The Barker #4

# The Barker #4 Synopsis The Barker tells the story of circus operators who devise a scheme to save their struggling big-top show from closure. Facing an empty tent and poor attendance, the ringmaster and his associates plan to create publicity by having their wild cannibal performer escape and rampage through town, which will generate newspaper coverage and draw crowds back to the circus. When the cannibal breaks loose as planned, he wreaks havoc among the townspeople; however, the chaos escalates beyond their control as he proves difficult to recapture. The story concludes with the circus operators attempting to manage the dangerous situation they have created while an astrologer character remarks that such disaster was inevitable.