off the train to stretch their legs. They gathered the remains of the picnic. Then Caleb swung his legs over to the ladder and said, “Let’s go.” He’d have to take care of the animals, and Tannakin loved to help with the animals. Maybe it would cheer her up. Tanni followed Caleb down the ladder at the end of the freaks’ car, across the metal walkway between the cars, and into the room he shared with his papa. Guillaume’s dog, Jock, jumped off the bed to greet her. Tanni scooped him up and tickled his mustard-yellow chin. “Hello, you handsome thing!” she said. Jock wiggled in delight. Caleb still thought Jock was the ugliest dog he’d ever seen. He had one brown eye and one blue eye, which wouldn’t have been so bad if the blue eye hadn’t been made of glass and meant for a human. It was never looking in the same direction as his brown dog eye, and sometimes it rolled completely up in his head, leaving the eyeball milky-white and hideous. His teeth stuck out in all directions. Grown men shuddered when Jock lifted his lip in a friendly smile. “Guillaume?” Tanni called. The room was empty. “He must be in with the animals,” Caleb said, just as the car started rocking gently from side to side. “That’s Babs,” he explained to Tanni. Babs the elephant had learned to stand in the middle of the car, facing the locomotive, and shuffle from foot to foot when she wanted attention. If she ever decided to shuffle too hard, she could rock the train car right off the tracks. Caleb jumped across the room and pulled open the door to the 17 Battle of Trickum County-sj.indd17 17
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