WHATEVER HAPPENED TO SMUDGER?
CHAPTER 10: Crazy Cycle
"The Emperor's locomotive, Royal, is missing," said the Old Controller the next day. "Smudger, you were in charge of him yesterday, I trust that you can find him."
"Yes sir!" whistled Smudger, and he set off to find the stuck-up, two-headed engine.
He checked the quarry, the dam, and Southern Station, but Royal was nowhere to be found.
He was heading back through the valley when he looked up. Above him was the mountain, which loomed powerfully over the line. Smaller mountains surrounded it, with small bridges linking them together.
Smudger looked behind him and noticed a line that went up. He began to wonder if anyone bothered to check up the mountain yet.
He quickly alerted the signalman and started to climb the mountain. It was steep, but Smudger's wheels gripped the rails beautifully, and he went higher and higher.
He soon came to a crossing. One led to a smooth rail that went alongside the mountain, the other lead away up the mountain with sharp twists and bends. Smudger looked at the mountain rail. "I'll check that other way later," he murmured as he puffed onto the smooth rail.
He eventually came across a bridge. He got onto it and, with a nervous sigh, began to cross. As he crossed, he thought he spotted something on the other side. He squinted but couldn't see it properly. As he got closer, he realized what it was.
There, lying in between the bridge and a track that went down sharply, halfway lodged in a ditch, was Royal.
"About time," snorted Showa.
"We were thinking that you've forgotten us," muttered Okinawa.
"I would have," grumbled Smudger, "If the Old Controller didn't remind me." His driver put the weird black machine thing underneath Royal, and it gradally levered them back onto the rails. Smudger then pulled them clear of the wrecked track.
"Ooo, an American is HELPING us," laughed Showa.
"Yeah, why haven't you kill us, you lazy bastard?" asked Okinawa.
Smudger finally snapped. Now uncoupled, he backed away and then rammed Royal furiously.
"Listen you two-headed son of a bitch!" he snapped, "Just because I'm American doesn't mean—hey what are you—?"
Smudger had forgotten that Royal had no driver and fireman, and that there was a long line that went downhill behind him. Either way, it was kind of too late to stop them, and Smudger really didn't want to anyway. Nonetheless, Royal slid onto the line. And if you don't understand what's happening, think "roller coaster".
Royal began to speed up, and then thundered down the line. He seemed to go faster every second. At the bottom, he sped through a tunnel out of view.
Smudger shot down the hill, chasing after Royal, he dashed into the tunnel as Royal came out the other end, up a small hill, and down the steep rail on the other side. Smudger thundered after him, his wheels pounding the rails.
Royal turned a corner and vanished from view. Following this was a loud "BOOM!" as he hit a barrier or something and went down into an abandoned mine. Dust and smoke filled the air around the hole.
Smudger looked down the mine tunnel and saw the double-fairlie glaring back up at him. Royal had hit some buffers and thankfully stopped, but now was covered in sooty, black coal dust from one end to the other.
Smudger stared for about a minute, and then burst out laughing. His driver went to a nearby station and telephoned for help.
San soon arrived with a flat truck carrying supplies, a crane to help get Royal out of the mine if needed, and a brake van carrying the Old Controller, who was not pleased at all.
Strong cables were hooked between Smudger and Royal. The Old Controller watched the rescue operation while Royal explained what happened. The Old Controller was cross when he found out why they ran away in the night.
"Getting a bit of mud on your buffers is NOT a reason to run away!" he said crossly. San and Smudger just laughed. They didn't laugh, though, when the Old Controller told them to take Royal's train to the Shipping and Scrap yard by the border to the "Foreign Railway" in China.
That evening, as Royal was getting repaired, the two engines rushed off to find the freight train. Smudger coupled up in front and San pushed behind him. It was a slow start, considering the trucks' weight, but soon the train was running nicely as they sped away from their normal railway to the yard.
It was dark when they arrived. Smudger ran around behind the train and helped San shunt them into place.
"I can't believe we had to do his work, especially after all he did," snorted Smudger, "San, as soon as we get back, I'm gonna—"
San laughed. "You don't need to call me that anymore," he said, "You earned my respect by screwing that double-ended bastard up. Just call me EM like everybody else, ok?"
Smudger blinked. "…erm…ok," he said as he shunted the last of the trucks into place. He was just puffing off when—
Hisssssssssssssssssss…
The two froze. "What was that?" asked Smudger nervously.
EM gulped. "Don't know…but…it sounds like an engine…"
TO BE FRIGGIN CONTINUED