Sameera had never seen her sisters eyes go this wide, and even if she had she would still be impressed by them. She chuckled lightly to herself, though her own eyes probably looked similar as she watched various things in the circus. Her eyes were particularly attracted to the flames. Much as a moth, Sameera thought, nearly laughing to herself.

She turned her head to better hear her sister, a little worried that she had missed something. She reached out to put a hand on her sister's shoulder, knowing that she sometimes got distracted, and with all the things going on the circus, it was hard not to. Sameera couldn't imagine being around the circus all the time, and she considered what kind of mind the circusfolk would have to have if they regularly did all of this. How odd! Then again, Sameera thought to herself, they must think her quite strange for living her life as she did.

Perspective was always something that had intrigued Sameera, and the type of thing that she typically struggled with for her poems and writings. She was never sure what to use and it was just a little frustrating. Regardless, she knew her own way of looking at things very well, a comfort to her when things seemed to change so much, though even that seemed to be slipping as she tried to depend a little less on her twin, fearing that her sister would grow tired of her presence eventually, as Safiya always seemed to be having fun. She did not realize that her sister would gladly hold onto her, but it would have pleased her to realize it.

"Something like what?" she pressed, unable to predict where her sister's mind had wandered and worried she might make an incorrect guess if she did. She did want to hear Safiya's words, whatever they would be, but if it was Sameera's luck it was equally likely that Safiya had forgotten them already. Besides, she could get distracted by the circus as well, and indeed she did find herself admiring something going on behind her sister's head even as she looked at her.

"It was!" she agreed readily with her sister, "They should have the circus come more often." It was much too entertaining experience to be forgetting any time soon, but if she had the opportunity to memorize just a few more details. Even if the circusfolk weren't exactly the most trustworthy (and how could they be, with a name like 'Tempest of Set'?), Sameera wanted to hold onto her memories of that night, and have some fun.

With Miri having her talking to and the knife thrower nowhere to be seen, Amenemhat decided to let the fortune teller alone. He'd not meant to be so sarcastic to the girl, nor so reprobate of her stillness, but seeing his people with idle hands was the last thing he needed. A slave in her position would've found himself taken to Hamidi, or else one of the others who would remind them of their place. But, Miri was no slave. She deeserved a gentler hand, and so...

She was gone. Presumably outside, setting up shop in the midst of the outerlyings that entertained the fools that neglected to purchase a ticket to the main attraction. All had their purpose. Filling up the circus night after night was a difficult task. Havng people outside invited more in, but even so, the days wore on and attendance lessened to the need of packing up and skipping town. It was the prerogative of the circus to go to its audience, after all.

Thebes is up next, he reminded himself. It'd be a little while yet before it was time. But, the great city was so for a reason, and he was keen to leave Cairo behind for it. Amenemhat had allowed himself to grow distracted, in turn becoming one of those idle hands he hated so. It wasn't until Kesi arrived with her news that he had something to go on. Delia and Zein's acts led into another act from the other members of the Clique. Feiyan and a different Bedoan than he was used to talking to, Tau... or something. Then, Azarion followed to close up the show. Everything was in place, and Amenemhat was meant to ensure behind the scenes that everything was taken care of. So, as Kesi spoke, he raised the familiar masque over his features.

Seeing the ringmaster go into the crowd would cause more of a fuss than the snakes would. They'd wonder what was happening to require his attention off the stage, then rumours would stir and a distraction from the show itself... it was unfathomable. The masque protected Amenemhat's identity from being known. As did the violet shawl that tightened around his shoulders and secured itself over his back. It covered the massive tattoo that sprawled across his flesh. He was ready to act.

But, before he could, Azarion intervened. Or, perhaps the caracal did it on its own. He could never tell where one creature ended and the other began, when the wild man took his place on the stage... everything on there was a beast. But, it was difficult to miss the piercings in the snake, the blood that'd oozed over the reptile's scales. Then, he handed the corpse off to Kesi and it led the ringmaster with little need to be involved.

"Well done, Azarion," he said, stifling the laughter in the midst of what was certainly a tragedy for Kesi. She liked to be the end for her snakes just as much as their beginning, some twisted complex arisen from mothering the multitude for as long as she had.

