A RECIPE FOR DISASTER

Based upon "I Name This Engine..." by Christopher Awdry

A few days later, the new number seven was completely built, and it was time for the engine's first firing. No. 7 had four driving wheels and two trailing wheels underneath his cab, and he had large side tanks on either side of his boiler. He was also painted in a purplish-indigo livery with pale gray lining, and his nameplates had yet to be installed.

Gordon, Victor, Kevin, Mr. Percival and the workmen watched as No. 7's firebox was lit for the first time. It wasn't long before his eyes opened for the first time, looking at the world around him with wonderment, unsure as to what to make of it.

"Hello, No. 7," said Mr. Percival to the new engine. "Welcome to the Island of Sodor."

No. 7 didn't say anything, but he smiled shyly at the man who had just spoken to him.

"I think he's just shy, sir," said Victor. "Let's give him time to open up. Oh!" He glanced back over at the new engine. "My name is Victor, the crane is Kevin, the big blue engine is Gordon, and the man is Mr. Percival, your controller."

"Hello there!" greeted Kevin excitedly, bobbing his crane arm up and down, as if waving.

"Easy, Kevin," warned Victor. "The new engine's just woken up. There's no need to overwhelm him."

"He'll make a fine addition to the Skarloey Railway," said Gordon. "What will his name be?"

"There will be a naming ceremony for that," replied Mr. Percival. "I've adjusted the timetables so that all the engines will be able to attend."


It wasn't long before all of the little engines were gathered at Crovan's Gate for the naming ceremony. There was high speculation amongst those attending as to what the new engine's name was going to be.

"What do you think No. 7's name is going to be?" asked Peter Sam.

"It must be a place or a person to match us," said Sir Handel.

"I think it's a place," decided Rheneas. "But why is it a secret? I mean, Mr. Hugh doesn't even know and he's supposed to do the naming."

"Well, I'm stumped," said Rusty. "But I guess we don't have to wait too long."

The new engine puffed out of the Steamworks with a smile, and both of his sides had curtains to conceal his name.

"Hello!" called Luke. "Welcome to the Skarloey Railway."

The new engine flinched and looked down at his buffers.

"Oh, I think he's a bit shy," said Skarloey. "It's okay, we're your new family."

No. 7 smiled shyly as he was rolled into position. Mr. Hugh smiled and took his position next to No. 7.

"I am here to name the Skarloey Railway's newest engine," he announced. "I don't know what his name is, so I shall have to read it to you. I therefore name this engine…" He pulled back the curtain. "Bless my soul!"

The engines stared incredulously at him.

"No, not that," said Mr. Hugh, slightly embarrassed before recovering. "It's Ivo Hugh!"

The other engines looked on in shock. On the new engine's nameplate was the chief mechanical engineer's name, just like how Sir Handel and Peter Sam were named after the previous Mr. Percival's old friends.

"I'm honored, sir," said Mr. Hugh to the current Mr. Percival. "Thank you."

"After all you've done for the railway," said Mr. Percival, "it's the least I could do."

"You're doing a great job, Peter," said Peregrine Percival.

"Welcome, Ivo Hugh," said Rheneas. "It's wonderful to have you aboard."

Ivo Hugh gave a small smile in response to this.

"Indeed it is," said Mr. Percival. "Now, engines, as much as it's fun to have a new member of our fleet here with us, we must also show him the ropes, which means you lot must get back to work."

"Yes, sir," the engines all replied.

"Who will be showing Ivo Hugh around, sir?" asked Duke.

"Well, Duke," said Mr. Percival, "I was thinking you and Ivo Hugh could double head a train to Ulfstead Castle. As you haven't been there before, this will give you a chance to see what it's like."

"Of course, sir," smiled Duke. "I wonder who's taken up a residency there and owns Millie."

"Wait and see," chuckled Mr. Percival and he winked at the other engines.


Duke and Ivo Hugh gently buffered up to the supply train. A couple of the trucks had new plants for the estate's garden.

"Okay, Ivo Hugh," said Duke. "These flower pots are very fragile, so go carefully."

Ivo Hugh didn't know how to respond at first, but he blew his whistle in affirmation.

"Er, not quite how I thought you'd reply, but I'll take it," said Duke.

The guard blew her whistle and the two engines started off.


As Duke and Ivo Hugh puffed through the railway, Duke was running down various details of their route.

"Over here is the school," Duke explained. "Many of the children come racing to the gate to greet us when we pass by if it's playtime. Abigail Hugh, that's your namesake's wife, used to be a teacher here until she retired."

Some of the children were in a classroom and waved at the two engines through the window. The passengers waved back, and Ivo Hugh grinned broadly.

"The passengers often think that the children are waving to them," chuckled Duke, "but we engines know better, of course."


The two engines eventually reached Ulfstead Castle, where Millie pulled up with some passengers in her open coach.

