Chapter 9
After thinking it over, Cotty decided there was really no need to dream up an excuse. They would simply contrive to miss the train. The only one who would demand an explanation would be Greer and he would be dead. The carnies would assume that Cotty and Paula had stayed behind to shack up, and Cotty was more than willing for them to think that.
Most carnies like teardown night; the break in routine, the excitement of leaving one town for another, their pride in tearing down what was, in effect, a small city, moving it intact a hundred miles or so and setting it up again within a span of twenty-four hours or less.
Cotty hated it. There was too much hard work involved, and he'd had enough of hard work before joining the carnie. All the men worked at tearing down the rides and
