Entwined (55 page)

He shrugged reluctantly.

"But you must go now. I'll take care of Rebecca. Please, you haven't been near the cages."

Ruda nodded, then took Rebecca's hand. "We're ready!"

Grimaldi stood beside Rebecca as Ruda went over to the boys. At last she seemed to be concentrating as she checked the props and cages. She gave a signal for the boys to start stacking the tunnel sections to the entrance. Two more acts and they were on.

Ruda moved from cage to cage. She had changed into tight white trousers, black shiny boots, and a white frilled Russian-style shirt. The simplicity of her costume made her look smaller and more vulnerable. She carried only a short stick. Rebecca stepped forward to follow Ruda, but Grimaldi held her back firmly. "No, no, you must leave her alone now. This is very important, she must get ready."

"Yes, of course!"

Ruda started pacing. Twice she stopped and looked over at Rebecca. She smiled, then asked the boys if the fire hoop was set up, the pedestals stacked. Back to her old self, she went over every detail. Grimaldi felt relieved.

Mike stood by the mass of stacked railings; four circus hands waited for the signal to spring into action. There would be two sets of clowns and jugglers covering the mounting of the cages in the central ring. The main ring would be in darkness as the safety barrier was erected.

Red light on. Mike looked to Vernon. "Stand by…Okay boys, stand by, we got the red light. Red light, Mr. Grimaldi."

"Two minutes for Kellerman's act. Stand by, you have red light…GO GREEN, MISS KELLERMAN, PLEASE STAND BY."

Luis looked at Rebecca. She was shaking; he patted her shoulder.

"When the red light comes on over there, that is our cue to go into the ring. We go in first, then Ruda will get her own red and green light."

In the darkened ring the cages were brought into position, the tunnel erected. The first cage was placed by the trapdoor of the tunnel.

Mike checked the trapdoor and used his walkie-talkie. "Cages in position for tunnel, over…"

"Ladies and gentlemen! Schmidt's is proud to announce for your entertainment tonight, the most famous, the most daring wild animal act in the world. Please remain in your seats. Do not attempt to move from the ringside anywhere near the barriers. Please do not move down the aisles during this act. Any one of these wild animals can kill, please remain seated…Any movement outside the barriers can distract the animals, can endanger their trainer."

The crowd murmured. The excitement became palpable as the orchestra began a slow drumbeat.

Grimaldi got the green light to enter the ring. He picked up his rifle and beckoned for Rebecca to follow. She kept close as he entered the darkened arena, making his way carefully to the far edge of the barrier to take up his "watching" position.

Vernon was already in place opposite Grimaldi, and he lifted his radio set piece. "In position, Grimaldi on the far side with the woman. Eh! Looks like he's got a bloody rifle!"

Mike kept his eyes on Ruda as she paced up and down. He lifted the radio. "He's just showing off, Vern. Okay, we got the red! Stand by for green!"

Ruda pulled on her leather gloves.

"Ladies and gentlemen…Ruda Kellerman!"

"GREEN GO! GREEN GO!"

Vernon withdrew the bolts from the trapdoor leading from the tunnel into the darkened ring. Ruda made her way in the dark toward the open trap from ring to tunnel. She backed into the tunnel, exactly ten paces.

"She's in position, over!"

Vernon heard Mike tell him the cats were released.
Bang!
Up came the central spotlight, pinpointing Ruda Kellerman running from the tunnel into the center of the ring, while close on her heels came Roja, followed by fifteen more tigers. The crowd murmured. It looked as if the tigers were chasing Ruda into the ring.

The act began. Rieckert gasped: "Holy shit!"

Helen gripped Louis' arm. "My God…look at her, look at her face!"

Louis half rose out of his seat: Ruda could have been Rebecca. Stunned, he couldn't catch his breath.

"My God, they're almost identical!"

Torsen released his arm from around Freda, and stared in astonishment. There she was, surrounded by a mass of cats, so close they seemed to brush against her legs.

Ruda was in full control as she issued commands. In perfect coordination the cats kept up the tight, circular movement.

"Good Roja…Roja good…ROJA BREAK!"

The massive tiger broke to his right. Now the sixteen animals formed two circles as Ruda backed to the barrier and picked up the reinforced ladder. The spotlight spilled over to the barrier, momentarily shining on Grimaldi and Rebecca. Helen stood up. "She's at the side of the ring, Louis. I saw her!"

