Small Beginnings pt. 8

It was the "Explorer".

The second the fumes hit me I knew he was celebrating his first-night's success!
Still in his outfit and helmet, he used the heavy tent flap to balance himself.

"Ah, good evening sir." I addressed him.
"Oh, wha' har you do'n here?" he demanded defensively.
The fact that he no longer spoke with an Australian accent shouldn't have suprised me.
It was pretty much to be expected really.

"Just putting my gear away sir, ....you OK?" I asked as he swayed a little,
an almost full bottle clutched in his hand told me that that wasn't his first bottle he was working on tonight. ( ! )

"Hi'm ~wonnerful~!  Thish 's the best night....t'hanks ta -him-!"  and he pointed the bottle at the wagon in a wavery salute.
"..'e brought in so much dough, ringmas'ers' thinkin' of opening the circus earlier so we can sho 'im more than -twice- a day!"

The idea disgusted me, but I had to play along.

"Fantastic news sir, Congratulations!"
I patted him on the back and he managed a little acceptance bow before taking a healthy swig.
He swayed a little more and I brought over a haybale and horseblanket for him to sit on.

"There ya go sir." and I guided him to his seat.
"Ah, thank ya kin'ly" he stated then squinted at me.
"Don' thin' I've seen yhou here before."
"Newly hired, I take care of the horses and basic fetch-n-carry sir."  
"Ah," he looked confused for a second, drank then wiped his mouth and asked me,

"You know wha' I got in there?"  
"No sir, not my concern." I lied, intending to take full advantage of his addled state. Then an Idea crossed my mind, I'd have to find the right time...

"Good man! Thash what I like, an honest person who knows 'is job -and- 'is place!"
He offered me a share of his 'cheer'.
"No thank you sir, still on duty." and he swigged what would of been my portion.
"Ah, good man, goo' sense uf duty, I like tha'!" he clumsily patted my sholder.
"You decide ta leaf the cirkus, you come see -me-!"
"Thank you sir, that's very generous of you."

He refocused and motioned me closer in a conspiritoral manner.
I got close enough, smell permitting, and leaned over as he caught my arm and whispered,
"I got -the- greatest exhibit the worl' has effer known!"
He stood again, throwing an arm across my shoulders. *I* almost swayed from the stench of the booze! (no, I'm not a drinker)

"Sure there were rhumors, whispers, legendary tales even,"
(he intoned, regaining his accent and dramatically gesturing as if back in the center ring)
"But I".... he jabbed his thumb into his chest, the bottle's contents low enough they didn't slosh out.  
*I*.... CAPTURED.... him!!"  he stated, firmly poking -my- chest with his index finger to emphasize the last three words.
He laughed triumphantly taking another few swallows.

"Good for you sir!" I humored him, helping him to sit back down then stepping away for clear air.
"May I?" I asked, moving over to the cart and lifting the canvas corner.
"Be mhy guest." and he leaned an elbow on one knee waiting for my reaction.

The tentaspy was laying on his stomach, I saw him raise up curiously his head tilted questioningly.
I let the corner go, gasping loudly and pretending to be shocked to the very core of my being!  

"WHAT THA HELL?!"
Sure I was embaressed, but if it ment getting in the good graces of the so-called explorer then so be it.
He laughed heartily almost falling over the back of the haybale.

"~Beautiful~, ain't 'e?  Possibly tha on'nee one of 'is kind! Why let him die out withou' humanity not learnin' abou' 'im? Why not let some record of 'is being here remain after 'es gone?"  
"Good question sir. Uh, speaking of him remaining....what does he eat?"  
He choked on his drink.
"Eat? Oh DAMN I forgot ta feed 'im!"  
"Here, you sit tight sir you've had a busy day. I'd happily feed 'im for ya!"

