Comedy is his only way out. It's what keeps him sane. He has to rise above it all somehow, to just get a grasp on himself. And the recipe to that is to find the humor in it. To laugh its fangs off.

Circus Phantasmagoria consists of four major spots of amusement/edutainment, umbrellas for even more events.

XANADU: That's the nickname for the amusement park ride/ games area such as the ring-toss, the test of strength, etc, all with a 50s sociopolitical bent. Xanadu also sports the Hall of Reflections, one part labyrinth-of-mirrors, one part satirical mimicry, the center of which, if you can find it, beds the pleasure palace and den of iniquity known as True Xanadu. It's not easy to get to.

Along with the Hall of Reflections, Xanadu always has a gorgeous Carousel of carved mythical creatures, a Ferris Wheel of Corporate Success [you get to the highest point and at the crest is a man offering you a suitcase filled with a million dollars. But before you can get your hands on it, you get sprayed with seltzer water and sent back down] and the Spookhouse [where the running gag is CIA 'spooks' scaring you with details of your life].

THE GRAND SPECTACLE: Along with Xanadu is The Grand Spectacle, the big top full of three-ring performances including: the Idiot Savants And Their Abominable Clown Revue [political satire brought to you by slapstick clowns], The Hierophantic Magic Show [illusion, sleight of hand and escape art], Escapades From Around The Globe [a cultural performance piece by various foreign performers], The Flying Atomics [former victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki a-bomb attacks turned fire-breathing, pyrotechnic acrobats] and finally The Animals and Their Stupid Humans [animals out-tricking and outsmarting their human trainers].

THE ODDITORIUM: Beyond the Great Spectacle bigtop, lies the Odditorium, the museum/perfomance area of freaks and oddities where the theatre troupe known as the Freak Army take the bawdy black comedy of the Idiot Savants to a whole new political level. If you manage to leave the Odditorium without puking or being offended, you'll get your money back. Guaranteed.

THE LIBRARY OF FORBIDDEN BOOKS: Alongside the Odditorium is this rather large housed resource of banned books and contrabond literature, everything from classical erotica to works of revolutionaries of the Atomic Age. Run by the old man and former veteran of the Spanish civil war who calls himself Saint Germaine.

Clarence runs the Idiot Savants while Michael, the circus manager and son of the owner, is the ringmaster of the Grand Spectacle. Their friend, Bob Latkowski [also known as Alligator Man] runs the Odditorium and leads the Freak Army while the Freak known as Triptych (for her three huge religious tattoos depicting the life of Christ) runs things in Xanadu.

The rest of the Circus crew includes:

GREAT SPECTACLE
-Joe Musashi, Susan Musashi, Keiko Musashi, Hogo Musashi/ The Flying Atomics
-Thomas Wyncham, Xavier de Cincao, Russ Hallory, Celeste Orseau, Meerlinda, Audrey Orseau/ The Hierophantic Magic Show
-Clarence Peyroux, Peter Cook, Magenta, Sara Miracle, Susan Whitman, Greg Gauthier, Daniel Jaramillo, Elaine Calinot, Kurt Westerhouse, Taylor White, Katherine Haasch, Richard Greene, Jules Maxwell/ The Idiot Savants
-Pete Quigley/ Mad Pete the Speed Demon/ motorcycle daredevil
-Sergei Vostok/ The Strongman
-Smiling Jack Biggs/ Animal trainer

FREAK ARMY
-Manny Klink/ Alligator Man
-Ken Carver/ Titan the Giant
-Bart Flax/ The Half-Man
-Lucille Bergman/ Elephant Girl
-Jimmy Wright/ Krakatoa, the Human Volcano
-Shankar, the Rubber Man/contortionist and sword swallower
-Karen Anotos/ The Bearded Lady
-Augustina Halford/ The Fat Lady
-Aulden Fulbright/ The Blockhead
-Marie Black/ Mule Girl
-Joey Carpenter/ The Wolfman
-Kaci Overose/ The Glass Woman
-Pietro Krenyenko/ The Human Caterpillar
-Roxanne and Rebecca Kijovski/ Siamese Twins
-Evan Albrecht/ The Inside-Out Man
-Mark Santillo/ Octopus-Face
-Teyumon/ Eye-Man
-Todd Browing/ Crab Man
-Marie Moronez/ Angelena, the Human Angel
-Polyphemus, the One-eyed Wonder
-The Barleycorns (Dwarves)

It was like a city of orange and crimson canvas had suddenly appeared in the middle of an empty field, bustling like a hive. It was all so much. The laughter, the calliope music, the barks of carnies sweetly carried in the air. It was all so much that he found he could barely breathe. It nearly overhwhelmed him, the feeling of joy of the place.

