See Ye in Court!
As told by Etienne
Chapter 2
By Jarod Millsap

	I ran through the crowd for a while.  I couldn't have been going in a 
straight line because I wouldn't have been in Paris anymore.  I really couldn't 
tell because everywhere people were wearing ugly masks.  Honestly, it wasn't 
Imitate Elise Day!  Suddenly I caught a familiar smell.  La Es?  
	"La Es?"
	It smelled of her perfume that she was wearing the last time I was with 
her.  But I didn't see her.  But I did see someone else I knew.  Within a space 
between some empty crates and covered in part by a sheet, I saw her peeking out.
	"Elise, what are you doing there?"
	"Um, I thought I saw Tansy coming with a dress my size, yeah."
	"Oh, yeah, I guess that would be reason enough to make you hide.  Come on, 
I think the festival's starting."
	"Etienne, the festival doesn't start until later.  But we need to go dance 
before then.  This is the pre-festival activity.  See, people are just buying 
stuff or having a whole lot of fun!"
	"Yes, enjoy your peasant festival," a voice startled us from behind.  It 
was Frollo.  He made me so mad. "With any luck this may be the last of it's 
kind.  And I'll do everything I can to see that it is."
 
	Then he made a sneer that was so sinister that it made me shiver.  But 
within I was beginning to boil with anger.
	"Who does he think he is anyway!?  He makes me so mad-going around trying 
to frighten the common folk!  Well he doesn't scare me!  He should be dragged 
down to the Court and hanged!  That'll show h..."
	"That would only be the best thing we could do to him."
	"Delano!  What are you doi...Where's Esmerald...What?...What do you mean 
the best thing we could do to him?"
	"Well, Frollo has dedicated his life to finding the new Court of Miracles 
ever since the raid of the first one.  He hates the Gypsies with every bone in 
his body and he plans to rid the city of every last one of them."
	"Then why isn't he doing it now?  When all the Gypsies have come out to be 
part of the festival?"
	"I don't know for sure, but I'm told that many years ago the Archdeacon 
reminded him that Our Lady still watches over him and will decide the fate of 
his soul based on what he does in life.  To this day, it's said, those words 
still linger in the back of Frollo's mind, protecting us from mass-destruction.  
Nonetheless, he wishes all Gypsies banished from the Earth.  He'd die happy if 
he were taken to the Court to be hanged."
	At that moment, Clopin came running by telling us that the ever-impatient 
Pandora was not planning on waiting much longer for us to dance with her.
	"PANDORA!" we both yelled.  We had almost forgotten!
	"Thanks 'Lano, but we have to get going!"
	"See ye in Court!"
	We scurried as fast as we could to try and find our cousin.  But then my 
brilliance kicked in.
	"Why don't we do this?"
	I threw down a transport pill and we were standing with Pandy and Fatima 
in an instant.
	"Come on you guys-let's dance!" Elise shouted and immediately Pandy and 
Fatims were playing and singing and Elise and I started in on our dance.  
Suddenly, Elise ran into my elbow and fell.  Then she got up and pushed me 
again.  The nerve!  I would have pushed her back, but before I could, she had 
run into my fist as I was doing a turn.  She fell and then tripped me.  That is 
when Fatima and Pandora stopped playing.
	"See Elise, now you ruined our dance!  How dare you humiliate me in public 
on purpose!  Right Pandora?  Pandora?"
	She was looking up at the cathedral.  And so was everyone else.  She 
hadn't stopped because of us.  There was some guy sliding down a rope from the 
cathedral into the crowd.
	"Probably some acrobat doing a pre-fest show."
	"He's gotta be an amateur.  Look at all that extra padding on his back."
	It was then that the music started up again.  But this time it wasn't from 
Pandora.  All heads turned toward the side street next to the cathedral.  Clopin 
was coming and he was heading the parade.  There were acrobats and dancers 
wearing comical costumes all leading up to the entrance of last year's King of 
Fools.
	"Come on Elise, let's go!"
	I took her by the hand and started running toward the parade.  On the way, 
I whisked up a pair of tambourines from a merchant's cart and gave one to her.  
By now we were in the parade line.
	"Dance, Elise, dance!"
	And we went dancing and beating our tambourines down the street with the 
rest of the parade.  It was fun dancing and making music, laughing and singing 
in front of the whole city.  Clopin came back to us laughing and singing about 
the Festival and did a short dance with us.
	"Topsy Turvy!" we all shouted. 
	The parade ended at the main stage, where Clopin declared the beginning of 
the Festival.
	"Welcome my friends, to Paris!  Gypsies, servants, scurvy knaves, and yes, 
even soldiers, this is the Festival of Fools!  I will be your M.C. for the day's 
activities, Clopin Trouillefou! (The crowd cheered.)  After the Festival, there 
will be a bonfire in the square, a maytree planted at the chapel, and a brand 
new mystery presented by writer Pierre Gringoire and his renowned Troupe de 
Fools at the Palace of Justice.  For one day only you are permitted to come out 
of the building still alive.  Hee hee!  Today we have a variety of performances 
for you out here.  They will be presented on these three stages.  Vexilators..."
