4

The sun peeked over the horizon, lighting the sky with orange and pink hues. Joe stooped to pick up the apples he'd been juggling as he waited for dawn. Finally! Now he could wake up his father. Milly had instructed him very f irmly to let their father sleep in — at least until the sun was up.

“Dad, let's go!” Joe burst into the tent, pausing to shove his father's cowboy hat out of his face. He clambered onto his dad's cot and shook him. “The elephants need us.”

Holt grumbled and rolled over, accidentally pushing Joe off the mattress.

Smiling, Joe stood and began juggling his apples once more.

“I think I heard one call out in the middle of the night, but I waited a while and it was quiet, so maybe I didn't, but now it's morning and they're all trumpeting at the sun, just like roosters. Maybe something's happening! Or maybe they're just saying they want breakfast.”

Joe lost control of his apples and they rained down, mostly on his father.

From her cot, where she was braiding her hair, Milly smirked as Holt groaned.

“Good grief, Son,” he mumbled. “Gonna make me miss the war.”

But now that he was awake, Holt staggered to his feet, moving awkwardly to get ready. Milly and Joe waited outside. Milly wondered if he'd need help and almost went back in, but when Holt emerged, his left shirtsleeve was neatly tucked and pinned up out of the way.

He plucked his hat off Joe's head and strode off toward the elephants.

Rufus and his men had beaten them to the elephant cars and were already unloading the f irst two pachyderms, Goliath and Zeppelin. With his pole, Rufus banged on the ramp of Mrs. Jumbo's car.

“Move it, Mrs. Jumbo. Don't make me hafta incentivize you,” he threatened.

All Joe could see was Mrs. Jumbo's back. She ignored Rufus, continuing to shove hay into a big pile. Was she making herself a bed?

His ears pink with annoyance, Rufus leapt up into the car and slammed his pole on the wall. The elephant turned, bellowing in concern.

“Easy, Rufus,” Holt called out. “That's a lady in there.”

Rufus sauntered to the doorway and sneered down at the Farrier family. “Oh, ho, look who's riding in to the rescue, but he ain't on the marquee no more. Time to see what he's been missing down here in the dirt. Ever git that feeling, Holt? Like there's something yer missing ?”

“Imagine my surprise you didn't enlist,” Holt parried back.

“Weak ticker,” Rufus said, tapping his chest. “Doc's advice.”

Joe seriously doubted that. Rufus was just not as brave and heroic as his dad. Nor did he understand serving the country, working for a greater cause. As far as Joe could tell, the only thing Rufus cared about was himself.

Rufus beckoned his men into the car and they advanced on Mrs. Jumbo, who backed away nervously, trumpeting and swinging her head side to side.

“Dad, something's wrong. She doesn't want to leave,” Milly said.

Reaching up, Rufus unhinged part of the wall and slammed it down, scaring Mrs. Jumbo. As she scrambled away, she wound up on the ramp, slipping and sliding toward the ground. The men hurried after her, herding her with their arms and poles. Rufus pushed on her head, shoving her backward down the ramp.

“Stop! She's scared!” Milly cried as the elephant rolled her eyes and stamped her feet.

Holt stormed forward. “All right, Rufus, leave her alone!”

He swung and punched the red-haired man, sending him sprawling.

Rufus spat at the ground. “Real chivalrous there, cowboy. Bet your dear departed would be proud.”

“Dad, look!” Joe called from the top of the ramp.

Everyone spun to see him pointing at the pile of hay Mrs. Jumbo had been building. It was... moving.

Holt, Milly, and Joe edged toward it as Mrs. Jumbo trumpeted. Something within the pile stirred, and pieces of hay cascaded down, revealing two blinking dark eyes.

“Whoa,” Holt said, a tremble of awe in his voice. “We got a baby in here.”

*　　*　　*

Down the train, in his personal car, Medici was lounging in a bath dictating to Rongo, who was balancing ledgers on his knees.

“Just look for cuts across the board,” Medici said. “We're gonna advertise a sale, but raise prices ten percent. Are you getting all this?”

Rongo shot him a glare. “I'm the strongman.” He wasn't supposed to be doing accounting and secretary work and inventory. He should be getting ready for his act.

“Baby! The baby's here!” someone called from outside.

“Baby? I'm a savant-garde genius!” Medici exclaimed, reaching for a towel and robe. “Get word to all the papers: ‘The Medici Brothers Proudly Present... America's Newest Precious Bundle of Joy!’”

*　　*　　*

Back in the elephant car, Holt was slowly shifting hay away from the newborn elephant, trying to coax it out of the pile.

“It's okay now. Don't be scared. Your mama's right outside.” He was hoping the same soothing tone that worked on horses would transfer over.

A grayish pink circle with two nostrils poked out of the hay. The end of the trunk sniffed, then sneezed, spraying f luid right in Holt's face.

“Aah!” Holt backpedaled in surprise, bumping into Milly, who bumped into Joe, so they all tumbled down, thumping against the boxcar f loor with a loud boom.