The man behind Helen pulled on her jacket and told her to sit down. But Louis had seen too. White-faced, he turned to Helen.

"I saw her, too. She's with Grimaldi."

♦ ♦ ♦

Torsen was on the edge of his seat. He leaned across to Rieckert. "Did you see her? The woman across the ring, on the opposite side?"

Freda turned to Torsen. "What did you say?"

Torsen stared into the ring, and then gasped. "My God! Look what she's doing!"

♦ ♦ ♦

Ruda was backing up the ladder now. Roja turned inward, the circle getting closer, tighter around the ladder. From her perch, Ruda rocked the ladder dangerously.

"Roja!…move move…RIGHT…RIGHT! SASHA!…SASHA DOWN!"

This was the most dangerous part of the sequence. Ruda readied herself for her famous flying leap, the cats forming a tight group in front of her. Grimaldi and Rebecca moved closer to the bars.

"Sasha DOWN."

Grimaldi looked at Rebecca. She was repeating Ruda's commands word for word: "Sasha…Sasha…Sasha!"

Grimaldi looked back to the ring. Sasha was acting up. "DOWN! Sasha. Down, down!" Rebecca said.

Grimaldi grabbed her arm. "Shut up…shut up!" he hissed.

Rebecca turned to him, seemingly unaware of who he was.

"DOWN…DOWN!"

Grimaldi sighed with relief as Ruda sprang forward and lay across the cats' backs. After the cartwheel turn, Ruda jumped back onto her feet. She gave the command to spread out. The applause was deafening. Now the cats were running like a wild pack. Ruda bowed, and commanded the animals to form the chorus dance line.

Sasha was acting up again. This time she refused to back up onto her hind legs. She swiped at Ruda, snarling and growling. Then she began to fight with the tiger next to her. Ruda crossed over to them.

"SASHA, NO…Up, up, UP!"

Rebecca was shaking, repeating over and over: "Sasha…Sasha…"

Vernon became very tense. The cats refused several commands. Instigated by Sasha, fights were breaking out. Sophia, the female at the end, joined in. Sweat streamed off Ruda's face.

Ruda pushed, cajoled, shouted, and ordered. At one point she cuffed Sasha's nose—hard. Sasha lashed out, but at last they were in line, behaving. They began to form the pyramid, then the rollover, as Ruda moved one of the pedestals into the center of the arena. It was a bright red pedestal with a gold fringe. As rehearsed, Roja broke from the row and nudged Ruda from behind. She turned round to face him, shaking her finger, then returned to setting up the next pedestal.

Vernon's eyes were glued on the waiting tigers. At Ruda's command, they all sat back on their haunches, paws waving in the air. Ruda looked as if she were gesturing to each one to keep in the sitting-up position. She moved in and out of their territory, giving small hand signals for one or another to try to get off their pedestal. They swiped at the air with their paws, as if refusing. Ruda put her hands on her hips in mock frustration.

Vernon got the radio message from Mike. "Mamon's on his way down."

With her back to the tunnel, still pretending to admonish the tigers, Ruda got a large bottle of milk and fed Roja, then looked back as if pleading for him to sit on the pedestal. The children in the audience shrieked with laughter.

A small spotlight moved to the entrance of the tunnel. Now Mamon crept out slowly, as if sneaking up behind Ruda. When she turned, she pretended not to see him, but actually gave him the command to move behind her, while still encouraging Roja to sit on the pedestal.

Roja refused. Ruda pretended to get angry; the children, as expected, began to shout: "He's behind you!"

As trained, Mamon kept moving stealthily behind Ruda. Every time she turned she gave the command for a tiger to head back down the tunnel. Each time she turned back to her row of tigers, one was missing. Ruda made an elaborate show of counting tigers and looking puzzled. Roja feigned an attack and Ruda sidestepped him. The audience hushed as Roja made another run at Ruda. This time she crouched down and he jumped over her head and ran into the tunnel. Ruda took out a bright red handkerchief and wiped her forehead. When she turned back, she stared in astonishment—all the pedestals were empty! All the tigers had gone down the tunnel!

Vernon whispered into his microphone. "All clear…all clear. Bolt on, wait for Roja, over. Okay, he's clear, he's out."

The children screamed once more. "He's behind you!"

Mamon roared and the children fell silent. Ruda turned in mock fear to face the big lion. Vernon got the radio message. "All back. Trapdoor down."

Ruda was now left with Mamon, and it was as if that had been his intention all the time, to clear all the other cats away and be the star.