"That's the only one? Then, let's leave it at that," he said, peeling the shawl from his back before handing off the masque to Kesi. He had places to be. Zein and Delia were nearly done, and it was his place to be directly behind the curtain, to emerge and engage the crowd once more before it all moved forward.

"The crowd got an early eyeful of your cats. Prepare another animal for your act." Certainly it was an inconvenience, but not a punishment. It only made sense to show different things in light of what's gone on.

He needed to find the Clique's leader and see what she had planned. So, the ringmaster would make his rounds, quite surprised that she was already on her way to him.

"It's almost time," he told her, before he excused himself to return to the tent. It would seem odd, perhaps, that he sent for her personally. But, Amenemhat had been deprived of something to do, so, he gave himself a moment to re-compose himself before he returned to watch the conclusion of Zein's act.

Mayet was too used to Khufu to bat an eye at his sheepish expression. He took care of Kahi in the ways that mattered. If he could be a little haphazard in the finer details then so be it, and she did not begrudge a single coin spent upon the family. How could she, with the secrets between her and Kahi? The seemingly random acts of generosity, the sometimes extravagant gifts that she passed off as being overspill from Oso’s winnings, they were her way of offering something for Djoser. She could not simply hand Kahi money without it seeming odd, but these little things were ways she could help that would not be questioned. Her eyes met Kahi’s for a moment, a soft smile on her painted lips for a second because really, they both knew the question belonged the other way around. What would she have done without Kahi?

Allowing herself to be pulled ahead by the small child whose hand she held, Mayet rolled her eyes as she heard the slightly suspicious edge to her friend’s voice as she spoke to her husband. Whatever story was attached to Khufu’s smile was one she was certain she would get to hear another time, and so she let the excitement of the children carry her along, guiding them to an empty bench close enough that the small ones would still be able to see.

Mayet settled, gathering the length of her gown up and bunching it slightly so it would not trail on the sand and dirt of the ground beneath them. It was not a finessed setting, but then as she understood it, the circus travelled from city to city. Such nomadic ways did not lend to a luxurious setup, but she did wonder if perhaps she might enquire as to hire one or two of the acts to perform at the saraaya for Oso upon his return. It would be an interesting and novel way to celebrate. She would see if there was anything worth watching tonight.


The reason for the darkness in the tent was revealed soon enough, Mayet keeping a tight hold on the boys as they turned wide-eyed at the sudden brightness of flames within the centre of the ring. There was an elegance to it, poetry in the sinuous movements of the man and woman that wielded them that Mayet could appreciate and she too was rapt in watching the play of light and fire. Perhaps it had been worth shaking off her bad mood and venturing out this night after all.

Still, she could not help but let her eyes flit over the crowds, dimly visible, looking for the girl who had inserted herself so irritatingly into Orsorsen’s affections. Perhaps a stray flame might set that ridiculous hair of hers aflame. That would be entertaining.

But no, she had to suffice with the staged lover’s tiff between the two fire performers instead, and Mayet could admit it was entertaining, shooting a smile toward Kahi as the children gasped at the flaming hoop that rolled across the ring.

It was awe-inspiring, truly, to see the way the performers danced around each other, a sensuous weave of fire and flesh that set her own skin to tingling. What Nia wouldn’t give to be able to perform such feats herself, to dance to such a dangerously erotic tune with a man she could trust to carry her… One day, she would find a way to learn. Perhaps she might even get Delia to teach her. Or maybe her delicious partner…

Don’t get carried away, Nia.

When the fire dancers’ performance ended, her applause was as uproarious as the rest of the tent, a gleeful laugh parting plush lips. Her spirits were higher than they had been in weeks, the absence of the Pharaoh and the ecstasy of the show gelling together into a natural high that rivalled the poppy she depended on so rigorously. Speaking of… perhaps she could slip out between the acts to partake of the flower, just a little boost to an already exuberant evening.

Carefully excusing herself through the crowd, dodging flailing arms and sweaty bodies, she slipped toward the entrance of the tent, fingers lightly shifting around the contents of her little purse to ensure she had what she needed. Satisfied that she did, Nia headed for the opening of the tent in a distracted daze, her wayward attention leading her to directly collide with another person. Stepping back with an apology set on the tip of her tongue, she stopped herself before she spoke. Much to her surprise, it was none other than her sister.