Here his eyes got big
"Ohhhh NO! 'e ain' tame, 'e'll tear you in half if given tha chance!
'E looks soft but I promise you, 'es all claws, teeth and crushing muscle!!"
I adopted a look of fear. Kinda easy to do with the brief flashbacks running through my mind at that moment.
*Did...did I just see -him- shudder too? *

"But....but you can't just let 'im die of starvation."
then I pretended to get an idea.
"If I threw his food in, maybe he'll be distracted by it and leave me alone?"  
The drunkard thought about it. I guess it somehow made sense in his hazy mind.

"Tha' sounds like a plan. But I've been the only one to feed him.
Eh, if you feel so brave there's a livewell on tha' side but don' come cryin' ta me if he gets ya."

He pointed across the wide open floor to what looked like a large chest freezer, his eyes were starting to droop. The others in the rear cage were starting to stir....

( ! )

"Uh, sir? I'm going to need the key."
"hunnn?" he lifted his head from his slouch, "wha,....key? Oh, yeah...."
he weakly fumbled at his breast pocket and fell asleep again.
I plucked out the key and got an extra bale and helped him to lay down,
covering him with an empty grain sack.
I set his hat over his eyes to block out the light.

Grunts and snarling began to issue from the rear cage.
Throwing the extra canvas I found over it helped to muffle their sounds.

----
He floated just under the hatch as I unlocked it, I could hear him splashing excitedly. The lock removed, the lid opened and....nothing...?
I carefully looked in and saw him glaring back.

"What's wrong? C'mon out, hurry!"  I whispered.
His eyes narrowed, pupils thin slits, I swear I saw light glinting off a few teeth points as he snarled.

It took me a moment, then "What? I had to tell them ~something~."
He bared his teeth.
"Ok, I'm sorry I called you an 'animal', you know I know better, but -they- don't."

His snarl quickly changed to a toothy grin and he surged up and out like a mini gyser!
Choaking back a yelp, I then found myself being crushed against him as he hugged me.

(!!!??)

Quickly letting go, he clambered down the side and wetly splotted to the hay-covered floor.
As he looked around sniffing he began exploring a little while I relocked the hatch.
He soon began following the scent of fresh food, making his way to the holding tank.
I grabbed another feed sack and dried off the side and myself as best I could.
More hay covered the wet spot and the canvas was put back.

The octopod's self-proclaimed 'owner' began snoring loudly from under his pith helmet.
Hearing the snores, the freed predator quickly changed direction and locating his captor, began hissing and clawing his way as fast as he could towards the one who caused all his suffering!

"No!" I stagewhispered, running to the livewell and quickly netting a fish.
(It was very well stocked)
He was almost ready to make a final lunge when a fish landed near him.
With a growl that came from his stomach loud enough for me to hear at that distance,
he instantly pounced and devoured the morsel!
I whistled, holding up another fish and dropping it back in.

"C'mon, -this- is what you want!"  
Now torn between eating and getting revenge he wavered for a moment then began slithering his way back towards me. *whew!*
With hands gripping the edge, he paused long enough to give me a 'DAMN YOU!' hiss before plunging in.
While I was hiding the evidence of the escape, the tentaspy was helping himself to an overdue feeding, he was half in the livewell accompanied by three of his tentacles.
Now and then he would straighten up tearing at fish flesh and swallowing hungrily.
*Woah!* I knew what he was capeable of, but to see it happening to something else....'Yikes!'  
Finally sated, he looked apologetically at me and hiccoughed.
(he'd eaten every last fish with only a few scales and traces of blood left in the water to show that anything had been in there)  
I smiled and waved dismissively.

The thumping and angry mumbling became more noticeable from the back and he undulated over, (more upright by now) a wicked grin beginning to spread across his face with an evil glint in his eye.
I jumped in front of him holding him back.

"Whatever you're thinking, please don't, they'll be punished after tonight for sure!"
He smiled reasuringly at me, gently placing a hand on my shoulder and pushing me aside.

"Not hurt them." he whispered. I was suprised he had learned some of our language so quickly!
A brief thought of trying to learn -his- language sometime skimmed through the back of my mind but I still ran to make sure nothing unfortunate happened.

