The doctor, the driver and the horses found shelter, food and rest, for the house on wheels was a very hospitable one.
The people who lived in it belonged to Uncle Brizak's roving troupe of carnival performers.
Who had not heard of Uncle Brizak!
Who had not heard of his carnival wagon!
All year round it travelled from market to fair putting on performances.
What wonderful actors they were!
And what wonderful shows they put on!
Tibul the Acrobat's act had always been the main attraction.
We already know that he was the best tight rope-walker in the land.
We saw his skill for ourselves when he walked across the high cable over Star Square under a barrage of fire.
Audiences had clapped their hands off when Tibul had appeared in the market squares!
Shopkeepers and beggar-women, schoolchildren and soldiers, everyone who ever watched him, had clapped and clapped and clapped.
But now the shopkeepers and fops were sorry they had thought him so wonderful.
"We applauded him, and now he's turned against us!" they said.
Uncle Brizak's carnival wagon was a sad place now that Tibul had left it.
Doctor Caspar said nothing of what had happened to Tibul.
He also said nothing of the doll that belonged to Tutti the Heir.
And what did Doctor Caspar see inside the carnival wagon, inside the house on wheels?
He was given a large Turkish drum to sit on. It had red triangles and gold wire netting around it.
The house was built like a railway car. Canvas curtains divided it into several rooms.
It was very late.
The people who lived in the carnival wagon were all asleep.
The man who had opened the door for them and who had seemed like a black paper doll turned out to be an old clown.
His name was August.
He was on duty that night, and had just been making himself some supper when the doctor's carriage rolled up.
Yes, it really was roast lamb and onions.
The doctor sat on the drum and looked around.
An oil lamp was burning on a wooden box.
Hanging on hooks from the walls were hoops covered with pink and white tissue paper, long striped whips with shiny metal handles, bright costumes adorned with beads and gold spangles, embroidered flowers and coloured bits of cloth.
There were masks, too.
Some had horns, some had funny long noses, some had big grinning mouths.
One had a huge pair of ears that looked real, except that they were very, very big.
There was a small strange animal in a cage in a corner.
Along one of the walls was a long wooden table.
Ten mirrors hung over it.
An unlit candle was stuck to the table with melted wax near each of the mirrors.
There were boxes, paint brushes, powder-puffs, wigs, mounds of pink powder and damp coloured spots under every mirror.
"We had to flee from the Guards today," the clown said. "Tibul the Acrobat used to be one of our performers.
The Guards were after us, because they think we're hiding Tibul." The old clown looked very sad. "But we don't even know where he is.
He was probably killed, or put in an iron cage."
August sighed and shook his grey head.
The animal in the cage looked at the doctor with cat-like eyes.
"I wish you could have come earlier," the clown continued. "We all like you very much.
You would have made us feel better.
Everyone knows you're a friend of the poor, a friend of the people.
Remember something that happened long ago?
We were putting on a show at the Steer Liver Market.
That was last spring.
My little girl was singing a song."
"Yes, yes, I remember," the doctor said.