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Celia Bowen
Marco Alisdair works as the assistant to Chandresh Lefevre, the original organizer of Le Cirque des Rêves. He is also involved in a high-stakes competition with Celia Bowen, orchestrated by their guardians, to determine who is the better magician. As a young boy, Marco was plucked from an orphanage by Mr. A.H. and trained in the art of magic. He spent most of his youth in isolation, reading and practicing, and was set free at 19 to begin his competition. When he watches Celia Bowen audition for Le Cirque des Rêves, he knows immediately that she is his opponent, and that the circus is to be the arena for their competition. Marco was an excellent student—Mr. A.H. notes that he was probably the best he ever had—but when he meets Celia, he is unsure if he can win the competition, or if he even wants to. Marco enlists the help of Isobel Martin, a beautiful young fortune teller who is in love with him: she travels with the circus to keep and eye on Celia and the magic she performs, reporting back to Marco in London whenever she can. Soon, however, Isobel realizes that she is no longer helping Marco watch over his opponent, but rather the object of his affection, and she leaves the circus for good, leaving the two magicians free to fall in love. Their guardians strongly disapprove of the pair’s romantic involvement, as Celia and Marco soon begin working together rather than competing against one another. Eventually, the lovers jump into the bonfire at the center of Le Cirque des Rêves, trapping themselves inside of the circus indefinitely and forfeiting the competition that would have torn them apart.
Marco Alisdair Quotes in The Night Circus
The The Night Circus quotes below are all either spoken by Marco Alisdair or refer to Marco Alisdair. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Part 1: Primordium Quotes
“You will be coming to study with me […].”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Do you wish to remain here?”
“No.”
“Very well.”
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In this passage, Mr. A.H. is speaking with young Marco—though at this point, the boy’s name is still unknown—in the orphanage where the boy has been living. Mr. A.H. came to the orphanage to choose a child to teach, who would eventually become Celia Bowen’s rival in his magical competition with Hector Bowen. Mr. A.H. met with a number of children, discarding each of them for reasons unknown. When this young man came in to meet with him, Mr. A.H. tossed his cane at him, and the boy caught it immediately, presumably demonstrating his quick reflexes and calm demeanor. This Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum do
“What am I bound to?”
“An obligation you already had, and a person you will not meet for some time.”
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Marco is fourteen, and has been training with Mr. A.H. for a while, studying magic in near total isolation, only leaving to attend magic shows and discuss them with his teacher. With little explanation, Mr. A.H. produces a ring, which will burn itself into the skin on Marco’s finger, leaving a scar; this is the same process he put Celia Bowen through when she was six, and it binds them together, officially beginning their competition. The young boy asks for details about his obligation, but gets no real answer from Mr. A.H. Thus begins a theme in their relationship, in Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur molliti
“I owe you my deepest gratitude, Miss…?”
“Martin. Isobel Martin.”
“Marco, Marco Alisdair.”
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Young Marco is now living on his own in London and often spends his time wandering the city, always carrying his notebook full of notes on magic and manipulation. One evening, he realizes that he has lost the notebook, and, when he begins to look for it, he finds a young woman reading it with interest. They introduce themselves, and Marco quickly learns that this young woman, Isobel, has some knowledge of magic. Crucially, this is the first moment in which the young man speaks his own name to another person—a name he created for himself, because Mr. A.H. never Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Opt
“[…] with whom have you studied?”
“With my father, Hector Bowen. Though perhaps he is better known as Prospero the Enchanter.”
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Celia Bowen is auditioning to become the illusionist in Le Cirque des Rêves, and Marco (who is Chandresh’s assistant) is going through a standard list of questions for all of the applicants. He is trying his best to maintain his composure, however, in light of Celia’s beauty. Chandresh has already noted that Celia looks too young and pretty to be the illusionist, but she is determined to show him what she can do. When she mentions her father by his stage name, both Chandresh and Marco are impressed, as they have both seen him perform and appreciate his work. Celia Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Poss
Part 2: Illumination Quotes
“I’m not certain I understand the rules.”
“You don’t need to understand the rules. You need to follow them. As I said, your work has been sufficient.”
