ISBN: 0-88739-344-6
214 pp.
Size: 6 x 9
Pub Date: 11/2001
Paperback Original
Price: $13.95
|
Juggler and the Princess, The
Fred Routt
All ex-P.I. Max really wants to do is practice his juggling and magic acts, drink iced tea with his friends, and get over the death of his wife in a car wreck. He has no intention whatsoever of going back to being a detective. But a sharp-tongued policeman from his past, a seductive woman who resembles an ancient Egyptian princess, and a fire-happy thug have other ideas.
As Max explores his familiar haunts in San Francisco, he must come to terms with his darkest dreams and the possibility of new love. With the help of an eccentric friend, a reclusive bibliophile neighbor, and a gun-savvy, Bible-quoting waitress, he pulls off a magic trick that saves his own life.
The first ring hit me, bringing my attention back to my juggling, and I managed to dodge the rest of the falling props. I let them roll to a stop while I checked out my visitor.... I didn't recognize him. And he didn't look as if he was looking for an entertainer or his child's birthday party.... I dropped to a prone position as he brought the can of lighter fluid to bear. The flame whooshed to life and rushed toward me.... When I tried to push myself up, my sweaty palms slipped. His second shot whizzed through the space I would have been in. I rolled over to my prop bag. Staying down fooled the pyromaniac again. Before he could shoot a fourth time, I started flinging juggling gear at him. I got lucky with the first throw and knocked the lighter from his hand with a club. The stream of props froze him momentarily until a ring smacked him in the mouth. As he turned to flee, several Bocce balls hit him with satisfying thuds. He made it out of the office before I could find something heavier to throw...
Bio: FRED ROUTT is a third-generation Californian. In September 1995, by the light of the full moon, he went fishing in San Francisco Bay and caught a Brazilian mermaid. They married on Leap Day 1996 and continue to live in the Bay Area.
|
