After a short, somewhat panicked moment in which they tried to determine whether President Deling had been set on fire, the group's escape from Timber proceeded as well as could have been expected; the handcart rode the rails out of the Timber city limits, where they left it and the rails behind to strike out on foot. (Nida found a way to keep the device running down the tracks, so as not to leave it for the Galbadians to use as a starting point for a search.) A slightly singed Deling, still gagged, was removed from the box and made to march in front of them.
At first, as they made their way away from any beaten path, there was little discussion; the sun beat down on them as if it were summer already, the tall grass would hide burnt-out tree stumps until someone tripped over them, and the ground had just enough of an uphill slant to make walking over it for a long time particularly wearying. And the only topic of conversation that came up to lighten the mood was that of how much more walking of what sort they would be doing.
Dollet's too big a risk, said Quistis, who was walking with Nida well behind Deling, who was being escorted by Selphie and Zell. Still, she kept her voice down. We can't walk through the streets with the president of Galbadia and charter a boat, especially with Galbadian troops still there to operate the communications tower.
Nida nodded. And since we obviously can't take the train back to Balamb, that means we're stuck in Galbadia for now. It probably wouldn't be very nice to involve the government of Balamb in this anyway.That's true, said Quistis. Which leaves us—Galbadia Garden, Nida agreed. That's pretty far away.No choice, Quistis said. They're about the only place on the continent that will take us in; and besides, it's Garden protocol.Article 8:7, Nida agreed. Well, you're the boss.You have a point, too, said Quistis. Getting there will be a problem. And I want to get there as quickly as possible; having Deling out in the open like this is a very bad idea.So how do we get there? Nida asked.
Quistis sighed, taking out her electronic map and scrolling across the display. I'm wondering if there's some sort of transportation we could use. With the trains not running, it's a long way to walk.
Nida frowned. He'd never been to Timber before, and the map Garden had provided him didn't provide a lot of information about the area. Since he had no idea what to say, he kept quiet for some time as they made their way over a shallow hill. He was still at a loss for what to do when, as they came near the top of the hill, he spied beyond it a long, snaking road, divided in the center: an expressway, probably the main road connecting Timber to the rest of the continent. That gave him an idea.
If Timber's under martial law, he said, and no one's being let in or out of the city, then there must be people waiting outside. Maybe some of them have cars.Not many people drive in Timber, said Quistis. Although the city does have quite a large population. It's worth exploring—but again, the road is sure to be guarded.It's a long road, said Nida. There's got to be some way. Probably.
By now, they had reached the top of the hill, and had a mostly unbroken view of the road as it ran into Timber. There was indeed a line of cars along the road leading into the city, and along the one leading out they could see vehicles moving, but they were going into town.
They're using the outbound road to move in more troops, said Quistis. We're lucky we got out of town when we did, but they'll be scouting the countryside before too long. She frowned, falling silent for a time. Nida waited; the others too had stopped, apparently also waiting on Quistis' decision (except Deling, who was still fuming).
What should we do now? asked Rinoa, approaching them. Seifer came with her, though he hung behind and maintained an expressive scowl.
...We'll try to secure a vehicle, said Quistis.
Seifer rolled his eyes. Oh, like no one's going to be watching the road out from Timber?We did consider that, said Nida.
Seifer gave him a glare that seemed more appropriate for a dog who barked out of turn. Before he could reply, however, Quistis stepped in. It's no more dangerous than trying to walk out of here. I think it's worth a try.
Seifer scoffed. Whatever you say, Instructor.
Nida guessed from his tone that was somehow meant as an insult, though he wasn't sure why.
Quistis, ignoring the jab, turned to him. I should stay here with Deling. Would you and the Timber Team mind securing us a vehicle?
Nida almost saluted, but stopped himself upon remembering Deling. We'll do our best, he said.
Heey, how about that one? asked Selphie, pointing at a sleek sedan that was painted in such a bright orange that Nida felt sure it could glow in the dark.
Uh...I'm not sure if it's big enough, said Nida, trying to be diplomatic. We need a car that can seat seven, and preferably where we can hide Deling out of sight. said Zell. Plus it's ugly as hell.It totally is not! protested Selphie. I could go and tell the owner you said that!Just leave out the part about how you want to steal it, said Nida. Let's look for a van.