“ Eeeeeuuuugh! ” the baby elephant cried, scooting backward into the hay only to bang into the back of the car. This startled it even more, and it came zooming forward, shaking off hay in all directions.

Holt grabbed his kids and dove to the side as the elephant tripped and tumbled, end over end, down the ramp toward the gathering crowd of troupe members below.

“Oh, no!” called Miss Atlantis. Most people darted out of the way, but a few brave souls, Ivan among them, reached forward in concern.

“Where's my baby?” Medici called as he shoved to the front of the throng.

The ball of gray came to a stop, back legs splayed open. There was a f lash of an adorable face, two beautiful shining black eyes, and a tiny trunk before — f lap .

Two giant ears unfurled and landed over the animal's face, completely blocking it from view.

All the blood drained from Medici's face. “What. Is. That?”

“He's Baby Jumbo!” Joe said excitedly. But none of the adults shared his enthusiasm. They were all peering at the creature with dismay.

“But what are those?” Holt pointed at the gray f laps cloaking its face.

A trunk nudged out, parting the ears slightly. They billowed like curtains.

“That's not a baby; it's a blanket,” Catherine said from her spot in the crowd. She crossed her arms, clearly disgruntled there wasn't a cute and cuddly creature to pet.

“It's a one-ton set of drapes,” Ivan added.

“They do seem a little bit big,” Milly offered.

Medici pulled on the sides of his hair, a gesture Holt recognized as panic. “I have fake freaks in the freak show. I don't need a real one in the center ring,” the director yelled. “We've been swindled!”

Rufus clapped slowly, mocking Medici. “Congratulations, ya idiot. Gone and bought yourself a baby monster. Almost as clumsy as your kid, cowboy.” He nodded at Holt and Joe before f ixing his attention back on the elephant. “Hey, you think he can hear me?” He sprang toward it, shouting “Boo!”

The baby squeaked and shuff led back into the ramp. Mrs. Jumbo had had enough. She reached over the men holding her back and wrapped her trunk around Rufus's leg.

“Whoaa!” Rufus was suddenly hanging upside down off the ground. Then he f lew through the air.

Splash . Rufus landed in a nearby water trough.

Laughter rang out among the troupe as he sputtered and scrambled out.

“Job's all yours, ya luckless lean-to,” Rufus hissed at Holt as he stalked away. Rufus's two men followed him, releasing Mrs. Jumbo to move more freely.

The mother elephant hurried to her baby's side and gently nudged him up onto all fours. She patted him all over with her trunk — f irst, it seemed, to make sure he was unhurt, and then to tickle him affectionately. The baby nuzzled into her.

Some of the troupe members drifted away, but others remained to gawk at the spectacle. Medici spied Rongo, who'd just arrived from the off ice.

“Rongo, telegram to Brugelbecker: ‘We've been bilked with damaged goods. It's an aberration-travestation and I demand pecuniary recompense!’ Do you have all that?”

The strongman gazed down at his notebook. “I have up to ‘telegram.’”

“And whatever you do, don't call the papers. We can't advertise this baby.” Medici paused and peered up at Rongo. “Tell me you didn't yet — did you?” His eyes grew wild.

Rongo stared back at him with a dumbfounded expression.

Medici pulled at his hair. “Aargh! Never do anything I tell you without checking with me f irst!”

Rolling his eyes, Rongo dropped the notebook and walked away.

Plonking down on a log, Medici scrubbed his head with his hands. “Why? Why me?” he moaned. “A face only a mother could love —”

“Sir, many of us f ind you handsome,” Miss Atlantis said reassuringly.

Medici glared at her. “I was talking about the elephant.”

“Look, she's drawing him a bath.” Milly pointed to where Mrs. Jumbo was using her trunk to suck up water from the trough, then gently spraying it along the baby's back.

“Wait, that's it,” Medici said, suddenly enthused. “A wash — whitewash, hogwash, brainwash. Holt!”

Holt stepped forward. “Need a vet to come look at him, Max?”

“What, a witness?” Medici shook his head. “We’ll do no such thing. We're in Joplin for two whole weeks and we've promised them a beautiful baby. You have until tomorrow night to f ix it.”

The circus director stood and brushed off his pants as the cowboy blinked in astonishment.

“Me? This is my problem?”

“I'm the boss. I'm delegating,” Medici proclaimed. “You tend to the elephants. Just make sure those ears disappear!”

Holt stared after him as Medici waltzed away. How was he going to just make somebody's ears disappear? He turned to the remaining performers, picking out Ivan from the group.

“Don't look at me!” The magician shook his head, hurrying off.

Water droplets landed on Holt's face as the baby elephant shook itself dry. Its ears were so large they dragged on the ground, immediately collecting dust. Mrs. Jumbo trumpeted softly and wrapped her baby in a hug.

“Awww,” Milly and Joe said together. They leaned against one another, their hearts warm.

But all Holt saw were those ears. Flapping, f lopping ears. Ears f ive times the size of its head. Ears only a mother could love, indeed. aF64OSoQRvKR8J+9RVSNURP8qO3U/jvEFdlAZ4H0oFilFxeM4Q1RiAd/fnUPLW7D