THE GUARDIAN
Presenting another fresh chapter, for you to feast your eyes on! And today is my birthday (I turn 21, in case you're curious, so this means I'm street legal), so this marks my first published piece at my new age! This story's really getting thrilling, isn't it? I'm getting even myself worked up! Every chapter, the suspense just continues to deepen.
After this, we only have a couple more chapters to go, and that'll be the end of it! Or maybe not—I've been considering possibly writing some sort of sequel to this. What do you think?
Pinocchio and Jiminy © Disney
Terence and Other Characters © unicorn-skydancer08
Story © unicorn-skydancer08
Chapter 20: Playing the Fool
That very evening, just as the sun was beginning to set, Terence and Jiminy managed to make their way successfully to the area where the show was said to be held.
The location for the groundwork had obviously changed since last time, but Terence and Jiminy both knew instantly when they arrived that this was the place. Not surprisingly, the grounds swarmed with people—those who came to be entertained, and those who lived to entertain. Lively carousel music was playing somewhere, and a voice could just barely be heard announcing the grand event, shouting for the crowd to "step right up" and "hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry". Everyone was laughing and talking at once, and it was essentially impossible for the little children to keep still. The enticing aromas of buttered popcorn and roasting sausage laced the air. Overall, everything appeared overwhelmingly bright, gay, colorful, and upbeat.
Terence took care to hide himself behind one of the big wooden crates, where no one else would see him.
As he secretly watched the crowd, and the animated environment that surrounded them, he could only sigh and shake his head.
How could someone as cruel and callous as Fabrizio put on such a spectacular show? And how was it that so many people could love the man, actually be amused by him? If they knew the truth about Fabrizio, how would they feel toward him and his company then? On top of all else, Terence wondered how Pinocchio could have made it through all this.
Just the mere thought of the puppet was enough to bring a sharp sting of tears to Terence's eyes, and a painful lump to his throat.
It had been so long since he last had Pinocchio with him…far too long. He would do anything to get the boy back, undergo anything to ensure the child's safety.
I will come for you, Pinocchio, he said in his mind, hoping against hope that Pinocchio could hear his thoughts, or at least sense what he was thinking. I swear, I will come!
Jiminy, who roosted on Terence's shoulder as always, asked the young man, "Terence, how will you get in there and retrieve Pinoke, without getting yourself caught?"
"I'll go in disguise," Terence answered. "No one will know who I am. I'll go along with the gig, and when the time is right, I'll make my fast escape, and I'm taking Pinocchio with me."
"You will need a very good disguise, then, if you're going to pull the wool over Fabrizio's eyes," an unfamiliar voice broke in suddenly.
With a start, Terence whirled around to discover five people from the circus standing right there, watching him shrewdly.
One was a young girl in a sleeveless white dress, with pale blue eyes, and soft, butter-yellow hair that was pulled back and twisted into a tight bun. Another was a gangly, long-limbed man with sea-gray eyes, a vibrant tan, and a hint of a beard on his chin. Another man stood very tall (he was undoubtedly the tallest of the bunch) and completely clean-shaven, with muscles that bulged out like balls, and skin as brown as chocolate. The remaining two in the group were a pair of almost identical clowns, save for a few differences in their costumes and makeup.
Terence remembered seeing them before, and he braced himself, ready to fight if need be.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded sharply.
"That's a question anyone else ought to ask you, young man," answered Bernardo, arching one eyebrow meaningfully at him.
"I swear to you," Terence said vindictively, shifting his position and balling his hands into rock-solid fists, "if any one of you lay so much as a finger on me—"
But they only smiled at him, and Armando said with a hearty chuckle, "Relax, sir; we're on your side!"
This caught Terence completely off-guard, and even Jiminy was knocked for a loop. "On my side?" Terence repeated incredulously. "What are you talking about?"
"We know you are here to help Pinocchio escape," said Fergal matter-of-factly.
Bernardo added on, "But you're going to need our help."
Terence eyed the group skeptically, unsure of whether or not these people could truly be trusted. "And," the white-haired youth said slowly, "why would you be so willing to help?"
"I think we have grown as fond of that child as you have, my good man," Gahiji said, still smiling.
"And we have suffered under Fabrizio's heel for far too long," said Arietta, with evident venom. "Now is our chance to get back at him, and make him pay for how he has mistreated all of us."
"How is Pinocchio?" Terence asked anxiously. "Is he all right? Is he safe?"
Everyone's faces fell at that, and Armando sighed heavily and hid his eyes briefly in his hand. "Physically speaking, sir, he isn't doing too poorly," the clown murmured. "A little undernourished and overworked, maybe, not getting nearly as enough sleep as he ought to; but nothing too terrible. But emotionally speaking, his sanity barely hangs on by a hair."
"Life around here has been hell for him," Fergal admitted, "as it has for all of us."
