Lou stiffened and opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. The man put his arm around her shoulders and led her away.
"Come with me, my dear," Cagliostro said. He could see the girl's mind working furiously trying to figure out a plan of escape. She did not need one. Cagliostro had a plan for her escape already- a plan that guaranteed that no one would ever find her half blooded friend. He almost let out a maniacal laugh, but the girl was frightened enough and that's just what he wanted. Cagliostro turned Lou and the two started walking.
"What did you do to him?" Lou asked finding her voice. She was trying to control her temper and be brave at the same time, but she felt like she was failing on both accounts. She felt a tear slide down her cheek and she hastily brushed it away.
"That is none of your concern," Cagliostro said. He opened the door to his trailer and ushered her inside.
Cagliostro pointed to a chair and Lou reluctantly sat down.
"Would you like a drink?" he asked as he pulled out two glasses and then a bottle.
"No, thank you," Lou said. "It is my concern what you are doing to my friend. Why didn't he think I was real?"
"Your name is Louise, is it not?" Cagliostro asked as he poured Bourbon into both glasses. He slid one glass across the table to Lou.
"Yes, it is," Lou said. "I won't let you change the subject. I want you to release my friend."
"I'm sorry, Louise," he said, "I can't do that, but I have a counter offer."
Lou looked at the man confused and curious.
"You saw your friend in the cage, yes?" Cagliostro asked. "How would you like to end up like him?"
Lou tried to hide the panic in her face, but Cagliostro saw it.
"That's what I thought," he said.
"What would I have to do to avoid it?" Lou asked meekly.
"Just relax and listen to the sound of my voice," Cagliostro said.
Kid let out a road weary sigh as he and Jimmy rode into Rock Creek. "I'll put talk to Teaspoon if you put up the horses," he suggested.
Kid jumped down off Katy's back and tossed the reins to Jimmy, who continued on to the station. Kid walked into the Marshal's office and found Teaspoon reading a book at his desk.
"Teaspoon?" Kid asked.
"Kid, you find out anything?" Teaspoon said as he closed the book he was reading.
"No, it's like Buck just disappeared into thin air," Kid answered. "Did Ike say anything yet?"
"Nope, he's taken to avoiding Rachel now," Teaspoon said. "I have a theory, Kid. I think that mind reader from that circus is somehow involved. I just don't know exactly how or why."
"Teaspoon, has Lou returned from her run?" Kid asked anxiously.
"Yep, she sure has," Teaspoon said with a smile. "At least that's one of you I don't have to worry about today. She was raring to go out to that circus herself and look around."
"You didn't let her!" Kid blurted out.
"Well, of course not Kid," Teaspoon replied. "I talked her out of it."
"Good, I've been worried about her all day," Kid said relieved. "What should we do next?"
"Well, I think we should talk about this over supper," Teaspoon said. "I want to have everyone there so we can plan this out."
"I think we should leave Lou out of this," Kid said. "I don't like how those circus men were interested in her."
"Now, Kid, I promised Lou we wouldn't leave her behind," Teaspoon said. "I had to or she would have gone off to the circus looking for Buck on her own."
"But Teaspoon…"
"I ain't gonna argue with you no more, Kid," Teaspoon said. "I'm going to need everyone's help as it is. She can probably get into places we can't. We have to use all of our strengths."
"Fine, but I'm not letting her out of my sight," Kid stipulated.
"Alright," Teaspoon agreed. "Now, why don't you help Jimmy with those horses and then wash up for supper."
"Yes, sir," Kid replied.
Teaspoon shook his head as Kid left his office. He stood up and stretched. He had better talk to Rachel and see if she was able to get anything more out of Ike. Teaspoon felt his age in his bones as he walked through the town. Sometimes he felt too old to be running after these boys all the time, but he always did because they needed him. This time was no different. They needed to get to the bottom of what was going on and they needed to do it fast.
Teaspoon knocked on the door to Rachel's house and waited until the station mistress appeared.
"Teaspoon, come in!" she said. "Supper will be ready in a half an hour."
Teaspoon wiped his feet on the mat just over the threshold and sat down on a nice chair. Rachel sat in her rocker and grabbed a shirt to mend.
"Did you manage to keep Lou busy today?" Teaspoon asked.
"I haven't seen Lou all day, Teaspoon," Rachel replied with her face reflecting her confusion. "Did she come back?"
"Yeah, this mornin'."
"I been keeping an eye out for her, but it's hard to keep track of them some days," Rachel complained. "Let's see…Noah's out on a run, Ike and Cody have been doing chores all day, and I see Kid and Jimmy are just back. I haven't seen hide nor hair of Lou today."
"Damn!" Teaspoon said. "That fool girl's gone and done just what I told her not to. Rachel, I need to get the boys together and go after Lou."
"I'll get some supplies together," Rachel said dropping the mending back into the pile. She ran into the kitchen and started to assemble some hard tack, coffee, and jerky.
Teaspoon opened the door and hurried out with Rachel on his heel. Kid came rushing out of the barn.
"I thought you said Lou was here?" Kid yelled. "Lightning's not in the barn, and Cody and Ike haven't seen her all day."
"I know," Teaspoon said. "Let's all get in the bunkhouse and discuss it."
"There's no time to discuss it!" Kid shouted. "I knew she was in trouble. I just knew it!"
"Calm down, Kid," Teaspoon said as soothingly as he could muster. "You ain't doin' Lou any good by getting upset. We need to think and plan rationally."
"I'll try, Teaspoon," Kid said reluctantly agreeing, "But this is Lou we're talking about."
