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“Ooooo!” Abeya smiled and clapped, very impressed by Tristan theatrics, “Oh he’s good!” Newt was equally impressed, sitting there with his mouth wide open, mesmerized by the introduction. As soon as Clancy was introduced he began to clap wildly, “Hooray! Hooray!” Abeya laughed, she was glad that Newt was acting happier, but now she was beginning to worry he was a bit too happy. The Clancy took off, full steam ahead, all cylinders open. Newt lifted his paws to his mouth as he gasped, “Oh how brave! Oh ‘Beya look!” He was soon hiding behind his paws, watching Clancy tumble, momentarily forgetting that ladybugs have wings, “Oh no!” But as Clancy landed in a flourish Newt jumped up onto his seat, pounding his fists into the air, “Hooray! Hooray for Clancy!” Abeya clapped and cheered, then promptly grabbed Newt and plopped him back on his bottom. “Cheer all you like, but keep your bottom on the seat, all right?” she laughed and rubbed the top of his head, then waited for the next trick.

Switchfoot was impressed, bats were supposed to be renowned agile fliers but Clancy was really good too. In fact the little bat girl didn't think she could pull off a trick like that, she'd have ended up smashing her face in the ground for sure. Any desires she'd had to eat the wonderbug before vanished as Switchfoot admitted to herself that he was too talented to become little more than a snack. Blue eyes wide, she chirped her approval of the stunt and waited to see what else Clancy could do.

From up on his perch Laird had to admit that the announcer mouse had not been lying, the little male ladybug was certainly skilled. The falcon wondered if the talent was natural or something the insect had been trained to do.

Newt’s eyes grew wide as Clancy began to climb. Even Abeya was impressed, only having seen Squirrels climb with such skill and confidence. In synchronized motion, the two mice lifted there paws to cover there open mouths. “Oooo! Careful!” Abeya said aloud, nervous that Clancy may topple off the stalk at any second. Newt held his breath and moved his paws to cover his eyes, watching through his fingers again. The suspense was even greater this time around than it was in the first trick. There was a collective sigh of relief, and a burst of cheering, when Clancy reached the very top. Forgetting what she had said to newt, Abeya jumped up from her seat, clapping and whistling loudly. “Hey now! ‘Beya!”, Newt jumped up and crossed his arms on his chest, giving her a stern look. An embarrassed flush crossed her cheeks, “Oh…sorry…Got a bit excited.” The two of them laughed as they sat back down. As they waited for the next trick Newt leaned over and tugged on Abeya’s arm, then beckoned her. Leaning down to his level, she blushed again as he moved in and whispered in her ear, “Thanks ‘Beya…this is the best day!”

Atop the blade of grass, Clancy was definitely showing off now. Perhaps fueled by the enthusiasm of his crowd, or just because it's what he did best, the ladybug launched into a repertoire of balancing acts: from his position on his hindlegs, he moved to standing on just one leg. Then he jumped, did a somersault, and landed on only his front-most legs, waving the other four around. He jumped again, catching onto the side of the reed, and hung out at an angle, leaning back so that he looked like he would fall -- but he didn't. He spun around on the makeshift pole, holding on with just one fuzzy little leg, until he was leaning out of the other side. Then he scurried back up to the top to do some more hand-stands.

Archie was intrigued, now, as to precisely what his boss was doing with the blade of grass, and he peeked in through the door, still clutching his wooden fish to his chest. He watched, delighted, as Clancy ran through a repertoire of tricks that he hadn't seen before, and he couldn't even help himself when he started applauding from outside the door. A few passersby gave him odd looks, but he was so glued to the performance that he hardly noticed. When you've grown up in an orphanage your whole life, it's easy to be impressed.

Tristan, however, knew not to stretch a good thing on for too long. He knew his bug, and he knew that if he didn't wrap up the act soon, Clancy's performance would take a major dip as the bug reached his exhaustion point. Also, Tristan wasn't sure if he knew any other tricks.

He scanned the audience, trying to get a good idea of what was on their mind. The young little mouse, especially, made him smile.

Well, only one thing for it. He'd have to be sure to end with a bang.

All the while the bug went through his balancing act up top, Tristan was hurriedly formulating a way to provide a grand finale -- and to get to the best part of the circus, collecting payment from the crowd.

Well, Tristan thought, glancing up at Clancy and then sweeping his eyes over the crowd...it was time to gear up for a finale. One could only show off the same trick too many times before it grew boring, and the first rule of show business was to leave the audience wanting more. An act that overstayed its welcome was downright harmful.

So, with that in mind, he looked up at Clancy and snapped his fingers, giving a little jerk to the grass spear. The spear swayed, just slightly, and the bug seemed to get the hint. Good thing, too, Tristan decided -- Clancy was starting to look almost tired.

Clancy, catching the vibration of his perch and the snap of his ringmaster's fingers, shifted his antenna. Hanging from the side of the spear of grass, he scuttled up to the top, building momentum. At the top, he leapt up, kicking off from the somewhat springy tip of the grass blade, and launched himself up in the air. Once airborne, the grass blade fell away, giving the illusion of a higher jump.

Clancy waited til he was at the apex of his leap and then, with a true showman's proclivities, he did a somersault in the air, tumbling through the air in a flash of carapace and waving antenna.

Tristan couldn't help himself. The opportunity was just too good. As Clancy tumbled down from the sky, the little mouse positioned himself in the path of his trajectory and, with a broad sweeping motion, swept his hat off his head and held it out by the brim just in time for Clancy to fall into it.

Tristan then flipped the hat around between his paws and held it by the brim, open, toward the crowd -- showing that it was totally empty.

Tristan shot Abeya a conspiratorial look, then moved forward, meeting Newt's eyes seriously. Without a word, he twirled his hat between his paws, then set it down atop Newt's head. He left it there for a moment, rubbing his paws together; he blew on them, rubbed them again, and then with a look of apt concentration, he held both paws out in front of him, gesturing at the hat, and said, "Alakazam!"

Then he lifted the hat off Newt's head, revealing Clancy standing between the young mouse's ears, and grinned.

He took a deep bow, stepping back -- Clancy jumped off of Newt's head and landed on his shoulder, waving his antennae -- and then replaced his hat on his head. "And that's the show, folks!"

He swept his eyes along the group. "Now, if you'd all stay awhile to discuss the details of your payment. And I believe I owe a certain young mouse a visit with the star of our show?" He smiled fondly at Newt, then looked up to Switchfoot. "And you, little lady, are welcome to join him. Archibald! Come tend to our star, would you?"

And as the hedgehog scampered in to take Clancy back to his tie-out in the ring and feed him fresh greens, Tristan made his way up the stairs to speak with the adults.