CHAPTER 1

  A NIGHT AT THE CIRCUS

  CHAPTER 2

  CAUGHT IN THE ACT

  CHAPTER 3

  THE MISSING PERSONS

  CHAPTER 4

  CIRCUS SUSPICION

  CHAPTER 5

  UNDER THE BIG TOP

  Invisible Plane

  Biographies

  Glossary

  Discussion Questions

  Writing Prompts

  Copyright

  Back Cover

  “I’m so glad you decided to take the night off and come to the circus!” said Etta Candy to her friend Princess Diana. She and Diana crossed the crowded fairway of the Bartleby Brothers Circus. Lights brightened the night, and the air was filled with music, laughter, and the sweet smell of cotton candy.

  “I am too,” replied the Amazon Princess. “I’ve never been to a circus before.”

  Etta stopped in her tracks and gasped. “Really?” she asked.

  “We didn’t have circuses where I grew up,” said Diana, the super hero also known as Wonder Woman.

  “Are you kidding me?” asked Etta.

  “Of course not,” Diana replied. “When I was a little girl on the island of Themyscira, we made up our own games and staged tournaments with one another.”

  “That sounds like fun,” Etta said. “What kind of games?”

  “Oh, waterfall diving, blindfolded races through the forest, and wild bear wrestling,” replied Diana with a shrug. “You know, the usual stuff.”

  Etta stared at her friend and said, “You wrestled . . . bears?”

  “Well,” Diana began, “not the fully grown ones, but —”

  Without warning, a red-haired man wearing a plaid shirt, blue jeans, and a yellow baseball cap bumped into Diana. He hit her hard enough to send her stumbling back a step.

  “Excuse me, sir,” Diana began, but the man glanced nervously at her and kept walking.

  “Hey, pal!” Etta shouted after him. “Don’t you have any manners?!”

  “Don’t be so angry, Etta,” Diana said. “He seems nervous. I hope he’s all right.”

  “Humph!” Etta said. “How can you be so nice to someone who’s so rude?”

  Diana smiled and let out a little laugh. “Perhaps that’s why I was chosen to be the Amazon ambassador of peace to the rest of the world,” she said.

  “But anyone can learn to be kinder and more forgiving,” Diana added.

  “Okay, okay,” Etta said with a grin. “Now let’s get inside. The real show is about to begin.”

  * * *

  Princess Diana had been born on the island of Themyscira, home to the race of mighty women warriors known as Amazons. As gifts for her birth, the gods of mythology had given the child the beauty of Aphrodite, the wisdom of Athena, the speed of Hermes, and the strength of Hercules. Diana grew to become the bravest, most skilled of all Amazon warriors. However, she never forgot the most important lesson — to only use her warrior powers when peaceful solutions had already failed.

  First and foremost, Wonder Woman was a messenger of peace. This fact was in the front of Diana’s mind whenever her help was needed.

  The day after her circus visit was one of those days. Diana had been called by the police to the Garden Galleria, a large shopping mall. She was dressed in her familiar red, blue, and yellow Wonder Woman uniform. Atop her head was a golden tiara. Around each wrist she wore a silver bracelet, and her Golden Lasso rested on her hip.

  “Thanks for coming, Wonder Woman,” said Police Lieutenant David Schorr. Schorr had dark hair and wore a black suit. He was shorter than Wonder Woman and his fellow police officers, but he had the confidence of a giant.

  “Sorry to bother you with this,” the lieutenant said. “We usually only call when it’s something too big for the police department to handle.”

  “What seems to be the problem?” Wonder Woman asked.

  “Please follow me,” the lieutenant said.

  They walked through the entryway of the Galleria. The large, open shopping mall branched off into three levels of stores. The shops had all been locked up the night before, protected by electronically controlled metal gates.

  Schorr stopped and pointed. They were now standing in front of Jameson Jewelers. It was like any other store in the Galleria, except for one thing — its gate had been ripped from the wall!

