Escaped in Nexus City: Book 2 of the Detective Estle Series

Chapter 2

The Circus

1:00 P.M.

    Detective Rick Estle stepped off the electro-bus right outside of the fairground. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, but instead of smelling a freshly washed world his nostrils were filled with the lingering smells of upturned dirt, manure, sweat, and various snack foods continued that wafted and permeated the street beside the wood fence covered in various posters proclaiming the oddities, and once in a lifetime experiences awaiting past the ticket booth. Heaving a sigh, he walked up to the ticket booth that was in front of a closed wood gate that proclaimed that the circus would be open to the public in a week. Seeing no one he turned and placed a hand on the gate, and he gave it a light push just to check if it was locked but instead of finding resistance it opened effortlessly.

    In front of him rose a large red and white building, it was three stories and had no windows except for four at the top that ringed around the base of a red spire. Rick headed towards the circus building.

    "Hey!" a gruff voice called from the side, "We are closed!"

    Rick turned to see a round man holding a large half eaten fish sandwich, with a cudgel hanging from his belt. "I am just here to see Mr. Kite!"

    "Ah, Detective Estle! I am sorry I have only seen you in pictures, you need to head to the right to the small white building, that is his office."

    "Thank you." Rick waved as he turned toward the indicated building. It just had one door and one window at the front. Rick knocked and hearing no reply he opened the door, immediately a blast of cold air came out, as well as the smell of spicy Ouah eel, a recognizable Se'falon dish. The room they entered looked like a small waiting room with a couple of chairs. There were pictures on the walls of famous ships on the left there was The Eversafe, William Tielens ship, and across from it was The Nevreak the ship of Emmuel Marl'beck, the man who first explored the Anti-Nexus and lived. On the side table there was the culprit for the smell, an abandoned plate of food.

    "... Get it ready! The Lord Governor himself will be attending the day we open. I want the high wire secured and ready." A voice with a deep bass rumbled out of the closed door across from Rick.

    "I don't trust the wire not made by the artisans back home."

    "The wire you find here will work, I'm sure of it. We are absolutely not going to have time to send for some from Tortatellan. Besides communication through the towers is spotty."

    "I know you have ways of getting some."

    "My people in The Long District are having supply issues, I will ask them but expect nothing."

    The door was yanked open, and a short thin woman walked out with a pinched nose. She was wearing a light blue skirt with a slightly darker blue button up top and red pump heels. She was not dressed like Rick imagined an acrobat to dress, she looked more like she was getting ready for a desk job in the Lower Nexus District. She walked over and picked up the food. "I don't actually need the wire from Tortatellan," she nearly whispered," but Barty has been paying more attention to his husks of humans than his actually humans, so I just need to find ways to get him to remember we exist.

    "Because he lost one?"

    "No, this has been going on now for a while, while they are the most exotic thing we have, it wouldn't be a very good show with only the gray men."

    "I am sure this circus could survive without them."

    "I am not so sure about that, but what do I know, I'm just an acrobat." With a nod of her head, she left.