever filching, they looked like a very diverse assortment of miniature pack mules.

Marguerite made once last check of the mechanisms. She would hate for them to release the stench en route, ruining the effect. Once everything met her satisfaction, she looked about her for Marie. Not seeing her anywhere, Marguerite stepped out of the ship.

"Damn girl needs a leash," she said to herself, still not finding her. Not wanting to risk tardiness, Marguerite gathered the animals in the basket again. "Alexandra! Alexandra, dear! Alexandra!" Marguerite called, being quite close to her ship. The fortuneteller poked her head out, looking quite distracted.

"Oh, Marguerite! How are the animals doing?"

"Just fine, and they are ready for tonight's alternative show. Speaking of which, have you seen Marie?"

"I'm afraid not. I thought she was with you."

"Damn it all," Marguerite said. She marched off with the animals in tow, leaving Alexandra looking quite confused for a moment before she too returned to her business.

Where would an acrobatic teenager be right before a minor bombing of a rival circus? Marguerite saw the early crowds for side shows, the callers already barking out the attractions. The setting sun had long finished illuminating the first clouds of the circus's namesake. Engines hummed, forming a steady river of light smoke and steam around the circus encampment. The lights were lit, and by night the ring of performers and performances seemed to glow, simultaneously hidden by the mysterious fog of the Vapeur. Marguerite needed to find Marie before the clouds settled any more. Otherwise she would be near impossible to locate.

"Marguerite!" Marie called from behind. "I'm here!"

"Finally! I thought you were still with the animals until I went to fasten the contraptions to them. Here," she said, passing the basket to Marie. "The fuses are sticking out of the tops of each bag. You don't need to light them. In fact, do not even think of lighting them. If you do, I will consider your body forfeit in replacement of those of my menagerie."

Marie seemed to turn a variety of very interesting colors, but otherwise maintained a brave face. If Marguerite were more of a biologist, she would have loved to record the fine array and what each corresponded with. Instead, she resumed her instructions.

"Pull the fuses from the bags. You will have roughly three minutes before the reaction reaches its peak, at which point the animals should be well established in the crowds. To get them back to you, open this jar here," Marguerite pointed to a small stone jar plugged with cork. "They will know the smell over the rest and come back to you."

Marie looked as though she were about to sniff the contents of the jar, thought better of it, and instead asked, nose wrinkled, "They'll be able to smell over those bombs?"

"Hopefully. Otherwise you get to find them before they are trampled," Marguerite said in a matter-of-fact tone. "I will meet you just outside our ring of ships, next to the main entrance. Now go. I believe the rest of our merry bunch should be just about ready."

Marie nodded. While she dashed off to plant the animals, Marguerite decided that baskets were inescapably awkward.

The crowds grew steadily as the night continued. Marguerite wandered the circus, much as she had done in her early days with them. Few of the shows had changed, but the ones that had had done so drastically. One even let patrons play games for prizes. Marguerite thought the concept quite silly, then wondered if perhaps she could convince patrons that her animals knew tricks. If they could command them properly, they could win a prize. Otherwise they could just walk away in frustration with their money in her pocket.

If the animals came back unharmed, anyhow. Despite herself, Marguerite sighed. It was going to be a long night.