	"Gaspiri and his four brothers emerged and ran through the crowd holding 
the flags Gaspiri was carrying earlier.  They all gathered on the stage with 
Clopin.
	"Citizens of Paris, notice these flags!  During the course of the 
entertainment, these flags will alert you to the fact that something important 
is about to take place.  For example, if I introduced an act to take place on 
that stage over there..."
	He took a pill from his pouch and threw it at a vexilator.
	"...Jean-Paul would be over there with his flag prominently displayed."  
And he was.  "If I then announced an act over here, there would be a flag 
displayed over here.  In other words- follow the bouncing flags!  Heehee!  
	And so ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to turn your attention toward 
Clousseau's waving flag on yonder stage and witness the comedic antics of the 
young Gypsy performers from Milan, Jamie and Michele!"
	Two performers came up on the stage just behind us.  They jumped in 
unison, slapped each other's hands, turned, and ended up grabbing each other's 
legs.  People laughed.
	"Esmeralda's going to be dancing on that stage over there, isn't she 
Etienne?"  Elise asked, pointing to the stage on which Clopin was standing.
	"Yes," Pandora answered for me, "and I'm performing there, too, so let's 
make our way up there so you can get a good view of me."
	But before I could go with them, I was stopped by a man carrying a big 
drum.
	"Hey, we're using this stage after these two characters are through.  I 
need help getting this up there."
	"No, I'm sorry, I can't, really..."
	"Shut up and help, these girls are almost done."
	"Listen, you have a few more acts during which to set up..."
	"I need you to do this now before I...."
	What a cranky mood for a festival, but I had an idea...
	"I'm a Trouillefou!"
	Wha...oh, I'm so sorry.  Please forgive me, your highness."
	He rolled the drum out of the way and Elise and Pandora were still 
standing there.
	"Come on!"
	"Your highness?  I could get used to this." I thought.
	On the way through the crowd, I spotted a dark colored tent.  Frollo was 
sitting underneath it. He looked really mad.
	"Oh, no!  Look who's here."
	"Oh my gosh!  I saw him today!  I saw that guy!"  Elise gasped, pointing 
to an armored man standing next to Frollo.
	"Who is he?" I asked.
	"I don't know, he said he was the Captain, but he's probably someone from 
Gringoire's troupe.  He was on his way to the Palace of Justice and look how 
he's dressed."
	"Yeah, you're probably right." I smelled Esme's perfume again, but again 
she was nowhere in sight.  "Do you guys smell Esmeralda's perfume?"
	"Oh that's me," Elise replied ",Esme let me try some.  She has a whole 
collection of different types of perfume.  She says it's what her mother used to 
do, too."
	By then we were at the stage and Clopin was ready to announce the next 
act.
	"Madames and Moissers, Jamie and Michele of Milan!  And now if you would 
please, turn your eyes toward stage two and see the Troupe de Fools perform a 
scene from the mystery they are to perform tonight by renowned author, Pierre 
Gringoire, at the Palace of Justice.  This morning they performed Mr. 
Gringoire's most popular mystery and received rave reviews.  And so, without 
further ado, I give you the Troupe de Fools!"
	"Greetings Paris, from the Troupe de Fools!" a costumed man exclaimed as 
he pulled a string and released a banner that said 'Festival of Fools' on it.  
"We are very glad to be in Paris for the first time even though we are stationed 
in France.  We tour all Europe and if you like us here we'll be back for next 
year's festival and maybe even sometime before then.  I have no doubt, however, 
that you will find us most amusing.  I am Jehan, the narrator, and this is the 
Troupe de Fools!"
	A crowd of people poured onto the stage giving various greetings.
	"Bonjour Paris!  We will perform for you a scene from tonight's mystery, 
and should you decide you'd like more, we shall provide!  We can sing, we can 
dance- after all, we are from France!"
	"May I present you with featured player, Mademoiselle Zephra.  And now... 
the mystery!"
	Pandora turned to us.  "I had better get ready for my act.  I think it's 
just three after this- after the crowning of the King of Fools.  Clopin said my 
act will help calm the crowd after the big event."
	"N o one can bring down the mood of a joyful crowd like Pandy can."
	"Of course you know this means I can draw attention well."
	"Whatever Pandy!"
	"It seems to me that you're just jealous of my instant fame here in 
Paris."
	"Fame?  You haven't even performed yet.  As of now you're still a nobody 
to the crowd."
	"Nobody, shmobody!  They won't think that once I charm them with my 
harmonious voice and exquisite mandolin skills."
	Then the crowd burst out in applause.  The troupe's scene had ended!  We 
missed it!  Oh well.  I was looking forward to seeing it tonight at the Palace 
of Justice.
