WHEN FALCONS CRY

Written by Zack Wanzer, Rachel Ravens and James Riddle

Set during Series 9-10

One autumn morning, Mr. Percival addressed the little engines at the sheds.

"I believe you have all heard of the Thin Clergyman," he announced.

"Isn't he the one who wrote stories about the big engines?" ventured Skarloey.

"Quite right, Skarloey," said Mr. Percival. "Now, he's just spoken to me recently about writing a book about Sir Handel and Peter Sam's first days on the line."

The two engines in question looked up with curiosity.

"Will Skarloey and Rheneas be in it too?" asked Peter Sam. "They were around when we first came here."

"That they shall indeed," smiled Mr. Percival. "The Thin Clergyman is calling this book Four Little Engines, and there will be a small celebration at Lakeside to mark this auspicious occasion."

"Suspicious, sir?" asked Flyer. "What could be so suspicious about a book launch?"

"Auspicious, Flyer," explained Mr. Percival, "is just another way of saying that this occasion is important. Now, when the day arrives, your schedules shall be adjusted so that you can all attend."


Some days later, the party marking the release of Four Little Engines took place. The little engines - especially Skarloey, Rheneas, Sir Handel and Peter Sam - were excited about their stories being published for the first time. However, as the book was written with children in mind, many details regarding Sir Handel and Peter Sam's past had to be sanitized for publication, such as presenting Jacob Hockings (without his name being used, of course) as lazy instead of abusive. But that wasn't the biggest issue the former had...

"Hold up," he said, looking over a copy in his driver's hand. "The Thin Clergyman hasn't included the more touching moments between me and Peter Sam!"

"He must've cut some details out to keep children engaged," Sir Handel's driver suggested.

"If that's the case," said Sir Handel, "then why did I have to be written as if I was an absolute menace? No children would want to ride on my trains if that was all that they read about me!"

"Annabelle and her friends still could," sympathized Peter Sam. "They know a lot more than what was written down."

"Yes, that's true," said Sir Handel. "I just hope that the Thin Clergyman shows my good side in the books soon."

But I'm afraid that that was wishful thinking on Sir Handel's part. Two subsequent books would be published about the Skarloey Railway within the next couple of years; one focusing on the arrival of Rusty and Duncan and the return of Skarloey, and the other focusing on Peter Sam and Sir Handel's respective modifications and the return of Rheneas. Neither book showed Sir Handel as having sympathetic qualities to him, which made the blue engine quite frustrated. Sooner or later, he would reach his boiling point…


Seven Years Later – 1996

It was another big day for the little engines. The newest book about them, Very Old Engines, was about to be published.

"I wouldn't worry too much about this one," said Flyer to Sir Handel. "I mean, it's mostly focused on Skarloey and Rheneas' early days. How can this one be messed up?"

"I don't know," said Rusty. "Right around their hundredth birthday, there was the whole question on Duke's situation."

"How could we forget…" shuddered Peter Sam. The engines all went silent, eying each other nervously. The first three stories went off without a hitch; granted, Skarloey and Rheneas were both present to tell their stories in this version, but it seemed like a harmless change. But then the Thin Clergyman got to the first part of "Happy Birthday, Skarloey and Rheneas".

"Oh… that talk I had with Duck practically ate me up…" Peter Sam whimpered quietly. But much to the engines' shock, the story didn't even mention Sir Handel having a reaction. There was worse to come…

"'I d-d-don't feel well,' quivered Sir Handel," The Thin Clergyman read. The engines all gave each other uncomfortable looks, the Mid Sodor trio in particular.

"'Sir Handel!' snapped the Thin Controller. 'If you fail to 'play the game', I shall have your driver and fireman take you to pieces and have that be put on television. I'm sure that will make a fine picture–' 'N-no,' stammered Sir Handel. 'I'll do as–'"

"Give me that!" cried Mr. Percival, snatching the book out of the Thin Clergyman's hand. The engines all stared up at the Thin Clergyman, their eyes were like daggers.

"Just who do you think you are?!" bellowed Duke. "How could you portray Falcon in such a disgraceful manner?"

"And not just in this book!" Peter Sam continued. "What about Gallant Little Engines? Sir Handel did laugh at my drainpipe a little bit, but he quickly stopped. He didn't make that song up!"

