Chester had called his first rehearsal as boss of the troupe. He gathered everyone together in the big tent, to listen to his ideas on how to change the show for the better. Greta had almost refused to attend the meeting out of principal and because she was stubborn, but Eve had talked her round, pointing out that she should at least pretend to go along with the change of regime in the camp.

"Now I know you've been together for a long time and change can be difficult for an established show. And again… this is not about ego, all right, this is about flow. So…" He shook out the piece of paper that held his new directions. "We'll do the company into and then… then we'll start with Desi twirling her titties and then Toulouse and Penny will do their beauty and the beast act, with a twist… uh… followed by Bette and Dot and then Paul and then Greta, which will give the twins time to change into their assistant costumes and we'll finish the show with Marjorie and the magic act." Chester read through his list with a smile.

"Dot and I have had a talk. We don't care to be your assistant any longer." Bette announced.

"Why?"

"We just… don't wish to."

"Maybe you'll change your mind after you hear about my finale." Chester told them. "Instead of a volunteer, I'm gonna saw you two in half…" Greta glanced sideways at her friends, seeing the horror and upset clear on their faces as he spoke of his new idea."Two bodies for two heads… it'll be a sensation; a first in the history of magic. Come on, girls… let's do a little rehearsal."

"No, Chester…" Dot shook her head firmly. "We are not getting into that box. Now, if you'll excuse us…"

He scowled after them as they turned and left the tent quickly. "Where are you going? I haven't dismissed anyone."

"They said they do not want to do it." Greta reminded him darkly, scowling up at him from her seat on the bench in the front row. "So back off and leave them alone."

He glared at her furiously; apparently outraged that she had dared to show him up, especially in front of the others. The blonde simply stared defiantly back, not the least bit afraid of the man. Beside her, she could feel Eve tensing, but she didn't move a muscle, staring him out. She was almost daring him to make a comment, itching for an excuse to let her tense frustration at the knowledge that her friends were plotting against her mother out.

"I'll do it." Maggie offered, appearing on stage from behind the curtain and dragging Chester's attention away from Greta. "I… I know how the trick works. I can be your assistant. I want to be part of the show. All I got to do is smile and show a little leg, right?"

"Right." He nodded in agreement. "Get in the box, Lucy."

"My name's Maggie."

There was a silence as Chester retrieved the first of the props; the part which held Maggie's head still. He hesitated for a moment, before slamming it into place, much harder than necessary. The performers in the audience exchanged wary looks.

"Shut up." He snarled.

"I didn't say anything." Maggie replied, confused.

Chester scowled again, realising that everyone was still watching him. "What are you all looking at? Backstage. Places! Places! This is a run-through!"

Exchanging looks amongst themselves, the remaining members of the troupe headed round the side of the tent and into the backstage area. They muttered uneasily as they heard Chester start his act, unable to see what was going on from their positions behind the curtain.

"Chester! Chester! Chester, stop!"

Maggie's bloodcurdling screams were enough to grab their attention and send them all sprinting onto the stage. They stopped abruptly as their brains caught up with their eyes and they realised what had happened. Desiree stopped abruptly, her hand flying up to cover her mouth, causing Greta to barge into the back of her as she rushed onto the stage, almost knocking the older woman over.

"What the bloody hell?" Paul shouted, his eyes as round as saucers as he stared at the saw, dripping with the young woman's blood, which was dangling limply from Chester's hand.

Eve wretched violently as he pulled the two sides of the box apart, causing Maggie's innards to spill out of her body and hit the floor of the stage with a soft, squashy splat. The tall woman turned away, unable to look at the sight, reaching for Greta's hand and holding it tightly.

"What the hell have you done?" The young blonde demanded furiously. "Scheiße! Er hat seinen verstand verloren!"