  The heavy, metal gates were laying in a twisted heap on the tile floor. “Oh, my!” said Wonder Woman in surprise.

  “We think this was done by a human,” said Lieutenant Schorr. “A really strong one. We found his handprints in the metal. The person also robbed several other stores nearby. Between these robberies and a bunch of other cases I’ve got, I’m stumped.”

  “Surely a security guard heard something or a security camera caught the thieves at work?” Wonder Woman said.

  “The mall doesn’t have any guards, just an electronic security system that they turn on at night,” said Lieutenant Schorr.

  “What’s this?” Wonder Woman asked.

  She pointed to a flash of yellow peeking out from under the wrecked gate.

  With one hand, Wonder Woman reached over and lifted the heavy gate. With her other hand, she pulled the object free. It was a baseball cap. The words “Cookie’s Cakes” were written on it.

  “What is ‘Cookie’s Cakes’?” asked Wonder Woman, setting the gate down gently.

  “It’s a bakery here in the mall,” Lieutenant Schorr said.

  “It looks very familiar,” she muttered.

  “All of the employees that work there wear the hats,” Schorr said. “It’s probably just one of those things you’ve seen around but never really paid attention to.”

  “Yes,” Wonder Woman said. “That is probably all it is.”

  Three days later, Wonder Woman soared high above the city in her Invisible Jet. Formed from an alien crystal that can take any shape Wonder Woman wills, it was the easiest way to watch over the city.

  In the days since the mall robbery, there had been several more mysterious thefts all around the area. The police could not find a single clue at any of the locations.

  As her jet passed over the city, Wonder Woman kept her eyes open for anything out of the ordinary.

  Ahead of her was the Dodge Building. The sixty-six-floor skyscraper was a famous landmark built in 1930 by newspaper tycoon Walter Dodge. The top floor had been the great publisher’s private penthouse. The Dodge family still lived there, along with a fortune in art and expensive jewelry.

  Passing by, Wonder Woman glanced at the great stone gargoyles that decorated the balcony around the penthouse. At just that moment, she saw a sight she never could have expected to see 700 feet off the ground — someone was slipping into an open window below the balcony!

  With a thought, Wonder Woman ordered the plane to hover above the Dodge Building. Then she leaped from its cockpit.

  Sailing through the air like a kite, Wonder Woman pointed herself to the open window. At the last moment, she pulled up and landed gracefully on the narrow ledge beneath it.

  Wonder Woman peered around the window. The slender, shadowy figure was dressed all in black. It silently passed through a door just ahead. Wonder Woman pulled herself through the window. Then she hurried across the room and through the door. Down the hall were stairs leading up to the penthouse floor.

  Moving with the speed and grace of Diana, the goddess of the hunt for whom she had been named, Wonder Woman raced up the stairs. Suddenly, she found someone else in her path!

  Wonder Woman tried to go around the massive figure, but he threw up a muscled arm and knocked her back. This figure was also dressed in black, but he was almost seven feet tall! His shoulders were wider than most doorways, and his arms and legs were thick with muscle.

  Wonder Woman grabbed her Golden Lasso and swung it at the giant figure. He dodged to one side, and then the thin shadow hurtled out from behind him.

  “Now!” the smaller shadow cried.

  The shadowy figure leaped onto Wonder Woman. The Amazon Princess gasped for air as the lean figure wrapped around her like a human snake. It tightened to her arms and legs, too slippery to grasp. How could she fight something that moved as though it had no bones?

  Wonder Woman suddenly found herself tumbling down the stairs, her foe slipping from her grip. She tumbled and rolled until she hit the bottom. As she got back on her feet, she saw the shadow race through the door.

  She found her way through the open door and onto the balcony. But by the time she got there, somehow both figures had disappeared — as if by magic!

  “What are these crooks, ghosts or something?” Lieutenant Schorr asked.

  “They were both very real and solid,” Wonder Woman said. “But I’m not sure how they vanished, either.”