“Nenet?” she asked in confusion, looking around to see who she might be hanging around with. Then again, it wasn’t really unusual for her sister to be alone, so she supposed that was probably the case now. Poor thing. “Where have you been hiding? I haven’t seen you since before the show started.”

Looking at the younger woman, the older sister quickly figured out her state of intoxication, and a smirk dimpled her cheek. Maybe she was actually drunk enough to have some fun. Surely even Nenet liked to get high sometimes. They were Egyptians, after all. “Come on,” she urged in a secretive murmur, taking her arm and tugging it so she might follow her outside. “I’ve got a surprise if you want it!”

Nenet had not gone into the tent with her family. She’d been perusing the wares outside, where she’d gotten rather stuck. She wasn’t so intoxicated that she couldn’t walk, but she was tipsy enough to not really care much about the show - until the ‘ooo’s’ and the ‘awe’s’ that had sighed in and out from the interior crowd. Then, of course, even she drifted towards the tent’s entrance and stood looking over shoulders at the dancing and the performances. Some of them had not been terribly interesting, and so she’d gotten refills of her wine and made several purchases she’d likely regret in the morning. Most of the things she’d bought were little shiny baubles that, if she’d been in her right state of mind, she’d have recognized as cheap or even not authentic. But tonight, she didn’t and she had a linen sack chalk full of strings of beads, chains of ‘silver’, strips of pretty dyed fabric she could use for this or that project…

When Nia bumped into her, she was absently watching the fire dancers, her eyes following the flames more than the bodies, attracted to the streamers of afterglow through the air. Nenet was slower to react than normal and when she blinked at Nia, her face closed down and her eyes narrowed, until Nia proved that it’d been an accident. Before Nenet quite knew what was happening, her arm was grabbed and she was being taken off away from the fire. She twisted so that she could see if the show was done and since it seemed to be, she let Nia drag her along.

She hadn’t answered any of Nia’s initial questions about where she’d been or what she’d been doing. Nia, it seemed, didn’t truly need an answer and it was Nia’s next words that had Nenet actually interested in speaking. “I’ve got a surprise if you want it!”

She stammered out the word ‘surprise’ but as she was tipsy, it wasn’t as bad as usual because her nerves were much calmer. “Sssurpprise?” Oh Isis above. It was another horse, wasn’t it? YES. Nia was the best sister. The prettiest sister. The most giving sister.

The two of them weaved through the dwindling set of people, working their way along the tent’s outerwall. They’d gone past the stalls that had been set up and were now on the backside of the circus. This was where Nenet was pretty sure guests weren’t really supposed to be. The stalls were set up in such a way as to funnel people into the tent and here, there was much less organization.

A few exotic animals were caged and Nenet gaped at one she’d never seen before and didn’t even have a name with which to identify it. “Ssseee?” she pointed it out to her sister. Was her horse back here? Now she was looking for it. There were a few over there but they didn’t look like horses for riding. They looked like horses very used to hard work. She kept swiveling her head this way and that, trying to figure out where this wonderful surprise was.

It was time!

The members of the Clique were gathered around her, ready to go onstage. The drums began their familiar cadence. Feiyan closed her eyes and took a deep breath as the group cartwheeled, handspringed, and flipped into the ring. Her nervousness gave way to the utter calm that always settled over her in the mere seconds before she began performing. It was an ecstatic feeling, like the moment between dreaming and waking where everything is possible, and the fear of the unknown is eclipsed by the thrill of what is to come. As she ran toward the small trampoline that would vault her into the spotlight, her panic dissipated like a misty fog chased away by the heat of the Egyptian sun.

Her feet hit the center of the trampoline and she sprang out of the sidelines, a rush of air accompanying her daring flips and twists to the center of the ring. Tau, in the middle of the group, caught her by her hands and spun her around. When he stopped, the others began their parts, perfectly synchronized with each other. While she was not the only flyer, Feiyan executed the most daring stunts in the show.

She rarely thought while flipping through the air, preferring to keep her mind blank and let her body take over, performing the fearless moves that she had practiced so often that it was almost instinct. The gasps and the cheers of the audience flowed over and around her, bathing her in the golden glow of euphoria. This was what she had been born to do. Her kidnapping had been no accident. Set had arranged it himself so that she could fulfill the destiny he had ordained for her.

