a Bug's Life fanfic
by C. "Sparky"
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Chapter Two
P.T. pored over the budget, wincing periodically. The last few performances had hurt - bad. There had been no repeat business whatsoever, and the bugs who had shown up at all didn't even buy many concessions, which normally constituted half or more of the circus' profit. "Lousy cheap - " he muttered to himself.
"Hey boss," called a voice outside the tentflap. P.T. glanced up tiredly. It was Blip, one of the fireflies who posed as spotlights in the show. "There's a couple-a guys out here - "
"Tell them the next show isn't until tomorrow night."
"I tried," said Blip, "but I don't think they speak any English. Besides, they wanna see you."
P.T. slumped over the paperwork before him. "If they don't speak English," he began, "then how do you know - "
"They got one-a our posters," explained the firefly. "They keep pointin' at your picture."
The flea glowered. "Oh for..." He regarded the hopeless budget, then finally swept it aside. What the heck. "All right, bring them over."
Blip disappeared from sight, and was momentarily replaced by a pair of nervous-looking pillbugs, one of which clutched a circus poster.
P.T. puffed on his cigar. "Well?" he said at last.
The pillbugs looked at one another, then the one on the right nudged the other forward. He held up the poster. "Hu jikbi wrak?" he said.
P.T. raised an eyeridge.
The pillbug on the right stepped forward. "Caljoj votef," he said insistently, pointing to the poster.
The flea stood up. "Look, I don't know what you yahoos want, but I've got a lot of work to do and - "
"Opla!" said the pillbug on the left suddenly to the other, who curled up with a pop. The pillbug on the left sprang nimbly to balance on the other one, and began travelling around the flea in rapid circles.
P.T., who was not expecting this, watched in surprise for several seconds, his cigar hanging from his bottom mandible. Finally, the pillbug hopped down and the other popped back open.
"Ta-da!" they crowed.
The flea slowly took the cigar from his mouth and regarded the pillbugs curiously. He rubbed his chin. He wasn't a great believer in Fate; therefore he was certain that these two were not the act he was just minutes earlier praying for. But, that wouldn't stop him from requesting another demonstration. "Wait here," he told the pillbugs, who shrugged at one another, and sprang out of the tent.
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
"What do you think P.T. will say?"
"I'm too tired to care," Francis answered Rosie.
"Ja, me too," sighed Heimlich wearily. Although he had managed to 'sample' numerous tasty foods, he, like the others, had had no success in locating a new act for the flea.
"Time to sleep," complained Dim, trudging along wearily.
"I second that." Slim leaned on the beetle as he walked. "That was a pointless mission if I ever saw one."
"Agreed," said Manny. "P.T. will just have to accept that we will not be able to attain a new act at the drop of a hat."
As the group reached the tentflap, they stopped in wonder. "What's going on?" demanded Francis.
Inside the tent, Blip and the other firefly, Flash, were training their lights on a pair of pillbugs who swung from a makeshift trapeze. The one-spider music department, Ymri, was beating out a drumroll. As they watched, the two bugs on the trapeze executed a dismount, midair flip, and landing in perfect precision onto the spool in the center ring.
"Bravo! Bravo!" P.T. enthused around his cigar, applauding wildly. The circus bugs approached their boss uncertainly.
"P.T.?" asked Rosie. "What - "
"Where have you slackers been?" demanded the flea, whirling around. "You've missed the entire audition! I had to run everything by myself!"
"We've been out trying to - " Francis began furiously but Slim silenced him efficiently with an elbow in the ladybug's side.
"Who are they?" asked Gypsy.
P.T. waved for the pillbugs to approach. "Ladies and germs, say hello to our new daredevil tumbling act! Tookva and...this one is Roolna," he pointed to the pillbugs in turn. "But I've thought up stage names for them: Tuck and Roll! Clever, eh? Eh?" He got no response from the circus bugs so he continued: "I've got big plans for these two: trapeze, flaming hoops and - ooh! I just had a vision! A cannon! Living cannonballs! They'll be a natural! Ymri!" he called, walking towards the wolf spider. "You seen any cannons for sale around here?"
The pillbugs huddled together and carefully watched the circus bugs, who stared back. Finally Rosie stepped forward.
"Hi," she smiled broadly, reaching for Tuck's hand. "I'm Rosie..." She withdrew her hand self-consciously as soon as she realized that the uneasy-looking pillbug wasn't going to shake it. "This is Dim. Um...welcome to P.T.'s Circus." There was an uncomfortable silence.
"My name is Slim," announced the walkingstick at last. "This is Francis and Heimlich. We're the clowns." And the trio struck a theatrical pose.
Tuck and Roll blinked at them. "Klowns?" Roll whispered to his brother uncertainly. Tuck shrugged.
"My name is Gypsy," said the moth. "And this is my husband - "
"Mantos the Magnificent," Manny introduced himself with a grand bow. "I do hope," he went on, "that you both find your stay with our illustrious travelling show agreeable."
After another awkward silence, Francis frowned. "Is it just me, or is there something wrong with these guys?" he hissed.
"Francis!" admonished Rosie.
"Oh, hey!" shouted P.T. from where he was speaking to the fireflies. "They don't speak any English. They're foreign or something. Now, what I want you two to do is..." His voice lowered as he returned to his conference.
Francis rolled his eyes. "Oh that's great," he complained.
"Francis," repeated Rosie, and she flashed the pillbugs something she hoped was a convincing-looking smile.
Gypsy frowned. "The poor things look very unhappy," she remarked in a whisper, forgetting that the pillbugs couldn't understand her.
Manny frowned. "Why, they are nothing but skin and exoskeleton!" he added huffily. "And here P.T.'s been forcing them to perform when they obviously need food and rest."
Rosie tsked. "Probably just arrived in this country and haven't been able to get anything to eat."
"Ve cannot let them starf!" cried a vexed Heimlich.
"Certainly not," agreed Slim. He waved a hand at the pillbugs, beckoning them to follow him. "Come on," he said. "I guess you're officially part of the family now."
"Yeah, lucky you," Francis grunted.