There was no shortage of cars to choose from, but their choices were limited to vehicles that could be maneuvered out of the line and away from their owners for a smooth getaway. This generally meant cars that were towards the back or stopped along the shoulder of the expressway, or where the operator seemed to have left. Nida had briefly considered suggesting one of the massive trailer trucks that was missing a driver, but had decided that they should probably opt for a lower profile.
How about that one, then? asked Zell, pointing to an off-road vehicle painted in camouflage green and with swamp treads on its tires. It looked big enough; but the owner, who was leaning against the hood, looked as if his preferred sport involved wrestling Wendigos.
Maybe something more generic, Nida suggested. Zell looked notably crestfallen.
What do you think's gonna happen with Timber? Selphie asked. I mean, if the Galbadians don't find their president, are they gonna give Timber independence?I wouldn't think so, said Nida. Probably they'll keep the city under martial law. Deling's lieutenants won't want to do anything without his approval, so I'd guess the government's only action will be trying to find him.Guess it's all up to Rinoa to negotiate it with Deling, said Zell. Then, Hey, how about that?
Nida looked where he was pointing. Stopped on the side of the road was a nondescript brown van, which had been modified to include a flatbed reminiscent of a pickup truck; it nonetheless had two sets of doors and looked big enough to seat seven people, if a little tightly. Best of all, there was no owner apparent.
There's a car like that in Balamb, said Zell. I helped fix its alternator once; that guy had seriously tricked out his engine. I wonder if this one's like that too!
I guess we can find out, said Nida. Zell didn't need his encouragement, as he and Selphie were already on their way towards the vehicle.
They had nearly come up on it when a problem presented itself. The front driver's-side window was open slightly, which seemed a bit odd until a big black dog started barking at them from inside it. Woah, man, Zell said upon seeing this. This could be trouble.
A few people were already starting to stare. I wonder... Nida began; then he ran through his mental list of magic he had come across. he tried.
Lights flashed inside the car, and seconds later the dog was curled up on the seat, looking inclined to bother no one.
All right! said Zell, a bit too loudly for Nida's preference.
We need to figure out how to get in, said Nida. The car's probably locked.
Zell confirmed this a second later by pulling on the door handle. he said, next trying to stick his hand through the opening in the window, but it was not quite wide enough. Guess we could just break it. said Selphie. I bet I can reach through that. To demonstrate, she hurried up to the door; but another problem presented itself. Um, can someone give me a boost? she asked, after a few seconds of trying to reach through the door on her own.
With Zell's assistance, she had the door open in quick time, and as Nida and Selphie carefully moved the dog away from the car, Zell tackled their next problem. No keys, he announced, after checking the glove compartment, the dashboard, the sun flaps, under the front seats, and inside the steering wheel. Guess I'll have to hotwire it. said Nida, still concerned about Zell's proficiency with machinery. Are you sure—
Sparks flew from the exposed wiring behind the steering wheel, and the car hummed to life. Zell exclaimed, even as he was aggressively beating out all the sparks that had landed on anything flammable, including the fur-lined seats. Hop in, everybody; let's get this to the rendezvous!
With a concerned look at the dog – fortunately, the magic-induced sleep was not shaken by the noise from the van – and after debating whether or not to try and talk Zell out of driving, Nida nodded and got in the passenger's side, while Selphie got in the row of seats behind them; they barely had time to fasten their seatbelts before Zell had got them moving. He turned in an arc tight enough that Nida worried they might run over the dog, but managed to get them heading away from Timber without any such an event; Nida didn't even see anyone who might be the vehicle's owner running after them in the rear-view mirror.
Selphie said. Mission accomplished.
Nida started to ask, but stopped. That actually did go really well.Of course it did! said Zell. We're SeeDs, man! The best of the best! It's why we get the big money!
The van, which was still driving offroad, hit a large jolt that caused Nida to involuntarily gnash his teeth together. ...Just watch where you're driving, okay? he asked. This car needs to get us a long way from Timber, and it'd be nice not to break it too badly for the owner.Hey, I hear you, said Zell. Don't worry about it! I was driving my dad's truck practically before I could reach the pedals!
While Nida was not particularly encouraged by this, he kept this to himself. Zell finally got them back on the road as the line of waiting cars fell away behind them, leaving clear driving ahead of them—for the moment, at least.