She held tightly to my hand as we ran down the aisle of the second coach. I pulled open the door at the end and I held my breath as again I stepped out onto the moving steel plates.
Celia was still holding my hand as I reached for the next door and pushed. This time the door opened easily. We made it across and raced through the first coach. I could see the train was rounding the turn, just before going down the incline into the town.
I pushed open the last door and saw the small coal tender with a short ladder up the back of it. The ladder was at least three feet away, and between it and where I stood, there was only a very narrow metal plate to stand on, followed by the coupling, which bounced and jumped just above the tracks. If I stood on the plate to reach for the ladder I’d have nothing to hold on to. The gap was too wide.
I stretched out my hand towards the ladder and hung on to the door frame. I couldn’t reach.
“Take hold of my hand again,” Celia yelled.
I did, and I was just able to get the tips of the fingers of my right hand around one of the rungs of the ladder. I was wobbling badly with the rocking of the small plate beneath my feet and I felt I was being stretched. “I’m gonna have to jump for it,” I yelled at Celia. “Let go of my hand when I yell ‘now.’”
“Be careful!” Celia shouted back.
I couldn’t look at her. All my attention was focused on the ladder. I couldn’t afford to slip.
“Now!” I yelled.
I felt Celia release my hand and I stood for a second on the rocking plate. I thought I heard her stifle a scream as I launched myself across the gap.
My left hand closed on another rung of the ladder, but I scraped my shins against the lower rungs. I scrabbled with my feet and got a foothold. I took a deep breath, scrambled up, and sprawled on top of the coal tender. I turned and looked down over my shoulder at Celia, standing in the doorway of the coach. Her face was white and I noticed a large rip in the sleeve of Zulan Maisoneuve’s silk dress.
“I can easily climb into the cab from here,” I yelled. “I want you to go to the end of the coach and get a door open. If I get the brakes on, we might stop in time, but we could run out of track. You might have to jump. Okay?”
She nodded, blew me a kiss, and disappeared inside the coach.
As I scrambled into the cab of the engine I prayed that neither Celia nor I would have to jump. We were going at a terrific rate and I realized where we were when the pagoda on the temple at the end of the street flashed past.
I frantically scanned the dials and levers in front of me, looking for a brake. Colin Jang was right. It is awful hot in here. I could feel the heat on my face and I was sweating like mad. I noticed there was a fire burning in a small firebox but I guessed it was just to add realism. I knew the engine was run on diesel fuel.
I reached for a lever and pulled down hard. I jumped as a whistle screeched. Wrong lever. I grabbed another, higher up, and yanked on it. There was a screech of metal and I felt the wheels lock beneath the engine. I’d found the brakes.
I could hear and feel the wheels skidding on the tracks beneath me, but we were still going too fast. The throttle! I had to find the throttle. It must be wide open. The brakes alone wouldn’t stop us. I found the throttle lever and pushed it back to the closed position. The engine immediately slowed with a jerk and I staggered as the brakes began to work properly. I glanced out the side of the engine cab and saw we had reached the edge of the castle walls. We were slowing down fast, but not quickly enough. I didn’t think we’d stop before we ran out of track.
I leaned out of the cab to try to see how far we had to go before the track ended. People were scurrying out of the way and there was a lot of yelling. I glanced back and was pleased to see a door at the far end of the coach behind me swing open. I saw Celia’s hand on the door frame. She was ready to jump if she had to, and I thought I’d better get ready to do the same. I was pretty certain we’d run out of track.
We did. But not the way I expected. The engine was almost opposite the castle gates when it suddenly veered left, off the track, and dropped. I was flung violently against the control panel and I bashed my head on something hard. I fell down and when I picked myself up the side of my head was sticky with blood.
I didn’t have much time to think about it. The engine was still moving forward. Huge jets of mud were shooting up all around me. The wheels and undercarriage of the train were acting like the bow of a ship cutting through water as they ploughed a trench into the mud of the street.