  The Amazon Princess sat down at the lieutenant’s desk at the police station. The robbers had stolen a safe filled with priceless jewelry from the Dodge Building. The larger man had ripped the safe from the wall. They took it with them when they fled and then fell off the face of the planet.

  “They’re not the only ones who’ve been disappearing,” said the policeman. “I have six missing persons cases in the last week.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” Wonder Woman asked.

  Schorr pulled a file folder from a stack on his desk and handed it to her. “Probably not,” he said. “They are ordinary working people, no problems at home or at work. They all vanished without a trace.”

  Wonder Woman flipped through the stack of police reports of the missing people at super-speed. They all came from different parts of the city and worked in many different kinds of jobs.

  Suddenly, a familiar face was looking up at her from the folder. “I know this man!” she said in surprise.

  “It says his name is Arnold Davis,” Wonder Woman added, pointing to the picture of a man with red hair. “I saw him several nights ago at the circus. He bumped into me and was acting strangely. But more importantly, Lieutenant, Mr. Davis was wearing a yellow Cookie’s Cakes baseball cap. Just like the one I found at the mall!”

  * * *

  The fairgrounds were once again ablaze with light. The entire place was filled with the laughter of the hundreds who had come to celebrate the Bartleby Brothers Circus’ last night in town.

  “I still can’t believe you spotted one of my missing persons,” Lieutenant Schorr said, grabbing a handful of popcorn from a bag.

  “But even better, you tied him and the rest of the missing people to the robberies and the circus!” the lieutenant added.

  “Well, once we knew Mr. Davis had been to the circus, it was easy for your officers to check if any of the other missing people had visited,” Wonder Woman said.

  “But I never would have figured out that Arnold Davis worked for the company that monitors the mall’s security system,” said Lieutenant Schorr. “He must have arranged it so the robbers could get around the cameras and alarms.”

  He offered Wonder Woman some popcorn. “One of the missing people worked in the office on the floor below the apartment in the Dodge Building,” the lieutenant said. “It’s possible he could have helped the thieves get inside.”

  “The others have jobs at or near the other places that were robbed,” Schorr continued. “What I still don’t get, though, is the connection between that and the Bartleby Brothers Circus.”

  “That’s what we’ve come to find out,” Wonder Woman said. “Let’s split up and look around.”

  The circus was spread out around the main tent. Under the Big Top, clowns, acrobats, and aerialists entertained the crowds with a spectacular show. Around that, smaller tents housed different acts and attractions.

  Wonder Woman watched three clowns race across the fairway to the Big Top. Their faces and hair were a rainbow of colors, and they all wore outrageous costumes. One was tall. Another was regular height.

  The last clown was a little person with a white face, bald head, and big smile painted on. He seemed nervous and began sweating when he saw Wonder Woman watching him.

  Thinking that his reaction was curious, the super hero followed the clowns into the Big Top. As Wonder Woman passed through the entrance, she was surprised at the size of the Big Top tent. It rose far above the height of a three-story building. At the top of the tent hung two trapezes and a long tightrope stretched between two platforms. Atop each platform stood an aerialist, each dressed in fancy, colorful tights.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen!” announced a deep on Wonder Woman’s left. “Prepare to feast your eyes on our main attraction — the Bartleby Airborne Ballet!”

  “Oooohs” and “Ahhhhs” filled the tent. The two aerialists soared through the air, attached to the trapezes by their feet. As they reached the height of their swings, they each released their holds and flew straight toward each other.

  They narrowly avoided colliding, and grabbed hold of the other’s trapeze after they passed.

  They flew back and forth, releasing their swings, tumbling through the air, and gracefully catching on to the moving ropes. The entire crowd was in awe. You could hear a pin drop as the amazing acrobats performed their routine. This is a very impressive show, thought Wonder Woman. And probably a little dangerous.

  As if on cue, a loud noise suddenly echoed through the silence.