"Aye, that was me!" cried Duncan. "And it was just me and Agnes that made fun of his tires, not everyone!"

"And how could you have written me as instigating the George incident?!" snapped Skarloey. "I was trying to deescalate the situation when Sir Handel was trying to defend Peter Sam and Duke from Geroge. What you wrote is like mocking someone for using a walking stick! And Peter Sam did shoo the children away once he realized the teasing was out of control."

"Don't forget The Little Old Engine!" added Rusty. "Sir Handel helped to clear up the accident after he found out Peter Sam got hurt and towed him home. And you didn't show him telling off Gordon either. Not to mention, Sir Handel felt very guilty about the whole incident."

"And in Four Little Engines," said Rheneas, "you didn't bother to explain why Sir Handel was upset."

"I… I had to tone it down for the children–"

"Oh, that's rich given what you've just written!" snapped Sir Handel. "Do you understand the pain Peter Sam and I had to go through? How could you be so ignorant?! I had to work hard to look after one member of my family, and yet you give me no credit or respect at all! We came here to start fresh after we were horribly abused, and then you turn my life upside down because of your poor choice of entertainment for children! Do you have any idea on what it's like to be with a low amount of trust in others in a forsaken land, and YOUR GRANPUFF IS NOWHERE IN SIGHT TO TURN TO FOR COMFORT?! IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR?!"

Everyone looked over, horrified at Sir Handel. The dark blue tank engine's last bit of strength had been used up, and his crew started him up to get him away from the crowd.

"Sir Handel's right," Peter Sam said darkly. "You really haven't given my big brother a fair chance; you do play favorites. I may be considered one of them… but I don't consider you my favorite author."

Hearing those words felt like a slap in the face for the Thin Clergyman. One by one, the rest of the engines left – Skarloey, Rheneas and Duke took the coaches – and Mr. Percival held a glare at the Thin Clergyman.

"You, Mr. Awdry, have a lot to think about," he warned before leaving as well, shoving the book back into the Thin Clergyman's hands.


A very badly shaken Sir Handel raced past Crovan's Gate without stopping, much to Bear's surprise.

"Sir Handel!" called Peter Sam. "Sir Handel, please, we'll talk at the sheds, alright?" The dark blue tank engine glanced back gratefully.

"What's all this then?" asked Bear, once he'd found his voice.

"Long story, Bear." Skarloey pulled up with the old coaches.

"Well, literally, it was a story," said Beatrice.

"Thin Clergyman's visit didn't go well?" Bear's eyes narrowed.

"That's putting it mildly," said Lucy. "Sir Handel was written worse than ever." She quickly explained what was written.

"Oh, he's really done it now!" growled Bear. "'Thomas nearly falling down a mine is too dark for kids', my back coupling!"

"Let's hope that the book doesn't actually get published with that offending bit," said Ruth. "For all our sakes."

"If it does," sighed Skarloey, "I reckon Peter Sam and Duke will have their work cut out for them…"


Unfortunately, the book did actually get published as it was. Many of the engines, especially those who were around when the events took place, made their views quite clear.

"Disgraceful!" said Gordon.

"Disgusting!" added James.

"Despicable!" finished Henry. "I can't imagine how upset Sir Handel was during that incident."

"Both incidents," Percy said firmly. "It's bad enough that Duke's fate was up in the air at the time, but this book on top of that?!"

"Does the Thin Clergyman like to play favorites, I wonder?" said Thomas. "I get that I'm number one, but I'm not the only engine who works for the North Western Railway!"

"Well, if he does have a least favorite amongst us big engines," said James, before cheekily glancing over at Henry, "I'd say it was Henry!"

"What do you mean, I'm the least favorite?" snapped Henry.

"Well, he doesn't feature you as much as he does with the likes of me and Gordon, does he?"

"Last time I checked, James," retorted Henry, "he enjoyed writing your book the least! 'Rushed to meet a deadline,' as he said."

James groaned with annoyance as some of the other engines chuckled.

"Well, at least his illustrators never had that many problems with me!" the red engine snapped. "The first one left because the Thin Clergyman didn't like how Percy was drawn like a green caterpillar with red stripes!"