Ruda issued Mamon the command. "Red!" and continued to look forward to the empty tunnel, pretending to be puzzled that the others had disappeared.

Grimaldi tensed up, Vernon moved closer. Mamon was behind Ruda, but he was nowhere near where he should be, nowhere near the pedestal. His head hung low and he was moving stealthily forward.

"Red…Ma'angel…Ma'angel…!"

Grimaldi heard Rebecca gasp. She broke free of him and clung to the bars. Her face was rigid. "RED…RED…RED!!"

The sawdust churned up behind Mamon as he made a fast U-turn, and at a terrifying gallop careened across the ring, flinging himself at the railings, toward Rebecca. He seemed crazed, swiping at the bars and snarling.

The audience became silent. Ruda moved to the center of the ring. Only the ring was lit, not the barrier, so the audience could hardly see Grimaldi or Rebecca. But Rebecca fell back, terrified.

Ruda kept the pedestal between herself and Mamon.

" YUPPPPPPPPPPPMAMON…UP UP… RED RED…MA'AANGELLLLLLLL!" He was too far across the ring to be forced back to the tunnel again. He began a crazed run around the barrier, teeth bared, his eyes crazy.

"Red, GOOD BOY…Ma'angel…Red!"

Rebecca was tugging at Grimaldi, saying over and over: "Red, red, red…"

Vernon snapped an order for someone to get ready to let Ruda out of the trapdoor on that side. Mamon was going crazy.

Torsen bit his knuckles, his face white. "He's out of control. Look at him, he's going for her!"

Rieckert sat back in his seat. "Bloody hell…she must be mad! He's going to attack her."

Mike sent one of the boys to stand by the trapdoor. Grimaldi signaled for him to get to his side. He pushed Rebecca forward.

"Take her out, just get her out of the way. I'll handle it, I'll see to the trapdoor."

Rebecca called out to Ruda, but the orchestra was playing at full volume. Only the few rows close to Grimaldi could sense something was very wrong.

Rebecca was dragged out, unable to tear her eyes from the ring. Grimaldi cocked the rifle. There was a gasp from the banks of seats close by.

Helen gripped the baron's hand. "Can you see him? He's got a rifle, but I can't see Rebecca. I think something is wrong…Do you think this could be part of the act?"

Mike listened as Vernon repeated into the radio that Mamon was going crazy, and that Ruda couldn't control him.

"He's acting up! No…no—hold the panic."

They faced each other. After Rebecca left, Mamon seemed to calm down. He still wavered, but Ruda moved in closer. Her whole body was covered in sweat. Adrenaline was pumping through each vein.

"Come on…come on Ma'angel. Up red…red UP! MAMON!"

She moved closer. His massive jaws were open and drool hung from his mouth as he tossed his head from side to side. There was silence now. The orchestra had just finished playing a segment of Wagner's The Ring, the moment when Siegfried discovers his beloved.

Ruda knelt on one knee and bowed her head. There was a gasp as Mamon sprang as if to attack her. Instead, he leaped over her head and landed perfectly on the pedestal. Slowly he lifted his front paws in the air. Ruda crossed to the pedestal and stood in front of him. Directly beneath him, she opened her arms to accept the applause, facing him.

"Mamon…good, good. Gently now, good boy." Ruda turned her back to Mamon, and he slowly lowered his front paws onto her shoulders. The spotlight shrank until it shone on Mamon's head. She turned to look at him. She could smell his breath, she could hear his heart pumping. She was at his mercy.

"Good boy…good, KISS!"

Ruda stepped quickly away. On command he was off the pedestal and running for the tunnel. She was left alone to bow, and take the thundering applause. The audience gave her a standing ovation.

"Ladies and gentlemen we now have an intermission…but hurry back to see the second half of the fearless, the extraordinarily daring Ruda Kellerman's act. Meet Wanton, the panther. Meet more of Ruda Keller-man's amazing family of wild beasts."

The lights came on as the ice cream girls streamed down the aisles. Many members of the audience remained in their seats dazed, unsure of what they had just seen.

Ruda was panting and patting her face dry with a towel as she ran across toward her trailer to change for the second half of the act. Grimaldi was waiting. "Don't take him into the second half, he's crazy. He refused to obey you time and time again."

She turned on Grimaldi. "I can control him, I
did
. Now back off. I know what I'm doing."

Only then did she stop, look around. "Where is she?
Luis, where is she?
"