I Know Why the Caged Cricket Sings
a Bug's Life fanfic
by
C. "Sparky" Read

Chapter Five

P.T. threw his hat on the ground in fury. "That's it!" he shouted. "I've had it with that ignoramus! He's fired!"

"That is very hasty," Ymri pointed out.

The flea seethed. "I shoulda fired him days ago! He knew we were moving today! Grasshoppers! They're the laziest bugs on Earth."

"P.T.," said Rosie sternly, pausing in her labor of loading the wagon. "Don't you think that maybe Molt's been having some kind of problem lately? He's never been like this before. Have you asked him?"

"Well, uh..." P.T. tried to stall. "Not in so many words, no. But he knows his job!" he went on, shaking a fist at the black widow, who rolled her eyes and went back to work. "Everyone here's got a job to do, and nobody'd better be keeping secrets!" he shouted at everyone. Everyone mumbled and ignored him.

Everyone, that is, except for the fireflies, who were trying not to look guilty and failing very badly. Ymri frowned at them.

"There is something that you know, yes?" prompted the wolf spider firmly, folding his arms. "Why has Molt not come? You tell now, I think."

Blip and Flash glanced at eachother as the other circus bugs, who had overheard, stepped towards them.

"Hey, is there something you guys should tell us?" demanded Francis. "You'd better spill it."

Flash coughed. "Yeah well," he said, "I guess we know where he went..."

"And?" prompted Slim when the firefly paused.

Blip shrugged. "He went to go see a girl, okay?" he said shortly.

There was a surprised silence. "Is that what this is all about?" said Gypsy at last. "A girl?"

Blip shrugged again. "Looks like," he said.

There were exhales all around. "Well why didn't someone say so?" asked Francis. "A girl!"

"Is she nice?" wondered Dim.

"Let us find out," answered Manny, gesturing towards the sky as two figures descended to land near the wagon.

Trill, unused to flying more than a few inches at a time, landed unsteadily and had to grab at the wagon. Molt looked about almost guiltily as the circus bugs gathered around curiously.

"Um," he said after some silence. "Sorry I'm late."

Rosie caught sight of P.T. beginning to storm forward and hastily stepped forward to intercept him. "Hello," she said brightly to Trill, who was a bit overwhelmed by all the bugs looking at her. Rosie threw Molt a prodding, "Introduce her" look.

"Oh!" responded Molt quickly. "Um...Everyone, this is Trill. Trill, this is...uh...everyone."

"Um, hello," said Trill with a small wave.

P.T. ducked between Rosie's legs to confront the grasshopper. "Well?" prodded the flea inquiringly. "Care to explain yourself?"

"And this," went on Molt, gesturing at the flea, "is P.T. Flea, the greatest showbug in the entertainment industry!"

P.T., about to launch into a full scowl, checked himself. "Wh - well I...guess that's about right," he brightened, and offered Trill a hand, which the cricket shook eagerly.

"Molt says your circus is the best there ever was," she told him.

The circus bugs beamed. Good old Molt.

P.T. grinned at the cricket for a moment, then pulled away and clapped his hands together suddenly. "Well," he said loudly, "it's been fun, but we've got to hit the road. Paying customers await around the next bend!" He sprang to the top of the wagon and took the millipedes' reins. "All aboard for glitz and glamour! - I saw that look, Francis."

Circus bugs began to slowly take their places on and in the wagon and on Dim's back. Everyone kept a curious eye on Molt and Trill, however.

Molt looked at Trill and coughed a bit. "Um, I guess I gotta go."

Trill nodded, and she smiled. "Thanks a lot for getting me out of there," she said. "And for saving me and everything."

"Will you be okay?"

"Oh, uh-huh." The cricket looked around. "I'm sure I'll find something to do. Well...goodbye. Goodbye everyone!" She turned to go.

"Oh...no...Trill honey," interrupted Rosie, hopping down off of Dim's back. "If you don't have anyplace to go you can't just go wander off like that. She really doesn't have anyplace to go?" she asked Molt, who shook his head. "P.T.!" she called.

P.T. cringed and gripped the reins tighter. "I know what you're going to ask," he grunted.

"Come on, P.T. It's the middle of nowhere. We can drop her off in the next city."

Trill was mystified. "You want me to go with you...to a city?"

Gypsy flitted over. "Maybe she can help the show out," she suggested. "Is there anything you can do, dear?"

Molt spoke up immediately: "She can sing."

At that Ymri poked his head out of the wagon's front car. "She is musical?"

"Oh yeah, she's great."

Trill got that pleased look again.

Ymri climbed out of the wagon. "Can you play instruments?" she asked the cricket.

"I...I don't know."

P.T. was getting impatient. "Look at the sun!" he cried. "It's gotta be nine already!"

"Can you teach her, Ymri?" Molt asked the spider, pointedly ignoring the flea's complaints.

"Perhaps."

"Well that's wonderful," beamed Gypsy.

"All right, all right!" snorted P.T., at the end of his rope. "You," he said to Trill. "In the wagon. Everyone else, let's go already!"

Places were hastily resumed, and Trill delightedly joined the crew in the wagon's front car. And then, they were on their way.

"So," said Flash eagerly, leaning forward. "What are humans like?"

Molt frowned. "How didya know about the humans?" He wasn't answered right away. "What - did you follow me?"

Blip and Flash exchanged panicked glances. "It was his idea!" they both said, pointing at eachother. "Was not!" they chorused indignantly.

Molt snorted, then glanced over at the wolf spider, who had begun speaking to Trill about music. After a brief consideration, he decided not to tell Ymri he had been wrong about the ghostcat. After all, Molt concluded, no one could know everything. But they could come close.