Now it was Percy's turn to be embarrassed; Thomas and Emily glared darkly at James as he laughed at his own wit.

"Everyone, please!" Edward commanded; silence quickly fell once again. "What's important here is that we help Sir Handel through this. You know that he's more sensitive than he likes to let on."

"You've got a point, Edward," sighed Gordon. "For anyone meeting up with Sir Handel at Crovan's Gate, try to talk to him as calmly and kindly as possible."

"And we may need Mrs. Kyndley for backup," said Emily.


Meanwhile, things had not been going over well for Sir Handel. He was out on a passenger run with Gertrude and Millicent, but the two bogie coaches were running almost empty. Amongst the few passengers on board were Annabelle and Paul Percival, as well as their newborn daughter, Alice; Penny and Pansy were also there.

"What in King Godred's name is going on here?" asked Paul.

"Yeah," said Penny. "So much for 'I need to catch the train urgently.' They may as well have walked alongside the line."

"That stupid Thin Clergyman's fault!" fumed Sir Handel. "He wrote that passage about me faking ill when the television train was here."

Paul, his wife and sisters all gasped in shock. Baby Alice gave a concerned babble.

"That's not true!" gasped Pansy. "You were very keen to get going, and doubleheaded it with Peter Sam. We were all there at the celebration. Well, apart from little Alice, of course."

"And the cherry on top of this mess?" added Gertrude. "There was no reaction from Sir Handel in the book on the 'Duke being scrapped or not' subplot."

"That's right," said Millicent. "It was all on Peter Sam."

"Oh, that is it!" Annabelle snapped. "It's one thing that Sir Handel got eggs thrown at him by Goldie and Sylviva when we were teenagers. But outright leaving him out of certain things and treating an implied threat of scrap as if it's some sick joke?!"

"Anna," said Paul gently. "I know you're upset, but…" He gestured down to their baby, who was whimpering.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sweetie." Annabelle gently kissed Alice's forehead, helping her to calm down a little. "Mommy's not angry at you."

"And neither am I," Sir Handel said quietly. "I… I just wish I knew what to do…"

"Maybe see Mrs. Kyndley," suggested Pansy. "She can't fix the book, but she can help you through this situation."

"That would be a good idea," said Sir Handel. "Thanks for suggesting that."


Annabelle kept a level head for the rest of her train ride and waited for Paul to take Alice home. Then…

"WILBERT AWDRY!"

The author jumped at his real name. "Er… Mrs. Annabelle Percival," he gulped. "I wasn't expecting to see you today."

"I was just taking Sir Handel's train on the Skarloey Railway," said Annabelle. "But because of your recent book, my husband, daughter and sisters-in-law were the only other ones on the train!" She slapped the book onto the desk. "What in the blooming blazes is your problem with Sir Handel?! He's been through just as much trauma as Peter Sam!"

"I…" the Thin Clergyman quivered. "From what I've seen of them, Sir Handel is the tougher one of the two. So… I thought…"

"Well, the fact is, neither of them can stomach that kind of humor," snorted Annabelle. "Especially because, I don't know, their friend Bertram was scrapped right in front of them!"

"Scrapped right in front of them?!"

"You heard me right," Annabelle snapped. "And Bertram was Duke's brother! And now, poor Sir Handel is seeking out professional help because you couldn't be bothered to get to know him any better!" She stormed out of the room, slamming the door.

The Thin Clergyman shakily rose from his seat and headed outside to his car. He needed to have a serious think about what he had done.


"What's the use…" Sir Handel said quietly. "I should just stick to the quarry at this rate. At least I can bump the trucks if they misbehave."

"You, working in a quarry 24/7?" Duke remarked. "Come now, Falcon. We all know you'd hate that."

"Most of the passengers refused to get on my trains today," the dark blue engine sighed. "That could make the railway go out of business. We can't afford that happening… again…"

"It was a bad day," Peter Sam told him, "and those passengers were just being impolite."

"Impolite?" snorted Duncan, as he and the others came into the sheds. "They were as blind as bats! Surely they'd know by now the books are not wholly accurate."

"Duncan's got a point," said Rusty. "We can't let those books soil our reputation. Though, I do have to admit, that bit in the latest book has got to go. How can anyone enjoy the book as a whole if it's that one bit that drags the whole thing down?"

