Ebudae by John H. Carroll Read Free Book Online Page B

to kidnap you. Lizor is
going to keep pretty ladies safe.” He flexed the muscles in his
chest, making them do a dance. “Come join us. The tent is nice and
cool.”
    “What tent, Lizor and who else is there?”
Pelya asked cautiously. Ebudae approved of the caution.
    “It’s our tent. Me, Aphry, Glav and Juggles.
We perform almost every day, but not today. Come sit in the cool
tent. It’s shady.” He stared at the bicep again and made the muscle
bounce up and down.
    To Ebudae’s surprise and dismay, Pelya
agreed. “That sounds wonderful. We need to get out of the sun
before we melt.” She held onto Lizor’s arm and let the big man
lead. Ebudae froze where she stood for a moment before scurrying
after them so as not to be alone while surrounded by so many
people.
    The day had started out wonderfully. She and
Pelya bought sweet treats, watched a dramatic performance about
wizardry that Ebudae had loved, had exotic foods from other lands,
and wandered around Carnival to watch performers of all types.
    Problems began when people bumped into
Ebudae repeatedly. It was easy to be brave all alone in her room
surrounded by books, but with so many people shifting back and
forth chaotically, it was impossible to concentrate. She had a
desperate urge to lash out with magical fire to get them to back
off.
    Her head hurt from the cacophony of noise
created by people in constant motion. The odors of unwashed bodies
and the scents of food were made heavier by the heat, weighing on
Ebudae’s shoulders until she felt low to the ground. She began
hanging more and more onto Pelya for support.
    As they walked forward with the scary giant,
she grabbed her friend’s belt and followed timidly behind. Ebudae
was at the point where she wanted to go home and never leave again.
Crowds were the worst thing she had ever experienced.
    “So what sort of performance do you do,
Lizor?” Pelya asked. She knew Ebudae was holding onto her belt and
had already said it didn’t bother her. Pelya had the ability to
handle masses of people bumping into her, so she did her best to
protect Ebudae.
    “Lizor lifts and bashes things because Lizor
is the strongest man in the world!” He smacked his fist into his
chest to emphasize the point. The good news was that people were
giving him as wide a berth as possible.
    “I can see that!” Pelya said in tones that
matched his. Ebudae had been noticing that her friend adjusted her
speech to become similar to whomever she was speaking to. “What do
the others do?”
    “Aphry is the boss. She’s pretty and
everybody loves when she dances. Glav plays instruments, sings and
talks to the audience. He’s funny and everybody listens to him
because he knows everything. Juggles juggles.” Lizor grinned
happily. “They’re my best friends and we take care of each other.
Our tent is nice and cool too,” he said, in case they had missed
the first few times he said it.
    “Will they be upset if we show up?” Pelya
asked
    “Oh no. You’re pretty ladies and very nice.
They’ll like you. Lizor likes you.” He flexed his chest muscles
again.
    “Is this wise?” Ebudae whispered in Pelya’s
ear opposite from the big man. “It could be a trap and I’m not sure
him liking you is a good thing.”
    Pelya turned her head toward Ebudae and
whispered back. “We need to get out of the sun. He’s harmless.
Trust me on this one.”
    Ebudae looked at Lizor dubiously. The giant
looked anything but harmless. She was sure the muscles on
his fingers were bigger than her arms and he might squish her like
a bug.
    Carnival had numerous courtyards surrounded
by stages, each of which had a tent for its performers. There was
usually a statue or fountain in the center and benches surrounding
it for audiences to sit. Each troupe of performers would take turns
throughout the day and night so as not to interfere with each
other. Carnival managers sold the time slots and handled any
disputes.
    It was to one of those courtyards that