Feiyan had choreographed this routine herself but had taken suggestions from the rest of the acrobats on how to make it better. They were more than a team; they were family. Because of their collaboration, the routine had dazzled everyone who had watched them practice. Friends, lovers, and other acquaintances of the performers often got a sneak peak of the act before the day of the show. That way the Clique could practice in front of people, which built up their confidence and provided the distractions that they would have to deal with during the actual show. That idea had come from Lihua, and Feiyan had eagerly embraced it.

Tonight was the first time the routine was being performed. Even if they had been to the circus before, the audience was able to enjoy something completely new. By the reactions she heard, they seemed quite delighted with the breathtaking acts that the Clique performed. It was more daring than any of the others had been, even the others that Feiyan had choreographed. Hopefully, the performance would leave a lasting impression and spread by word of mouth so that it would draw even bigger crowds. Maybe each show would be sold out when they moved the circus to Thebes. The majority of the audience was commoners who couldn’t easily travel between cities.

Solo parts for every acrobat had always been part of the show. The rest of the Clique tumbled toward the back and stood still while each of them performed on their own. These solos were interspersed during the act and allowed each member of the group to shine. Feiyan always went last and the Clique left the ring while she captivated the crowd on the silks or the hoop.

When the moment came, Tao flipped her up to her hoop and the rest of the performers went backstage. Now she began thinking again as she went through the choreographed stunts. It was almost time for the trick that she and Tau had devised to utterly stun the audience as well as the other members of the Tempest of Set. It was chaos at its finest. As she performed the second to last feat, she fastened the hook of her left leg chain securely to the hoop. Then she swung herself up to the top where she did a handstand …

… and then lost her balance and fell! A blood-curdling scream tore from her lips as she catapulted toward the packed sand in the ring. Horrified gasps rang through the air. The star of the Tempest of Set was about to break every bone in her body and die a terrible death!

Just before she hit the ground, Tau handspringed across the ring and caught her in his arms. She unhooked the golden chain that had unfolded as she fell from the remaining chains around her ankle. That chain had been her safety net. It would have left her hanging a few inches above the ground if Tau had not caught her.

For a moment, you could hear a pin drop and then the audience burst into a nearly deafening round of applause. Feiyan let out her breath. The adrenaline rushing through her body was exquisite and exhilarating. It had worked! She and Tau had hopefully succeeded in shocking most, if not all, of the people who had seen her fall, both audience and performers alike. “Thank you,” she whispered to her partner in crime.

”Anytime,” Tau replied, capturing her mouth in a fake but convincing kiss, also part of the act. The rest of the Clique tumbled into the ring. Tau set Feiyan down and they all took their bows. Once more, chaos had triumphed in the Tempest of Set. From the bottom of the hoop, the long golden chain swayed gently.

Now all Feiyan had to worry about was whether the ringmaster would chew them out for keeping their surprise from him.

Khufu was lucky Kahi was quickly enthralled by the performances, she easily forgot he owed her a story after. Leading a sheltered life (although not by her choice) when she was raised in Judea, almost everything in Egypt made her gasp in wonder, even after almost a decade and four children later. It helped that her children were just as eager to see the performance as she was, that by the time they show was over, she felt as if she had run the length of the Nile and back.

Chatter was abound as everyone left the huge tent and was ushered back out to where vendors and merchants yelled to garner the attention of the leaving patrons, eager to take their last chance at making a sale. Astekhu remained asleep over Khufu's shoulder, but even Tef-Amun who held clamoured to be held by her mother when the larger beasts were brought out, now was nodding off in her arms, and from the loose grip of Djoser on her clothing, she doubted the two eldest could last long either.

Turning a pleading look to Mayet to ask her friend to take over Djoser, Kahi quickly casted an eye to check on Neferu (who was fighting sleep in all the eagerness of a boy on the cusp of teenagehood), before turning to Khufu. "Will you be returning, husband? I don't think the children can last much longer." she murmured with amusement, a fact she doubted she needed to point out to her husband.

"And you Mayet? Tis a long way for you to return home, and it is late. Perhaps... do you want to stay over for a little?" It's been awhile since her friend had visited for any period of time...nor had she spent much time with her biological son lately. While it was a fact none but Mayet and Kahi knew about, the young mother still respected the fact that it was Mayet who had given birth to Djoser, and always allowed Mayet to spend as much time with the young boy as she wanted, even if Djoser only knew her as his mother's best friend.