They lay there, furious, embaressed and helplessly glaring out through the bars.
They gargled something at me around the cloth, definately nothing worth repeating, then they all went quiet when the tentaspy moved into view!  
He pulled himself up to his full height then leaned close to the bars with a triumphant smirk.
A tentacle raised up a small rock he'd found under the straw and he began to tap on the metal bars.
It was low but loud and worse, echo-y.
They twitched, *I* twitched. He tapped louder and they winced, louder and they groaned.
I plugged my ears and they began to squawk and writhe!
I grabbed his arm,

"Please, they had enough, you'll attract attention!"  He stopped and everyone relaxed.

"Not fun?" he asked/stated. "Now you know how it is like."
They were freaked out more by the fact that he could talk than anything else.
The rock was raised again and he made if to continue, they curled up bracing for the noise....but he simply dropped the rock with a 'gotcha' smirk.
He turned towards the one who made the 'lets see what you got' comment, and flexed the fingers of one hand, his claws looking even more lethal now.
The boy could only guess what was going to happen then a muffled shrieked as the deadly nails sunk into the wooden cage floor right in front of his face!
His hand slowly pulled back leaving four very noticeable grooves edged by fine, curling wood fibers.
"I show you 'what I got', you like them?" he asked in a nasty manner.
The boy shook his head rapidly, whining.
Then the leader...he knew the others were now cowed, but this one remained defiant.

Tentacles quickly flowed into the cage grabbing him up, the others tried to worm away, screams effectively muted!
His target wriggled and thrashed, I was worried he'd be crushed!

"No, don't....!" I started to say, but the hybred gave me a wink
(another human social sign he picked up, -man- is he a fast learner!)
and I relaxed again, I had to trust him.

He held the miscreant near the bars face to face and locked eyes with him.
His youthful scowl, screaming of the destruction he would rain down on us once he got out of there began to soften and relax as he stared into the widened, black pupils of the creature he'd tormented.
Then after a long moment the tentaspy quietly said to him,

"You have hurt inside, you be afraid and must be leader. This not a good thing to do.
If it be your dame and sire, then go to your elders.
Go to where you have family, give them chance and you will be happy.
No more fear and hurt."

As he hung there suspended in the cage, for a moment I saw him for what he was, an angry young man.
Angry because he was lacking the parental guidence and nurturing most other kids recieved. Knowing who his parents are, I wasn't suprised that they'd be the 'too busy' type.
More concerned with their public appearance and social standing than their own flesh and blood children.

The young man slowly nodded with a dazed look as he was gently placed back down.
Nothing more was said as his tentacles were withdrawn.
He slid back and I lowered the cover.

"C'mon, we gotta get you outta here!" As an after thought I went to the 'Explorer' still sleeping and slipped the key for the tank's padlock back into his shirt pocket.

Now, about the tentaspy....*Oh crap! how will I transport him?!*
The fact that he could possibly dry out never occured to me till now!
He had quickly made his way back to the livewell and by the time I joined him he was halfway inside it making sure he'd gotten all the fish when the tent opened again. (!!!)  
I gasped and shoved on what would be the backside of a human, coaxing him into the large case! He instantly slid himself in without a sound and pulled the lid shut.

"Wuz going on in here?! Lights out people!"  
A large (!) roustabout doing a final security sweep stomped in.
He squinted against the lights and shaded his eyes making the dark circles he had look even darker.

"Shhhh!"  I admonished him, making him flinch and turn.
Pointing to the body on the bales I continued,
"You'll wake him, he needs his sleep for tomorrow.
Rumor has it the boss is gonna open the show early for extra preformances."  
"Oh great." he groaned and rubbed at his eyes.
"Jus' wha' we need." He yawned, obviously bone tired.

"So what'er you doing?"
"Was just stowing my gear then he came in, he let me feed the new addition."
"Huh, I'm suprised, 'e usually keeps people away from it."
"Well, considering his current state...and it needed to be fed..."
I indicated the sleeping form and the bottle about to fall from his fingers.