"Fabrizio's been simply awful to him," said Arietta, with a dismal shake of her head. "He forces the poor child to work day and night, and he only half-feeds him and is forever insulting him, criticizing everything he does and putting him down, making Pinocchio feel nothing short of worthless."
It nearly broke Terence's heart to hear this, while at the same time his blood simmered with rage. Jiminy felt the exact same way.
The cricket knew that fiendish Fabrizio could not be trusted, the moment he laid eyes on him. He just knew it.
Now Terence was more determined than ever to bust Pinocchio out of there.
"If we're going to help Pinocchio escape, we must do it now," said Bernardo, "tonight."
"Won't you get in serious trouble with your master?" The question had escaped Terence's tongue before he even acknowledged it.
"Never mind Fabrizio," said Arietta doggedly. "We would much rather beg in the streets, or spend the rest of our lives in prison, than go on working for him."
"So," said Armando, extending a gloved hand toward Terence, "are we agreed?"
Seeing that the gesture was sincere, Terence readily reached out himself, and firmly grasped the clown's hand. "Agreed," he said.
"Good!" Armando beamed at him, as did Arietta and the other men.
Armando then summoned everyone to huddle closer together, before he devised a strategy.
"Now," said the clown, taking care to lower his voice, "here's what we're going to do. We have exactly one hour before the show begins." To Terence, he said, "As I have said before, if you want to get past Fabrizio, you will need a convincing costume. So, I suggest you participate in the clown routine; it's the best way to conceal yourself. Not only will you have a suit and everything, but your face will also be masked. If you have no objections to having your face painted, and dressing up in bizarre garments…"
Terence shook his head. "I have no objection, whatsoever. In fact, I couldn't think of a more brilliant masquerade myself!"
"Then it's settled," said Armando. "You'll be with Bernardo, and you'll work with him during the show. Pinocchio is listed to accompany us, but I would very, very strongly recommend that you keep your identity hidden and keep quiet until the end of the gig. If you reveal yourself too soon, and Fabrizio sees you, you're dead meat. When the gig has ended, take Pinocchio and get out as fast as you can. Don't trouble yourself about the rest of us; just grab the boy and run."
"I hope the rest of you will be all right," said Terence, and he meant it.
"We'll take our chances," said Fergal.
"Sometimes," said Gahiji furtively, "to do the right thing, you must be willing to place yourself between the devil and the deep blue sea."
Terence wasn't exactly sure what that expression meant, but he made a slight nod of assent. "I must admit," the youth said meekly, "I have never been a clown before. What should I do?"
"It's easy!" Bernardo assured him. "All you have to do is follow my lead. Leave all of the major work to me, and just play along."
Reaching behind Terence's ear and plucking a shiny new penny from seemingly thin air, he added with a broad grin, "Trust me, I'm a real expert at this clown business."
Startled, Terence reached up and felt behind his ear, wondering how in the world Bernardo did that.
"This way," said Armando, now slipping an arm around Terence's shoulders and leading him away. "Come on!"
Terence followed him and the others to a private cubicle in a reserved tent, where the clowns always put on their costumes, and basically readied themselves for every show.
While Fergal and Gahiji kept watch for any unwelcome intruders, Armando helped Terence into his own clown attire, complete with the gloves and the boat-sized shoes, and even the little flower on his lapel that he used to squirt water. Terence felt a little awkward moving about in such enormous shoes, but after walking around a bit, he soon adjusted.
Bernardo then made Terence sit down on a low stool, while Jiminy leaped up onto the table to watch.
On that table were several containers of facial paint, in varying colors, along with just about every component necessary to become a clown.
First, after making sure that all of Terence's hair was swept back, Armando scooped up a handful of white paint, and instructed Terence, "Now, close your eyes, and hold still." Terence did so, and Armando proceeded to slather the cool paint on the young man's face. Using several good gobs, he rubbed the white substance all around, leaving no inch of Terence's face uncovered. He added an extra coat, just to be safe. When Terence's face was completely white, Bernardo took part in painting the different designs on him with the remaining colors in their collection.
Together, he and Armando gave Terence the very same designs that were painted on Armando's face: big blue diamonds over his eyes, large red dots on his cheeks, and an enormous red grin outlined in black pencil that covered his whole mouth and chin. Luckily for Terence, Armando sported a beard of his very own on his chin; all they really had to do was dye Terence's goatee bright green, though it took nearly two whole jars of green colorant to get it just right. Afterwards, an artificial red nose was fixed carefully over Terence's own nose.
As a final touch, Armando crowned Terence with his very own wig and cap.
When Terence was all set, he presented himself to Jiminy and asked, "What do you think?"
"Most impressive," Jiminy had to admit. "If I didn't know it was you, Terence, I'd swear you were someone else."
It pleased Terence immensely to hear that. If he could fool Jiminy with this disguise, he could surely swindle Fabrizio.
When the time arrived for everyone in the circus to take their place, Bernardo asked Terence with an imperial air, "Shall we?"
Terence smiled at his partner, and bowed elaborately at the waist. "Lead the way, fool."