Chapter 10: Wolfgang Wagner
"I spent four years living in New York City. I've seen folks a whole lot scarier than you."
Kurt was fourteen years old when Wolfgang Wagner was hired for the winter to repaint all of Circus Gehlhaar's props and lorries. Kurt was already a veteran performer and one of the star attractions of the circus. He never tired of learning new things and over the years had branched out from trapeze work with Lycka På Himmelen. His tight wire work had improved since his clumsy first attempt and he was now skilled in several forms of acrobatics and balancing. Along with Sven, Sven's brother Nils, and Lars he was exploring a new type of act called the Russian Bar where a single acrobat performed on a springy 10 foot bar held by porters at either end. Kurt could already jump nearly three feet above his own height and when his leap was timed with Sven and Nils using the leverage of the bar to toss him, he could nearly touch the tent's roof. The only difficulty was landing back on the bar.
Despite his age, he didn't seem to suffer from the usual adolescent awkwardness. Margali couldn't help but notice though, that as he got older the features that had made him so endearing as a child, were no longer as cute. At the same time Margali could tell that Kurt yearned to see the world up close, not looking down at it from 20 feet above. It was as though his appearance was constantly at odds with his desires. He remained as fascinated by Christianity as ever and Margali had gotten used to it. Even so, she had to admit that the sight of her demon son kneeling on the floor each night to say his prayers was one of the most amusing and ironic things she had ever seen.
Wolfgang Wagner was from Salzburg, the son of a wealthy Austrian businessman whose family holdings extended all over Europe. He was 22 years old and had gone to school in America to study art. He was fluent in six languages and was as eloquent in any of them as he was in his native German. When he spoke English it was with an American accent. He was a brilliant, charismatic, and possibly the most handsome man Margali had ever seen. Given the number and variety of women he entertained in his tent, Margali was sure that she wasn't the only one who found him attractive. He was Amanda's first crush and was everything that Kurt wasn't and yet longed to be.
Margali had been suspicious of him at first on general principal. She didn't like rich kids who thought it would be fun to run away with the circus for a few months before they went out and got real jobs. But after he had been there several weeks even she wasn't immune to his charm. While Wolfgang's parents may have thought he was running away for the winter, Wolfgang himself did not. Instead of a spoiled brat, she was surprised to find that in addition to all his other qualities he was a sensitive artist who wanted nothing to do with his family's money or business.
Kurt carefully avoided him. Past experience had made him wary of strangers, particularly any new person who came to work for Circus Gehlhaar. He didn't want to frighten them and so he didn't force his presence on anyone until they made the first move. It made him appear to be much shier than he was. This put him at odds with Amanda though. He was closest to his sister and after Wolfgang arrived she seemed determined to be where ever he was.
They were spending the winter near Barcelona. After two winters in Albania it made a nice change. The circus made an extended stop for several months each winter in order to refresh their tents and equipment as well as work on new acts for the coming year. They had rented a large plot of land a few miles outside of the seaside town of Canet de Mar where they could pitch their tents and enjoy a bit of nature as well. Winter meant work as well as play. Even so, they usually played a few small engagements around the area to try out their new routines on an audience.
There was a large carnival being held in Barcelona and so they packed up their half painted props and tents for a two day journey to play there. They planned on staying a week before returning to Canet de Mar.
Wolfgang, who had never seen the circus perform outside of their practice sessions tagged a long. Free from the job of painting sets and equipment he had stretched a few canvases and brought his oil paints. Wolfgang was hoping to put together a series of paintings chronicling the activities of the circus in addition to his obligation to Circus Gehlhaar. He was sitting "backstage" at an angle where he could see the crowd starting to fill the stands.
He wasn't sure if he wanted to go for realism or a more impressionistic approach. He loved the shapes and lean definition of the performers, but there was a certain beauty to their performances caught as streaks of movement against the multicolored blur of the audience. He wasn't actually painting, just thinking. Last night had been the opening of the carnival and so Wolfgang had sat in the stands like a tourist. Tonight he wanted a look from the performer's view. Paintings of circus performers from an audience eye view were certainly interesting, but he thought paintings from the vantage points of the artists would be even more so.