	"I'm going to go get ready for my act," Pandy said as she left.
	"Suddenly, laughter filled the air as we tried frantically to find the 
reason.
	"Oh no, look!" Elise shouted, pointing to stage three, where the first act 
had taken place.
	Instead of the band that was supposed to be setting up, there was Tansy, 
dressed in an orange and green clashing dress.
	"Hey everybody, I'm from France!  That must mean I can dance, too!"
	With that she started uttering random syllables and moving strangely 
around the stage, smiling the whole time and shaking her bad choice of colors.  
Half the crowd was laughing so loud you could barely hear the boos of the other 
half.  Poor Clopin was desperately trying to calm the crowd.  
	Tansy saw this and replied,  "SHUT UP EVERYBODY!  My boyfriend Clopy wants 
to hear me sing, too!"
	The crowd fell silent.
	"I am NOT your boyfriend!!!...and you're not from France!"
	Tansy started singing again and all the noise started up again, too.  Once 
again my brilliance kicked in.
	"Listen Elise, I know a way to turn their attention away from Tansy."
	I tried to find a beat to Tansy's hog calls, but I couldn't, so I made my 
own beat clapping my hands.
	"Clap Elise!"
	She did and soon everyone was clapping to our beat.  Tansy stopped her 
mouth.  Everyone clapped, keeping time.  I gave Elise the cue and together we 
began dancing.  We hopped and twirled together for about a half a minute and 
everyone applauded for us.
	"Ladies and gentlemen, my cousins, Elise and Etienne!  The finest 
Trouillefou dancers- who are not also a King.  Thank you cousins."
	"Oh Clopy!"  Tansy was right beside him now, "Want another kiss?"
	The crowd started an uproar again.  Clopin was so red.  I didn't know if 
it was anger or embarrassment.
	"Oh enough already or I'll have you all arrested!"
	Frollo succeeded in easing the crowd once again.
	"Thank you Mr. Sunshine."  Clopin was able to go on.  "Now that you're all 
quiet, yet energized.  Come one, come all!  Gather around the stage to see the 
finest girl in France make an entrance to entrance.  Dance, La Esmeralda, 
dance!" 

	He threw down a magic pill and in a puff of smoke emerged La Es.  Clopin 
was gone.
	"I'm back!  And just in time."  It was Pandora, "What did I miss?"
	"Oh, nothing much."  It would have taken too long to explain everything.
	Esmeralda did a turn and produced a handkerchief from what seemed to be 
nowhere.  Then she made her way toward the evil judge, wrapping her handkerchief 
around his neck.
	"Ahh, Esmeralda," I thought to myself, "You know better than to taunt 
Frollo!"
	Next she approached the 'Captain' next to Frollo.  She drew her lips 
closer to hers as he appeared to weaken slightly.  But Esmeralda merely withdrew 
and flicked his cheek with her hand.
	"Huzzah!" the crowd cheered.
	Then she leaped back to the stage, landing directly in front of us, giving 
me a wink.  I took that as a cue.  After a brief argument with my relatives, I 
jumped on stage.  My favorite part of the dance was coming up!  And I knew this 
part!  I got behind Esmeralda and her backup dancers and began spinning with 
them.  With this wonderful music I was just filled with so much Festival spirit 
that I dashed forward, grabbed Esmeralda by the hand and lifted her onto my 
shoulder, much to her surprise.  After another brief spinning session, I 
released her and she jumped off the stage, landing on a little cart.  Then she 
struck an ending pose in perfect time to the music.
	"Esmeralda!" Clopin announced.
	The crowd went wild.  They must have really liked me!  I jumped back down 
to be with Elise and Pandora.
	"Etienne, how many times have you been an unplanned part of the festival 
now?"
	"Learn to live, Elise!  This is the Festival of Fools!"
	"No wonder you're so involved."
	"Hey!"
	"There Trouillefou Family," a familiar voice was heard.
	"Fatima!"
	"Fatima not want miss King of Fools!"
	"And now, here it is madames and moissers, finally, your favorite part, 
the piece de resistence, the crowning of the King of Fools!!!! (Cheering from 
the crowd.) Get ready to laugh your heads off and your sides sore.  Make the 
ugliest or most frightening face and become King of Fools!  You all remember 
last year's King?"
	"NO!"
	"Once again ladies and gentlemen, here she is to help with the crowning, 
the beautiful Esmeralda!"
	"Huzzah!"
	"Cast your votes ladies and gentlemen!"
	Esmeralda reached down and pulled the man in front of us up onto the 
stage.  I noticed then that he was the acrobat we had earlier seen on the side 
of the cathedral.  He had the most horrible mask!
	One by one Esmeralda removed the masks of the hopeless contestants, all 
booed off the stage by the crowd.  Only one contestant left: the acrobat so 
involuntarily pulled into the event.  Esmeralda tugged and tugged at the hideous 
mask.  The crowd gasped when they realized it wasn't a mask at all, but the 
man's real face!
