Chloe sat in the center of the circus waiting for her friends to return. But as the electors returned to their seats, she lost her normally reserved cool. "Rammy?" she asked. "Where did Swordslady go? And Eely mouth? You'd think they'd be back by now!"

Ramone's goatish line eyes traveled towards the exit. "Exactly," he said. "It's not like Lady Monica to tarry, unlike that uncouth eel man, who is probably scoping out every madam in the tent."

"Arr!" Abacab growled, biting into a loaf of bread. "They could be at the convience stand. Even though all they serve is bread and water."

"Exactly," Chloe muttered. "Bread with no mutton and mead is so bland."

"Unless you make a bread sandwich, mateys!" Abacab smiled holding a piece of loaf of bread between two other loaves.

"Egads," Ramone gasped. "More like a carb sandwich."

Chloe turned to the handsome king who looked wearily at the striped roof of the tent. "Something wrong, Mr. King?" Chloe asked.

Phil Le gazed at her with sorrow in his deep purple eyes. "We Fishysauz are well in tuned with the sea...and my young queen, there is an I'll wind blowing."

"I can feel it too," Rosemary responded to her host. "His presence is so close I can taste it."

"How does an eyeball taste things?" Chloe asked.

"You get what I mean child."

At last the three other leaders returned to the east, west and south sides of the tent. Countess Taon was looking pale and rather precious with a fan hid over her face. Sanders now wore a heavy overcoat over his white tuxedo and Minister Dingsworth beamed bright and bold, rubbing his greasy gloved hands together.

James Clown stood over his shoulders. "Ladies, fish and gentlemen! And now for the main event! We will now decide on a joint rule of the Four Great Oceans!"

"Rulers!" he said in his raspy voice. "Stake your claims!"

***

Monica and Vinnie sat in a circus cages, fit for circus animals like elephants or giraffes rather than the likes of them. They were placed right next to John Lion who wimpered into his paws. Monica rested with her head in hands. "This is not good, senor," she muttered. "This election is rigged and we cannot even make that known to the people."

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Dat," Vinnie added and he gazed forlorn in Monica's direction. "I am so close and yet so far away from you, senorita!"

Monica rolled her eyes. "Is all you ever think about is girls?"

"Nope," Vinnie grinned. "Women too!"

"Ay dio mios," the swordswoman gasped. "You are insufferable."

"But cute!" Vinnie said, grinning and flashing his emerald eyes at his ally.

"That's debatable..." Monica muttered, before her eyes lit up. She squinted her eyes and saw someone in the distance. "Wait a minute," she exclaimed. "There's somebody here!"

The clown girl, Sunny, swept up pieces of popcorn that the countess and her cronies had dined on. It was the first time, Monica had ever seen her scowling. "It's that clown from earlier," Monica shouted. "The one who got us in trouble in the first place. Maybe she can get us out!"

"I dunno, chica," Vinnie answered. "Are you sure you want her over here? She seems to be nothing but trouble. In fact, if she came over here, she could only make things woise for us!"

Monica shrugged her shoulders. "Do you have anything better to do? Hey, little senorita!"

Sunny looked up from the mess of popcorn in the floor. She heaved a sigh. "Hey!" Monica cried. "Don't you ignore us, girl. We see you over there!"

Sunny hung her head and walked over. She refused to make eye contact with Monica and Vinnie.

"Ey," Vinnie said. "Why aren't you smiling goily. I thought that's why you wanted to be a clown in da first place."

Sunny looked up and there were tears in her painted eyes. "Because," she said. "I betrayed a bunch of potential friends of mine! All to save my own booty."

Vinnie and Monica looked at each other. Vinnie offered a frown in response. "I tink I know what friends you're talking about. And I can't say dat didn't sting when you handed us in, but I kind of know where you're coming from. I was gonna betray the whole world to save to my crew!"

"You were?" Sunny squeaked. "But why?"

"Because," Vinnie replied. "I loved them more than dis whole world. It didn't make it right, but I did. But you know kid, I discovered there is always another way!"

"There is?!" Sunny exclaimed.

"Of course kid," Vinnie grinned. "I hate to get sappy, but love and understanding helped me realize dat. This Chloe girly is gonna save the sea and well, this senorita, she is my muse!"

Monica marveled at the gangster of the sea. Suddenly, he didn't seem as oily as he usual. Monica's face flushed and she beamed warmly at him "Yeah, I never looked at it this way. But I guess this repugnante has really been mending his ways."

"Of course," Vinnie grinned from ear to ear. "You inspired me to be a betta person!"

Sunny's face rounded up in a happy smile too. "I want to be that 'betta person' too! Even if I don't have a gangster accent, y'all!"

"Good," Vinnie winked. "You can start by letting us out!"

"Sure thing boss!" Sunny said with a happy salute. "I'll go get the keys!"

As Sunny ran into the other room, Monica gave Vinnie a look of approval. "I never knew this,eelboy, but you do have a way with children."

"Well of course," Vinnie said slyly "I been practicing for the day I finally have dem!"

Monica rolled her eyes. "Ay carumba. You really know how to ruin a moment."

Sunny happily returned with a ring of keys. "Hi-hi-hi!" she shouted. "So good news and bad news. Good news is, I found the keys, yay! Bad news is, I also found this terrifying clown guard guy!"

Monica and Vinnie turned up their eyes to witness the terrifyingly large clown man, standing right behind her. "No one is escaping!" he bellowed. "But at least this finally gives me the chance to punch you guys in the face!"