The petting zoo smelled unappealing, but if you could get past that it was sort of fun. There were mostly goats, walking around with little bells tied to their necks. Once in a while they would shake their heads and make the bells clunk. There were a few sheep too; they would bleat and shy away anytime someone drew too near, but one was brave enough to let Ket lay his hand on its thick coat of wool.
There was also a single pony which was not shy at all, but so many wanted to stroke its cool hair-do that it was almost not worthwhile to wait. But time passed quickly, and after only fifteen minutes Lyza was, for the first time, petting the animal she most adored since she had been little. The incident not half an hour beforehand was finally put to rest for the night as she reverently tousled the pony's head.
"Well guys," Kval said, "It's almost nine o'clock. I'm pretty sure your parents want you home soon."
"Ket still has to spend some tickets," Lyza insisted.
"I don't have to," Ket replied, "It's getting late."
"Maybe," Emeral interjected, "we could just take a look over there," she pointed to a single standing light that rose above a fence. "We've been almost everywhere but there."
"M'kay," Kval said, "But if there's nothing there, we'll have to go, capisce?"
All in agreement, they set out once again. But it appeared that the alleyway was just an unused portion, sporting only a single dark pavilion more like a break room than anything else. They were about to give up, until when they turned back to leave the ally, Emeral's mouth fell unhinged.
"Oh my gosh—Ket look over there!" But she gave him no time to look as she took his hand and ran.
Ket was pulled against his will. He stumbled forward in the darkness. His path rocked and jittered like an earthquake in his vision; his arm underwent regular periods of feeling slack as he managed to keep in pace with its driver for a moment before she switched to the next gear and seemed to run even faster. After a full minute, she slowed to a brisk walk, and shortly after Kval was behind them and set his sister down so she could walk as well.
Without the earth jittering before him, Ket saw just why Emeral had so aggressively tried to give him whiplash. He approached the large booth, sporting a gilded statue of a man with a jackal's head, adorned in nemes and clutching a staff in his right hand that rested upon the ground.
Inside the booth, a Sphinx rested patiently in a bed of straw and dirt, its mouth open as if its face was frozen in exaggerated awe.
Beside the Sphinx, a two-wheeled chariot housed a tall and slender meerkat, who regarded the onlookers immediately. "Welcome young ones," he addressed, "don't be afraid of Cleo, she's very tame," he said, gesturing to the Sphinx. "Although she is very bored; might one of you like to play a game with her? It's only two tickets." He displayed two fingers that were barely visible against the dark.
"What's the prize?" Ket asked.
The meerkat smiled, "Bright question," he complimented, and stepped off the chariot to a cabinet behind him. He opened the compartment, and retrieved a stuffed Sphinx, nearly four feet tall. He set the Sphinx upon a table near the chariot and smiled, "Quite a prize for two tickets, no?"
Ket reached into is pocket and pulled out his wad of eighteen, breaking off two and handing them over to the meerkat's wiry fingers. In exchange for the tickets, the meerkat handed him a little blue ball.
"The rule is simple:" the meerkat said, stepping back into the chariot, "Just throw the ball into Cleo's mouth."
As if stirred from a sleep, Cleo's eyes lit up with blue, and her jaw began opening and closing repeatedly in a regular pattern.
Ket nodded. Without any hesitation he drew his hand back and chucked the ball just as the Sphinx's mouth was wide open. Abruptly it closed, and the ball bounced away.
"Oh, Cleo can be so finicky," the meerkat mumbled, "she likes to be tricky."
Ket tore off another two tickets.
As if predicting the action, the meerkat had a ball ready to hand over.
Emeral watched as Ket aimed, tossed, and cussed under his breath, reaching in for another diad of stubs. She bit her lip; in a way she was regretting having taken him here. There was a certain look on his face all of a sudden—a sort of desire she hadn't ever really seen before. He wanted that stuffed Sphinx—or maybe he needed it. When it was brought out to the table she thought the look in his eye was so adorable—a sparkle, like a match in a dank, dark cave. But now she was nervous at the thought of him not getting the prize.
Ball seven caught in the Sphinx's mouth, but then the mouth opened and she dropped it.
"Oh, so close," the meerkat said excitedly, "She's being very coy today! Another?"
Ket retrieved the ball, and waited and watched. He observed the pattern of Cleo's mouth, counting the seconds it stayed open and shut: one-tay-shut. One-tay-two-tay-open. One-tay-two-tay-shut... Just as he thought he had a pattern down he threw; but again as several times had happened, her mouth abruptly closed a split-second before the ball hit home.
"Shoulda gone in..." Ket muttered desperately, retrieving his last ball.
"You can do it Ket," Lyza said with vigor, "I know you can!"
He smiled at his friend, trying to hide the frustration underneath. Amidst his name being chanted for encouragement, the tiger bit his tongue as he stared for almost a full minute at the Sphinx's mouth. He tried not to concentrate so much on the timing of each open-and-close but rather if there were any abrupt changes. It couldn't have been coincidence that he always managed to get the abrupt clamp by chance.
After a few moments, it happened—the cat's mouth closed almost as soon as it opened; Ket smiled, and when the mouth opened again he chucked the ball.
The ball rolled into the mouth, and Ket let out a loud "Yes!" accompanied with a victory arm-pump—until the mouth failed to close, and the ball rolled back out onto the ground.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," the meerkat tsked.
"What? But I got it in!" Ket protested.
"I'm sorry but the mouth had to close."
"You didn't say that—"
"I thought it was a given," the meerkat shrugged. "I'll be glad to let you try again—provided you have the tickets."
Ket's head hung and his ears flattened. He was dry on tickets—all eighteen of them spent in less than ten minutes. "Don't have any," he muttered. "Ah well. We gotta get home anyway."