	"It's not a mask!" 
	"That's his face!"
	I had heard too much and knew, "It's the bellringer of Notre Dame!"
	Panic ensued, but my cousin was not going to let the crowning of the King 
of Fools get ruined.
	"Please!  Please!  Do not panic!  We asked for the ugliest face in Paris 
and here he is: Quasimodo!  The hunchback of Notre Dame!"
	The panic turned to cheering as everyone celebrated the new King of Fools.  
This bellringer wasn't the monster everyone thought he was.  He was so happy to 
be the King of Fools.  Even he was being accepted today.  How did I guess he was 
really the hunch- back of Notre Dame?
	"Three cheers for Quasimodo!"
	Quasimodo was hoisted up on his throne and carried through the crowd, his 
face beaming with happiness.  People danced around praising his name and 
throwing confetti.  Suddenly, a tomato flew through the air and hit the new King 
of Fools right in the face.  The crowd gasped.
	"Our King's even uglier now!" a guard yelled. Everybody laughed.
	"Yeah, he became King of Fools by being ugly."
	Everyone began pelting the poor man with rotten fruit.  He was trying to 
shield himself with his arms.  The crowd began to tie him down when he tried to 
get away.  How could Frollo, the minister of justice, allow this cruelty?  All 
at once, a hush came through the entire crowd.  They all watched as Esmeralda 
approached Quasimodo.  She kneeled beside him and began to wipe his face with a 
cloth.
	"Gypsy girl!  Get down from there!" Frollo was furious.
	"Not until I free this poor soul."
	With that, she produced a dagger, again from nowhere, and cut the 
bellringer from the ropes that bound him to the pillory.
	"How dare you defy me, Gypsy girl, you will pay for this!" Frollo shouted, 
angry at Esmeralda's defiance.
	Then Esmeralda said something that will ring like music in my ears until 
the day I die.
	"You mistreat this poor boy the same way you mistreat my people.  You 
speak of justice, yet you are cruelest to those most in need of your help!"
	Her words seemsd to epitimize everything that I had seen about Frollo.  
Only Esmeralda would ever have the guts to say it out loud and to Frollo.
	"I will get even with you Gypsies, make no mistake about that!" Frollo 
replied.
	"Then it appears we have crowned the wrong fool," Esmeralda quickly 
replied, pulling off Quasimodo's crown, "The only fool I see is you!"  And she 
threw the crown as far a she could in Frollo's direction.  She also let out a 
big spit.
	"You go, girl!"
	"Fatima!"
	"Fatima love a good Frollo-bashing."
	Esmeralda's insult enraged Frollo more than anything.  How could a Gypsy 
publicly take a stand and defy him?  And on top of that, humiliate him?  He had 
never seen such human behavior.
	"Guards!  Seize her!" Frollo shouted, but before anyone could do anything, 
Esmeralda tossed a handful of powder and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
	The sky began to darken with clouds.
	"Over here!" Esmeralda's voice came from the opposite corner of the 
square.
	"Get her!"
	The guards ran across the square.  Then I saw Esmeralda jump up and 
acrobatically do a somersault in mid-air, landing safely on a barrel, which then 
began rolling  - with her on it!  But she stayed on, manuvering it with her bare 
feet.  Two acrobats threw her a pole and she used it to vault herself onto stage 
three.  The guards were chasing her so closely that they were unable to stop in 
time and ran into Frollo's viewing tent with great impact.  One of the guards' 
helmet's flew off his head and went through the air.  Esmeralda caught it and 
threw it at some more guards, who all fell off their horses.  The helmet 
ricocheted off the guards and came straight for the Captain, who was standing 
right next to me.  He was able to duck and the helmet lodged into the wooden 
pole behind him.  I took the helmet and decided to throw it myself.  Oops!  
There goes Elise hit by the helmet.  No time to attend to her, though, because 
now the guards were sfter me.
	I jumped up and grabbed a pole.  After pulling myself onto the tower 
platform above, I was surprised to find Clopin there also.
	"Hurry Etienne, we must push this over!"
	He pointed to a huge metal sun on the edge of the platform.  I hurried 
over and together we were able to push it off just as the guards reached the 
tower.  We heard thej metallic clunk as the sun hit the guards' helmets.
	"Now jump!" Clopin yelled as arrows were shot up at us.
	We leaped from the stage, as the arrows just missed our feet, and grabbed 
hold to a string of flags.  We slid down the string that ended at a colorful 
pole stuck in the ground.
	"Wake up, Elise, wake up!" I screamed as Islapped her face around in an 
effort to revive her.
	Fatima suddenly approached us and silently oriduced a bottle, pouring it's 
contents on Elise's arms and face.
	"Yeeaooohh!" Elise screamed with a major jolt.  She was revived.
	"Fatima's special blend.  Shock body on contact, dissolve after.  Elise 
feel no ain now."