"Relax, folks... it's just a magic show." Chester said, looking around at their stunned, disgusted and horrified faces. "It's a magic show. I can put her back together. Watch… I can put her… Alakazam! Abraca– Abracadabra!" He pointed out into the tent, where the audience would be sitting. "Sh– She made me do it."

They all followed his finger to where he was pointing at thin air. Desiree stepped backwards, trying to get further away from him, almost knocking Greta over. The younger woman wrapped a hand around her arm and tugged her backwards, her eyes never leaving Chester as she moved to stand protectively in front of both Desiree and Eve in case he turned on them.

Instead, he simply ran off stage and disappeared out of the tent without looking back. Slowly, those gathered on stage stepped closer to the box, peering at the lifeless body of Maggie with disgust. A line of blood ran from the left corner of her mouth down her cheek and had pooled on the table beneath her. The parts of her that had fallen out when Chester separated the box were still lying in a little pile on the stage floor.

"She had it coming." Desiree decided after a moment or two, shaking her head slightly.

"What do we do now?" Paul asked expressionlessly.

"Steal her jewellery and bury the bitch." The woman suggested.

Her proposal received no complaints, so they set about removing anything of value she owned from her body and clearing up. Greta pointed out that they would have to scrub the stage well otherwise it would stain. She, Suzi and Paul gathered up the intestines and other bits and pieces that had fallen out of the young woman and took them away to be disposed of, leaving Eve and Desiree to clean up after them.

It didn't take long before all traces of the events of that afternoon had vanished from sight. Greta felt bad about the way Maggie's body had simply been buried in a grave on the outskirts of the camp. Unlike Ethel and the others who had died there, there had been no ceremony. They had simply got the job finished and returned to their everyday tasks. She might have severely disliked the fortune teller, but Greta still felt that she deserved some form of send-off considering she had warned them about Spencer in the end, before anyone else lost their lives.

Heading out on her own in the pouring rain, she had picked wildflowers, the kind that she knew Maggie often had in a jar in her tent. Taking them out to the spot they had buried her in, Greta laid them on the slightly raised patch of earth, saying a quick prayer in the girl's honour. Then she had retreated to the shelter of the big tent to join the others.

"We need to tell Jimmy that she's dead." Eve pointed out quietly a short while later. Greta nodded slowly. "It's my turn to visit him this evening… will you come with me and help me break the news?"

"No… I cannot do that… I…"

"Please, Greta." She implored her.

Sighing, the blonde nodded. "OK. But…"

"I'll tell him." Eve promised. "I just want you to be there with me."

That was how the two women found themselves in the metal shelter where Jimmy was hiding out; breaking the news that Maggie had been killed. Eve decided that the straightforward approach was the best option so, after calling him to sit down beside her on his bed, the woman told him about it. He was silent for a couple of moments, letting the information sink in.

"You want the details?" Eve asked gently. He shook his head. "Elsa's next… tonight."

Greta glanced up in surprise at that news. She hadn't known about it; no one had mentioned anything to her about the plan after she had told them that she didn't want to be involved. Eve looked sideways at her, reaching out and squeezing her hand sympathetically. Greta smiled weakly, before standing up and letting her hand slip out of the other woman's as she walked over to the open doorway. She stared out at the pouring rain blankly.

"Well… looks like you get a shot at a normal life now." Eve said. Greta glanced over her shoulder and saw that she was looking at the drawing of the new hands Elsa had commissioned. "Jimmy… I'm happy for you."

"Thanks…" He managed to croak out after a couple of minutes.

"Greta?" Eve called softly. "We'd better be getting back."

The younger woman turned and walked towards them. She glanced at Jimmy, who was staring off into space, apparently not even aware that the two women were there anymore. Reaching out, she cupped Eve's cheek gently, stroking her cheekbone with the pad of her thumb.

"I think I am going to stay here, my love, with Jimmy." She murmured. "If tonight is the night… I do not think I can be there at the camp. Whatever else she is, Elsa is my mother and I… I cannot stand back and watch... I would have to try to help her and..."