I felt dizzy as I tried to look out the little window of the cab to see ahead, but it was plastered with mud. I leaned out of the cab as the mud continued to fly, making it almost impossible to see anything. But I saw enough. We were about to hit the closed gates of the castle. It was too late to jump. I hoped Celia had made it.
There was a loud whomp, and, although I’d braced myself, I still took another crack on the head. Stuff was flying past the cab and I guessed it was part of the castle. I took cover under the small overhang of the engine’s roof. There was one more jolt and again I landed on the floor.
When I picked myself up, the train had stopped. A strong smell of diesel fuel filled the cab. My head throbbed and I shook it to try to clear it, but that only made it hurt. I was still dizzy as I looked out. The engine had punched through the castle gates and had taken part of the wall with it. The first coach was completely inside the walls and the second about halfway in. Both coaches were leaning and skewed sideways like part of a giant letter Z, but somehow they had managed to remain more or less upright.
As I jumped to the ground and landed in ankle deep mud, there was a loud whoof and a flash of fire behind me. The engine’s firebox had ignited the spilled diesel fuel. I felt a blast of heat as I struggled to move away, but the mud kept trying to suck me back. A breeze sprang up and the flames engulfed the cab and raced along the coal tender to lick the roof of the first coach. I had to get back there and find out if Celia had got out.
I struggled through the mud to the last door of the coach. The coach was tilted towards me and the door still hung open. I dragged myself uphill into the coach and called, “Celia, Celia!”
There was no answer. Maybe she’d jumped before we hit the gates, I thought. Then I heard a moan.
I found her in a crumpled heap between two seats, not far from the door. There was an ugly bruise on her forehead. She wasn’t moaning anymore. She was unconscious.
I struggled to pick her up. It wasn’t easy, as I was still feeling dizzy and I had trouble keeping my footing on the slanted floor. Black smoke was beginning to pour through the coach, making it hard to breathe. When I got to the door, flames were spreading along the outside of the coach. I jumped out with Celia in my arms and landed in the mud again. I ducked as another small explosion came from the engine and more flames shot along the side of the coach. I had to get Celia away from there.
Smoke and the blood from the wound on my head stung my eyes as I tried to find a gap in the wall. The second coach almost filled the hole in the wall and there was no room to squeeze through. I spotted a big pile of wreckage, which I thought I might be able to use to climb over.
I stumbled, rather than climbed, up the pile of debris and found I was level with the roof of the second coach. I stepped onto it and staggered along it, out of the castle compound.
I’d almost reached the end of the roof, which was tilted towards the street, when I felt I was about to pass out. I was afraid I might drop Celia so I sank to my knees. Somehow I shuffled over to the edge of the roof and let myself drop to the mud below with Celia still in my arms.
I must have passed out then, because the next thing I knew Celia was gone and Henry Orsini was peering down at me. I didn’t recognize him — my eyes wouldn’t focus — but I recognized his accent.
“Crikey mate! You’re a fair dinkum showstopper if ever I saw one!”
22
I BLINKED AT THE bright, fuzzy whiteness. I was staring at a ceiling.<
br />
“Oh. You’re awake.” A short, dark-haired nurse loomed over me. “You woke up once before but you fell asleep again.”
I couldn’t remember.
“How do you feel?” the nurse asked.
“Thirsty.” My throat felt like it was caked with dust. I sat up. My head felt tight. I’m still wearing my headband and wig, I thought. I reached up and found a bandage on my head. The nurse handed me a glass of water and I drank greedily.
“How long have I been in the hospital?” I asked.
“Just overnight. For observation. I expect you can go home today or tomorrow.” The nurse fluffed up the pillows behind me and smiled. “The doctor will be in to see you shortly. Oh, you had some visitors, but they’ve gone off to have breakfast. They’ll be back soon.”
“What time is it?”
The nurse looked at her watch. “Seven-fifteen.”
“Where are my clothes? Can I get dressed?”
“Better wait until the doctor sees you. You can ask her. I have to go now. I’ll have some breakfast sent in.” She left.
I had to find out what happened to Celia. I should have asked that nurse. I was about to jump out of bed to look for my clothes when the doctor came in.