	"What's going on?" Elise asked as she got up.
	Suddenly, an arrow fell from the sky ang lodged itself between two 
cobblestones in the street.
	"Oh, I remember now." Elise responded, "But look, here come some more 
guards!"
	Fatima produced another bottle and threw it at the street between us and 
the guards. It's contents spilled out and spread among the cobblestones.  When 
the guards ran across it, they slipped and fell, sliding to a halt just before 
us.
	Esmeralda ran toward us from the other side and grabbed my hand.
	"Come un!" she urged as she pulled us along.
	We all ran, until we were cornered by two guards.  Esmeralda grabbed the 
torch that one of them was carrying and kicked the guard down.  Then she swung 
the torch at the other guard and knocked him out, too.  (Don't worry, the torch 
blew out when she swung it, so mobody got burned.)  Two more guards came up 
behing Elise.  One grabbed her around the waist.  The other came for me.  
Esmeralda threw me the torch and I was able to thrust it hard enough to take his 
breath away.  Meanwhile, Elise was twisting from one side to the other with the 
gusrd on her back.  Finally, the gusrd flew from her back and landed in a basket 
of fish near a merchant's cart.
	"I'm tired of this," Esmeralda sighed and she began to run.  We all 
followed her around a building.  I tripped over a box and landed hard on the 
ground.  My foot was hurting bad.  My friends were gone.
	Suddenly, I heard guards coming down the side street.  They were on 
horseback.  I looked up and saw that they had seen me.
	"Well lookie here men," one of them said, happily, "looks like another 
Gypsy is about to win an all-expense paid trip to the Palace of Justice."
	I had to get up.  I pulled myself up as quick as I could without overusing 
my bad foot.  WHen I was up I tried to run, but every step felt like pain 
shooting up my leg.  With each step I felt as if I were going to collapse.  I 
didn't want to look back, but I knew the guards were right on my tail.  I could 
hear them.  It sounded like they would pass me at any moment.  I reached into my 
pouch to get a magic pill.  None left!  What was I to do?  I couldn't believe 
that after all I'd been through, Frollo was going to have his way with me.  But 
if it was going to happen, I wasn't going to go by giving up.  I had to keep 
moving.
	Suddenly, a body leaned over the roof of the building next to me with an 
otustreched hand.
	"Grab my hand," the figure called out.
	Amazingly, I was able to do so.  I almost tripped trying, but I did it.  
The grip was firm and strong as I ascended to the roof and the guards galloped 
beneath me.  Noticing I had a bad leg, the figure helped me get onto the roof.  
When I was situated, I looked at the man who had pulled me up.
	"You looked pretty much like a goner," he said.
	"I can't thank you enough," I said, grateful to him.  He quite possibly 
saved my life.  "You quite possibly saved my life."
	He helped me over to the other side of the building and gently lowered me 
to the ground.  I stood on one leg for a moment and then collapsed.  But I was 
still consious.  My relatives and Fatima came running past from the other 
direction.
	"Look, it's Etienne!"
	"Etienne, they got Esmeralda!"
	"Are you okay, Etienne?"
	"Stand back!  Fatima work her stuff."
	And Fatima stepped forward and sprinkled a powder on my leg.  Quickly, 
amazingly quickly, my leg felt relief.  I was feeling better in no time.
	"Fatima," I said, "I'm sure glad we have you around.  Now what's this you 
say about La Esmeralda?"
	"She's been caught.  The guards finally got her.  We have to save her or 
Forllo will kill her."
	"Look," Clopin gasped, pointing to the stage.  Esmeralda was being hoisted 
up onto the top by two men on stilts.  She had escaped on her own.  We watched 
her take a bow and dissapear into a sheet.
	"Well that saves us a lot of trouble," Elise said.
	The fighting had stopped.  No Esmeralda- no reason to fight.  But we heard 
Frollo shout out orders for the soldiers to find her and bring her to him alive.  
The rain was coming down hard now.  We watched as the bellringer, sopping wet in 
his torn, soiled clothes and deformed physique, slowly made his way from the 
pillory to the cathedral doors.  As he moved through the crowd, the people 
parted, leaving an aisle of about twenty feet to let him through.  They didn't 
dare get within ten feet of the man they so recently praised and celebrated as 
their King of Fools.  It was a sad sight.  The rain fell straight down, but we 
all just stood watching.  I knew my family could feel his pain.  We had all been 
to towns where we weren't welcome and where people would scatter from our 
presence and call us names.  But the whole town was here today.  I was proud of 
Esmeralda for standing up for him.  I would have done the same if I were in the 
right place.
	"Esmeralda is probably safe at the Court," Clopin suggested. " Let's go 
make sure she's all right."
	So we did.  we left what had started out as a celebration.  But the fun 
and frivolity of the festival was over.  And I didn't get to see Gringoire's 
mystery.  On the way to the Court, Pandora thought of something she didn't get 
to do, either.