When they had finally put enough distance between themselves and the Dread Lanterns, when the nitrous had exhausted itself and he’d scaled the Beast back to 70 to keep the Hemlock in their dust, Bobby took the chance to strike out for a place to eat. He fucking had to. After being fed in the last hour or so with only booze, fear, panic and adrenalin, Zuzu and he were completely starved. Zuzu’s half-serious ultimatum of either getting something to eat soon or she’d “start nibbling off ears in here” didn’t seem to help either.

So, after turning off of Route 66 and driving north of it for a good couple of miles (he guessed the Hemlock would keep stalking up and down Route 66, giving up when they couldn’t find the Beast) he ended up crossing into a little town called Duarte. In a lot of ways, it reminded him of Haskell in Oklahoma when he’d go hang with Butch and Butch’s family. Not much of a place to speak of, with a main street no longer than two blocks, the brick buildings as old as the Civil War and a scattering of tiny shops peppered along the street. Jack's Grocery. Long's Drug Store. Even a greasy spoon diner called Momma’s Kitchen. All of them, unfortunately, closed.

But down the block, past City Hall, a doughnut shop called Donut King with a big OPEN sign flashed almost knowingly at them. He’d never been much of a fan of doughnuts. But right now, with his innards gnawing at him, as far as he was concerned a doughnut shop sounded like pure fucking paradise. He parked in front of it and killed the engine. Tisandra got out and opened the seat for Zuzu. “Doughnuts?” Tisandra asked, as Zuzu emerged from the Beast.

“You’ll see” Zuzu gleefully replied.

A small bell tinked as they entered and immediately they found the sweet smell of fried dough and sugar thick in the air. The place was warm from the ovens and at the far wall sat three little tables and chairs and a neatly folded newspaper sitting at each one. A short, paunchy balding man, seemingly in his thirties, with a flour-covered apron and a thin moustache, gave them a fervent chandler's smile. "How are you folks this morning?" he asked, beaming at Zuzu in particular. And then he crooked his head to the side a little, noticing Tisandra's red hair and jade green skin. "Is she okay?" he asked, his eyebrow furrowed. Bobby looked back at Tisandra and then noticed the shop owner's eyes, putting it together.

"Oh. Yeah. She's fine" Bobby replied, then pointed to the display case. "We need a few of your doughnuts to go." He looked over and Zuzu had her face pressed to the glass, drooling open-mouthed and making gurgling noises. He kicked her shoes a little, trying to get her to lay off the goofing. She just stood up, straightened herself and grinned from ear to ear at him. Bobby sighed. God help him.

When they finally made it out, they had a box filled to bursting with bear claws, glazed, cake, chocolate (with sprinkles, Zuzu had insisted), a couple of jelly-filled glazed and two tiny cartons of milk between them. Zuzu didn’t even wait, stuffing her hand into the box and tearing into a glazed with a growl.

“How can you eat that stuff?” Tisandra asked.

“This coming from a girl who eats like a grasshopper” Zuzu answered. “You have no idea what you’re missing. This beautiful culmination of American cuisine…” she said, holding up the doughnut as if it was gold “…is better than sex.”

Bobby looked at her, opening his door and putting the box in the back seat. “How would you know about sex, Zu? You’re 13 years old.”

“Egractly” Zuzu replied with a toothy mouthful of doughnut, then a thick swallow. “And until it happens, it’ll never be better than doughnuts.” She smiled at them like a giddy chimpanzee and hopped into the backseat. Bobby and Tisandra traded glances.

“Time to go” Bobby muttered.