Chapter 19

"Boy!"

Minho had packed the last of his belongings when he heard the director's biting voice. He exhaled deeply before opening the door of his wagon. In a few hours, his days with the circus were over. And even if he didn't have to hear the director's voice and venomous words any more, his heart was heavy. Here he had found a family after his was taken from him. Here he had laughed, learned and found peace.

"Come with me." The director urged him and began to walk with a limp.

Minho couldn't imagine what the Warden wanted him to do. Surely it could not be a farewell party. After a few minutes, the director stopped in front of Roo's cage. The lion was not sleeping, but was lying comfortably in the sun's rays warming the floor of his cage. The director's grin told Minho that he had something bad in mind. Without a word, he held a gun out to Minho.

"What...?" But everything was falling into place in Minho's mind. The director wanted him to kill Roo.

It had apparently been wishful thinking that Roo could be saved. But he had bitten Jinki's arm, and that was entirely his own fault. If he had been more careful, none of this would have happened. And now he had to answer for it.

"This is your last task here. After this, I never want to see you again." He still held the gun out to him, his eyes flashing. But not with anger. He clearly enjoyed watching Minho struggle with himself. He enjoyed the triumph he would now have. Especially after Minho, with the help of Jinki, had humiliated him like this.

With trembling fingers, Minho grabbed the gun. His eyes went from the gun to Roo and back again in panic. He didn't know what to do. He knew what the rules were. Animals that hurt the performers were killed. He had never seen the director do it himself, but he always knew when it had happened. After all, he took care of the animals. And when one disappeared he felt a deep emptiness inside him. And now he was being asked to kill such a graceful creature himself.

But he could not run away from it. Jinki had been hurt because of him.

"I have other things to do today." The ringmaster urged him through gritted teeth.

It was still early but some performers were already practising on the field. Their eyes fell on the two of them. Nervously, the director glanced around. Seeing the director and Minho in one place was not the order of the day as both liked to avoid each other. Minho refused the company of his employer, who had treated him like dirt since day one. But what the director had against Minho, no one understood. Curiously, they whispered among themselves what could be going on between the two. But they both stood in front of Roo's cage and quickly became aware of what was about to happen.