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The circus has opened successfully, and the competition between Marco and Celia is well underway. Yet while Celia is the circus’s illusionist, and has a stage for her magic, Marco is working from the sidelines, doing most of his work in secret. He is anxious to speak with Mr. A.H., but never hears from him; the only opportunity he would have to speak with his teacher is at one of Chandresh’s Midnight Dinners, but Mr. A.H. has not attended one of those in a while. So Marco decides to call him—he inscribes a series of symbols and characters on the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus po
“How much do you know?”
“How much do I know about what?”
“How much has Miss Bowen told you?”
“You’re her opponent. I never would have guessed.”
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Marco comes to visit Ethan Barris, and very boldly begins their conversation with this question. He suspects that Mr. Barris knows more than he has revealed, especially since the Carousel appears to combine his engineering knowledge and Celia’s magic skills. He is correct, of course: Celia informed him about the magic behind the scenes at the circus and about her competition against an unknown opponent. Mr. Barris expresses surprise that Marco is her opponent, likely because Marco works to blend into the background, rarely revealing himself or his magical abilities. This short conversation provides both men with useful information. While Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia ea
“I spent the first several years of my life watching my mother pine for him, steadfastly. Loving and longing far beyond the time when he had lost what little interest in her he ever held. Until one day when I was five years old and she took her own life. When I was old enough to understand, I promised myself I would not suffer so for anyone. It will take a great deal more than that charming smile of yours to seduce me.”
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Celia is attending one of the Midnight Dinners at Chandresh’s house and loses her shawl. When Marco retrieves it for her, he offers her a private tour of the house, giving the two of them a chance to be alone and talk. This is the first time they have been able to talk freely since Marco revealed himself as her opponent months earlier, and they begin to discuss magic and manipulation. Celia refers to Marco as “enchanting,” describing both his magical abilities and his charming personality. She notes that he has gotten both Chandresh and Isobel to fall in love Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessi
Part 3: Intersections Quotes
“Thirteen years with barely a word and now you wish to speak with me?”
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This conversation takes place at Chandresh’s house, at a party celebrating the thirteenth anniversary of the opening of the circus. Marco has been waiting to have a moment alone with Celia, and when she finally passes him in the hallway, he grabs her arm and brings her to a dark and secluded corner. He begins to kiss her neck gently, when suddenly Mr. A.H. appears, and Celia promptly slips back into the party. Surprised and angry, Marco asks his teacher why he has chosen this moment to finally pay attention to him. Mr. A.H. acknowledges that his real motive was Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque
“I cannot leave. I am not allowed. I must remain here, and I must continue with this nonsense, as you so aptly put it. You are going to return to your drinking and your parties and you will not even remember that we had this conversation.”
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Chandresh has been rifling through the circus paperwork in Marco’s office, and he stumbled upon his most prized possession, a notebook filled with names and hair samples of all of the members of the circus, as well as a series of cryptic symbols. Marco describes it as simply a book of record for the circus, when in reality it is the magic notebook (a copy of which he has thrown in to the central bonfire) that keeps the circus running and its members safe. Chandresh is horrified by this discovery, accusing Marco of working with Mr. A.H. (who he refers Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a des
“Are you looking for this? It was made by a ring when I was fourteen. It said something in Latin, but I don’t know what it was.”
“Esse quam videri. To be, rather than to seem. It’s the Bowen family motto. My father was very fond of engraving it on things. I’m not entirely sure he appreciated the irony.”
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Marco and Celia are comparing the scars made by their rings, which are the indelible markings of their commitment to the competition. The rings also bound them to one another well before they ever met, when Celia was six and Marco was fourteen. Yet, while Hector Bowen and Mr. A.H. intended for Marco and Celia to be rivals working against one another, the competition has brought them together romantically, pointing to the more traditional interpretation of a ring as a symbol of everlasting love and marriage. Celia notes the irony of the Latin engraving on the ring, “to be, rather Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possi
“I tried. I thought I might be able to fix it. I’ve known him so long. That maybe it would be like setting a clock to make it tick again. I knew exactly what was wrong but I couldn’t make it right. He was so familiar but it… it didn’t work.”