"Ah, bonjour," she greeted. "You must be zis 'Duke' I've been hearing about."

"That's right," the brown tender engine confirmed. "I take it you're Millie, then."

"Oui, Duke," she replied. "It is an honor to meet you at last. Ze other engines couldn't stop talking about you, Sir Handel and Peter Sam especially, and Luke and I often wondered what you were like."

"I'm glad to know I was missed," smiled Duke. "Oh, and by the way, we have a new recruit on our railway. This is Ivo Hugh. Ivo Hugh, this is Millie."

"Bonjour, Ivo Hugh," greeted Millie. The new engine blew his whistle in response.

"Oh, well, not quite ze reply I was expecting," gasped Millie. "Er… but it is nice to meet you."

"Yes, he did that when we were taking off too." said Duke. "Er, just a bit curious, who runs this estate railway? The others didn't tell me."

"That would be me!" came an excited voice. Walking up alongside Millie was Sir Robert Norramby, the Earl of Sodor.

"Ah, hello there! Duke, I presume?" smiled the Earl. "Welcome to the estate railway."

"Good day to you," Duke said, completely taken aback. "Yes, that's me. Who, might I ask, are you?"

"Well, I only really saw you once," said the Earl. "I was a baby at the time, and my mother brought me to see you while my father was in the war."

"Your father… As in, His Grace?" Duke asked slowly.

"That's correct," said the Earl. "Unfortunately, my mother refused to talk about anything to do with my father following his death, including you."

Duke's eyes widened in shock.

"Died?!" he gasped. "He died, and I was never told?!"

"Duke," said Millie, trying to sound calm, "I know zis is a lot to take in, but don't take your anger out on-"

"I can't believe this!" Duke cried. "His Grace is gone, and because of that, I was left abandoned for so long!"

Ivo Hugh had listened to the whole conversation, unsure as to what to make of it. He wasn't even a week old, and what he had heard sounded like a lot to take in.

"And what about my overhaul?" Duke went on. "Why was that pushed to the wayside for so long? Duncan got out long before me, and he was in the Steamworks long after I was! Maybe… maybe I wasn't as missed as what I'm being led to believe!"

"Duke, please…!" cried the Earl.

"Ivo Hugh, you can arrange these yourself!" snapped Duke. "I'm done here."

Shocked, Duke's driver uncoupled him from the train and the tender engine puffed away.

"Zut alors!" cried Millie. "I hope he doesn't always act like zat."

Ivo Hugh frowned, unsure as to how to express himself. Duke didn't seem like such a bad engine when he first met him, but now he seemed to have given everyone around him the cold buffer treatment. Why this sudden change, Ivo Hugh wondered?

"Do you think you can arrange those flower pots, Ivo Hugh?" asked the Earl, still a bit shaken by Duke's outburst.

Ivo Hugh blew his whistle in confirmation, as if trying to say "yes". His flower pot trucks were uncoupled from the rest and shunted the trucks. Unfortunately, Duke's outburst left him very distracted.

How could an engine go from being pleasant to being angry and rude in seconds flat? he thought. It doesn't make any sense…

"Ivo Hugh!" cried Millie. "Slow down, ze buffers-"

CRASH, CLATTER, SMASH!

"…are right in front of you…" sighed Millie.

Ivo Hugh cringed at the sight that lay in front of him. Some of the flower pots were completely shattered and the plants lay all over the tracks. Luckily though, the trucks themselves stayed intact.

"I'll find ze breakdown train," said Millie.


It wasn't long before Millie did find the breakdown train and the mess was being cleared up. Mr. Percival was onboard the brake van with the current mechanical engineer, David Hugh II.

"Ivo Hugh, what happened?" asked Mr. Percival.

The new engine opened up his mouth to try and explain, but no noise came out of it, let alone words.

"Is he mouthing what happened?" asked Mr. Hugh.

"Hold on," said Mr. Percival. "I met someone at school who tried this once and the same thing happened to her like what happened to Ivo Hugh."

"What would zat be, sir?" asked Millie.

"I think… Ivo Hugh is mute."


Author's Comments

Here's chapter two of Ivo Hugh the New Engine, being adapted from the story I Name This Engine...! Well, I'm not really sure if you can call it an adaptation, since the only thing they have in common is the naming ceremony. Everything else is completely different, even Ivo Hugh's color scheme. The Skarloey Railway never really had a purple engine, so I thought that he'd be painted that to fill in that gap and complete the rainbow spectrum. As yes, I decided to make him a mute; that'll be further explained as the book progresses. And similar as to how Edward was depicted in Emily the Stirling Single, Rachel and I showed a different side to Duke. Having not found out earlier that his previous Grace had been killed in the war, along with feeling like he was never really missed during his overhaul shows a more insecure side to the old Granpuff previously explored in A Broken Family?.

Next time, we see the little engines Understanding Ivo Hugh!