"There'll be air soon."
Another shape joined the one holding the lamp. "Mother Machree, but it's the hell of Hartford down there," The voice belonged to Pony Red Miira, boss animal man. "Waxy, why'd you put out the call?"
The one holding the lamp pointed at Bullhook. "The boss elephant man."
Pony Red moved next to Bullhook and placed a hand on the boss elephant man's shoulder. "Are you all right? The last time I saw you the back of your skull was caved in."
"I'm on my feet. We're down. We got to get the lead stock out of here. Why aren't the bay doors open?"
The boss animal man shook his head. "The last I heard from the crew back there, the doors were jammed. They can't get to the control that blows the damn doors off because of the bulls. Two of 'em are loose in the runs tearing up the place. Now we can't raise the aft crew at all."
Bullhook rubbed his eyes. "The carrousel. Can it still rotate?"
"Sure, but—"
"Get some lights on and move tube number one to the bottom, facing the doors. I'll get 'em open."
Pony Red shook Bullhook's shoulder. "You can't get through any of the tubes; especially number one. Six of the eight bulls in there have broken loose. We're trying now to get a crew around to open the doors from the outside."
Bullhook began to pull himself down the companionway.
"Dammit, Pony, if they won't open from the inside, they sure as hell can't be opened from the outside. Not in time. Just get tube number one facing the doors. I'll get through." "Why number one?" "Ming is in number one."
Bullhook walked between the two men and felt his way down the corridor until he reached the port to the main bay. He pulled himself through, ignored the elevator, and began working his way down the access ladder. Half of the way down nausea and dizziness washed over him as the pain in his head flashed lights before his eyes. He hung onto the ladder, resting his cheek against one of its cleated rungs. The smoke covered him like a hot blanket; the screams from the animals numbed his ears.
Crying. Just barely audible, there was crying among the screams. Lights went on in the access tube, turning the blackness into a dark gray pall. Bullhook Willy lowered himself another rung, then another, until he stood on the lower deck access compartment to the main carrousel. The air was a bit better. Fresh, cool air. He glanced to his left and could see the hazy outline of an open maintenance port. Through the man-sized doorway, he could see green grass. He turned from the ladder and lurched toward the closed doors that opened into the tubes as the rumble of the main carrousel turning vibrated the shuttle.
Before the doors, three figures knelt over a fourth. One of the kneeling figures stood and grabbed Bullhook. "What're you doin' here, Bullhook? You can hardly stand."
Bullhook forced his eyes to resolve the images before him. Packy Dern was holding him; Waco Whacko and Dot the Pot were kneeling over the still body of Haystack Harry. "What happened, Packy?"
The bullhand nodded toward Haystack. "Waco and I managed to pull him out of the number four tube. Too late." He looked back at Bullhook. "There's some others still in there."
"What about the rest of the bullhands?"
Packy shook his head. "God, I don't know. Most of 'em must be out of the shuttle by now."
Bullhook closed his eyes for a moment. "Waco. Get Dot out of here. Go through that open maintenance port."
The snake charmer looked over his shoulder at the boss elephant man. "What about you?"
Bullhook moved over and pulled Dot the Pot to her feet.
"Haystack's been exed, Dot. You have to get out of here."
Dot wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I can't just leave him. Don't make me leave him."
"Packy and I'll take care of him. You go with Waco now. You're just in the way."
The snake charmer stood, held Dot's arm, and looked at Bullhook. "What about you?"
"I'll be along."
The snake charmer studied Bullhook with dark, narrowed eyes. "There aren't any heroes in the circus, Bullhook; just dead troupers and live ones."
"Get along, Waco." He placed a hand on the snake charmer's shoulder. "I'll be all right."
Waco spat on the deck and turned Dot the Pot toward the maintenance port. As the pair moved toward the opening, Bullhook pointed at the body. "Packy, grab Haystack and get out of here."
Packy Dern shook his head. "I heard the big cage turning, Bullhook. If you open those doors, it'll take about two seconds for this compartment to be full up with damned mad pachyderms."
The boss elephant man motioned with his bullhook toward the body. "Get Haystack and beat it. I have to get to the other end and open the main hatch."
"There's a crew outside working on it now."
"Packy, there's no time to work through from the outside. Now get moving."
"You can't make it!"
"Ming and I can." Bullhook pointed again at the body. "Now beat it."
Packy shook his head and lifted the dead bullhand's shoulders. "Maybe I can help."
Bullhook Willy stared at the closed doors to the main carrousel. "Beat it. And get that crew away from the doors."
Packy pulled Haystack's body away, and just before he reached the maintenance port, Bullhook called out. "Hey, Packy!"
"What?"
"Little Will. Take care of her. You know."
"Yeah. I know." The bullhand lowered Haystack's body through the port, then dropped himself through to the outside.
Bullhook Willy weaved before the closed doors, looking at the red square that needed to be pressed to open them. "Just hope to hell Ming is the first one out."
He reached out his left hand, slapped the red square, and stumbled to the right of the doors as they hissed open. There was no addition to the smoke, but the sound of the screaming bulls deafened him. A panic-driven elephant thundered through the open doorway, her shredded left ear dripping blood. It took only a split-second for Bullhook to recognize Cambo. As Cambo rumbled around the compartment looking for a pachyderm-sized exit, she was immediately followed by Queenie. Queenie's trunk was almost severed through.
Bullhook looked around the edge of the door and screamed. "Ming! Here, Ming! Goddammit, Ming, where are you?"
Down the length of the tube, three bulls were in the aisle on their sides either dead or dying. The remaining five bulls were loose and stampeding in the confined area.
"Ming! Dammit, Ming!" Bullhook sagged against the open door as his vision blurred. One of the five bulls paused, turned toward the forward end, then began walking toward the compartment. "Ming. That's it, baby. Right here."
Bullhook felt a thunderous whack across his shoulders, his face smashed against the bulkhead. He stopped himself from sagging to the deck, reached out, grabbed the rungs of an access ladder, and began pulling himself out of danger. Queenie rushed at him again and tried to pull him down, but she could not raise her wounded trunk. Just as he managed to pull himself above her, Queenie rammed the ladder and bulkhead.
Ming entered the compartment and bellowed. Bullhook called from his perch upon the ladder. "Ming! Over here, girl! Get Queenie away from the ladder! C'mon, Ming, you beautiful thing!"
Bullhook saw Ming look up at him. The sound she made was a blast of relief and joy.
"That's right, Ming. I'm here. Come on over and save old Bullhook's ass."
Ming lowered her head, tucked her trunk down, and charged at Queenie's side. The impact vibrated the entire compartment, almost causing Bullhook to lose his grip. Frightened by the attack, Queenie moved away from the ladder.
"Over here, Ming!" He smacked his bullhook against the bulkhead and Ming moved toward the ladder. The pachyderm presented her port side to the boss elephant man when she saw him whirl his bullhook in a circle. When she was close enough, Bullhook Willy leaped from the ladder and landed upon Ming's back. Painfully he pulled himself forward until he sat straddling the great beast's neck, the toes of his boots behind her ears.