Chapter 4: Saint
Siobhan continued to hold onto Kurt in a tight embrace, while he looked down in wonderment at the small girl. 'She came to me, without hesitation, without fear.' he thought, 'No child has ever...'
His thoughts were distracted by something small and hard pressing against his chest. He dislodged Siobhan and for the first time, noticed a little chain round the girl's neck. "What is this?" he asked, as he gently pulled the chain up to take a closer look. "Ein medaillon? Saint Christopher!"
"Huh? That? My mommy got me this locket for my seventh birthday. Who's Saint Christopher?"
"Patron Saint of travellers, kleine."
"Oh? Mommy said it guides lost souls home." Siobhan shrugged. "It hasn't worked."
"Ah, that is because you have no faith in it!" Kurt said, not about to pass up an opportunity to do a little bit of preaching.
"Whatever." Siobhan tucked the locket back under her jumper. She pointed to the posters. "That you? What did you do in the circus? Were you any good?"
Kurt recognised a change the subject tactic when he heard one, but sensing that bringing up the locket, thus bringing up Siobhan's mother, was a sensitive subject, he smiled and said "I can show you."
--
Siobhan provided a captivated audience as Kurt went through a series of aerial stunts from rafter to rafter in the great hall of the church. The natural acrobat twisted, spun and teleported from location to location with the greatest of ease, as if it was the simplistic form of exercise one could do. It was an ample opportunity for a much needed workout, Kurt reflected.
Siobhan clapped and shouted "Go Mr Wagner! You da man!" Kurt's performance had obviously cheered the young girl up.
Eventually the show came to an end, as an exhausted blue German and thrilled to bits youngster walked back up to the spire. This time Siobhan prepared a meal, explaining that as her dad's girlfriend Carlotta refused to cook, Siobhan had learnt herself.
Outside, it was dark now and being winter, very cold. Siobhan shivered in her clothing as she boiled up a tin of peas, stewed steak and potato. Kurt watched her carefully, but she seemed to know what she was doing. He was feeling very tired, it had been a while since he had been through his old circus routine, so was most appreciative of Siobhan's company now so remembered his promise to get some soda for the girl.
Surprisingly, it was also Siobhan who said grace. "God please don't make me fat, cos look out teeth, look out gums, down the hatchet, here it comes!" Kurt rolled his eyes upwards, amused.
After the meal, Kurt showed her where the toilet was. "Toilets in a church?" Siobhan questioned. "Ja. Even priests have to pee. Fixed the klempnerarbeit myself." It was a little known fact that before the church was abandoned; the church fund had paid for the modern age marvel known as plumbing.
"Klempnerarbeit? You mean plumbing, right?"
"Ja, ja that is the word! I will have you learning Deutsch yet!" Kurt's knowledge of the English language was fluent enough, but not perfect.
"And the circus stuff? Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?"
"Er... If you are a good girl."
--
Now as promised, Kurt took Siobhan shopping. She wasn't used to shopping in the dark, so kept close to Kurt until he had made sure the security cameras would not detect them and gave her a flashlight. He also gave her some money to use in a coke can machine and she thoughtfully came back with two cans.
"So now you have all the sprudelnd drinks you want, how about we get you a change of clothes, ja?" Kurt suggested once Siobhan had picked up a few litres of her favourite fizzy drinks.
Siobhan smiled at the way Kurt would substitute English words with German if he didn't know the right word to use. It was a challenge trying to figure out what he meant and a great way of learning a new language, far better than listening to Carlotta screech at her in Spanish! Siobhan had refused to learn any of it, even at her father's insistence.
"So how come you have the money for all this anyway?" Siobhan asked, curious. If he was going to spend money on clothes for her, she wanted to know if she could go for the famous brands.
"American Express. Never leave home without it." Kurt replied with a grin.
They ported from the supermarket to a clothing department store, the drinks in a carrier bag which Kurt had to haul around, the contents being too heavy for Siobhan.
"So why don't you get some cool clothes?" asked Siobhan as they walked up and down the children's department.
Kurt shrugged. He didn't have an answer to that.
"Is it because of the tail? Or hey, you're in all skin type colour clothes! Do you wear beige and brown to make up for the fact you're blue?" Siobhan prattled on.
