one of the side doors and walked their way. It was their colleague, Officer Higgins, the hippopotamus.

"Did you see this yet?" he said, holding out a flyer.

Nick took it, and he and Judy saw that it was a flyer for a carnival, just outside the city.

"Well I'll be a gopher's nightgown," said Nick. "One day we go to the fair, and the next, the fair comes to us."

"Wow! Where is this?" asked Judy.

"Just outside the city," said Higgins. "My cousin sets up his booth every year. Thought I'd plug for him a bit…"

Higgins was cut off by a loud, gruff voice booming from above the hall.

"Hopps! In my office," said the voice of Chief Bogo.

Judy jumped a bit, startled.

"Excuse me," she said and walked up the stairs to Bogo's office.

Nick and Higgins walked over to the coffee machine, where several of their colleagues were getting their dose of caffeine.

"I wonder why Bogo didn't decide to become a dentist instead of a cop," commented Nick as he watched Judy walk up the stairs.

"Do you?" chuckled Higgins. "Cause I certainly don't!"

He scrunched up his face to make the best imitation he could of the Chief.

"Next patient!"

Several officers around them snorted into their coffee.

Judy walked cautiously into Chief Bogo's office and pushed the door closed behind her. The huge buffalo was sitting at his desk with her report in his hoof.

"Have a seat, Hopps," said Bogo without looking up from the file.

Judy jumped up onto the chair and made herself comfortable, at least as comfortable as she ever felt sitting in front the Chief's desk.

"You and Wilde did a great job, my felicitations," said Bogo as his eyes scanned the paper. "We knew that the possibility existed that there would be copycats trying to follow in the steps of Dawn Bellwether and her flock. What's important is to let the community know that such acts will not be taken lightly."

Bogo set down the report on the desk and removed his reading glasses. He looked at Judy straight in the eyes.

"As you are no doubt aware by now, the annual fair that is held on fairgrounds a short distance outside the city is starting tomorrow. It is an occasion that brings folk from all over the neighbouring counties together, not to mention countless citizens of this city."

"Higgins told us about it," said Judy.

"Yes, I imagined so. He won't shut the buck up about it for at least a week."

Judy suppressed a giggle.

"In light of recent events, I want to make sure the fairgoers are provided with extra security. I'd like to deter any troublemakers who would find it amusing to disrupt the peace at a public event such as this."

He paused for a moment then went on.

"I'm assigning you and Wilde and two more to watch over the fair."

"Patrol…at the fair?" asked Judy.

"There will be three shifts," said Bogo. "You and Wilde will take Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Clawhauser will give you the full schedule once I've pep-talked everyone. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" said Judy, standing up and saluting on the chair.

"Good," said Bogo, with one of his rare smiles.

He sat in silence for a moment, looking at Judy.

"We're moving forward, Hopps," continued Bogo. "Thanks to you and Wilde, and to your efforts last year in cracking the night howler case, many of the old…concepts…that people had about each other in this city are going away. My only hope is they go away for good."

He looked at the map of Zootopia on his wall to the right.

"You and Wilde set an example for our community. I'd like you to be present as much as possible in the public eye so people can see that our city is an example of harmonious living and equality. Any vandals or troublemakers who might make use of the fair to promote their disruptive behaviour should be deterred. I want this to be the best bloody fair that this city has ever seen. Do you understand your responsibilities, Hopps?"

"Yes, sir," said Judy. "Every bit."

"Good. Off you go, then," said Bogo. "Tell Wilde to come to my office."

The music and colours were a swirl of joy and excitement as Nick walked among the attractions, looking all around him at the folk of different species having fun. Everyone was enjoying the carnival, even the weather seemed to make an extra effort to be bright and cheerful.

"C'mon! Try and douse me! I dare ya!"

Nick looked to his left and saw the Douse-The-Clown stand, with a brightly-painted bear sitting in a chair above a pool of water. A small ferret child paid for three balls and stood at the front of the booth, aiming for the target. His first pitch fell short by a foot.