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Celia has come to Marco’s flat after leaving Friedrick Thiessen at the circus. She shows up covered in his blood, and when Marco asks her what happened, she tells him that she tried to keep the clockmaker alive but was unsuccessful. Chandresh Lefevre threw a knife, intending to kill Mr. A.H., but he hit Thiessen instead; it pierced his chest, and there was probably nothing more anyone could do. Celia, however, did everything she could do fix him, hoping that her magic could undo the damage to his body. Celia’s magic has its limits: she is able to put inanimate Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Comm
Part 4: Incendiary Quotes
“Do you love him?”
“I do.”
“Do you believe he loves you? Love is fickle and fleeting. It is rarely a solid foundation for decisions to be made upon, in any game.”
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Celia has come to speak with Tsukiko on the circus train, after learning from her father that Tsukiko was the winner of the previous competition. The two women share their scars, and Celia asks her why she has joined the circus, and why she never told her that she, too, was a competitor. Tsukiko gives only vague answers, as usual, but acknowledges that the competition is more than just the magic each competitor produces, and that it becomes something they carry within themselves. Tsukiko then asks Celia if she loves Marco, and if she believes he loves her. This second Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusant
“You were not a diversion.”
“Did you ever love me?”
“No […] I thought perhaps I could, but…”
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After learning that Marco loves Celia, and that all of his work in the circus has been for her, Isobel decides to leave. She waits for Marco outside his flat in London, and asks if they can go in and talk. He will only talk to her outside on the street, because he just wants to hear what she has to say. She apologizes for many of the things that have happened at the circus in the past year, including the death of Thiessen—she was “tempering,” or holding the circus in balance with her own magic, and didn’t tell Marco. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta imp
“Our instructors do not understand how it is. To be bound to someone in such a way. They are too old, too out of touch with their emotions. They no longer remember what it is to live and breathe within the world. They think it simple to pit any two people against each other. It is never simple. The other person becomes how you define your life, how you define yourself.”
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In this passage, Tsukiko is discussing the competition with Marco, who has been magically transported back into the circus from his home in London. She reveals to him that she, too, was Mr. A.H.’s student once, and was also bound in a competition that ended in the tragic death of her opponent. She shares with him her feelings about the deep connection she felt with her rival, something that Hector Bowen and Mr. A.H. can no longer understand. Like Marco, she loved her opponent, yet knew that one of them would have to die. While Tsukiko appears to be making Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit
“You told me love was fickle and fleeting.”
“I lied. I thought it might be easier if you doubted him. And I gave you a year to find a way for the circus to continue without you. You have not. I am stepping in.”
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While Tsukiko is talking with Marco, attempting to convince him to kill himself and let Celia win the competition, Celia interrupts their conversation. Tsukiko suggests that Celia leave, so that she can be alone with Marco, but Celia refuses, asking what is about to happen. Tsukiko notes that she has watched Marco and Celia fall in love, and it reminds her of her love for her opponent. She wants Marco to sacrifice himself, because Celia is more essential to the circus, as she holds it within herself. Celia is confused, and feels betrayed by Tsukiko, who intentionally led her to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimu
Part 5: Divination Quotes
“You think being imprisoned marvelous?”
“It’s a matter of perspective. They have each other. They are confined within a space that is remarkable, one that can, and will, grow and change around them.”
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Widget is in Paris to ask Mr. A.H. to sign away his control of the circus, and in this passage they are discussing the fate of Marco and Celia, who are now living within the circus after jumping into the bonfire together. Celia used a spell similar to the one her father used decades earlier, but she used the circus as a touchstone, and so she and Marco now live in a suspended state that Widget describes as “marvelous.” Mr. A.H. is skeptical, and characterizes it as imprisonment, because neither can leave the circus. Widget, on the other hand, presumes Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a d
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Marco Alisdair Character Timeline in The Night Circus
The timeline below shows where the character Marco Alisdair appears in The Night Circus. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1: Primordium
...he goes back to find a young woman reading it earnestly. He introduces himself as Marco Alisdair, the name he has chosen for himself, and she tells him her name is...
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Back in Marco’s flat, Marco shows Isobel a magic charm involving knots and intent. He asks her to...