"Vermutlich. Welche Groesse haben Sie?" Kurt then realised he had replied in German as Siobhan looked at him, uncomprehending. "I mean, probably. What size do you take?" He had never given any thought to what he wore, preferring the familiarity of his range of circus gear.
"Age 8. But I'm nearly 10!"
"Oh? How long till you are 10?"
"Um, well, my next birthday is 8 months away." Siobhan looked embarrassed. "How come you're blue anyway?" she continued, turning the tables. "I've heard of mutants, seen some, but never any as funny looking as you!"
'So that is why she does not fear me. Nightcrawler the trapeze artist is Kurt the Clown!' Kurt thought.
"I don't know why I look like this."
"Well don't ever go too far with plastic surgery. Carlotta has had several nose jobs and she still looks like a whore!" Siobhan was unaware she was becoming insulting. "Although you could go to the dentist."
"Even if I was to chop off my tail, lob off the tips of my ears and anything else you could mention, there is nothing that could be done for the colour of my skin, so what would be the point?" said an exasperated Kurt.
"Oh no, not the ears! They're elfly ears! Like Legolas from that film!" Siobhan realised that perhaps she had gone too far. "Anyway, I had to wear braces once."
Kurt grinned from ear to ear. In truth, he was not insulted by her comments, she was unintentionally humorous. After all, he had been called a lot worse by other people. Besides, she had just compared him to some pretty boy actor - Kurt didn't know the name - so the complement more than made up for her innocent mockery.
After that conversation, not much was said. Siobhan chose what she wanted and Kurt successfully steered her away from the garish pink colour she had been wearing.
--
When they arrived back at the church however, it was obvious they were not the only two people there. "To the spire, quickly!" Kurt whispered to Siobhan, urgently. "Put the cupboard up against the door so they can't get inside!"
Siobhan ran off and Kurt teleported to a vantage point where he could see what was going on.
There were six men, with guns cautiously looking about. Kurt recognised two as Gonzo and Barry from last night. After the events earlier in the day, Kurt wasn't sure he had the energy to deal with them, plus he had a little girl to protect.
Kurt hoped they would go away, he knew though, that this encounter would only end in violence.
--
Next, action packed chapter 5!
Siobhan continued to hold onto Kurt in a tight embrace, while he looked down in wonderment at the small girl. 'She came to me, without hesitation, without fear.' he thought, 'No child has ever...'
His thoughts were distracted by something small and hard pressing against his chest. He dislodged Siobhan and for the first time, noticed a little chain round the girl's neck. "What is this?" he asked, as he gently pulled the chain up to take a closer look. "Ein medaillon? Saint Christopher!"
"Huh? That? My mommy got me this locket for my seventh birthday. Who's Saint Christopher?"
"Patron Saint of travellers, kleine."
"Oh? Mommy said it guides lost souls home." Siobhan shrugged. "It hasn't worked."
"Ah, that is because you have no faith in it!" Kurt said, not about to pass up an opportunity to do a little bit of preaching.
"Whatever." Siobhan tucked the locket back under her jumper. She pointed to the posters. "That you? What did you do in the circus? Were you any good?"
Kurt recognised a change the subject tactic when he heard one, but sensing that bringing up the locket, thus bringing up Siobhan's mother, was a sensitive subject, he smiled and said "I can show you."
--
Siobhan provided a captivated audience as Kurt went through a series of aerial stunts from rafter to rafter in the great hall of the church. The natural acrobat twisted, spun and teleported from location to location with the greatest of ease, as if it was the simplistic form of exercise one could do. It was an ample opportunity for a much needed workout, Kurt reflected.
Siobhan clapped and shouted "Go Mr Wagner! You da man!" Kurt's performance had obviously cheered the young girl up.
Eventually the show came to an end, as an exhausted blue German and thrilled to bits youngster walked back up to the spire. This time Siobhan prepared a meal, explaining that as her dad's girlfriend Carlotta refused to cook, Siobhan had learnt herself.
Outside, it was dark now and being winter, very cold. Siobhan shivered in her clothing as she boiled up a tin of peas, stewed steak and potato. Kurt watched her carefully, but she seemed to know what she was doing. He was feeling very tired, it had been a while since he had been through his old circus routine, so was most appreciative of Siobhan's company now so remembered his promise to get some soda for the girl.