"It's like that one episode from that television show based around Captain Star and his fleet of tugboats," Skarloey agreed with a sigh. "The rest of the episode was good, but one bad apple spoils the bunch."

"Oh yes, the one where he threatened O.J., Ten Cents and Sunshine with scrap," Rheneas said. "Just get rid of that plot point and it would be fine. And it's a real shame that Awdry had to spoil our latest book with that bit."

"Your flashbacks were fun to listen to in book form," said Sir Handel. "I just… hope that we can pick up the pieces…"

"We all will," said Fred. "We're a team, right?"

"Right!"

"Now that's what we like to hear," said a different female voice. The engines glanced up in surprise – there was Annabelle Percival with her aunt Amanda Hatt.

"Mrs. Hatt, Annabelle!" gasped Peter Sam. "What are you two doing here?"

"Well, my niece told me everything, dearies," said Amanda, "so we got right to work." She and Annabelle showed the engines some pages with the cover title saying, Skarloey and Rheneas' Early Years.

"You two don't waste any time," chuckled Skarloey.

"Well, this is only our first draft," said Annabelle. "But I hope this will cheer you up. If we get anything wrong, set us on the right track," she added with a wink.

Annabelle and Amanda sat down on upside down buckets as the former read out the stories. Annabelle was mimicking the voices of her engine companions; she had done this ever since she was a kid and didn't intend on stopping now.

"'He started it'!" she read in a very childish Skarloey and Rheneas impression. The engines all burst out laughing. Finally, she got to the birthday celebration story.

"'…and you, Peter Sam and Sir Handel,' said Mr. Percival, 'shall pull the special Television train.' Both engines were so excited their boilers could have burst. Their only regret they had was that… their beloved Granpuff may not have been there to see it."

Sir Handel started to cry. "Y-yes… that was our only regret…"

"Oh, I'm sorry if that upset you," said Annabelle. "If you don't want–"

"Leave it in," smiled Sir Handel weakly. "It's perfect."

"W-will you be doing Duke's rediscovery next?" asked Peter Sam.

"Of course," said Annabelle. "It'd only be fair. Besides, some readers will be asking questions about you in this book, Duke."

Duke chuckled. "I can only imagine." Little did the engines realize a man in his car had witnessed the whole meeting.


In his home, the Thin Clergyman sat at his desk, crumpled up paper stacked beside his chair; he appeared to be suffering from writer's block.

"No…" he sighed, going over another paper he'd just typed. "It'll make Sir Handel seem even more out of character than I'd already made him…" Crumpling it up, he tossed it aside, and began typing on a fresh sheet of paper. Annabelle's words regarding his actions kept playing in his head, and the guilt for her actions was affecting his writing. He just had to come up with the right way to amend his mistakes regarding Sir Handel's character in his books.

"Wait a second…" Duke's rediscovery; he had been meaning to write that book for a while now. "I have got to get this right." He started typing busily into the night.


Sir Handel had finally gotten his appointment with Mrs. Kyndley.

"There is a fine line between keeping things too real and making stuff up for the sake of the story," said Mrs. Kyndley. "You are absolutely right, Sir Handel."

"I know," sighed the dark blue engine. "Annabelle even details the differences between the real version and the books she writes at the back. But even then, they are all harmless."

"And she and Amanda always run through the drafts and final product with you before they are published," said Mrs. Kyndley. "Has the Thin Clergyman ever done that with any of you?"

"Only the final cut, a few days before publication," sighed Sir Handel. "I don't understand, Mrs. Kyndley; what does he have against me?"

"Have you said anything to him that provoked him, perhaps?" asked Mrs. Kyndley.

"Not as far as I recall," Sir Handel admitted. Suddenly, he realized something. "Wait a second…"


"AHHH!"

"Sir Handel!" Peter Sam gasped; the other engines woke up suddenly. "Are you alright?"

"No…" I sighed. "It was… one of those nights…"

"Hockings?" asked Duke.

"Yes…" I bit my lip. I was about to tell the others more, when I heard the shed doors open.

"Good morning, engines," said Mr. Percival. "We have our special visitor coming today."

That was today?! I thought. Oh, cinders…

"Er, sir," said Rheneas. "We don't mean any disrespect, but could you tell the visitor to come back later?"