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Isobel hides in the study while Marco answers the door. Mr. A.H. does not enter, but stands in the doorway to inform...
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...sign of failure. He throws the knife for the last time, and then calls for Marco, his assistant.
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...organizers are holding auditions for an illusionist, and Celia Bowen is one of the candidates. Marco is supervising the auditions, and when he sees Celia for the first time, he is...
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Marco is visibly shaken by his meeting with Celia, and Chandresh sends him home. He hurries...
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Part 2: Illumination
In the meantime, Marco is nervous and impatient for the lighting of the bonfire, which he has organized. Ever...
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...small tweaks to what is already a breathtaking show. Right before midnight, he looks for Marco but cannot find him, and he bumps into the Burgess sisters, Tara and Lainie, instead....
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Marco’s only opportunity to see Mr. A.H., his guardian and teacher, is at the Midnight Dinners...
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Marco is frustrated by the letters he gets from Isobel because he wants to know more...
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When the circus comes back around to London again, Isobel comes to Marco’s flat to visit. She knocks on the door, and when he opens it she notes...
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Paris, 1891: Marco shows up at Isobel’s tent unannounced, holding a notebook open to a drawing of a...
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Trying to help, Isobel tells Marco that he can do what he wants to the Wishing Tree now that he knows...
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Frustrated, Isobel asks how long the competition will go on, and Marco says he doesn’t know and asks if she would like to leave the circus. She...
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Isobel wonders if it is Ethan Barris who created the Wishing Tree. Marco responds that this is beyond the work of impressive mechanics, just as the Carousel must...
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...their work. Hector grudgingly agrees, but reminds her not to trust anyone. At that moment, Marco gently informs Celia that dinner is about to begin, and her father vanishes. Aware that...
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...observes her fellow guests in an attempt to discern the relationships and feelings between them. Marco maintains a quiet distance from the guests, but the more that Chandresh drinks, the more...
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...goes on, there are lighthearted jokes about unlacing Celia’s corset, and even the usually reserved Marco chimes in this time. As Celia leaves with Tsukiko, Marco watches her through the window....
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Marco goes to visit Mr. Barris in his London office, to talk about the circus, and...
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Marco has come to see Mr. Barris to ask for his assistance with a new tent....
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...for the circus in his office, and he tells her that he left them with Marco in London and forgot about them. She asks if he forgets other plans in this...
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...spite of the umbrella earlier. Just as she realizes that this is not her umbrella, Marco runs up to her, completely soaked from the rain, with her identical looking umbrella in...
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Celia stares at Marco, putting the pieces together in her mind: his ability to blend seamlessly into the background,...
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...leave for the night. When she is finally ready to give up, she sees that Marco is holding it. She magically transports the shawl from Marco’s arms to around her shoulders...
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Celia and Marco begin to talk about magic, or “manipulation,” as she calls it, starting with the white...
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Marco notes that his charm does not seem to have worked as effectively on Celia, and...
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Celia tells Marco that he reminds her of her father, Hector, who also manipulates perception. She tells him...
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Marco offers Celia a tour of Chandresh’s house, and they begin in the game room, which...
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Marco then takes out a deck of cards, and they perform small magic tricks for one...
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Marco brings Celia into a sunken garden room that he has made for Chandresh, in order...
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They sink into cushions together and share their favorite tents—Marco’s favorite is Celia’s, of course, while Celia loves the Ice Garden because she feels like...
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Celia asks Marco how he keeps everyone from aging, and he asks her how she moves the circus....
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Marco wishes he could protect the people outside the circus, like the late Tara Burgess, the...
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Part 3: Intersections
As Celia passes by Marco in the hall, he grabs her hand, and they are both taken aback by the...
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Marco moves their conversation into the game room, where he asks what Mr. A.H. suddenly wants,...
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Marco throws a billiard ball at Mr. A.H., who steps out of the way as the...
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...start anything new. The circus has begun to bother him, and his thoughts wander to Marco’s office to look at the paperwork. When he pulls out plans for the circus, he...
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At that moment, Marco appears in the doorway and asks what Chandresh is doing. Chandresh is startled, but composes...