“Hello, Harry. I’m Doctor Webster,” she said. “How’s the head? Any headaches?”
“No.” I felt my head. “It’s a bit sore to touch, that’s all.”
“You took a couple of stitches.” Dr. Webster was shining a light into my eyes and seemed in a hurry. “Everything seems fine. But you’ll have to take it easy for a day or two. Your own doctor can remove the stitches in about a week.”
“Can I get dressed and go home?”
“Better have some breakfast first. See how you feel then. Your mother can check you out, but only if you feel okay.” She left the room.
If I feel okay. How could I feel okay? Robert Ruds-nicker, Henry Orsini, and the whole crew at Pocket Money Pictures would want to kill me. I was in the cab of the engine when it wrecked the castle and started the fire. Harry Flammable had struck again. My film career had turned out to be even shorter than my career as a chef.
Celia! I had to find out if she was okay. I jumped out of bed to look for my clothes. I was wearing one of those hospital gowns that don’t close properly at the back. I looked in the closet. It was empty.
I opened the door and looked down a long hallway and nearly died. Robert Rudsnicker, Henry Orsini, and Colin Jang were coming my way.
I closed the door. I had to get out of there. I looked out the window. Too high. It looked like I was on about the fifth floor. I couldn’t run away, anyway, wearing only this stupid gown with my rear end hanging out the back. I had to hide. The closet? Under the bed? Too late. There was a rap on the door and Henry Orsini stuck his head around the door.
“G’day mate. Good to see you up and about.” Colin Jang and Robert Rudsnicker followed him into the room.
I backed up against the bed. “Look,” I said. “I’m sorry about the train. I was trying to stop it.”
“We know that now.” Henry grinned. “But, I must admit, at first we thought you were some kind of saboteur with kangaroos in his paddock. Robert and I were ready to tear you to bits.”
“Well.” I paused. “I guess the movie set is ruined.”
“It co-could have been wo-worse if you hadn’t got the br-brakes on,” Robert Rudsnicker said.
Colin Jang and Henry Orsini were grinning their heads off, but I couldn’t understand why.
“I must admit it, I was a real panic merchant when I saw you climbing over the wall with that sheila in your arms,” Henry said. “I could have sworn it was Colin and Zulan.”
Sheila? What did he mean, Sheila?
“Her name’s Celia, not Sheila,” I said. “How is she? Is she okay?”
“Oh, sorry mate. Excuse the Aussie lingo. Sheila’s just a name we use for girls down in Oz.”
“But is she okay?” I asked anxiously.
“I’m fine. A bit bruised, but otherwise okay.” It was Celia, and she had a small bandage on her forehead. She was followed by Mom and Aunt Phyllis. I saw Mom get a worried look on her face when she saw the three men in the room, and I guessed she thought they were doctors.
Celia, Mom, and Aunt Phyllis hugged me in turn and all of them had tears in their eyes. It was a bit embarrassing, made worse because of the dumb gown I was wearing, which seemed to want to keep parting up the back. I made sure nobody got behind me.
Mom’s anxiety was relieved when Aunt Phyllis introduced everyone and then she looked anxious again when she realized they were all from Pocket Money Pictures, and maybe I was in trouble.
“I’m really sorry I didn’t get the train stopped in time.” I didn’t know what else to say.
“We-we’re not.” It was Robert Rudsnicker. “We-we’re glad.”
I stared at him as Colin Jang burst out laughing.
“We know about Johnny Random.” Colin Jang was still grinning.
“I don’t understand,” I said. “What’s so funny?”
“A cup-couple of-of …” Robert Rudsnicker was excited.
“Take a deep breath, Robert,” Aunt Phyllis advised.
Robert Rudsnicker nodded, took a breath and began again. “A couple of our camera crews had the presence of mind to capture the whole thing on film. We’ve spent all night going over the rushes.”
I stared.
“With a bit of editing, mate,” Henry Orsini interjected, “thanks to you and Celia here, we believe we’ve got the makings of a real corker. In other words, a very fine movie.”
