Lynda Plante - Entwined

Helen withdrew her hand. "I think you have been under tremendous stress. I understand, and I hope..."

"I love her, Helen, I always have... I always will."

"Yes, I know." Helen knew no one could take Vebekka's place. He was a weak, delightful man. A charming man who had always found solace in women. Louis had turned to other women to survive. All Louis's infidelities were really substitutions. His weakness was his inability to face reality; instead of seriously trying to help Vebekka, he had others assume that responsibility for him.

"The fearless daredevil Dupres — from Paris, France... no safety net, ladies and gentlemen! The Flying Dupres defy death!"

The main ring darkened as slim, white-clad figures climbed the ropes to the roof of the big tent. Louis watched a young beautiful boy expertly swing the trapeze backward and forward, his eyes on the catcher who dropped down, his arms free, his legs hooked over the bar of the swing. The swing picked up momentum. The boy sprang forward, flying through the air. The swings passed each other, high above the audience's heads, and the crowd gasped as the boy performed a perfect triple somersault, the catcher reaching out with split-second timing to clasp his hands.

Louis looked at Helen. "You know... that is how she makes me feel — that it's up to me to catch her. I almost touch her hands, almost save her, but she slips away, she falls, each time. Helen...?"

Helen put her hand on his. "We'll find her. You'll hold her, and maybe next time she won't tall, if she feels you are strong enough."

"Do you think this Ruda Kellerman is really her sister: It would be an extraordinary coincidence, wouldn't it? That she should be here in Berlin?"

Helen edged closer, whispering: "You know. Rebecca kept on saving. 'It's close, it's very close.' What if 'it' meant her sister was close? I mean if they are twins, then maybe it is likely there is some kind of telepathy between them. She sensed her sister was nearby, but because of what had been done to her, she couldn't bring to the conscious level the fact that she had a sister, and that she might be alive."

Louis gasped along with the crowd as a trapeze artist slipped. But it was a very carefully rehearsed mistake. The tent was silent as the artists prepared for a dangerous jump: springing from the swing onto a high wire in the darkness, a wire not visible to the audience. The man seemed to fly downward and then swung his body around the taut high wire, twelve feet below.

While watching the high-wire act. Helen tried to remember something Rebecca had said. Suddenly she felt her palms begin to sweat. She recalled the incident at the circus in Monaco. Rebecca had attempted to get into the ring — could she have done this because of a telepathic connection to her sister: Helen leaned against Louis.

"Louis, the time Rebecca attacked the circus clown... maybe Ruda Kellerman was with the circus then. Louis?"

But Louis was lost in his own thoughts.

"I wasn't there for her. Helen. I should have found out more about her past, cared more. Now I feel as if I have a second chance.

I hope I am not too late."

Rebecca helped Ruda into her costume, and then changed into trousers and boots herself, and put on one of the boys' red jackets

"Now you don't have to stay by the entrance, you can come right into the ring! Stand outside the cages. Luis will look after you, won't you?"

Luis was not happy about it. He said that Rebecca would be in the way and besides it was dangerous; she might distract Ruda. Ruda dismissed his fears with a wave of her hand. "Nonsense. You take her in, she'll stand by you and then you take care of her."

He shrugged reluctantly.

"But you must go now. I'll take care of Rebecca. Please, you haven't been near the cages."

Ruda nodded, then took Rebecca's hand. "We're ready!"

Grimaldi stood beside Rebecca as Ruda went over to the boys. At last she seemed to be concentrating as she checked the props and cages. She gave a signal for the boys to start stacking the tunnel sections to the entrance. Two more acts and they were on.

Ruda moved from cage to cage. She had changed into tight white trousers, black shiny boots, and a white frilled Russian-style shirt. The simplicity of her costume made her look smaller and more vulnerable. She carried only a short stick. Rebecca stepped forward to follow Ruda, but Grimaldi held her back firmly. "No, no, you must leave her alone now. This is very important, she must get ready."

"Yes, of course!"

Ruda started pacing. Twice she stopped and looked over at Rebecca. She smiled, then asked the boys if the fire hoop was set up, the pedestals stacked. Back to her old self, she went over every detail. Grimaldi felt relieved.

Mike stood by the mass of stacked railings; four circus hands waited for the signal to spring into action. There would be two sets of clowns and jugglers covering the mounting of the cages in the central ring. The main ring would be in darkness as the safety barrier was erected.

Red light on. Mike looked to Vernon. "Stand by... Okay boys, stand by, we got the red light. Red light, Mr. Grimaldi."

"Two minutes for Kellerman's act. Stand by, you have red light... GO GREEN, MISS KELLERMAN, PLEASE STAND BY."

Luis looked at Rebecca. She was shaking; he patted her shoulder.

"When the red light comes on over there, that is our cue to go into the ring. We go in first, then Ruda will get her own red and green light."

In the darkened ring the cages were brought into position, the tunnel erected. The first cage was placed by the trapdoor of the tunnel.

Mike checked the trapdoor and used his walkie-talkie. "Cages in position for tunnel, over..."

"Ladies and gentlemen! Schmidt's is proud to announce for your entertainment tonight, the most famous, the most daring wild animal act in the world. Please remain in your seats. Do not attempt to move from the ringside anywhere near the barriers. Please do not move down the aisles during this act. Any one of these wild animals can kill, please remain seated... Any movement outside the barriers can distract the animals, can endanger their trainer."

The crowd murmured. The excitement became palpable as the orchestra began a slow drumbeat.

Grimaldi got the green light to enter the ring. He picked up his rifle and beckoned for Rebecca to follow. She kept close as he entered the darkened arena, making his way carefully to the far edge of the barrier to take up his "watching" position.

Vernon was already in place opposite Grimaldi, and he lifted his radio set piece. "In position, Grimaldi on the far side with the woman. Eh! Looks like he's got a bloody rifle!"

Mike kept his eyes on Ruda as she paced up and down. He lifted the radio. "He's just showing off, Vern. Okay, we got the red! Stand by for green!"

Ruda pulled on her leather gloves.

"Ladies and gentlemen... Ruda Kellerman!"

"GREEN GO! GREEN GO!"

Vernon withdrew the bolts from the trapdoor leading from the tunnel into the darkened ring. Ruda made her way in the dark toward the open trap from ring to tunnel. She backed into the tunnel, exactly ten paces.

"She's in position, over!"

Vernon heard Mike tell him the cats were released. Bang! Up came the central spotlight, pinpointing Ruda Kellerman running from the tunnel into the center of the ring, while close on her heels came Roja, followed by fifteen more tigers. The crowd murmured. It looked as if the tigers were chasing Ruda into the ring.

The act began. Rieckert gasped: "Holy shit!"

Helen gripped Louis' arm. "My God... look at her, look at her face!"

Louis half rose out of his seat: Ruda could have been Rebecca. Stunned, he couldn't catch his breath.

"My God, they're almost identical!"