Mr. Percival took one look at me, and realized what was going on.

"Very well, I'll…" Unfortunately, the visitor came in before we could react.

"You must be the Skarloey engines I've been hearing so much about," he said with a smile. "I'm Wilbert Awdry."

"Er… Mr. Awdry," said Skarloey. "Believe us, it is a pleasure to meet you, but…"

"The famous Skarloey himself," he smiled. "Took home some passengers after another engine couldn't do it. That's an accomplishment."

"Could you come back later, please?" asked Rheneas. "We're… on a tight ship."

"Really?" the clergyman said in surprise. "Well, I guess that's how railways run."

"Thank you, Mr. Awdry," said Rusty. "Perhaps come back next week?"

"I understand." The clergyman started to leave. "We'll talk about my books next time–"

"Your books?!" I gasped. "Wait, don't tell me you were the one who published those stories about the big engines."

"Why, that's right," the clergyman replied. "I wrote them to entertain children–"

"And publish lies about those who live here!" I snapped. "Henry walled up by Sir Topham Hatt because of the rain? James' book was rushed to meet a deadline? What next? Donald saving Oliver instead of Douglas?"


"When I look back on that day," Sir Handel finished, "I think it was my brash outburst towards the Thin Clergyman that gave him the idea for my portrayal in his books."

"Oh… I see," winced Mrs. Kyndley. "You just had a nightmare that night and needed to talk about it with those you trusted."

"Indeed," sighed Sir Handel. "I just wish I had chosen my words more carefully before talking. Maybe then, he would have portrayed me in a more positive light."

"Well, it's never too late to change, dear," assured Mrs Kyndley. "I suggest you and the Thin Clergyman have a heart to heart talk. If he isn't willing to change his writing, then it's likely the books will go out of business."

"I understand," said Sir Handel. "I'll talk to him when I see him next." If I see him next… he added silently. He steamed out of the shed to collect Gertrude and Millicent.

Little did he know he'd see the Thin Clergyman sooner than he'd think.


At Crovan's Gate Station, the Thin Clergyman sat waiting for the next train. Unfortunately, he'd been up so late the previous night, he began drifting off to sleep.

"Wilbert…" called another clergyman. "Wilbert, are you alright?"

"Wh-what?" yawned the Thin Clergyman, waking up a bit. "Oh yes, Teddy, I'm fine. Just a little tired, is all."

"More than a little," said Teddy. "You look like you haven't slept a wink."

"I… I'm fine…" yawned the Thin Clergyman. "Just need to… stretch my legs…" But he didn't notice he was heading for the edge of the platform.

"Stop!" called a voice. "You'll fall onto the line!" A loud whistle punctuated the warning.

"Hmm… what… oh, gracious!" The Thin Clergyman raced back to the safe side of the platform, just as the engine came up.

"Are you alright?" asked the voice. The Thin Clergyman glanced up at the engine in surprise.

"Sir Handel…" he gasped. "You… you saved me. Thank you."

"That's alright," Sir Handel said quietly; he got a better look at the Thin Clergyman. "You need to get home for some rest, sir."

"I suppose so," sighed the Thin Clergyman. "I was up late all night."

"Was it a nightmare?" asked Sir Handel.

"No… well, sort of," the Thin Clergyman explained. "Annabelle told me about your lack of passengers due to my recent book. And… I was trying to fix that mistake. I honestly never intended to cause any strife or difficulties with my stories. I was only trying to entertain children."

"I know, but did you have to get Mr. Percival to threaten to take me to pieces?" Sir Handel grunted. "Bertram–"

"Annabelle told me that yesterday," the Thin Clergyman sighed. "I didn't know about that, and it doesn't excuse my behavior at all. I'm so sorry, Sir Handel."

"And… I'm sorry as well," Sir Handel sighed. "I let my emotions from that traumatic nightmare get the better of me, and made me lash out."

"You… had a nightmare that day we met?" the Thin Clergyman gasped. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"I'm weary of strangers," Sir Handel admitted. "And the first books you wrote haven't done James or Henry favors either."

"I promise I'll talk with you engines better for future installments," The Thin Clergyman said firmly. "Starting with my latest one – Duke the Lost Engine."

"You're finally getting to Duke's stories?" gasped Sir Handel.