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...longer any papers or ledgers in the office. He then waves the brandy bottle in Marco’s face and tries to fire him, but Marco makes the bottle disappear and says that...
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Dublin, 1901: After the end of the illusionist’s performance, one man stays behind. Marco asks Celia if she likes the Cloud Maze, which she does, and she asks if...
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Celia steps closer to Marco. He puts his hand around her waist and spins her around to see the fabric...
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...a winner will be chosen. She mentions that Hector still pesters her a lot, and Marco notes that he has hardly seen Mr. A.H. in years, but he is still the...
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Marco asks Celia to explain what happened to Hector, and she explains that he is overambitious...
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...muses that she doesn’t think she would want to be stuck in a tree forever. Marco responds that it would depend on the tree, looking around at the tree that Celia...
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Celia looks down at the fingers of Marco’s right hand, and he reveals the scar on his finger from the ring Mr. A.H....
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Marco asks Celia if Mr. A.H. gave the ring and scar to her, and she says...
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...other as the wind and waves die down around them. Celia apologizes for not letting Marco kiss her, telling him that she has spent her life trying to keep control of...
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Marco doesn’t understand, so Celia asks him to imagine them leaving the circus and the competition...
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Marco smiles through the pain, delighted that Celia wanted to run away with him. He laughs,...
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Marco asks what is stopping them from being together, and Celia reminds him that there are...
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London, 1901: When the circus arrives in London, Celia wants to go to see Marco immediately, but instead goes to the Midland Grand Hotel. She waits in the lobby for...
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...patrons donning masks handed out by the ticket booth. Isobel is in her tent when Marco comes through the beaded curtain. He has come to tell her that he is in...
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After Marco leaves, Isobel reaches under her table and takes out a hatbox made from black silk...
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Isobel thinks about how Marco told Mr. A.H. that everything he has done in the circus was for Celia, and...
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...crowd a few times. He is not aware that he is also being followed, and Marco has disguised his looks enough that his boss would not recognize him even if he...
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...Carousel, and strolls through the Ice Garden. Chandresh follows him through the entire night, and Marco follows Chandresh, slipping away for a moment to take care of some business. Mr. A.H....
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...Celia suddenly feels faint and needs assistance from the audience to stay on her feet. Marco crumples as if he has been punched in the stomach. Chandresh pulls out his silver...
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...then pulls the knife from the man’s chest, stands up, and walks away, silently handing Marco the bloody knife as he passes him.
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Mr. A.H. notes incredulously that perhaps Hector hasn’t noticed that Marco and Celia are in love, and that it only would have happened sooner if they...
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...will not happen again, because she will win, because “she is a stronger player” than Marco is. But Mr. A.H. amplifies the sounds coming from near Thiessen, so that Hector can...
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Later that evening, Marco is in his flat, which is full of furniture that Chandresh has abandoned and so...
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...in blood. She comes in and the door shuts and locks itself behind her, and Marco asks her what happened and if she is all right. She responds that no, she...
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Marco tells Celia that something threw everything off balance, but he does not know what it...
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He doesn’t know why Mr. A.H. was at the circus, but Celia tells Marco that she invited him because she wanted a verdict. She wanted him to declare a...
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Celia looks around at Marco’s work and asks him what it is. The books are full of symbols and notes,...
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Marco tells her he is sorry for her loss, that he didn’t know Thiessen as well...
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Marco leads Celia into the adjoining room, which he has filled with models of tents made...
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...She finishes her tour and leaves the room, closing the door behind her and thanking Marco for showing her. Marco tells her that he presumes Hector would not approve, and she...
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Celia asks Marco to stop talking about the competition. She says that she is tired of trying to...
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Part 4: Incendiary
Celia is lying in Marco’s arms, wishing this moment would never end. She manages to slow down his heartbeat enough...
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Celia takes Marco’s notebook with her as she leaves Marco’s flat, and as soon as she is out...
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...agrees, though he finds it a simplification. Devastated, she turns back to the door of Marco’s flat, and places her hand on the door. Hector ridicules her for believing she loves...
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...grey smoke. On board the train, Celia changes out of her bloody gown and puts Marco’s notebook away among her own. Wearing a gown that she knows was one of Thiessen’s...