"I know, Kid, I know."
The boys were all seated at the table and Teaspoon stood at the head of the table. He recounted his conversation with Lou earlier in the day. All the boys seemed to be beyond concerned except Ike. This worried Teaspoon even more. He didn't think he could have the next part of the conversation with Ike present.
"Rachel, why don't you and Ike go to the house for some more supplies," Teaspoon suggested. He gave Rachel a wink, which she quickly caught the meaning of. She opened her mouth slightly and nodded.
"Come on, Ike," Rachel said. The two got up from the table and left the bunkhouse.
Teaspoon watched them go and looked at the door for a few moments before turning back to Cody, Jimmy, and Kid.
"Boys, I think Lou's in more danger than we can imagine," Teaspoon said. "I've been reading up on this mesmerizing thing that circus fellow you boys were so taken with does. Frankly, it scares me. I think he's done something to Ike's mind to make him forget who his friends are. If that man got a hold of Lou, I don't know what he could do to her."
The bunkhouse door suddenly opened and Teaspoon and the boys all turned to look at who entered the bunkhouse. Their curious faces turned puzzled.
"Who is doing what to who?" Lou asked as she walked through the door. "Is someone else in trouble?"
"We thought you were, Lou," Kid said exasperated. "Where have you been?"
Lou gave Kid an annoyed glare and turned her attention to Teaspoon. "I'm sorry, Teaspoon, but I didn't see the point of waiting," she said. "I went and looked around that circus."
Teaspoon licked lip and raised his eyebrows in irritation. He didn't like his boys and girls going off on their own half cocked. "Well?" he asked as he crossed his arms in front of him.
"If Buck was there, I would have found him," Lou said. "There was no sign of him."
Teaspoon sunk down onto his chair. "Well that don't make no sense," he said. "Lou, are you sure?"
"I turned that place inside out and asked a lot of questions too," Lou said. "I'm telling you, Buck wasn't there."
Gilles was happy to be getting back to Cirque l'Enfer tonight. It had been a long road and not many towns on it were up to having the circus stop for anything more than the night. He finally found a place to take them. It would be at least a whole week's stay. They would have to be on their best behavior. Gilles would have to make sure Laurent knew that. They couldn't run any funny business in Fort Kearny. The commanding officer of the fort said there were a few companies coming through the fort in the coming week, so the circus's timing would be perfect. It would avail the troops a bit of rest and relaxation before continuing onto their destination.
The lights in Laurent's trailer were on, so Gilles decided to go there first. He needed to give him a report anyways. He jumped down from his horse and knocked on the door.
"Ah, Gilles, come in," Laurent said. "Where are we off to next?"
Gilles nodded a greeting to Cagliostro.
"Fort Kearny," Gilles reported, "For an extended stay. They would like us for the week, possibly longer."
"Splendid," Laurent mused. "Would you like a drink?"
Gilles nodded. After the long hours he had put in the saddle, he was more than ready for a drink.
"Cagliostro and I were just chatting about a new acquisition," Laurent said.
"What kind of acquisition?" he asked.
"An Indian boy for the menagerie," Cagliostro answered. "He's probably around seventeen or eighteen I would think."
"Where'd you catch him?" Gilles answered accepting a glass of Bourbon from Laurent. He took a sip of the fiery liquid and let it burn its way down his throat.
"Just outside that last town we were in," Laurent answered.
Gilles frowned. "You took the boy from that town didn't you?" he asked. "Holding him will be dangerous. He has friends."
"They won't be a concern," Cagliostro assured him. "They'll never look for him here. I've taken precautions."
"There won't be a tribe of Indians looking for him either," Laurent rationalized. "I'd take his friends of an angry tribe any day. I don't ever want a repeat of what happened the last time."
"He speaks English, though," Gilles remembered. "How are you going to keep him from talking or asking for help?"
"I was just about to take care of that," Cagliostro said. "I think I will be able to control his mind enough to make him forget he knows any English and if he doesn't speak Indian, then I can make him forget he knows how to speak at all."
"You can do that?" Gilles asked. Truthfully he was a bit horrified at the thought.
"Would you care to watch?" Cagliostro asked. "I was about to work with him now."
"Yes, Gilles, let us watch the master work his magic," Laurent said.
The three men left the trailer and headed off toward the menagerie. Gilles wasn't sure he wanted to see this, but he wanted to know what Laurent and Cagliostro were up to. They entered the dimly lit tent and walked over to Buck's cage. The boy was lying on the floor with his eyes open and staring off into the distance. He didn't seem to react to anything around him.
"What's wrong with him?" Laurent asked. "Is he dead?"
Cagliostro pulled a small mirror out of his pocket and put it near Buck's face. Condensation from his breath gathered on the small pane of glass.
"He's not dead," Cagliostro said smiling. "He's ready."
Gilles couldn't help but stare at the poor soul in the cage. This boy was here obviously against his will. He kept trying to remind himself that the boy was 'just an Indian,' but somehow that didn't comfort him at all. The helpless look in the boy's eyes spooked him and he nearly jumped when the boy's eyes finally moved. He found the boy staring directly into his eyes.
"Help me," Buck whispered.
Gilles stumbled backwards toward the tent flaps. He couldn't watch this. He would be haunted by the look on that boy's face for the rest of his days if he stayed. He ran out of the tent and back to his trailer. After lighting a lantern, he sat down on his bed and grabbed a bottle of rot gut from underneath. He pulled the cork out with his teeth and looked at the bottle. After a moment's hesitation he put the bottle up to his lips and tipped it back. He wanted to forget he ever saw that boy.