“Is this the end?” Jane whispered.
“Almost,” replied Orion. “They’re finishing early tonight. She has to be in by half-past ten.”
“Who has?” asked both the children together. But Orion did not hear. He was standing up in his seat waving his arm.
“Come along, be quick there, step along!” he called.
And in came Venus riding her Winged Horse, followed by a starry Serpent that, with its tail tucked into its mouth, bowled along the ring like a hoop.
Last of all came the comets, prancing proudly through the curtains, swinging their braided tails. The music was louder now and wilder, and a golden smoke rose up from the star-dust as the Constellations, shouting, singing, roaring, growling, formed themselves into a ring. And in the centre, as though they dared not go too near his presence, they left a clear, bare circle for the Sun.
He stood, towering above them all, his whip folded in his arms. He nodded lightly to each animal as it passed him with bent head. And then Jane and Michael saw that bright gaze lift from the ring and wander round the audience of stars until it turned in the direction of the Royal Box. They felt themselves growing warmer as his rays fell upon them and, with a start of surprise, they saw him raise his whip and nod his head towards them.
As the lash swung up, every star and constellation turned in its tracks. Then, with one movement, every one of them bowed.
“Are they – can they be bowing to us?” whispered Michael, clutching the Moon more tightly.
A familiar laugh sounded behind them. They turned quickly. There, sitting alone in the Royal Box, was a well-known figure in a straw hat and blue coat with a gold locket round its neck.
“Hail, Mary Poppins, hail!” came the massed voices from the Circus Ring.
Jane and Michael looked at each other. So this was what Mary Poppins did on her Evening Out! They could hardly believe their eyes – and yet, there was Mary Poppins, as large as life, and looking very superior.
“Hail!” came the cry again.
Mary Poppins raised her hand in greeting.
Then, stepping primly and importantly, she moved out of the box. She did not seem in the least surprised to see Jane and Michael, but she sniffed as she went past.
“How often,” she remarked to them across Orion’s head, “have you been told that it is rude to stare?”
She passed on and down to the ring. The Great Bear lifted the golden rope. The Constellations drew apart and the Sun moved a pace forward. He spoke, and his voice was warm and full of sweetness.
“Mary Poppins, my dear, you are welcome!”
Mary Poppins dropped to her knees in a deep curtsey.
“The Planets hail you, and the Constellations give you greeting. Rise, my child!”
She stood up, bending her head respectfully before him.
“For you, Mary Poppins,” the Sun went on, “the Stars have gathered in the dark blue tent, for you they have been withdrawn tonight from shining on the world. I trust, therefore, that you have enjoyed your Evening Out!”
“I never had a better one. Never!” said Mary Poppins, lifting her head and smiling.
“Dear child!” The Sun bowed. “But now the sands of night are running out and you must be in by half-past ten. So, before you depart, let us all, for old times’ sake, dance the Dance of the Wheeling Sky!”
“Down you go!” said Orion to the astonished children, giving them a little push. They stumbled down the stairs and almost fell into the star-dust ring.
“And where, may I ask, are your manners?” hissed the well-known voice in Jane’s ear.
“What must I do?” stammered Jane.
Mary Poppins glared at her and made a little movement towards the Sun. And, suddenly, Jane realised. She grabbed Michael’s arm, and, kneeling, pulled him down beside her. The warmth from the Sun lapped about them with fiery sweetness.
“Rise, children,” he said kindly. “You are very welcome. I know you well – I have looked down upon you many a summer’s day!”
Scrambling to her feet, Jane moved towards him, but his whip held her back. “Touch me not, Child of Earth!” he cried warningly, waving her further away. “Life is sweet and no man may come near the Sun – touch me not!”
“But are you truly the Sun!” demanded Michael, staring at him.
The Sun flung out his hand.
“O Stars and Constellations,” he said, “tell me this. Who am I? This child would know!”
“Lord of the Stars, O Sun!” answered a thousand starry voices.
“He is King of the South and North,” cried Orion, “and Ruler of the East and West. He walks the outer rim of the world and the Poles melt in his glory. He draws up the leaf from the seed and covers the land with sweetness. He is truly the Sun.”
The Sun smiled across at Michael.
“Now do you believe?”
Michael nodded.
“Then, strike up! And you, Constellations, choose your Partners!”
The Sun waved his whip. The music began again, very swift and gay and dancey. Michael began to beat time with his feet as he hugged the Moon in his arms. But he squeezed it a little too tightly for, suddenly, there was a loud pop and the Moon began to dwindle.
“Oh! Oh! Look what’s happening!” cried Michael, almost weeping.
Down, down, down, shrank the Moon until it was as small as a soap bubble, then it was only a wisp of shining light and then – his hands closed upon empty air.
“It couldn’t have been a real Moon, could it?” he demanded.
Jane glanced questioningly at the Sun across the little stretch of star-dust.
He flung back his flaming head and smiled gently at her.
“What is real and what is not? Can you tell me or I you? Perhaps we shall never know more than this – that to think a thing is to make it true. And so, if Michael thought he had the real Moon in his arms – why, then, he had indeed.”
“Then,” said Jane wonderingly, “is it true that we are here tonight, or do we only think we are?”
The Sun smiled again, a little sadly.
“Child,” he said, “seek no further! From the beginning of the world all men have asked that question. And I, who am Lord of the Sky – even I do not know the answer. I am only certain that this is the Evening Out, that the Constellations are shining in your eyes, and it is true if you think it is. . .”
“Come, dance with us, Jane and Michael!” cried the Twins.
And Jane forgot her question as the four of them swung out into the ring in time with the heavenly tune. But they were hardly halfway round before she stumbled and stood still.
“Look! Look! She is dancing with him!”
Michael followed her gaze and stood still on his short, fat legs, staring.
Mary Poppins and the Sun were dancing together. But not as Jane and he were dancing with the Twins, breast to breast and foot to foot. Mary Poppins and the Sun never once touched, but waltzed with arms outstretched, opposite each other, keeping perfect time together in spite of the space between them.
About them wheeled the dancing Constellations, Venus with her arms round the neck of Pegasus, the Bull and the Lion arm-in-arm, and the Three Kids prancing in a row. Their moving brightness dazzled the children’s eyes as they stood in the star-dust gazing.
Then suddenly the dance slackened and the music died away. The Sun and Mary Poppins, together yet apart, stood still. And at the same time every animal paused in the dance and stood patiently in its tracks. The whole ring was silent.