The baron watched from the doorway as they wrapped blankets around his wife, eased her stiffened hands to her side, and then strapped two thick leather belts around her.
Luis moved closer to the arena. A single spotlight followed Ruda. The tigers moved in a circle around her in the darkness. She gave the command for the circle to break, for the tigers to form a pyramid on the stacked plinths.
Ruda was sweating. She issued a command to Roja, but he kept running, picking up speed. "ROJA UPPPP UPPP... BLUE... BLUE..." Roja suddenly sprang back, and Ruda continued the commands as, one by one, the tigers moved to their plinths. Blue, red, green... the spotlight widened and they were all in position. Ruda shouted "Up!" and they sat back on their haunches, their front paws swiping. She gave the command "Down" and they perched. With her left hand she gave Mike the signal to release the lionesses. They came down the tunnel within seconds, and she had to repeat her commands over and over again since they refused to get on the plinths.
Luis could feel the sweat trickling down his back; he gripped the steel bars, swearing at himself... It was his fault, she was right, the new plinths were throwing them off. Luis raised his eyes to the viewing room. Zapashny was speaking to the Ringling Bros, scout, pointing to Ruda, then at himself. No doubt he knew she was in trouble, and would be only too pleased to give his professional opinion, only too eager to tell the scout how much better his act was.
The lionesses were on their plinths. Ruda gave them the command to rest their front paws on the pyramid above them. Once, twice, they refused, snarling and growling. The tigers hissed, but they stayed in place. Mike got the signal to let the two massive male lions enter the tunnel.
Three positions at the top of the plinth were still to be filled. Two lions ran on either side of Ruda; as rehearsed she looked toward the tunnel, bent down toward one of the lionesses as if asking a question, then turned to the plinths: three places, only two animals. She walked to the tunnel, followed by one lion, and whirled around to admonish him. Then, she looked down the tunnel, she got a nudge from him. She turned and wagged a scolding finger.
The children would be screaming by now, hysterical with delight watching the big cats tease her. Ruda put her hands on her hips in mock anger, and ordered the two lions to get up on the plinths.
It happened again. Both refused to jump, once, twice. Grimaldi wanted to scream out, but Ruda held her own, she was calm. Again she gave the command: They obeyed and Grimaldi sighed with relief. He looked up to the viewing box, the Russian was watching intently; he had to appreciate the exceptional training required to assemble a pyramid constituted by sixteen tigers, four lionesses, and two lions, all seated.
Ruda gave the signal for Mamon to be released, and he came down the tunnel at full run. He came to Ruda, as if he were late, and lay down in front of her as he had been taught to do. He rolled over, legs in the air. Ruda stamped her foot, pointed to the plinth, and Mamon rolled and rolled.
Unrehearsed, two tigers started to swipe at each other. She moved in their direction and shouted, and they turned on her. She yelled once more and they calmed down. Now she began the carefully practiced routine with Mamon, pointing to the twenty-foot-high plinth. He looked up and shook his huge head, she wagged her finger at him, and he whirled around and pretended to run back down the tunnel. Ruda grabbed his tail and began to pull him back.
Mamon and Ruda had a tug-of-war; throughout, she continued to issue commands to the cats on the plinths. Mamon appeared to be in good form, he didn't hesitate over a single command. To an onlooker, he seemed to be performing faultlessly, but Ruda could sense his impatience; like any star, he seemed to be pacing himself. He followed the routine very well, right up to the final command when he was to jump to the highest peak of the pyramid. The rest of the cats were seated, under control, and waiting. Ruda called out again, and then again. "RED — YUP... MA' ANGEL UP, UP!"
Mamon tossed his head.
Luis knew Ruda could not hold the pyramid formation much longer. The other cats were beginning to sense Mamon's unrest.
Suddenly he backed away and stared at Ruda, then crouched low on his haunches.
Up in the viewing box, all three men were on their feet, looking down into the ring. Ruda glared at Mamon. "RED-RED-RED... MA' ANGEL!"
Suddenly he leaped forward, as if he were going for her, then like lightning he veered off and sprang from one step to another, up and up, until he was on the top plinth, up on his haunches. At a command all the cats rose. They formed a mountain of brilliant colors. Then, in perfect order, they jumped down. Roja, in the lead, took them down the tunnel.
As rehearsed Mamon held his position at the top. Ruda now slapped the bottom plinth with her hand, ordering Mamon down. He shook his head. Ruda sat down with a shrug of her shoulders to the audience while, behind her, Mamon moved down plinth by plinth. Ruda was issuing commands — "RED-GREEN-BLUE" — pretending she did not know he was directly behind her. At this point, urged on by the ringmaster, the children would always scream out, "He's behind you!"
Mamon leaned back, balanced himself, and then gently put his front paws on her shoulders. Ruda mimicked surprise and swiveled, virtually in his arms. Mamon was fully balanced on his own haunches — Ruda would not have been able to sustain his weight — it only looked as though he were resting against her. Slowly she slipped her arms around him in an embrace. The spotlight narrowed and zeroed in on them, until it framed them like lovers, Mamon's huge body overwhelming Ruda's. She gave a command that told him she was stepping away; at that point, he came off the plinth. As she took her bow, she extended her left hand toward his mouth. This was very daring — more dangerous than if she had put her head into his mouth: That was done by the trainer placing his hand over the animal's nose — the animal certainly wouldn't shut his mouth if he couldn't breathe! Mamon, however, held her hand gently in his mouth as she continued her bows. Finally, she pretended he was dragging her to the tunnel...
The lights dimmed while the men ran to dismantle the arena. When they came back on, Ruda took her bow. Grimaldi looked up to the viewing box. The scout from Ringling Bros, was applauding. Grimaldi punched the air with his fist.
Ruda made sure the animals were back in their cages, fed and settled for the night before she made her way back to the trailer. Luis had helped first dismantle, then stack and prop up the cages for the following night's show. He returned to the trailer with a bottle of champagne.
Ruda came in, her shirt soaked in sweat, and he swept her up into his arms. "They were applauding, they were cheering you!"
She smiled, and slumped onto a bench. "They asked to see me right away, but... get me some bandages and the disinfectant, quick!"
Luis looked puzzled.
"Just get it, I have to be over there in a minute."
Ruda unbuttoned her cuff and removed the protective wad under her sleeve. There were deep teeth marks on her arm. Dark bruises were already forming.
Luis brought the first aid box and knelt down beside her. "Jesus Christ! Did he break the skin?"
"No, no, it's just bruised. It was tough out there, they were all acting up."
Luis looked up at her, and carefully pushed her sleeve up her arm. "You mean your fucking angel was, you'll have to cut that part of the act. Jesus God — he could have taken your arm off."
"But he didn't. Just put some antiseptic over it, then find me a clean shirt."