"Argh!" Lyza shouted, "That jerk! If he hadn't taken my tickets I would have some to give you!"
"Please, keep your voices down," the meerkat hushed.
"Lyza, calm down," Kval said soothingly.
"I am calm!" She hissed.
"I've got two tickets left," Emeral spoke up sheepishly. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the little pink pieces, holding them out for Ket. "Give it one last try. You'll get it." She held the tickets poised as her secret boyfriend looked at the stuffed Sphinx on the table. The want in his eyes was unmistakable; and she realized she had seen something like that in him only once before: when he asked her to be his girlfriend.
His hand reached up, and he pressed her proffered tickets down. "Nah, that's okay," he replied, "it's late and the park's almost empty. Your mom'll be mad if you're home late."
"So what?" She muttered, "Take them, try it again—just one more," she spoke insistently, holding the tickets out again.
But he shook his head. "Nine times is enough." Nothing could hide every drop of disappointment in his voice—especially not from Emeral.
"Well then what am I s'posta spend my tickets on?" She retorted.
Ket shrugged.
"I got an idea," Lyza said, "Get him some cotton candy." She pointed at the booth, which was across the way. A few teenagers were getting an order, and it seemed like he was about to close up for the night.
Emeral stood beside Ket. "Can I get you some cotton candy?" She asked, her paws clasped by her chin to look ever-so pleading.
He shrugged again and sighed. "If you really want to..."
Even as the two tigers walked over to the cotton candy stall, Lyza stared at the Sphinx, which was now idle. She stared at it, hating it.
"What's the matter?" Kval asked, well aware that his sister had suddenly become sullen.
"You remember my birthday?" She asked, "How Ket somehow magically showed up with enough tickets for me to get my bunny?"
"Now that you mention it, I kinda do. That was real nice of him, wasn't it?"
"Yeah..." She stared at the stuffed Sphinx, and sighed.
"So..." The meerkat spoke, "I think if you're through, I'd better get Cleo ready for bed." He began to collect the stuffed Sphinx when all of a sudden the little rabbit gasped.
"Wait I—!" She reached into her pocket, "I almost forgot!" She pulled from her pocket a ticket with such glee, as if she had the golden pass to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. "My emergency ticket! I forgot all about it!"
"An emergency ticket?" The meerkat smiled, "That's a neat idea. Unfortunately, this game is two tickets..." Even as he mentioned it, the rabbit's ears seemed to droop like two lilies pulled down by immense gravity. "Hmm...I'll tell you what," the meerkat said, retrieving a ball from the ground, "I'll let you slide with just one ticket—but don't tell anyone I did."
"Really?" Lyza asked, and gingerly took the ball. The meerkat quickly returned to his post on the chariot, and Lyza took her stance at the Sphinx. It came to life again, its maw opening and closing. Lyza bit her lip, concentrating as hard as she could—she had to time this just perfectly; everything was riding on it. She raised her left arm up, and pointed her finger right at the mouth to help her aim. She imagined she was the ball, flying through the air, cleanly fitting into Cleo's teeth without getting a single nip. She took a deep breath, and started reeling back for her toss—
"Don't mess up!"
Lyza flinched; the Sphinx's mouth clamped shut. She glared at Kval. "You poop-head!" She shouted, tossing the ball on the vulgarity and stamping her foot at him, "I'm trying to concentrate you—!"
Her voice was drowned out as a growl emanated from the booth. The Sphinx's eyes flickered rapidly, and its mouth opened to let the ball tumble out.
* * *
Ket sat upon a hard and uncomfortable wooden stool, resting one elbow on the counter of the booth and resting his temple against his fist. In his right hand was a paper stick, hosting a fluffy pink crown of cotton.
"You don't hafta eat it if you don't want to; I won't get upset."
"Huh?" Ket looked at Emeral, who was half-done with her morsel. "Oh," he immediately bit a large tuft away and let it dissolve against his palate, "I was just thinking," he said. When she giggled, he squinted an eye, and she explained herself by touching his cheek with her finger; a bit of pink fluff clung to her claw.
"You don't bite into like a corn-cob," she said, "you peel it off and eat it."
"Oh," he said wearily, "I never really had cotton candy like this before."
"I know," she said, resting a hand on top of his. It was a little awkward what with the fat beaver they had seen near the bathrooms earlier reading a newspaper behind the cotton candy machine. But she felt comfortable showing her affection anyway. "I'm so sorry about...the stupid game. It was probably rigged, just like you said earlier. If it wasn't, you ttally would have had a fair chance at winning."
"I know," he replied, "It's okay though. I still had fun, I promise." It was his turn to lay the hand.
Emeral smiled, and then pulled away the last half of cotton candy and ate it in one gulp. With a bashful smile she licked her fingers. "What? It's tasty," she mumbled. "What the heck are Lyza and Kval—" she turned around and froze. "...Uh...Ket."
He looked over at her; she was smiling and looking away. "What?"
"Turn around," she instructed.
Confused, he turned on the stool.
"Rawr!"
Ket's eyes flew open and he flinched, losing his grip on the cotton candy stick. He fell off the stool, his elbow colliding with the parallel bar at the base of Emeral's stool. When the static settled in his vision, Lyza was kneeling over him, a large Sphinx covering her almost entirely.
"I'm sorry," she said, "Did Tutty startle you?" She extended her hand to help him up. "I hope not, cuz he needs a home and, see, I've already got this big bunny that someone helped me get a long time ago..." She smiled at him, enjoying the astonishment that consumed more and more of his face every second. "You think you could take care of Tutty? He really likes you, I can tell!"