	"Mon jour!  I didn't get to sing my song!  I have to go back!"
	"Pandora, what are you talking about?"
	"I didn't get to show my talent at the Fetival.  I'm going back to do my 
act!" 
	And she turned around and began walking away.
	"Sister, they already know you're talented.  You're related to me."
	"But they haven't had the satisfaction of seeing me at work!"
	"Believe me, sis, they don't want it now.  For sake, it's raining out."
	"I don't care!"
	Clopin grabbed her arm.  "I can't let you go.  You'll be killed!"
	"You let me go right now, Clopin Trouillefou!"
	"Help me!" Clopin called out to us.  We all grabbed Pandora and dragged 
her kicking and screaming to the Court.  I sure hoped Frollo wasn't  following 
her screams.  As we dragged her past Clopin's puppet wagon, Clopin reached in 
and pulled out a fruit.
	"This will keep her quiet," he said, stuffing it into Pandora's mouth.  It 
did for a while-  long enough to get her to Clopin's tent.  Then she bit into it 
hard, shattering it.
	"You'll pay BIG for this Clopin!  I'll never forgive you for this!"
	"And you'll pay for that fruit," Clopin came back.  "Quick, Etienne, some 
rope.  And a gag."
	I ran to where Clopin kept his clothes.  I found a cloth belt."  That 
oughta do it," I thought.  On the way back I scooped up some rope hanging on the 
wall.  We tied her down to Clopin's bed as she ranted and raved.
	"Clopin, this is worse than the time you got mom so mad because you..."
	And I gagged her.
	"Wait!"  Elise shouted.  "I wanted to hear what Clopin did."
	"Uhh.  Heehee!  Maybe some other time," replied a rosy-faced Clopin.
	"Well, at least it's quiet now.  I was getting a headache," Delano added.
	"By the way, Clopin," I asked.  "Why is there so much fruit in your puppet 
cart?  Does puppetry make you hungry?"
	"No," Clopin laughed.  "In the summertime, I use the fruit and turn the 
puppet wagon into a juice cart.  People would rather have a refreshing fruit 
juice than to sit and watch a puppet show in the summer."
	"Your Highness," Delano broke in, "shouldn't we take a head-count of who 
has returned safely to the Court?"
	"Of course," was Clopin"s answer.  "I was just about to say that."
	We split up to make sure everyone was present and accounted for.  I took 
the left row of tents that curved down the left corridor, roward the river.  I 
passed tent after tent, politely asking if everyone who lived there was in the 
Court.  Most everybody answered 'yes'.  One woman, however, was very worried 
because her husband had not come home yet.  I took note of his name and a short 
description and tried to reassure her everything would be fine.  I just hoped my 
reassurance would follow through.  I tried a few more tents.
	"Hello, is anybody in there?  It's Etienne Trouillefou."
	"Yes, yes, come in," a female voice called from inside.
	I went inside and saw a thief family.  I sould tell they werre thieves 
because they were dressed in solid colored body suits and stiff, long hoods.
	"Hey you!"  I said to a familiar man not wearing a thief suit, but rather 
a colorful, festive outfit.  It was Gaspiri.
	"Hello, Etienne!  It is good to see you again.  That was quite a scene at 
the Festival today, wasn't it?  It's a shame that the day had to be cut short, 
though."
	"Yes, it is.  In fact, that's why I'm here, to make sure everyone is back 
safely."
	"Yes," said the mother.  "We all made it back fine.  Thank you."
	She mentioned that no one else was in the tent but them and Gaspiri and 
she introduced me to her family.  Gaspiri came with me and helped take  the 
head-count.  I told him about the woman and he said I had nothing to fear.  The 
husband had returned before she did and went out looking for her, but had left 
Gaspiri moments before I met him in the tent.
	We came to one tent and there was a somewhat older couple inside.  They 
didn't look worried, but Gaspiri did.
	"Where are the others?" he asked, very concerned.
	"Casper and Bernadette just went down to the well to get some water.  
They'll be back soon."
	"Oh!" Gaspiri was relieved.
	I was about to go to the last tent in the row but Gaspiri stopped me.
	"No need to check there.  No one lives there anymore."
	"Why doesn't one of the bums move in?" I asked.
	"Shhh!  You're not supposed to say it out loud.  My brothers and I go 
there to play cards.  We want to keep it open."
	"Oh."

	"All present and accounted for," is what I told Clopin when I returned.
	"That means there's only Esmeralda and a half a dozen others who have yet 
to return."
	"I hope they're all right."
	"Oui, I hope so too."
	"Well," Elise broke in, "We can't easily go back up and find her.  Not 
only might we soon be dead, but there are probably a bunch of frantic people 
running around.  And guards!"
	"Elise, Elise," I said.  "You're overreacting too much.  I think somebody 
should go up to be sure she is safe."
	"If she's not here she had to have gone somewhere else when she 
disappeared.  She must know of a safer place.  We can't risk it."
