It picked up speed quickly—and kept on picking it up. The chuffing and the clickety-clacking accelerated, slowly at first, but then faster and faster. Kate stuck her head out the window, and the wind hit her in the face. Soon they were really moving, booming down the mountain, faster than they’d ever gone before. Kate and Tom exchanged a nervous look. It was a relief to be making good time again, but maybe this was too much of a good thing.
“I’m sorry I made fun of you for going slow before,” Tom said. “If this is your revenge, you’ve made your point.”
I’M NOT MAKING A POINT
I CAN’T SLOW DOWN
“Where’s your speedometer?” Kate said.
DON’T HAVE ONE
“What?!”
STEAM ENGINES DON’T HAVE SPEEDOMETERS
“Were you literally invented in medieval times? How’re we supposed to know how fast we’re going?!”
Kate could almost feel the weight of the heavy cars behind them, shoving them along. She shut off the steam and tried the brakes, first lightly and then harder.
OW! MY BRAKE SHOES!
It didn’t work anyway. She barely felt the difference. It was official: The Silver Arrow had become a runaway train.
The cab started rocking scarily back and forth. They were cutting across a steep slope, and if they derailed that would be the end—they’d roll sideways, over and over, all the way down the mountain. The animals came crowding forward into the cab.
“We’ve come to express our concern,” the cat said. “We’re concerned that we’re all going to die.”
“I know!” Kate said. “I’m braking as hard as I can!”
“I almost fell on the porcupine,” the snake said.
“The snake almost fell on me!” the porcupine said.
“I want you all to know,” the heron said, “that if we fall off a cliff, I will survive by jumping out the window and flying away, but I’ll remember you all fondly and in great detail.”
“Thanks,” Kate said without much enthusiasm.
“What’s your brother’s name again?”
“Tom!” said Tom.
“I’ll never forget you, Tim.”
“I can’t believe birds used to be dinosaurs,” Tom said.
When Kate put her head out the window again, she saw up ahead the worst thing she could possibly see: They were coming up on a tight curve on the edge of a sheer cliff, and they were going way too fast. Their momentum would take them right off it.
She threw herself on the brake lever and pushed.
IT’S ALREADY ALL THE WAY ON!
“If you can transform into an airplane or something, now would be a good time!”
THAT IS AN UNREASONABLE EXPECTATION!