I gulped. A wave of relief swept over me and immediately I was full of questions. “But why did the third coach jump the tracks?”
Robert Rudsnicker took a deep breath and answered. “We believe the train was going much faster than we’d planned and Ralph, our electrician, may have overestimated the amount of explosives. With the extra speed, the three explosions went off almost together and jolted the coach off the tracks and over the bridge. It was lucky you two weren’t in it.”
I didn’t want to think about that.
“And why did the train leave the tracks and hit the castle?”
“That was the switch,” Henry said. “We should have taken it out altogether. It was asking for trouble. Even Blind Freddy could have seen that. We believe that no-hoper, Johnny Random, probably tampered with the switch too. Probably came on the set real early in the morning, before anyone else showed up.”
My breakfast arrived, and although I was too excited to eat, I was glad of an excuse to get into bed and get my embarrassing gown under cover.
“Well, we’d better push off, mate,” Henry said. “We’ve got lots to do. Clean up the flaming set.” He laughed. “We got the fire out. It’s not flaming anymore. But we’ve got to get that editing underway and do a few small retakes while we’ve still got those extras.”
Robert Rudsnicker took a breath again. “We’re all very grateful to both of you. Next week, if you’re feeling better, you’re welcome to come out to the set. If you feel up to it, I think we might even need a double for Colin here. And I think Pocket Money Pictures could come up with a raise. Interested?”
I whooped. “You bet!”
“Oh, another thing,” Robert Rudsnicker continued. “What are you doing this summer?”
“Um. Nothing. Why?”
“Because, if we are going to use you as Colin’s double, it would be best to have you with us in China.” He turned to Celia. “Both of you, if you like.”
We both grinned and nodded.
“Ahem.” It was Aunt Phyllis. “Robert, wouldn’t they need a chaperone? They’re quite young, you know.”
“Bu-bu-bu …”
“Oh! Breathe, Robert, for heaven’s sake!” Aunt Phyllis admonished.
Robert Rudsnicker grinned. “Just kidding. All right. But I’d make you work. There are no free-loaders at Pocket Money Pictures. I suppose I might need a speech therapist, but I think we might
find a few more small scenes for a noble Chinese dowager.”
Aunt Phyllis beamed.
They left and Aunt Phyllis and Celia waited outside when Mom produced my clothes.
“How’s Dad taking all this?” I asked as I changed.
“He was here most of the night. He was very worried about you. When we found out you were going to be okay, I sent him off to work. I know how proud he is of not missing many days at Luxottica. He didn’t want to go, but I persuaded him. He said to tell you he loves you.” Mom was close to crying again.
“I went home this morning and got you those clean clothes,” she went on hurriedly. “That grey outfit you were wearing is filthy and has blood all over it. I think we should throw it away.”
“Not on your life.” I grinned.
23
THAT NEXT WEEK WAS quite a week. In fact, it’s turned out to be quite a year.
First, the press got hold of the story and wrote up some garbled version about Colin Jang’s understudy stopping a runaway train. Robert Rudsnicker had the publicity department put out a press release on behalf of Pocket Money Pictures, and toned down the whole thing. He said it was best, at this time, to get the North American section of the film wrapped up as quickly as possible and not give away too much of the plot. I don’t think he wanted it known that the train sequence wasn’t actually planned.
Pocket Money Pictures didn’t make a fuss over what Johnny Random did, and he checked himself into a private clinic to try to cure his drinking problem. The last time I heard of him, he was about ready to make a comeback.
Mr. Shamberg gave me full credits for the work experience program with The Ritz and Pocket Money Pictures, and I graduated on time.
The trip to China was fantastic. I didn’t have to do much except a few simple stand-in shots for Colin Jang, but I learned an awful lot. It was great having Celia along, even if Aunt Phyllis was acting as our chaperone. Robert Rudsnicker was as good as his word and had the script changed a bit to get Aunt Phyllis into a couple more scenes and she really played her part well.
Harry Flammable Page 14