Birth of a Killer by Darren Shan

been admiring you too, Verus!”
    The crowd erupted with laughter as they realized Verus was manipulating the pair, working them as he had the dummy. The laughter never stopped as Verus picked on one member of the audience after another,having them say whatever he wanted them to, but in their voices, not his.
    As Verus drew his act to a close, Merletta came on one last time. Verus cocked an eyebrow at her, but she shook her head. He focused and pointed both hands at her. He was trembling slightly. Merletta only smiled, then crooked a finger in Verus’s direction. He fell to his knees and declared, “You’re beautiful, Merletta! You’re the real star of the show!”
    To a chorus of cheers and whistles, Verus rose and passionately kissed Merletta before exiting the stage. In real life the ventriloquist and the magician were married, but they never told that to an audience. It was more fun to let people think that Merletta had turned the tables on Verus.
    After a few small tricks, Merletta sawed a woman in half, then made herself vanish. Mr. Tall came on with the final performer, Deemanus Dodge. As the stage was cleared, Larten and the others went through the crowd, handing out rotten fruit and vegetables, along with dirt-encrusted rocks and chunks of coal.
    “Ladies and gentlemen—observe!” Mr. Tall yelled, producing a bar of solid gold. A hush fell over the audience, all eyes pinned on the yellow bar. It was a genuine fortune. Though there were some wealthy people in the crowd, most were poor and had toscrape by in life, surviving day to day in a hard, cruel world. A bar of gold like this would change their lives forever.
    “You have all paid an entrance fee and bought many of our trinkets, for which we bid you thanks,” Mr. Tall said. “But you do not have to go home lighter of pocket. We will give you a chance to win this gold bar and walk out of here rich beyond your wildest dreams. When I leave, Deemanus will issue a challenge. If any of you get the better of him, this bar will be yours.”
    Mr. Tall glided offstage, and Deemanus stepped forward. He was wearing a white suit and a matching bowler hat. He smiled at the silent, covetous crowd. “It’s very simple, good ladies and gents. All you have to do is throw your missiles–that is to say, the objects that have been handed out–at me. You can throw other things too—shoes, coins, whatever you like. The first person to hit me wins the gold bar.”
    Deemanus stood there, smiling and waiting. For a few seconds nobody moved. Most people were frowning, trying to figure out the catch—winning a gold bar could never be
that
simple. Then one man, a bit quicker or greedier than the rest, stood up and threw a head of cabbage at the stage.
    Deemanus stepped aside as the cabbage sailedpast. “A lame first shot,” he chided the man. “Surely the rest of you can do better than that.”
    As soon as he said it, objects rained down on him from all directions. People threw manically, savagely, fruit, vegetables, rocks, and coal. Some tore off their shoes or snatched trinkets from their pockets and lobbed those at him. Many raced to the front of the stage for a better shot, tussling with those in their way. One overeager man produced a gun in his furious excitement and fired two shots at the performer.
    Deemanus dodged everything, even the bullets. He didn’t move at an incredible speed but simply seemed to dance around the stage, making tiny adjustments to his limbs to avoid the flying objects.
    It seemed to last an age, but in reality the act lasted no more than a minute. The rain of objects trickled to a drizzle, then ceased. People were panting, wide-eyed, staring hungrily at Deemanus, scouring his suit for the slightest smudge. But it was spotless. He turned slowly, letting everyone see, even taking off his hat to display the top of it. Then, with a wink, he bowed and skipped from the stage.
    Disappointment gave way to chuckles. People laughed at others and