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Tsukiko asks Celia if she loves Marco, and Celia says that she does. Tsukiko then asks if she believes that Marco loves...
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...Herr Thiessen, but it would be complicated to make it completely independent of Celia and Marco. She notes that Celia has taken on too much responsibility for it all, and if...
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...audience leaves, there is one man sitting, waiting for her. She sits down across from Marco and tells him that he usually sits in the back. He asks her if she...
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Celia tells Marco that she is trying to make the circus independent, to untie it from the challenge...
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Marco realizes that Celia is not looking him in the eye, and asks if she doesn’t...
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Marco asks if Celia thinks he is cruel enough to do such a thing to her,...
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Celia tells Marco that the competition has to kill one of them, and when Marco doesn’t understand, she...
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Marco tells her that he doesn’t want to win, he just wants Celia, even though she...
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Celia pulls away and tells him that she is sorry. Marco holds on to her, begging her not to leave him. She tells him that it...
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Back in her room, Celia attempts once again to decipher Marco’s notebook. The raven caws, and Celia addresses her father, who has shown up, hovering over...
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Hector replies that Celia is special, and well beyond the kind of magic that Marco is doing. There is so much more that she could be doing, he notes. Celia...
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Marco uses ink to inscribe an A on the window of his flat, and waits for...
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In London, Isobel stands on the street in front of Marco’s flat, waiting for hours for him to return. When he sees her, he asks what...
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...but she thought it was Thiessen, and didn’t realize until that night that it was Marco. Celia loved Thiessen, as well, though, and lost him because of Isobel. Isobel felt like...
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Isobel and Marco stand in the street in silence for a long time, and then Marco starts up...
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Isobel tells Marco about a boy she read for recently, and everything was in his cards. It was...
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Marco falls to the ground in a cloud of black ash, coughing from the impact. He...
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Marco asks where everyone is, and Tsukiko tells him they are at an inclement-weather party. He...
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Tsukiko tells Marco that their teachers do not understand how it feels to be so intimately tied to...
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Marco tells her he is sorry, and Tsukiko informs him that Celia was planning to do...
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...and Tsukiko tells her that she has been surrounded by the love letters she and Marco have built for each other, in the form of tents, and it reminds her of...
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...Celia is the greater loss to the circus, because she carries it within herself, while Marco uses the fire as a tool. Celia just asks for more time, but Tsukiko refuses....
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Marco tells Tsukiko to go ahead with her plan, and she bows to him and flicks...
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...She notices that she is whole, but that everyone around her is transparent, and that Marco is nowhere to be seen. Marco loses Celia in the moment of the explosion. She...
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They hold each other as Celia tells Marco that she couldn’t let him go without her, and he asks her how she did...
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...Bailey wonders if it is a figment of his imagination. The man introduces himself as Marco. Bailey asks if he is dead, and Marco replies, “not precisely.” Bailey asks him what...
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Marco then explains that Tsukiko tried to imprison him in the bonfire, and there was a...
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Marco leads Bailey into the acrobat tent, but instead of the wide-open space he is used...
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...As they wait for Bailey to answer, the candles flicker, and Celia starts to sway. Marco has to steady her. Bailey asks what he needs to do, and Celia tells him...
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...than Harvard, or even the farm, but he knows his answer anyway. He agrees, and Marco asks if they can make it official, because he is not willing to settle for...
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Bailey finds Celia’s room in the circus and searches through the books to find Marco’s notebook. He pulls out the pages with Poppet and Widget’s names on them and adds...
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...wraps the items up in the yarn, and throws it in the cauldron. He sees Marco’s bowler hat next to the cauldron and adds that, and impulsively pulls everything out of...
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Part 5: Divination
As they look through the blueprints, Chandresh starts to call for Marco. He tells Poppet that his assistant just left one day and did not come back,...
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...way to get them out of it. He misses his student, however, and notes that Marco was possibly the best student he ever had. Widget asks if he thinks Marco is...
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Widget explains to Mr. A.H. that Marco and Celia are not dead, and they are inside of the circus. When Widget describes...
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...to be able to accept the inevitability of mortality, just as he hopes Celia and Marco will.
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