"Yes, and I vow to get this one right. You, Duke and Peter Sam will need to be consulted, of course." He looked, abashed, at someone with a copy of Very Old Engines. "And the book will be republished with changes regarding you."

"Was that why you looked restless after last night?" asked Sir Handel.

The Thin Clergyman nodded. "Again, I deeply apologize, Sir Handel," he yawned. "I'll continue working on it…"

"Not now," Sir Handel said firmly. "You need to get to bed. And I don't recommend driving home yourself either."

"I'll drive you home, Wilbert," said Teddy. "Thank you, Sir Handel."

"Not a problem, sirs."


In short order, there was a second book launch for Very Old Engines with the appropriate changes made. The first three stories were untouched, but the last one had significant changes. Annabelle was reading it to the engines.

"'I-impossible,' stammered Sir Handel, staring at Peter Sam with wide eyes. 'This has to be some kind of joke.' 'Calm down, Sir Handel,' soothed Skarloey. 'I think that the engines at Barrow were pulling Duck's wheels.' 'No, Skarloey, he was quite serious,' gasped Peter Sam."

"Okay, not exactly what happened," said Sir Handel, "but… it's something at least." Soon Annabelle came to the part that had initially caused so much distress amongst the engines. Everyone held their breath in anticipation.

"'And you, Peter Sam and Sir Handel, shall pull the special television train,' said Mr. Percival. 'Oh, sir, oh, sir!' Peter Sam beamed. Sir Handel just grinned at the prospect. However, both engines felt something was missing from the special occasion…" Annabelle stopped reading for a moment to gauge the engines' reactions to this change.

"That's perfect!" smiled Peter Sam.

"I'll take it," said Sir Handel. "Annabelle… thank you for making this possible."

"Always happy to help my friends," Annabelle smiled. "Now… do you want me to finish this story?"

"Oh, yes, please!" the engines all smiled and settled down to listen.


I'm pleased to say that the rest of the book went off without a hitch, and when Duke the Lost Engine came out the following year, the engines highly praised that book too. And from that book onward, the Thin Clergyman was always more careful to run books through the engines first. Even though there were a few mistakes now and then due to publishers rushing him (most notably in Branch Line Engines), the Thin Clergyman always would release a second copy with corrections made so that there wouldn't ever be a repeat of the "Sir Handel incident" ever again.

THE END


Author's Comments

It's been a while since the previous Between the Lines story, and that's mainly due to work Rachel and I have been doing with TUGS: The Bigg City Chronicles, which you can find both on Jonathan140's page on DeviantArt, as well as on Rachel's account here. Yes, that's right; we've decided to bring the world of TUGS into the SeventyVerse! Expect to see more crossover moments between the worlds of Sodor and Bigg City in the near future.

Anyway, When Falcons Cry is a story that Rachel had suggested all the way back in October 2022, but not finished until now. As someone who grew up loving his creation, Wilbert Awdry himself was not a perfect human being, and the best way to show respect to someone is acknowledging their faults, not burying one's head in the sand every time the name is brought up in conversation. In no way was this story written to dump on Awdry, but rather, showcase both sides of the argument as to how the engines would've felt about their portrayal in the books. Sir Handel was an excellent candidate for this, given how he was portrayed as little more than a jerk, something the TV series would eventually go against in Series 10, and then not giving him much to do afterward. He deserved far better than what he got.

Upcoming stories:

- The Trouble with Enthusiasts - A group of rail enthusiasts don't follow safety precautions when it comes to taking pictures of the engines, even after Emily lets them know what they're doing wrong. One enthusiast in particular learns that lesson the hard way...

- Pardon My French - Daisy helps bringing passengers to Ulfstead Castle and meets with Millie, who proves to be helpful when some foreign passengers arrive.

- Riddle Me This - A series of crimes take place around Kanpford, and Charlie becomes interested in the mystery as the perpetrators have left riddles behind. Will Charlie meet his match and come across the riddle that even he can't solve?

- Every Dog Has Its Day - While on the way back to the Search and Rescue Center, Belle and her crew encounter a litter of abandoned puppies and bring them home. It's later revealed that they were deliberately abandoned, and so the puppies become pets to the rescue center team, eventually joining their ranks.