The first rays of sun were barely showing on the flat horizon as Ben's Cadillac pulled up in the dust in front of the fairgrounds. Sheyenne peered out from the passenger's seat, watching men hustle around, loading tools, tables and heavy crates into a line of semis parked along the grassy shoulder of the road. Ben took the key out of the ignition and sat in silence for a moment. Mentor and assistant looked at one another, their features drained of color by the dusky sky.
"You sure you wanna do this?" For once, Ben's gray eyes were solemn.
Sheyenne stared back at him, uncharacteristically quiet. The thought of long miles on the road without Ben's periodic witticisms to laugh at settled suddenly on her shoulders, sending her gut into a spin. For a moment the sight of the red double-dice hanging from the rearview and the leathery smell of the Cadillac's interior overwhelmed her with a sense of home; her fingers grasped the seat cover a little harder. She felt the word "no" rising in her throat.
In the sudden quiet, loud shouts began to trickle through the open window. Sheyenne glanced outside. A team of drivers was loading a box twice their size into the trailer of a large violet-colored semi; behind them, the short but imposing silhouette of Jesse could be seen directing their progress with an outstretched arm. A thrill ran down Sheyenne's spine as she realized they must be loading the robots.
She turned and grinned at Ben, feeling adrenaline rising in her veins again. "Yep." She nodded, brisk and certain.
"...Well. Let's get'cher things, then."
Sheyenne slid her feet out of the car, but not before looking around the interior one last time and giving the cloth seat a final fond pat. Then she jumped out and ran to help Ben lug her duffel bags out of the trunk. Already her eyes were casting around again for Jesse. Ben noticed and chuckled, a little resignedly.
This time, as they crossed the fairground, Sheyenne was in the lead. After a few minutes she located Jesse amid the criss-cross commotion of men, standing near the back of the truck line near the purple semi, muttering to two large, scruffy men in denim and pointing at various boxes and trucks. She spotted Sheyenne as she approached and faced her with folded arms while the two men began loading the truck.
"So you're on board, then."
Sheyenne glanced at Ben, and nodded.
"You realize you'll be sleeping in the truck."
"Yes, ma'am." Outwardly, Sheyenne was unfazed.
"And you'll do exactly what l tell you to do."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Nothing else."
She took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
Jesse studied her briefly in silence, nodding to herself. "Well, then, l don't expect any problems." She began walking toward the purple semi, then turned halfway and offered what might have been some sort of smile. "My name's Jesse. Don't ever call me 'ma'am."
Ben raised his eyebrows and shrugged at his apprentice. "Guess we're followin'." Together they carried Sheyenne's bags to the road.
Behind the violet semi sat a '76 Ford pickup - creamy white with a faded brown stripe. It looked dwarfed next to its entourage of giant cross-country vehicles. Jesse was waiting beside it.
"You can toss your stuff in the bed."
"Where l'll be sleeping?" Sheyenne ran her hand along the edge, eyeing the truckbed. The brown paint was rough with weathering.
Jessey cocked her one mobile eyebrow at the younger woman. "Careful, kid. I put a hundred thousand miles on this truck before you could crawl."
Ben, standing a few feet off with pocketed hands, looked over the truck appreciatively. "She's in good condition for a '76. Real good, actually. Haven't seen one like it in a long time. How's she run?"
"Runs pretty well, in fact. I've put a lot of maintenance into this thing over the years." The red-headed woman abruptly turned her attention to the truck drivers and shouted at them. "We got ten minutes, hurry it up!"
One of the drivers gave her a thumbs-up sign. "Crew's almost done loading! Got one more truck to close!"
Jesse pushed herself off from the pickup and strode across the highway. "Well, as long as you two are here, might as well make yourselves useful." Sheyenne and Ben followed with a sigh.
Within minutes, the last truck was loaded and locked. The fairground was empty of the clutter that had covered it at Sheyenne's arrival. Crewmen were heading for their cars. The engineers met one last time beside the Ford. Ben offered Jesse a handshake.
"Well, she's all yours," he said, nodding toward the apprentice. "Take care of this kid. She's grown on me."
"Not to worry, she'll be fine." Jesse walked around to the driver's window and started the engine. "Well, say your goodbyes," she tossed out the opposite window. "The whole gang's waitin' on you."
Ben was never much one for farewells, and he stood gruffly with his thumbs hooked in his jean pockets. "...Well, have fun, kiddo," he managed at last. They hugged each other briskly for only a moment, aware of the seconds ticking away. "Be careful out there."
His friend grinned. "l'll miss you too, Ben." She broke the hug and walked backwards toward the truck. "l'll think about you whenever l hear Sting on the radio!"
"You know they don't play Sting on the radios anymore, kiddo."
"Not on Ohio stations, but Texas? California? Who knows?" She hopped into the cab. The old Ford was the first to pull out. Ben stood by the roadside for a while, growing smaller in the back window. She saw him raise a hand, so she stuck her arm out the window and waved wildly back. Then he turned away toward the tiny figure of the Cadillac.
Sheyenne settled back in her seat and turned her gaze to the road ahead. To their left the sun was resting on the horizon line, lighting the clouds in pearly gold. Its rays flashed broadside against the boxing caravan as they picked up speed, barreling down the highway. A thrill ran up her spine. She was on the road - finally.
