Tyli held out her callused hands. "Look at these, Uncle! I've paid for everything I've gotten from you a hundred times over. I didn't ask to be taken from the adoption lists and put at slave labor on your farm." Tears welled in her eyes. "I didn't ask my parents to die in your dumb revolution!"
Chaine grabbed her by her arm and turned her toward the main entrance to the lot. "You think anyone would adopt such a brat, and at your age?" They left the push of the crowd, and Chaine spat on the ground. "Kill me, will you? The only reason I didn't thrash you on the spot is because of all those people. But, when I get you home..." He shook her arm violently and squeezed it hard. Tyli bit her lip to keep from crying out.
"I swear, Uncle, if you beat me again, I'll kill you." Her words tumbled out through her tears. "I swear it, Uncle!"
Chaine's eyes narrowed. "Why you—" He felt a very heavy hand clamp onto his shoulder. "Whaa?" The hand turned him around and Chaine found himself looking at the chin of a human mountain. Tyli covered her face to hide her tear-streaked cheeks. The big man laughed.
"Now, Sweetie Pie, don't be shy. Introduce me to your friend."
Tyli sniffed and cocked her head at Chaine. "This is my uncle—not my uncle, really. He..." She winced at Chaine's grip on her arm "He's my guardian. Uncle Chaine, this is Duckfoot Tarzak. He's Boss Canvasman with the show."
Chaine gave a curt nod. "How'd you know Tyli?"
Duckfoot smiled. "Why, Sweetie Pie pushed a cat for me this morning to get a free pass to the afternoon performance." Duckfoot nodded at Tyli's arm. "That's quite a grip you've got there, Chaine." The Boss Canvasman held out his own hand. "It's a pleasure to meet a man who knows how to treat women and handle kids."
Chaine shrugged, released Tyli's arm, and grasped the Boss Canvasman's hand. Tyli looked in horror at the picture. Chaine was very proud of his grip, and she watched as the two each tried to outsqueeze the other. Chaine's face reddened still further, but Duckfoot simply grinned. "It's ... a pleasure to ... meet you, Duckfoot." Chaine's knees began to sag.
Three dull cracks and the color draining from Chaine's face signaled the end of the contest. Duckfoot released the farmer's hand, then slapped him on the back. "Yessir, Chaine, folks here on Doldra sure are friendly." Chaine weaved on his feet while Duckfoot looked toward the wagon park where several roughnecks were cutting up jackpots. "Hey, yo, Carrot Nose!"
One of the roughnecks got up and walked over. "What's what, Duckfoot?"
The Boss Canvasman slapped Chaine on the back again, sending the man sprawling in the dust. "Mr. Chaine's looking a little pale. Thought you'd be kind enough to show him to the infirmary."
Carrot Nose picked Chaine up out of the dust. "Sure thing, Duckfoot. My, Mister Chaine, but you are pale, aren't you? Come along, now."
Chaine sagged against the roughneck, then looked over his shoulder as the man dragged him toward the infirmary. "Tyli, you be at home when I get there." Carrot Nose grabbed Chaine by his hand, causing the farmer to grunt in pain.
"Sorry about that Mister Chaine. Just trying to steady you. Come along, now."
As the pair left, Tyli looked up at the Boss Canvasman. "Thanks, but you don't know what trouble I'm in now."
Duckfoot studied the girl, then rubbed his upper lip with a sausage-size finger. "Where are your parents?"
"Dead." She looked into Duckfoot's eyes, pleading.
The Boss Canvasman looked back. "You're gonna have to ask. I don't want anybody to ever have cause to say that I talked you into something."
Tyli made two fists and shook her head as fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. "I can't!... It's against the law, and you'll get into trouble. The law'd kill you—"
Duckfoot placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you let me worry about the details?"
Tyli looked in the direction of the infirmary wagon, then dried her eyes and looked at the flags flying from the main top. She turned back to Duckfoot. "All right. I want a job."
Duckfoot nodded, put his huge arm around her shoulders, then steered her toward the dressing top. He looked up in the air and half talked to himself as they walked. "We'll be on Doldra another six weeks, so the first thing is to make you invisible. We'll see what Iron Jaw Jill can do. Then, I better talk to a couple of people." He looked down at the girl. "Well, first of May, how does it feel being part of the show?"
Tyli sniffed, then laughed. "Scared. Scared to death."
ELEVEN
Tyli stood red-faced in the center of the circle of ballet girls while Iron Jaw Jill poked and prodded at her in her scanty ballet costume. "Might be able to pack the upstairs to fill out the costume." She smacked Tyli on the bottom. "And the downstairs." Iron Jaw shook her head and scratched the wart on her nose. "I can't figure out what to do with the legs, though." She looked at Duckfoot. "Can't hide her in the ballet, Duckfoot. She'd stick out like an ostrich in the middle of an elephant parade."
Duckfoot rubbed his chin and nodded. "Got to do something, though." He pointed at Tyli's head. "Wouldn't she look better without her hair tied up like that?"
Jill stood behind Tyli and worked at undoing the knots. The girl's hair, white-blond and wavy, came down and hung below the small of her back. Iron Jaw Jill turned to one of the ballet girls. "Diamonds, get over to the kid show and get Fish Face. Tell him it's important."
The girl ran from the dressing top. The Boss Canvasman raised his eyebrows. "You thinking of putting Sweetie Pie in the kid show?"
Jill nodded, then pushed around Tyli's mass of hair. "It just might work."
Fish Face Frank, the kid-show director, came into the top and nodded at Duckfoot, then Jill. "What is it, Iron Jaw? I'm a busy man."
Jill grabbed two handfuls of Tyli's hair and held it straight out from her head. "Fish Face, how would you like a Moss Haired Girl?"
Tyli frowned as Fish Face walked over and began fingering her hair. He nodded, "We've never had a Moss Haired Girl before. It's an old gag, but it'll work, especially on a planet full of rubes like this one." He dropped her hair, rubbed his chin, then nodded again. "Right, I can put her between Bubbles and Willow Wand." Fish Face saw the confused look on Tyli's face. "That's the Fat Lady and the Living Skeleton."
Tyli frowned and glared at Duckfoot. "You're going to let them put me in a freak show?"
The Boss Canvasman laughed. "Until we get off Doldra. It's perfect."
Tyli pouted. "A freak show."
Fish Face raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "Don't let any of them hear you call them freaks."
Tyli snorted. "Well, what do you call them?"
"Artistes. Come on. I'll introduce you and then we'll see about making you into a Moss Haired Girl."
As she was leaving, Duckfoot called after her. "And, don't forget: you still push a cat for me!" He shook his head and turned to Jill. "What do you think, Iron Jaw?"
Iron Jaw Jill scratched her wart. "She'll cut it. She's a good kid."
The Boss Canvasman walked to the top entrance and watched Fish Face leading Tyli to the kid show. He noticed the Governor crossing the lot toward the office wagon. "Mr. John!" The Governor stopped as Duckfoot ran from the tent.
"What's up, Duckfoot? I haven't seen you run since the number-three pole splintered and almost parted your hair."
"Mr. John, I have a small boon to beg."
The Governor squinted, then jabbed a finger at the Boss Canvasman's chest. "How many years in jail is this going to cost me?"
Duckfoot held out his hands and shrugged. "Mr. John, they don't have jails on Doldra."