	"This is the safest place she knows and Frollo doesn't know where it is.  
She should have come here, but she didn't.  She could be anywhere.  How are we 
going to know she is safe?"
	"I agree with Etienne," Clopin broke in.  "Somebody needs to go look out 
for her.  Once we know who's okay and who's not, I can decide what we need to do 
to stay safe.  Gaspiri, are all your brothers in the court?"
	"Yes, sir!"
	"good, I want one of you at every entrance.  Make sure no one leaves the 
Court and account for anyone who comes in.  If someone returns, or if anyone 
gives you any trouble, wave your flag to get my attention."
	"You can count on us, oh Captain of Captains!"  He and his brothers split 
up to guard the Court.
	"Now," Clopin continued.  "We need someone to go search for La Esmeralda."
	"I'll go!"
	"No Etienne, your leg is not in good condition.  What if there's an 
emergency up there?"
	"I can handle it!  It doesn't feel bad anymore.  Fatima cured it 
completely."
	"ClopinTrouillefou doubt elixir of Fatima?  Perhaps Fatima prove by giving 
king cold chills!"
	"No, no, Fatima, heehee!  I was just being overcautious of my cousin's 
well-being.  I had no doubt about your powers."
	"So I can go?"
	"I suppose you are trustworthy.  So yes.  But I must insist you go with 
someone in case anything happens."
	Clopin selected Evil, another puppeteer, to accompany me to the city.  I 
had met Evil once before but never got a chance to talk to him.  He was a 
somewhat thin man with short hair.  He too had a favorite puppet, just like 
Clopin did.  But Evil's was a horned monster named Demon.
	"You two be careful.  Don't let those soldiers find you or they'll torture 
you.  Don't let anyone not from the Court know who you're looking for and if you 
do see anyone from the Court, tell them to return immediately.  In order to know 
you're safe, I want you back by 8 o'clock.  Report back here then.  That gives 
you only two and a half hours, so hurry.  Cover as much ground as possible but 
don't split up.  Remember, this is an important job."
	"Where do you think you're going?" a vexilator asked when we tried to 
leave the Court.
	"We have orders from Clopin to find Esmeralda and make sure she's okay."
	"Oh, well then by all means, go.  And be careful."
	"Thank you, we will."
	We went up and crossed the river over to the square.  Every street we 
passed had soldiers looking for Esmeralda.  They were tearing up whatever they 
could hoping she'd be hiding behind a board or barrel somewhere.  Come on I 
thought.  She's not that dumb!  How many soldiers are there anyway?  We've had 
to have seen a hundred already.  The square was in a chaotic state.  People were 
looking for Esmeralda, sobbing, packing up, tearing apart the stages and 
merchant's carts, or looting.  By the looks of it, many people had already gone 
home but the place was still jam packed.
	"Esmeralda would never try to blend in here," Evil said.  "She's too smart 
to risk her being found.  Maybe we should try searching individual streets.  If 
you take this one and I take this..."
	"No!  Clopin said that we aren't supposed to split up."
	"That's right.  So let's go together.  But keep your eyes open."
	And so we went down the street, casually dodging soldiers.
	"So, Etienne, tell me, how do you like living in the Court of Miracles?"
	"Well, so far I guess it's okay, except for Tansy.  I've met a lot of 
great people since I got here- like the vexilators, Delano, Genevieve, and of 
course Esmeralda.  I sure hope she's okay."
	There was movement in an alley nearby.  It was a small white cat.
	"My sister used to have a cat.  She gave it to me to care for when she 
went to work for Gringoire's troupe, but the cat didn't like me very much, 
Butter was her name, and she ran away only a few days after.  I had no idea how 
to tell Celeste."
	"How sad."
	"Yes.  I had a lot of time to think about what to say, but I didn't want 
to upset her too much."
	"Was she upset?"
	"Mon dieu!  She was madder than Frollo!  Then she was more sad than 
anything.  But she had to go back to the troupe and she couldn't think much 
about it 'cause she had more important things to do.  When she got back it had 
all happened so long ago there was nothing we could do.  So she forgave me."
	"Oh, that's good."  But I was wondering.  "Did you mean Pierre Gringoire's 
troupe of actors?"
	"Yes, she was at the Festival today.  Her name is Celeste.  I thought I 
introduced you."
	"I'm sorry, I must have been paying too much attention to all the 
excitement."
	"That's okay, you'll meet her when we get back."
	"Speaking of getting back, shouldn't we be doing that now?"
	"But we haven't seen La Esmeralda."
	"Clopin said two and a half hours."
	"It's been that long?"
	"Probably, look how dark it's become."
	"Ay, me!  We should be getting back.  Besides, it's past time for Demon's 
dinner!"
	On our way back we passed the square again.  There weren't as many 
soldiers, and there were hardly any civilians.  But boy, what a mess!  Confetti 
and bags, and flowers, and string- anything you could think of that would be at 
a festival were strewn across the square, soggy and flat from the rain.