  A shrill scream rang out in the tent. Then someone yelled, “That man’s rope just broke!”

  Everyone in the tent immediately gasped as they saw one of the aerialists begin to fall. “Someone help him!” cried an audience member.

  Wonder Woman’s eyes shot to the ground and noticed there was no safety net. If I don’t do something, that man will surely fall to his death! thought the super hero.

  In a split second, Wonder Woman had dashed to the center of the Big Top. She gently caught the falling aerialist in her strong arms. For a moment, all was silent once again. But after a few seconds, the entire audience burst into cheers!

  The applause were nearly deafening inside the Big Top. In fact, everyone in the tent was on their feet, cheering and applauding. Everyone except, Wonder Woman noticed, the strange little clown.

  The clown stood nearby, staring at Wonder Woman with an evil look. Then finally he turned and disappeared into the crowd of onlookers.

  “How does it feel to be a circus star?” Lieutenant Schorr asked Wonder Woman outside the Big Top tent.

  “I’m just glad no one was hurt,” Wonder Woman said. “Did your search turn up anything suspicious?”

  “Nothing yet,” the lieutenant said. “However, we still have to check some of the midway tents.”

  The midway contained smaller tents that housed special acts and attractions.

  Once again, Wonder Woman and Lieutenant Schorr split up to cover ground faster.

  Wonder Woman went inside each tent. She saw jugglers juggling balls, knives, and even chain saws. She watched the snake charmer handle deadly creatures like they were harmless pets.

  She applauded the skills of the nimble dancers, including a woman who could twist and bend her body like a snake. Her flexibility was truly amazing.

  Next, Wonder Woman wandered through the Hall of Mirrors. The maze reflected back twisted images of her beauty.

  Then she marveled at the strength of the strong man. He was so big and strong for one who was a mere mortal from Earth.

  Wonder Woman came across many amazing sights and sounds, but she saw nothing that was out of place for a circus.

  She went into the last tent. Like all the others, it held about fifty people who could stand and watch the performer on a small stage. In this tent was Madame Rosa. The sign over the stage said she was a psychic.

  When Wonder Woman entered, Madame Rosa, a black-haired woman dressed in a colorful skirt, had a young man from the audience on stage with her. She had hypnotized him and was asking him silly questions about his life and work. His truthful answers made everyone else in the tent laugh.

  Except, noticed the Amazon Princess, for Madame Rosa’s assistant — the strange clown Wonder Woman had seen before.

  Under the makeup, the little man gestured at Madame Rosa with his hands and glared with his dark, menacing eyes.

  Madame Rosa turned back to the hypnotized man and snapped her fingers. This released the man from his hypnotic trance. The crowd laughed at the man. He smiled shyly, but looked confused as he returned to his friends. With that, the show was over.

  Wonder Woman and Lieutenant Schorr met by the Big Top. “Looks like this was a waste of time,” said the policeman.

  Out of the corner of her eye, the super hero saw the little clown. He was peeking out from the entrance to the Big Top, watching the princess and the police officer.

  “I’m not so sure about that,” she said.

  Wonder Woman turned to look at the lieutenant. “That little clown over there has been acting strangely all week,” she said.

  “Maybe it’s just a coincidence,” said Lieutenant Schorr with a shrug.

  “Maybe, maybe not,” she said. “But I think I’ll go ask him a few questions.”

  When Wonder Woman turned back toward the little clown, he was gone. “That’s odd,” she said. “He disappeared.”

  “Well, that was the last show of the night,” said Lieutenant Schorr. “He must have gone home. We should probably leave, too, Wonder Woman.”

  The super hero nodded, and said, “Yes, I suppose I should head home for the night.” But Wonder Woman knew she would be up for some time to come.

  One hour later, the fairgrounds were empty and dark. In the still of the night, the circus was a quiet, lonely place.

  Only one, eerie light was still shining in the Big Top. Inside, several of the circus performers stood in the center ring. They were silent and standing at rigid attention.

 

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