Across from him two of the members of the trapeze troupe ran up and poked their heads around the tent flaps, looking at the audience. Wolfgang could never seem to pronounce the name of the troupe properly. No matter how many times Sven pronounced for him, the acrobat always shook his head sadly when Wolfgang repeated it back. At least they had German and Russian in common. He recognized them as the two teenage members of the troupe, Kurt and Lars.
He'd been told about Kurt when he accepted the job. Apparently their had been some problems in the past with him and the staff. Wolfgang had only met one other mutant, a girl at NYU. She could push things. She didn't touch them, just gestured at them, pantomiming the action and they jumped forward. They lived in the same dormitory and Nina would entertain her fellow dorm-mates by occasionally pushing books and pencils around. It made for an amusing study break. He had no idea how powerful she was until once a few of them went out to a scrap yard and she showed them how she could move trucks and buses around with the same ease that she sent pens and pencils skittering across the desks.
Nina had looked like everyone else; Kurt didn't. What was really amazing to Wolfgang though was that Kurt didn't seem to notice or care. Around the other performers he was completely at ease and they were with him. Unfortunately despite several attempts, Wolfgang had never been able to introduce himself. It seemed that he was the only member of the circus Kurt wasn't comfortable with.
They hadn't noticed him, which was fine with Wolfgang. He ducked away out of sight so Kurt wouldn't suddenly find a need to vacate the premises. It would have made a great painting actually. The two of them were halfway in costume, the top halves of their leotards tied around their waists so they could wear t-shirts. Kurt was pointing into the stands, but Wolfgang couldn't make out the conversation since it was entirely in Swedish. It didn't matter though; it was just a wonderful simple image of two performers having a friendly moment before they stepped into the light. He opened his sketchbook, throwing down as many quick posture sketches as he could before Kurt popped around the other side of the curtain and dashed out of sight.
At first Wolfgang thought he'd been spotted, but Lars was still looking out into the stands. Wolfgang folded up his sketchpad and walked over to see what it was that was so interesting.
"Hello." Lars addressed him in German. Wolfgang smiled and returned the greeting. He was about to ask when Lars started laughing. He responded to Wolfgang's look of confusion by pointing into the stands again. "He's so insane." Lars said.
Wolfgang looked out across the ring and saw the Kurt had climbed up the back of the bleachers to the highest row and was now strolling down the aisle as though looking for a seat. "What's he doing" Wolfgang asked.
"He just loves messing with everybody. His mom gets so pissed." Lars said.
Kurt was pretty funny actually. He walked down to where a family was sitting and pointed at an empty spot five people in. After a moment of conversation with the man on the end, Kurt leapt over their heads and nimbly landed in the empty spot. The site of nearly everyone around him jumping in surprise started both Wolfgang and Lars laughing.
"He tells them he's tired of performing and just wants to watch the show." Lars told him. "Then after a little while, I go fetch him. It's pretty funny what people do. A couple times they've argued with me to let him stay. I have no idea why."
Wolfgang was about to ask for an explanation but he could see for himself. Kurt appeared to be pretending that his tail, to them a piece of his costume, had a piece of wire in it so that he could bend it into a shape and it would stay that way. He was a pretty convincing mime except he always bent it into positions where it was sticking in front of his neighbor's face or poking the people behind him. The whole time he looked terribly apologetic about it.
"I see what you mean." Wolfgang said. "No one figures it out"
"Nope. But Margali's always afraid someone will. Once she went and got him instead of me. It was hysterical." Lars said. He did an exaggerated, but very convincing impression of Kurt leaping in surprise and then dropping down into his characteristic crouch with his hands over his head as though to ward off a blow. Wolfgang laughed as Lars stood up.
Wolfgang was still trying to keep all the relationships straight. "Margali, the fortune teller? She's his mother" He asked. Lars nodded.
"So Amanda is his sister."
"Yeah. And his older brother is away at school. Kurt's the youngest." Lars watched for another minute of so and then said"I better go get him."
Wolfgang was suddenly struck with an idea. "Let me go." He said. "Pretend that Margali sent me."
Lars grinned. "That's so mean. But, pretty funny. Yeah, go, but I get to watch." He said.
Wolfgang jogged around the edge of the ring and climbed the steps to where Kurt was sitting. He'd apparently gotten his tail problems sorted out and was being offered popcorn by a little girl in the row in front of him. Her father must have asked him a question about the trapeze, because at the same time he was explaining the basics of catching and flying in careful but broken Spanish.
