Yes, the carnie had been a happy, utterly safe home, even though their act had flopped.  It had not always been that way when first they left the safety of Jubal's home to go out into the world and increase Mike's education.  They had been spotted more than once and several times they had had trouble getting away, not only from the press, but from the endless people who seemed to feel that they had a right to demand things of Mike, simply because he had the misfortune to be the Man from Mars.