Curiostiy Industry
Part Eight

Shattered fragments of Henry’s screaming rang in Herman's memory as the empty night continued to peel overhead. Unaware that his passenger had been ignoring him, Jim went into unnecessary detail describing the talents of his clients. Crumbell would have liked to stay away from the subject of his work. A good promoter can't really help himself, though; talking up his acts had become involuntary.

"She's a right good woman. Husband and kids, who I might add show no sign yet of the abnormal hair growth that afflicted their mother." He paused to snort through his nose. The whiskey tasted cheaper than it was and burnt his face from his eyes. "Of course the eldest only seven so it's still too soon to tell."

He passed the jug to his passenger who took a gulp that was too large. Herman coughed violently, dribbling some on his shirt.

"Whoa, watch the interior now son. This thing's practically brand new." The car wove from side to side as Jim struggled to regain his composure, expectorating something through his nostrils. The white glare of headlights illuminated the road with a wild unsteadiness.

"My brother and I saw a woman like that once. At a fair in Foston," Herman interjected at the first chance. The empty moment filled with the memory of that night. He could still hear the barkers, still smell the food and animal scents combining in the air. “This old feller with a stripped suit and a bow tie took our money and told us to follow him behind a curtain into a darkroom. Then some other feller threw the lights on and right in front of us was this fat woman, with curly hair and a beard as bushy and thick as they say Paul Bunyon's was. The old one starts talking in this smart sounding voice: 'Ladies and gentlemen gaze upon on the Lord's cruelest mistake. Fiona was born with the body of a woman but the follicles of a man.' She just stood there with this real hung expression on her face. He went on talking about how she's a mute too and that she can't get a man. So I start to feel real bad for her. I wished that old guy would just clam up. Next thing I know, my brother's bawling and shakin'. Since, I was kind of older, in the head, I led him out of there. While leaving, I heard the old man start up behind me about Simon, this guy that couldn't stand up because his head was too big. This just gets Henry crying all the more. So we get outside and I ask him if he was all right. Hen said he felt bad for the woman cause she looked so sad."