Chapter 6: Never Enough

"The shame of the city," Clark read. "The protests amend Mr. Barnum's reputation as the previewer of the offensive and indecent."

"Offensive and indecent," Shayera muttered. "Look at me Mr. Bennett, I'm blushing."

"No I'm blushing," Helen said. She was wearing a fake beard and to the others laughed at it.

"Why do care what Bennett thinks?" Charity asked.

"He's a snob," Shayera said.

"And a prig," John addded. Wally snickered.

"Well, everyone in New Your reads him," Clark said. "He does their thinking for them."

"What happened to thriving off controversy?" Diana questioned.

"Well um..." Clark began. Bruce walked in. "Hey! You heard about this?"

"Phillip!" Helen exclaimed as she ran up to him.

"Well look who finally made it," John said.

"You're late," Shayera added.

"No," Bruce said as he pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Clark. "I'm right on time." Clark unfolded the piece of paper.

"Do you ALWAYS have to make an entrance?" Wally asked.

"This one was all the movie writers," Bruce said. "So you want to blame someone, blame them."

"The master of the house as it in the command of the Queen to invite Mr. Phineas Barnum and his theatrical troop to a reception at Buckingham Palace?" Clark read. Everyone was surprised and shocked.

"THE Queen Victoria is this real?" Charity asked.

"I had to pull a few strings," Bruce said. "If you want society to except you, you need to start at the VERY top." He put his hat on Helen's head.

"Are ALL of us invited?" Diana asked.

"I've already told the queen that either all of us are going or none of us are," Bruce responded. She smiled at him and he felt his heart melt. The rest of the troop was overjoying at the prospect of going to Buckingham Palace.

"Queen of England, can't get much better than that?!" John said. Helen was on Bruce's back and he was spinning her around. Diana smiled at them.

'Is this what he's really like?' she thought. 'Or is this just his character?'

They were now in Buckingham Palace and the performers were in costume while Bruce and Clark were in suits.

"Wait, why aren't we in tails?" Clark asked.

"Cause APPARENTLY we're the entertainment," Bruce responded.

"Well I don't see either of you in a costume," Shayera added. A man walked in the room.

"Your majesty, Mr. Barnum and his...oddities from America," he announced. The group walked in. The crowd whispered and muttered. Clark and Bruce bowed.

"Your majesty, it's a honor to meet you your highness," Clark said.

"The honor is mine, Mr. Barnum," the queen said. "I've heard all about your little colonel from my friends in America."

"I'm a general ma'am," John said as he came into her sight.

"You're even smaller than I imagined," the queen said.

"Well you're not particularly tall yourself, your majesty," John responded. He covered his mouth and everyone gasped. Then the queen started laughing and soon everyone was laughing.

They were now just hanging around and just enjoying themselves. The troop felt awkward and a bit uncomfortable so they just stayed in their own little circle. Clark and Bruce weren't too far away since, unlike their characters, they were NOT social butterflies and preferred to stay by themselves.

"How much longer until we're done here?" Clark asked.

"A few minutes," Bruce said. "This scene doesn't last long." Then they saw Jenny Lind walking towards the queen.

"Who is that?" Clark asked curiously.

'Uh, oh,' Bruce thought.

"That's Jenny Lind," Bruce informed. "She's an opera singer and is famous all across Europe."

"Mmmm." Clark then grabbed Bruce's arm and started walking in her direction.

"Kent, what are you doing?" Bruce asked.

"I honestly don't know," Clark admitted. "I just have a feeling that I should be heading in this direction. Am I right?"

"Right," Bruce said.

"Then why did you ask what I was doing?" Clark asked.

"Kent," Bruce growled. They were now in front of Jenny Lind. She had turned to face them.

"Ms. Lind, my name is Phillip Carlyle," Bruce said. He took her hand and lightly kissed it. Clark cleared his throat. "Oh, and this man next to me is..."

"P.T Barnum, at your service," Clark interrupted.

"Of course, you're the American," Jenny said.

"So you've heard of me?" Clark questioned.

"That, or something very wrong," Jenny responded.

"I don't quite follow that," Clark said.

"I believe those are the words of a scoundrel, Mr. Barnum," Jenny stated.

"Actually Miss Lind, I'm a showman," Clark corrected. "One of the best."

"If you do say so yourself," Jenny responded.

"I am, right Bruce?" Clark said.

"Yes he is a great showman," Bruce told her.

"Look Miss Lind, I'd like to bring you to New York," Clark responded. "Don't know why but I don't think that it really matters."

"Have you ever heard me sing?" Jenny asked.

"No," Clark admitted.

"I've never been to America," Jenny told him.

"Okay well there's no time like the present to go," Clark said. Jenny snickered. "Was that funny?"

"I give most of my earnings to charity, Mr. Barnum," Jenny informed him. "To orphans and widows."

"Voice of an angel", "heart of gold"" Bruce said.

"That's great," Clark responded. "Press'll love that."

"It's not a story," Jenny told him. "Mr. Barnum, may I ask you something?"

"Sure," Clark responded.

"Why me?" Jenny asked.

"Well I figured I should try something new," Clark said. "I'd like to try to reach a different audience." A man came up to Jenny.

"Miss Lind," he said. He then led her away.

Clark found himself with Charity in front of a theater. Masses of people were heading in.

"Look at this!" Clark said. "Even the snobs are here. To see..." He saw a poster of Jenny on the wall. "Jenny. I guess she decided to come along."

"Now are you happy?" Charity asked.

"Yes," Clark responded. He then found himself backstage looking at the audience. He turned to Bruce. "Is she ready?"

"I don't know," Bruce replied. "But we've got time. Oh, by the way Diana and the others are here."

"They are?" Clark questioned.

"You want me to put them in your box?" Bruce asked.

"No, too visible," Clark said. Bruce raised his eyebrow. "Could you put them..."

"In the standing room?" Bruce guessed.

"Yes, put them there," Clark said.

"Miss Lind is ready now," a man said.

"Oh, great," Clark responded. Clark ran off and Bruce's gaze followed him.

'Kent, please don't actually fall,' Bruce thought.

Bruce was in the standing room with the other performers and he was standing next to Diana. Clark came out onto the stage.

"Hello everyone," Clark said. "Thank you for coming." There were mutterings around the theater when they saw him. "Well...allow me to introduce the "Swedish Nightingale" Miss Jenny Lind." Clark walked off, the audience clapped, and the curtain came up revealing Jenny Lind.

"I'm trying to hold my breath," Jenny sang. "Let it stay this way. Can't let this moment end. You've set off a dream in me. Getting louder now. Can you hear it echoing? Take my hand. Will you share this with me? Cause darlin' without you." Bruce took Diana's hand and squeezed it. She turned to look at him and Bruce smirked. Diana smiled. "All the shine of a thousand spotlights. All the stars we steal from the night sky will never be enough. Never be enough. Towers of gold are still too little. These hands could hold the world but it'll never be enough. Never be enough for me! Never, never. Never, never. Never for me, for me. Never enough for me, for me, for me! All the shine of a thousand spotlights. All the stars we steal from the night sky will never be enough. Never be enough. Towers of gold are still too little. These hands could hold the world but it'll never be enough." A couple turned to look at Bruce. Bruce then felt a strange and unusual fear of them. He dropped Diana's hand for some reason. He immediately regretted it and Diana left. "Never be enough for me! Never, never. Never, never. Never for me, for me. Never enough for me, for me, for me!" Bruce's head dropped as Jenny finished.

'Why did I do that?' Bruce thought. 'I didn't have to.' The audience clapped and cheered. Clark smiled. He had done it. He had won the approval of the snobs.