"C'mon! I haven't have a bath in weeks!" said the bear-clown. "And I ain't having one now by the looks of it!"

The ferret child squinted and threw the ball as hard as he could, but it landed just below the target.

"If I had a penny for every miss, I'd be swimming in a money bin by now!" said the clown.

Nick walked up behind the kid.

"Hey, little fella," said Nick. "Need a boost?"

The kid smiled brightly as Nick hoisted him up on his shoulder.

"Now, give that clown a bath, kid," said Nick encouragingly.

The little ferret threw the ball fast and hard and it hit the target square centre. A loud buzzer sounded and the clown's chair was tilted forward by a mechanical arm, making the clown fall into the pool below.

"Help! Gurgle! Sharks! Squid! Swordfish!" wailed the clown as he thrashed in the water.

"Wow, thanks, Officer!" said the ferret child happily as Nick put him back on the ground.

"Anytime kid. Keep practicing that fastball and you'll make it to the major league," said Nick with a wink.

"I will!" said the kid as he ran off to the other games. "Thank you!"

Nick smiled happily as he watched the kid disappear among the attractions. He remembered a time when ferrets and stoats were not allowed at certain day-care centres because people assumed they would cause trouble and pick on the smaller younglings. Foxes were not allowed in many places as well. They were denied service at diners, people crossed to the opposite sidewalk if they saw one coming, they were denied credit at banks…

…and now here he stood, a police officer for the Zootopia Police Department, in impeccable uniform, making his mother proud and being an example for the community.

"Bogo is right," said Nick to himself. "We are moving forward. And there's no better direction to move in than forward."

As he walked past a tent decorated with moons and stars, a voice called to him.

"A familiar face approaches, and one filled with curiosity," said a misty voice nearby. "Madame Mystique sees it all. The handsome police officer with a heart of gold enters the world of wonders and mysterious feats of magic and is amazed beyond his wildest dreams."

"Madame Mystique?" said Nick as he recognised the panda in makeup. "I missed your show at the Bunny Burrow fair. But my friend told me all about it."

"Then allow me to show you the world of wonders, fine Officer," said Madame Mystique.

Nick looked around him. Everything was well and people were happily strolling around enjoying the carnival.

"Why not?" he said to himself. "It'll only be a minute or two."

As Nick sat down in the back row inside Madame Mystique's tent, she started her show with the bouquet of flowers appearing out of nowhere. Then she made a statue disappear, shattered a vase and then covered it in a handkerchief and made it whole again, and finally she came to the hypnotising act. The audience was enthralled.

"And now, my dears," said Madame Mystique. "I shall need help from a member of the audience. And I think my eyes have caught one handsome gent right in the back. Officer, won't you help me with this next trick?"

Everyone applauded as Nick walked up on stage. He was pretty well-known by now and many people cheered for him from the audience.

"Now, dear Officer Wilde," said Madame Mystique, reading his nametag. "Look closely as this golden watch in my paw. How it shines! How it shimmers! Look closely, concentrate…focus…"

Nick did as she told him, smiling and playing for the audience. But then…

"…concentrate…focus…"

His focus became unfocused. Nick felt like he was dreaming, falling asleep and unable to wake up.

He felt a fuzzy warm feeling in his mind, complete silence…except for a sweet soothing voice.

"Juggle," said the voice.

"But…I can't juggle…" Nick's mind responded.

"Juggle, my sweet. Juggle these pebbles. Go ahead."

Nick saw some brightly-coloured pebbles in his paws and started juggling them as if he had been a juggler all his life. In the distance, he heard cheering and applause. He heard a familiar voice, a voice he loved to hear more than anything…

"I never knew you could juggle, Mr Big Top Star," said Judy's voice in his mind. "The circus lost a brilliant performer, it seems."

"Juggle some more," said the voice in his head. "Knives this time. Don't worry, they won't harm you. Go ahead."

Nick juggled all sorts of things, thinking how easy it was and wondering why he hadn't tried

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