"OK." Eve agreed, placing her hand over the smaller one on her cheek. "I understand. I am so sorry."

"Be careful." Greta implored her as they walked to the door. "You know how tricky she can be."

Leaning in, Eve kissed her tenderly. "I will. I'll see you in the morning, sweetheart. Sleep well."

Greta watched the other woman disappear into the night, before pulling the door closed and securing it safely. Then she returned to the bed where Jimmy was now lying stretched out, staring up at the ceiling. Lying down beside him, Greta rested her head on his shoulder.

"Were you there?" Jimmy murmured at last. "When she died… were you there."

"I… yes."

"Was it bad."

She hesitated. "I am not going to lie to you, Jimmy. Yes, it was bad. I think she must have been in a lot of pain. If I could have stopped it… I would have. I know how much she meant to you."

"As much as Elsa means to you?" He asked.

"Perhaps." Greta agreed with a shrug, a dead expression in her eyes. "But she has to be punished for what she has done, just as your father was punished for what he did."

Breathing heavily, Jimmy rested his head on top of hers and closed his eyes. "I'm glad you're here."

Greta closed her eyes as well, feeling sleep threatening to wash over her. "Me too."

When she returned to the camp the next morning, Greta was expecting to hear that her mother had been killed. Instead, she was told that Elsa had disappeared before they could get to her. She frowned, wondering whether the woman had been tipped off or whether she had simply realised that it would be better if she were to leave.

With no answers to be had, they set about repairing the damage the storm had caused to the camp. The banners that hung either side of the walkway to the big tent needed to be rehung and there was plenty of general tidying up to do.

Paul, Eve and Greta were partway through hoisting the banners back into position, when they spotted an expensive-looking sports car driving quickly along the mud track towards them. Leaving what they were doing, they gathered together just as the car drew to a halt and Dandy climbed out, smiling smugly at them.

"What are you doing here?" Paul demanded of the man suspiciously.

"I'm here to take inventory." He informed them, pulling a piece of paper out of his jacket pocked and unfolding it casually. "I'm your new owner."

"Where's Elsa?" Eve asked as Greta snatched the paper from Dandy's hand and looked over it quickly.

"She's gone… off to follow her dreams."

Greta shook her head angrily, struggling to read what was written on the piece of paper in her hand, but refusing to believe what the man was telling them. She passed the contract to Paul, wrapping her arms around herself and scowling furiously at the posh boy who was grinning lecherously at her.

"Elsa's sold us again." Paul said. "For ten thousand dollars in cash."

"A pittance." Dandy announced, snatching his contract back. "Everything here, including your contracts, belongs to me now… and I want to see what's mine."

They followed him as he walked towards the big tent, looking around in awe. Exchanging looks, the performers trailed along behind, unable to believe what was happening. It seemed as though things were going from bad to worse.

Only Paul followed Dandy inside, the others stopping short of entering the tent. Instead they looked at each other with dread, before shaking their heads and going about their own business. Eve grasped Greta's hand and pulled her in the direction of their caravan. The younger woman didn't protest, allowing herself to follow in her lover's wake.

When they reached the trailer, they went inside and shut the door firmly behind them, locking themselves in their own little world. Silently, they curled up together on the bed, just holding each other tightly and trying to forget the nightmare that their life had suddenly become.

"Why him?" Greta breathed after long time of silence. "Why did it have to be him?"

"Because he was willing to pay the price Elsa asked for us." Eve pointed out. "He was desperate to get his hands on this place… he would have paid anything she asked."

"He will never own us, Evie, do you understand?" The blonde said forcefully, fixing the older woman with such a look that Eve was almost afraid of the intensity in her eyes. "He does not own us." She nodded quickly. "We have to leave."

"We can't just leave the others behind… with him…"

"No." Greta agreed, biting her lip thoughtfully. "I will think of something. But we are not staying here for longer than we have to. We are getting out of here, Evie."