Summary

It is the Night Circus' opening night in London, 1886. The chapter opens with long descriptions of the circus' opulent decorations and structures, engaging each of the reader's five senses. The most spectacular of the opening ceremonies is the lighting of the bonfire, in which twelve archers release arrows on each of the twelve midnight chimes. Each arrow erupts a level of the bonfire into another color so that by midnight, the bonfire has changed colors twelve times. While this is happening, the wildcat tamer's wife is in labor with twins. She gives birth to Winston Aiden Murray six minutes before midnight, and Penelope Aislin Murray seven minutes after. Chandresh is disappointed to hear that the twins are fraternal rather than identical (which he could have found many circus jobs for), but is amused to hear that...