Surprisingly, it was also Siobhan who said grace. "God please don't make me fat, cos look out teeth, look out gums, down the hatchet, here it comes!" Kurt rolled his eyes upwards, amused.
After the meal, Kurt showed her where the toilet was. "Toilets in a church?" Siobhan questioned. "Ja. Even priests have to pee. Fixed the klempnerarbeit myself." It was a little known fact that before the church was abandoned; the church fund had paid for the modern age marvel known as plumbing.
"Klempnerarbeit? You mean plumbing, right?"
"Ja, ja that is the word! I will have you learning Deutsch yet!" Kurt's knowledge of the English language was fluent enough, but not perfect.
"And the circus stuff? Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?"
"Er... If you are a good girl."
--
Now as promised, Kurt took Siobhan shopping. She wasn't used to shopping in the dark, so kept close to Kurt until he had made sure the security cameras would not detect them and gave her a flashlight. He also gave her some money to use in a coke can machine and she thoughtfully came back with two cans.
"So now you have all the sprudelnd drinks you want, how about we get you a change of clothes, ja?" Kurt suggested once Siobhan had picked up a few litres of her favourite fizzy drinks.
Siobhan smiled at the way Kurt would substitute English words with German if he didn't know the right word to use. It was a challenge trying to figure out what he meant and a great way of learning a new language, far better than listening to Carlotta screech at her in Spanish! Siobhan had refused to learn any of it, even at her father's insistence.
"So how come you have the money for all this anyway?" Siobhan asked, curious. If he was going to spend money on clothes for her, she wanted to know if she could go for the famous brands.
"American Express. Never leave home without it." Kurt replied with a grin.
They ported from the supermarket to a clothing department store, the drinks in a carrier bag which Kurt had to haul around, the contents being too heavy for Siobhan.
"So why don't you get some cool clothes?" asked Siobhan as they walked up and down the children's department.
Kurt shrugged. He didn't have an answer to that.
"Is it because of the tail? Or hey, you're in all skin type colour clothes! Do you wear beige and brown to make up for the fact you're blue?" Siobhan prattled on.
"Vermutlich. Welche Groesse haben Sie?" Kurt then realised he had replied in German as Siobhan looked at him, uncomprehending. "I mean, probably. What size do you take?" He had never given any thought to what he wore, preferring the familiarity of his range of circus gear.
"Age 8. But I'm nearly 10!"
"Oh? How long till you are 10?"
"Um, well, my next birthday is 8 months away." Siobhan looked embarrassed. "How come you're blue anyway?" she continued, turning the tables. "I've heard of mutants, seen some, but never any as funny looking as you!"
'So that is why she does not fear me. Nightcrawler the trapeze artist is Kurt the Clown!' Kurt thought.
"I don't know why I look like this."
"Well don't ever go too far with plastic surgery. Carlotta has had several nose jobs and she still looks like a whore!" Siobhan was unaware she was becoming insulting. "Although you could go to the dentist."
"Even if I was to chop off my tail, lob off the tips of my ears and anything else you could mention, there is nothing that could be done for the colour of my skin, so what would be the point?" said an exasperated Kurt.
"Oh no, not the ears! They're elfly ears! Like Legolas from that film!" Siobhan realised that perhaps she had gone too far. "Anyway, I had to wear braces once."
Kurt grinned from ear to ear. In truth, he was not insulted by her comments, she was unintentionally humorous. After all, he had been called a lot worse by other people. Besides, she had just compared him to some pretty boy actor - Kurt didn't know the name - so the complement more than made up for her innocent mockery.
After that conversation, not much was said. Siobhan chose what she wanted and Kurt successfully steered her away from the garish pink colour she had been wearing.
--
When they arrived back at the church however, it was obvious they were not the only two people there. "To the spire, quickly!" Kurt whispered to Siobhan, urgently. "Put the cupboard up against the door so they can't get inside!"
Siobhan ran off and Kurt teleported to a vantage point where he could see what was going on.
There were six men, with guns cautiously looking about. Kurt recognised two as Gonzo and Barry from last night. After the events earlier in the day, Kurt wasn't sure he had the energy to deal with them, plus he had a little girl to protect.
Kurt hoped they would go away, he knew though, that this encounter would only end in violence.
--
Next, action packed chapter 5!
