Do you like stories with mystery and suspense? Strange and “wyrd” ones? Well, if you do, keep reading and enjoy Eggcentricsagas. If you are just joining Eggcentricsagas, you might want to start from the beginning: A La Mano: Part 1-The Treasure
The rain began to fall faster, and a deafening boom of thunder sounded overhead. Both Charlotte and Edward turned to see who was behind them. Before Charlotte could see anything, someone roughly pulled her backward and shoved her aside. Losing her footing and balance, she fell and rolled down the slope. Coming to a stop, she looked up at her assailant and saw him raise the shovel.
The man’s darkened silhouette partially hid Edward from her view, but she heard him speak. With alarm in his voice, he said, “Arnie. What? Why?” The man swung the shovel and struck Edward. Charlotte heard a sickening, dull thud. In the ensuing lightning, she saw Edward tumble headfirst into the open trunk, and she screamed. The man turned and ran down the slope to her.
Charlotte saw rope slung over his shoulder. When he reached her. he pulled a knife from the breast pocket of his coat. Brandishing it, he threatened, “One more scream and it will be your last as I will slit your throat. Understood?” Charlotte looked into his beady eyes and knew that he meant it. Shaking uncontrollably, she remained on her knees and mute, the rain pouring down on her.
“Good,” he said and snarled at her as he ordered, “Now get up!” He forcibly yanked her up and then pointed up the slope at the bridge trestle. “Start walking and don’t try anything funny.” Momentarily paralyzed with fear and shock, she looked at him wide-eyed until he pricked her in the small of the back with the point of his knife. Responding to the pain, she did what he said.
Feeling like they were wooden stumps, she forced her legs to work. Climbing the slope, she stood before the hole in the ground. Glancing down at Edward, she noted he was unconscious, and his head had a large, bleeding gash on the side of it. Arnie poked her with the knife again. “Don’t look at him! Just pick up the lantern and walk over to the other side of the bridge.” She averted her eyes, picked up the lantern, and plodded over to where he had specified. “Put the lantern down,” he commanded, “and sit there,” and used his knife to indicate the spots.
Charlotte followed his instructions and he replaced the knife in his breast pocket. Using the rope, he began to tie her to the iron support. As he did, he began to rant and purge his soul. “She deserved it you know. Promises, always promises!” He spat to the side and jerked hard on the rope burning her soft arm skin. “She said she had a rich sister and brother-in-law. We were gonna leave the carnival business for good. No more running. She promised me that he had a job for me. Kept milking me for money and telling me that she was saving it for us. So I wouldn’t gamble it away… But it was all lies!” The advance man jerked on the rope again as he finished binding her arms with it. Nearly screeching, he repeated, “Lies!” With hurt and disgust in his voice, he told her, “I couldn’t believe my eyes when I followed them that day. Her and George out here… Rutting like animals…”
Arnie moved in front of her. With a furrowed brow and demented look in his eyes, he asked, “How did you know her?” Beads of rain ran down his face and into his sparse muttonchops.
Charlotte didn’t know what to say without further inflaming him. She stammered, “I, I, didn’t…”
The carnie looked askance and said, “You’re a liar just like her. You’re all hateful liars.” He pulled a faded bandanna out of his coat pocket. As he did, Charlotte noted that a single glove came with it. Unnoticed by him, it fell to the ground. He tied the bandanna around her mouth and told her, “Don’t worry, you won’t lie anymore. Just like Mother and Nurse Bickford.” The taste of residual salty sweat in her mouth and the realization of his potential, past deeds, made her stomach turn. Arnie added, “They said that it was a good place for me. They said the pills were good for me. But I didn’t belong there…”
Getting up, he stated, “But first: Magic Man. He thought he was the right-hand man. Thought he could come between us. Thought playing detective would make him the favorite of Big Boss.” He spat again. “I guess I showed him.” Arnie dug in his pants pocket and pulled out a coin. “I’m a gambling man. I’ll leave his fate up to chance. Heads; I bury him alive. Tails; I kill him first.”
He flipped the coin into the air, and Charlotte watched as it rotated around and around. Arnie caught it and slapped it down onto the top of his other hand. “Heads. Too bad but less cleaning up to do.” A chilling laugh erupted before he walked away. “It won’t take too long to suffocate.” Her body tense, Charlotte watched Arnie pick up the lantern and go back to the hole. He set down the lantern, kicked Edward’s inert legs into the trunk, and slammed the lid down. Then he fetched the shovel and began to pile dirt on top of it.
Raindrops ran down her cheeks as Charlotte regarded her helpless situation and what was happening to Edward. She struggled against her bonds and thought, if I could just loosen them. Then Charlotte felt something on her arm. Jerking her head, she turned to see Rajiv at her side. Holding his fingers to his lips, he disappeared behind her. He whispered in her ear, “We must trick him so pretend that you are still tied up.” Then he began to untie her restraints while remaining hidden from Arnie’s view. “I will distract him while you help Mr. Angel. In magic, we call it misdirection.” When she was free, she continued to sit.
The wind had kept the clouds moving, so the rain had subsided. Charlotte watched as Arnie stopped and, listening, cocked his head towards the trunk. “Waking up, are we? Well, I’d better get a big rock to sit on top. We don’t want you getting out.” Throwing the shovel to the side, he started down the hill.
Rajiv emerged from behind Charlotte and broke into a run. Grabbing the shovel, he ran after Arnie. A well-aimed blow to his head elicited a howl of pain and sent Arnie reeling down the wet slope until he landed face first in the mud. Growling expletives exploded from his mouth as he managed to stand and saw Rajiv climbing over the top of the hill. Wiping guck from his face, Arnie glanced in Charlotte’s direction before running after the boy.
Taking her chance, Charlotte got up and ran to the hole. She swept the dirt off the top of the lid as the trunk started to rock. As she lifted the lid, Edward burst out and sucked in a lungful of air. Charlotte quickly supplied details. “He killed Madame Glass and, now, he is chasing Rajiv!” She pointed in the direction.
Edward climbed out of the chest and ran up the hill with Charlotte close behind. When they reached the top, they found it deserted. Swinging the lantern, the magician looked in both directions, but the train track was empty. Crossing over, Edward was in the middle of the rails when they began to reverberate. The distant, churning wheels of an approaching train. Charlotte followed him before being grabbed from behind and a knife placed across her throat.
Next: The Magician’s Hat No. 2: Part 10-Heads and Tails
