disappear—it was simple enough—and people loved watching that.
The manager picked up this disappointment. “You got a problem with any of that?”
Eddie decided to take a risk. “Mr. Vink promised I could put on an act.”
The manager frowned. “He didn’t tell me nothing about that.”
“Anything,” said Eddie. “He didn’t tell you anything about it. If he didn’t tell you nothing, then he told you something.”
The manager stroked the side of his neck. “What can you do?”
Eddie pointed to a small Jack Russell terrier sitting nearby. “That dog,” he said.
“That’s the human cannonball’s dog. Jack—you’ll meet him. Jack’s mighty fond of that dog.”
“I can make him disappear,” said Eddie. “You want to see?”
“What do you need?”
Eddie pointed to a stack of small empty crates nearby. “Those boxes—can I use those?”
The manager nodded. “You make the dog disappear then. I’m watching.”
Eddie arranged the boxes in a circle. Then he fetched the dog, who seemed not to object to having an upended crate put over him. From within a few barks could be heard—then silence.
“Right,” said Eddie. “Tell me which box the dog is in.”
The manager snorted. “The one you put him under.”
“Yes, but which one is that?”
The manager stepped forward and kicked at the crate. “That one. I saw you.”
“Would you like to pick the box up?” said Eddie.
The manager shrugged. “There’ll be a dog underneath it.”
He reached forward and lifted the box. There was nothing underneath it. “Well, I’ll be darned,” he said. “How did that dog get out of there?”
A bark came from underneath another crate. The manager walked over to it, lifted it up, and was greeted by the dog, who rushed forward to lick his hands.
“There’s your dog,” said Eddie.
The manager looked at him. “What else can you do?” he asked.
“I can saw a woman in half,” said Eddie. “Not really, of course, but they’ll think I have.”
“I seen that once,” said the manager. “Cut right through this dame and then she jumps up out of a suitcase. Amazing.” He paused. “You’ll need some stage clothes. I’ll take you to Ruby. She’ll fix you up.”
—
Ruby was a woman in her mid-thirties. She had a friendly, open expression and Eddie liked her from the moment he met her.
“Ruby has a ventriloquism act,” explained the manager. “She’s the best ventriloquist in Western Canada.”
“Oh, come on, George,” said Ruby. “You don’t want to be confusing this young man. I do my best, but I’m certainly not the best.”
“In my book you are,” said the manager. “Anyway, Ruby, this young man is Eddie Beaulieu from Kingston, Ontario. He’s just joined us. He’s going to be doing a conjuring act and will need some clothes. Can you run something up for him?”
Ruby moved Eddie into the centre of the small workroom in which they had found her. She looked at him appraisingly. “Shouldn’t be difficult,” she said. “We’ve got a jacket that’ll fit like a glove and I can take the trousers in a bit. Yes, I’ll fix him up.”
The manager left. Ruby reached for a bag and took out a tape measure. She measured his waist, wrote some figures down in a notebook, and then looked at her watch. “I usually have a cup of tea at about this time. Over in my trailer. You can come and meet Frank.”
“Is he your husband?” asked Eddie.
“Gracious, no,” said Ruby. “I just make tea for Frank and some of the boys, if they happen to be around. I think the others have gone off to get some animal feed. It’ll just be Frank.”
They walked round the side of the warehouse to where the trailers were parked. Ruby’s was painted green and had a set of polished metal steps outside it. She ushered Eddie in.
Frank was sitting on a folding canvas chair. He was a man about the same age as Ruby, and had a large white hat balanced on one knee. Ruby introduced them.
“Frank,”
The manager picked up this disappointment. “You got a problem with any of that?”
Eddie decided to take a risk. “Mr. Vink promised I could put on an act.”
The manager frowned. “He didn’t tell me nothing about that.”
“Anything,” said Eddie. “He didn’t tell you anything about it. If he didn’t tell you nothing, then he told you something.”
The manager stroked the side of his neck. “What can you do?”
Eddie pointed to a small Jack Russell terrier sitting nearby. “That dog,” he said.
“That’s the human cannonball’s dog. Jack—you’ll meet him. Jack’s mighty fond of that dog.”
“I can make him disappear,” said Eddie. “You want to see?”
“What do you need?”
Eddie pointed to a stack of small empty crates nearby. “Those boxes—can I use those?”
The manager nodded. “You make the dog disappear then. I’m watching.”
Eddie arranged the boxes in a circle. Then he fetched the dog, who seemed not to object to having an upended crate put over him. From within a few barks could be heard—then silence.
“Right,” said Eddie. “Tell me which box the dog is in.”
The manager snorted. “The one you put him under.”
“Yes, but which one is that?”
The manager stepped forward and kicked at the crate. “That one. I saw you.”
“Would you like to pick the box up?” said Eddie.
The manager shrugged. “There’ll be a dog underneath it.”
He reached forward and lifted the box. There was nothing underneath it. “Well, I’ll be darned,” he said. “How did that dog get out of there?”
A bark came from underneath another crate. The manager walked over to it, lifted it up, and was greeted by the dog, who rushed forward to lick his hands.
“There’s your dog,” said Eddie.
The manager looked at him. “What else can you do?” he asked.
“I can saw a woman in half,” said Eddie. “Not really, of course, but they’ll think I have.”
“I seen that once,” said the manager. “Cut right through this dame and then she jumps up out of a suitcase. Amazing.” He paused. “You’ll need some stage clothes. I’ll take you to Ruby. She’ll fix you up.”
—
Ruby was a woman in her mid-thirties. She had a friendly, open expression and Eddie liked her from the moment he met her.
“Ruby has a ventriloquism act,” explained the manager. “She’s the best ventriloquist in Western Canada.”
“Oh, come on, George,” said Ruby. “You don’t want to be confusing this young man. I do my best, but I’m certainly not the best.”
“In my book you are,” said the manager. “Anyway, Ruby, this young man is Eddie Beaulieu from Kingston, Ontario. He’s just joined us. He’s going to be doing a conjuring act and will need some clothes. Can you run something up for him?”
Ruby moved Eddie into the centre of the small workroom in which they had found her. She looked at him appraisingly. “Shouldn’t be difficult,” she said. “We’ve got a jacket that’ll fit like a glove and I can take the trousers in a bit. Yes, I’ll fix him up.”
The manager left. Ruby reached for a bag and took out a tape measure. She measured his waist, wrote some figures down in a notebook, and then looked at her watch. “I usually have a cup of tea at about this time. Over in my trailer. You can come and meet Frank.”
“Is he your husband?” asked Eddie.
“Gracious, no,” said Ruby. “I just make tea for Frank and some of the boys, if they happen to be around. I think the others have gone off to get some animal feed. It’ll just be Frank.”
They walked round the side of the warehouse to where the trailers were parked. Ruby’s was painted green and had a set of polished metal steps outside it. She ushered Eddie in.
Frank was sitting on a folding canvas chair. He was a man about the same age as Ruby, and had a large white hat balanced on one knee. Ruby introduced them.
“Frank,”
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