Now that Duck was out of his way, Diesel felt much happier. He talked often with the big engines, but he gradually got a dislike for Henry.
"He always moans about his tubes. Pah!" spluttered Diesel to Gordon one day.
"Henry is actually sick, Diesel, He often breaks down, but he's still Really Useful." Diesel didn't believe Gordon, however. He devised a plan.
Diesel spoke to the trucks that morning.
"Did you know that Henry isn't really sick? He told me he just acts like he's sick to get out of work," and Diesel oiled quickly away. Most of the trucks laughed, except for one small van; he got the feeling that Diesel was lying.
So when Henry arrived to take a goods train, the small van plucked up courage.
"Henry! Diesel said you're not really sick!" he called. Henry was furious, and so was his driver.
"Why that black box on wheels..." Henry spluttered.
Meanwhile, Duck arrived at Edward's station.
"It's not fair!" he complained, "Diesel made the Fat Controller and all the engines think I'm horrid." Edward smiled.
"I know you aren't," he said, "and so does the Fat Controller. Just wait and see. In the meantime, you can help me."
Duck soon set to work, and immediately felt happier; he liked the job of being a banker. His only problem dealt with the big engines; they never spoke to him at all, which made him sad.
One day, he had just helped a foreign engine up the hill with his trucks and he was puffing over the crossings to the other line.
Suddenly, he heard something like a guard's whistle.
"That's odd," he thought, "We haven't a guard." His driver heard it too and looked back.
"Runaway trucks! Hurry!" he cried and adjusted Duck's speed. There were twenty heavily loaded trucks, and they were laughing like maniacs.
Before the signalman could change the points, the trucks followed Duck.
"Hurrah! Hurrah! We've broken away! We've broken away! Chase him! Bump him! Throw him off the rails!"
Little did they know that the guard had saved Duck; after the trucks had knocked him off his van, he still ran after the train and blew his whistle to catch Duck and his crew's attention.
"What do we do?!" cried out Duck to his driver.
"As fast as we can. Then they'll catch us gradually."
Duck whistled fiercely through Edward's station, surprising Edward.
"Was that Duck?" he exclaimed just as the trucks flew by. Edward was stunned.
Duck tried his best to outrun the trucks, but they were too fast and caught up to him with a shuddering jar.
"They caught us!" cried Duck. The driver tried to put on the brakes while the fireman climbed back and the van brakes came on with a scream.
Braking carefully, the driver was gaining control.
"Another clear mile and we'll stop them," he said. Duck and the trucks swerved around a bend, but then there was trouble.
"Oh glory! Look at that!" cried the driver; James was just leaving the station with a passenger train. Duck's driver leapt to his reverser.
"Steady, Duck! Steady! It's up to you now!"
Duck put every ounce of steam against the trucks.
"You can't stop us! You can't! You can't! On! On!" screamed the trucks.
But Duck was holding them back now.
"I must stop them! I must stop them! I must!" panted Duck.
The station became nearer and nearer.
The last coach cleared the platform just as Duck approached the station.
"It's too late!" wailed Duck and shut his eyes. But suddenly he felt a swerve under his wheels. "What? What's going on!" cried Duck as he opened his eyes. James could only stare in shock.
Duck didn't dare look at what was coming next; a barber had set up shop in a wooden shed in the yard, which was a very bad choice.
The barber was shaving a customer just as he felt a shivering groan outside.
"What is that?" he wondered and he peered out the window. He nearly screamed at what he saw. Before he could say a word, Duck crashed straight into the wall. Part of it caved in.
The customer jumped nervously, but the barber held him down.
"It's only an engine..."
"Only an engine? We could've been injured!" exploded the customer, "I'm not coming here again!" The barber was furious.
"Beg pardon, but please sir, excuse my intrusion." said Duck meekly.
"No I won't! You frightened my customers and I may do myself out of a job! Not to mention the nice blue paint that I just painted on the walls this morning! I'll teach you!" fumed the barber, and he lathered Duck's face all over. Poor Duck
Percy had come to clean up the mess. Onboard was the Fat Controller.
The barber was telling him what he thought.
"I don't appreciate engines popping through my walls. They disturb my customers."
"I appreciate your feelings, and will gladly pay for any damage," said the Fat Controller, "but you must know that this engine and his crew prevented a serious accident. You and others might've been badly hurt. Any faster and he would've destroyed your shop. It would serve you right for putting it in such an inconvenient place. It was a very..."
The Fat Controller stared at Duck's lathered face, then back to the barber.
"It was a very, erm, close shave if you will." The barber looked at Duck.
"Oh... Oh..." said the barber, "Excuse me." He got a bucket of water and washed Duck's face.
"I'm sorry, Duck. I didn't know you were being a brave engine."
"That's alright sir. I didn't know that either!" said Duck.
"You were very brave indeed." smiled the Fat Controller, "and I'm proud of you. I shall tell City of Truro about you next time he comes."
"Oh, sir!" Duck felt happier than he had been for weeks as Thomas pulled him out of the barber shop.
"And," added the Fat Controller, "Once you're repaired, you're coming home."
"Home sir? You mean the yard?"
"Of course!"
"But sir! They don't like me anymore. They like Diesel," said Duck worriedly.
"Not now," the Fat Controller smiled, "I never believed Diesel. I caught him lying about Henry this morning, so I sent him packing. The engines are sorry and want you back." Duck was very happy.
A few days later, Duck returned from the Works and was surprised to find a whole asset of engines at the shed.
"Did you all come here just to see me?"
"Of course," said Gordon.
"We're all very sorry we didn't believe you." said James.
"Please forgive us." said Henry.
Duck did of course, and all the engines were the best of friends again. But little did they know that they hadn't heard the last from Diesel...
