Papa Tonino

Opera singer of the Delusion Troupe, and its retired former captain.

"Charge! My faithful Rocinante!" A booming baritone carried across the rehearsal hall. Walter, known to everyone as Papa Tonino, waved his longsword with his beloved papier-mache donkey under one arm and, a brave knight once more, charged fearlessly at an imaginary sea witch.

The children crowded forward and cheered Walter and Rocinante on. To them, this was the greatest knight and steed in the world: "Go, Papa! Beat the bad guys!"

The sea hamsters in the audience just curled their lips. "Walter's doing his big show again, acting like it's real!"

Everyone knows the greatest danger Rocinante the "warhorse" has ever faced was a child getting too into the show and tearing open its paper belly.

Papa's the same. Since the troupe was founded, he has never travelled far.

But what about before? Was he ever truly brave, the way he plays it?

Late at night, the Delusion Troupe often stages secret knightly quests.

This night, Walter raised his lantern and, holding the paper Rocinante, tiptoed across the battlefield, which is to say between the children's hammocks.

"Careful, there's a nightmare beast!" he whispered, fixing his eyes on a fat rat gnawing sawdust in the corner.

The old knight charged with tremendous fury and stepped right on a dirty sock some little rascal had left lying around. Knight and paper donkey went flying, flat on their backs. The rat, awed by the knight's spirit, fled squeaking.

Walter swallowed the yell rising in his throat, struggled to his feet, rubbed his head and looked back. Good: the little ones were still fast asleep.

He never needed to travel far. Guarding this troupe is the greatest knightly adventure there is.