	"They just wait for it all to blow away," Evil told me.

********************************************************************************

	"Still no sign of Esmeralda," was the painful announcement we heard upon 
our return.
	"We have to go back."
	"No," Clopin warned Evil.  "We will wait.  Tomorrow we can look again."
	Just then came the muffled voice of Pandora from inside Clopin's tent.  By 
the time we entered the tent, she was sitting up and rubbing her head.
	"Ohh," she moaned.
	"Are you okay, sis?"
	"Yes, except for a slight headache."
	"She's not mad at us anymore?" I whispered to Elise.
	"Fatima's elixir."
	"Oh!"
	"Surprise!"  I was greatly relieved by the sound of that exclamation, for 
it was the sound of Esmeralda's voice.
	"Esme!" we all shouted as we ran toward the doorway where she was 
standing.  The vexilators were right behind her.
	"Are you okay?"
	"Where have you been?"
	"I'm okay, and you wouldn't believe where I've been if I told you.  I'm 
just glad to be back.  But please everybody, be careful going out to the city.  
Frollo's men are looking for me and they'll stop at nothing for my 
apprehension."
	Clopin went outside and climbed onto the gallows.  We followed.
	"People of the Court...MY people...loyal subjects!  I have some disturbing 
news.  Frollo is searching for La Esmeralda and will stop at nothing!  You are 
all possibly in great danger.  Do not leave the Court unless absolutely 
necessary.  Even then, proceed with caution.  While up there, resist the urge to 
help others in peril.  You will only get yourself killed.  Only offer assistance 
when it is safe.  No one need answer any questions asked of them.  Remember, you 
have the right to remain silent.  (But anything you say can and will be used to 
help you in the Court of Miracles.)  For an indefinite amount of time we will 
have to get by with strength and will power.  Be careful everyone!  Understand?"
	The general reply seemed to be positive.
	"Good," Clopin said as he came down.  "I'm glad that's over.  Let's eat!"
	Once we were at Clopin's tent, he, Evil, Anjou, and Demon gave a short 
performance to ease the tension.  After a hearty meal, Evil introduced me to 
Celeste.  She had bright orange hair piled neatly on her head, and wore a bright 
green and pink dress.  She was a very pretty woman.  She told us stories from 
her traveling with the actors and all about the mystery we had missed because 
the Festival was cut short.  Then she told us funny stories about Clopin when 
they knew each other in the Kingdom of Godeau, where Clopin had lived for a 
length of time as the queen's entertainer before moving to Paris.  It seemed 
Celeste had taught Clopin how to read.  He'd practice by reading lines from 
whatever play she was rehearsing for.
	"He used to really get into the parts," she told us.  "It was always funny 
to hear his noble characters stumble on big words, like 'nowhere'."
	We all laughed at the thought.  It was wonderful to hear the stories of 
their past.  Everyone has different stories to tell from their lives.  Hearing 
people share their stories has always fascinated me.  People live so differently 
from one another and to hear their thoughts and points of view opens up a whole 
new world where I can learn from their experiences and through their emotions 
vicariously experience lives that aren't even close to my own.
	Gradually everyone left the two of us alone and we tidied up and went to 
bed.
	I could barely sleep.  I was uneasy thinking about the day.  The Festival 
seemed so long ago.  Had the puppet show, the dance, the parade, Festival, 
chase, Pandora's kicking and screaming, looking for Esmeralda, our talk in the 
tent, all happened in one day?  It seemed like too much.  We even crowned the 
deformed bellringer King of Fools.  We saw him today for the first time.  Our 
fairy tale was proven a reality in front of the whole countryside!  Why?  And 
was the story ALL true?  Does Frollo really take care of a Gypsy?  Is Quasimodo 
even really a Gypsy?  Why did Frollo ruin the fun?  Would the Festival still 
have been fun had it carried over into the rain?  Had I seen too many of 
Fatima's elixirs in one day?  And who was the man who saved me from the 
soldiers?
	My thinking was interrupted by the annoying sound of Tansy's voice.
	"I kissed Clopy!  I kissed Clopy!" she screamed as she ran by the tent.  
She must have really done so because she sounded genuinely happy.
	I got back to thinking and became worried.  Even though Esmeralda was 
secure in the Court, what if they HAD found her?  They were searching everywhere 
for her.  What if they HAD come across the tomb in the cemetary?  What if it 
happened tonight while we were all asleep because they could hear Tansy's 
shrieks and come down here to investigate?  Sure, there are guards posted, but 
we may not have enough time.  I felt I should stay up, just so I could know I 
had done my part.  How long would this madness go on?
	And then there was something else:  Esmeralda.  How had the day been for 
her?  Where had she been all evening?
	This was the thought that remained with me as I drifted to sleep after a 
day that had left me unable to do otherwise.



To be continued in Part 3...