Wolfgang hated to break it up actually. Everyone had been nothing short of alarmed when Kurt had first jumped into their midst, but it had melted into a friendly exchange. At first it seemed odd to Wolfgang that Kurt would so willingly expose himself to so many strangers when he was so obviously shy around him. Then he realized that the only difference between him and these people was that he knew Kurt's costume didn't come off when the show was over. Kurt used his own appearance as camouflage and as long as he had an audience who believed he was Nightcrawler, he was safe. He couldn't hide from Wolfgang.
But now it was his turn to act. "Hey Kurt." He stage whispered. Nothing. "Nightcrawler." Kurt didn't notice at first until someone tapped him on the shoulder and pointed in Wolfgang's direction.
Kurt was obviously surprised to see him since he was expecting Lars. "Vas"
"Margali heard you were up here. She sent me to look" Wolfgang told him in German.
Kurt jumped up and looked around. "She did? Where is she" He was starting to look a little panicked.
"Hurry, she's coming." Wolfgang said. Kurt glanced hopelessly across the tent at Lars, who, in a brilliant display of improvisation, pointed urgently toward one of the tent's many entrances.
Kurt looked sheepishly at his new companions. "Sorry" he said, switching back to Spanish"I guess I'll go on tonight after all." He smiled, patted the little girl on the head, and leapt back into the aisle. He looked around again, scanning the crowd.
"This way. Quick." Wolfgang said. He had suddenly realized that his prank was really an opportunity in disguise. He led Kurt down the steps and they ducked under the stands.
"It has to look like I was backstage the whole time." Kurt said as they jogged towards where Lars was waiting. "You'll tell her you didn't see me, right"
Wolfgang slowed down. "I don't have to." He said.
Kurt stopped. "Why not" He asked.
Wolfgang shrugged. "She didn't really send me."
"She didn't? Who did" Kurt asked looking puzzled.
"No one. It was my idea. You don't have to keep running away from me. I'm not going to hurt you or anything." Wolfgang said. He had never stood this close to Kurt and now he found it difficult to keep from staring. Kurt's deep blue skin didn't seem to reflect light at all and close up he saw it had a texture like velvet. He should have been monstrous, but he wasn't. Perhaps it was that there was a gentleness and intelligence in his eyes didn't match his pointed teeth and spaded tail, or maybe it was that he stood with the natural poise and grace of a star performer, but Wolfgang had never seen someone so inhuman look so… human.
"What are you talking about" Kurt asked.
"Every time you see me, you run the other way. I just didn't want you to spend your entire winter off worrying about me." Wolfgang explained.
"You nearly gave me a heart attack to tell me that? Couldn't you have sent a letter or something" Kurt said in disbelief.
Wolfgang shrugged. "And Lars thought it would be funny."
Kurt sighed. "I'm not afraid of you." He said.
"But why do you…"
"I'm sorry. I was afraid I would scare you." Kurt said. "I scare people, even when I don't mean to. So I leave them alone."
Wolfgang started laughing. "I spent four years living in New York City" he said"I've seen folks a whole lot scarier than you. As long as you're not trying to steal my wallet at gun point, you're harmless in my book.
"No matter what you look like." Wolfgang added.
Kurt shrugged and smiled. "I forgot my gun today" He said. "Perhaps another time."
They chatted as they walked back to where Lars was waiting for them. As he had been with his tiny audience, Kurt was quite charming and always quick to make jokes. By the time they reached the tent flaps, they had discovered that they had three languages in common and liked some of the same books.
"Very funny Lars." Said Kurt when they reached him. Lars grinned.
"I was just getting you back for yesterday." He said.
Kurt folded his arms across his chest for a moment, staring at Lars. "Fine" he said. "Then if you don't mind. I'm going to go get ready." He turned sharply on one heel, whacking Lars in the back of the head with his tail as he did so, and stalked off in the other direction.
"Ow" Lars rubbed the back of his head.
"I think he did that on purpose." Said Wolfgang.
"I know he did." Lars was still rubbing the back of his head. He turned to follow Kurt so he could finish changing as well. "You'd better watch out" he said"when Kurt retaliates you're not going to know what hit you. His pranks are murder."
Wolfgang laughed and waved as Lars walked off. He turned back toward the audience and smiled realizing he wasn't so much worried about what Kurt was going to do, but looking forward to it.