"Makes sense...Hokay, I need ta check on it, git up there and take off the sheet."
"Wait...what?!"  *I can't let him look in the tank!!*
"C'mon, ain't got all night and I'm not in the mood. Orderz isz orderz and I'm doin' my job come hell or highwater!"
"Oh he's in there alright, no need to worry."  
I had no ready excuse and I was about to panic and ruin everything!

"Just get the sheet off." he flatly demanded.
"But..."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose, any more problems and someone was going to be in a body cast!
"Look mac, I'm really tired, I'm also your Crew Chief.
You do as I say and...git....yer ass...up there....and remove....the canvas!"

The man is easily 300+ lbs, fat with more than enough muscle to back himself up with, someone clearly in charge and not going to put up with any BS!

"But..but sir..."
His glare was death incarnate.
"It's not going to get you ya cowardly pantywaist." He ground through his teeth.

I had no choice.
I climbed up and worked the entire cover off.
He almost went into shock!

"Aww CHRIST it's -GONE!- " he yelled, fully awake now.
"Uh....uh, Calm down, it's...it's still in there, see? I got the key to the lock! (I held up a car key) The hatch is still closed."  
"B...b...but....HOW?! Don't tell me it's still in there, NO IT AIN'T!
How did it get out?!" he stammered pointing, in his mind he was already recieving a pink slip in the mail!
Panicked, he quickly glanced around in case it was hiding nearby.
  
He then focused back on me....( ! )

"It's uh..um...it's his octopus half. Yeah, they um... blend into the surroundings when they hunt or eat so other animals won't steal their food.
I just fed him....good thing too, the live well's broken.
I gotta get this dumped as far away as possible and get the unit fixed asap!"

"Huh?"  Wait a second...."  he glanced from me, at the still closed hatch, the empty tank back to me, then stepped up to the glass and glared in.
Uh oh, he was really suspicious now!

"Yeah...er...there, if you look carefully you can see him when he moves....right there!"  
He rubbed his eyes again and took another look, grunted.
It was apparent his brief adrenaline rush was quickly wearing off.

"Ok, jus' make sure his cover is back on and get the lights when you leave, yeah?"  
"Will do!" I assured him. He suddenly stopped at the opening and pulled out a set of keys.

"Oh yeah, you'll need one of the trucks out back."
He gestured towards the utility parking lot and tossed the jingeling ring at me.
Snagging them from the air, I quickly said "Two more things...."
I saw him wince, obviously wanting to finish his rounds and get some sleep.

"If you could send some guys to help me get this on the truck, I can take it from there. Oh and the new animals arrived.
I got them settled in, they'll need to be seen to in the morning."
I said, indicating the rear cage.

"Gotcha, thanks." he yawned as he moved on.
*Whew! Finally!*
I ran over and opened the lid for a moment.

"Just be quiet, this thing is gonna be moving and you won't be able to open the lid.
When we get out of town, I'll let you out OK?"
He nodded and got as comfortable as he could in the rather cramped space.
I strapped the lid down and left it plugged in, he'd need the oxygen.
By the time I got the pannel truck in position, four of the biggest, strongest looking men I've ever seen strode up!
(I still bet the Crew Chief could give them what-for if he had to!)

I unplugged the unit and they attempted to lift it, instantly setting it down again.

"Whats -wrong- with you, why didn't you empty the water?!"  
"You trying to kill us?!" two of them barked at me.

"So, you want me to empty about 500 gallons of....-dead fish smelling water-...
in here....where the stench will blow all around the -MAIN SALES YARD-?  
Which would you rather see, people or vultures circling this place?"  

The other two laughed and the first two gave me the 'ha ha you're so smart' look, but they saw my logic.
With much grunting and inhuman gutteral noises, the live well was finally in the bed of the truck and the lights turned out.
I dumped the uniform but kept the other items and soon I was heading to the outskirts of town.