第107节
ll
landing stage.
'Now get out." ?'What?"
'Get out! I'm going to race you back to the picnic!" Fran closed her
parasol and tossed it into the bow of the boat and took her seat at the
oars. 'Wait till I turn around!" she commanded.
Steve checked the perimeter of the lake. 'Do I get to choose the way I
go?"
'No! You have to go the long way!" Fran paddled the boat towards him
until the stern touched the bank then got a firm grip on the oars and
positioned them just above the water for the first pulling stroke.
'GO!" Steve started running. It was a lot further than it first
appeared - and Fran was rowing strongly despite being hampered by her
wasp-waisted corset. He piled on the speed. Bull Jefferson, his wife
Eleanor and their family guests, seeing the contest, divided their
support between the two, some shouting encouragement to Fran, others
urging Steve to make a greater effort.
By now, Fran was halfway across the lake and Steve was flying like the
wind. The running brought him back in tune with the overground. With
who he really was. It felt good! Fran's strike rate had dropped, but
she wasn't the type to give up. The cheers from the shore spurred her
on.
Coming round the second bend, Steve switched from thinking he couldn't
make it to thinking that perhaps he could, briefly considered throwing
the race to humour Fran, then decided against it. No! Screw her He
kicked into a higher gear, making a controlled finish, reaching her
arrival point while she was still three yards out.
Everyone cheered themselves hoarse.
Bull slapped him on the back. 'Well done, boy! For a minute there, I
thought you were going to throw the race.
But, heh-heh - that's not your style. An' that's good. I like it. I
got enough brown-nosers around me already!" Steve retrieved his jacket
and the yellow parasol then helped Fran ashore. She pinched his hand
and gave it a savage twist. Steve responded with an even harder
squeeze.
She didn't flinch. 'You bastard!" 'You can't win 'em all." Steve
returned her defiant stare, then they both let go by common consent.
'Bring me something to eat."
Steve bowed politely and handed back the yellow parasol. 'My pleasure,
ma'am!" Just after two in the afternoon, when everybody had finished
lunch, Steve saw John Chisum heading back up towards the train with
some of the other men. He ran to catch up with them. 'Where are you
going?"
'We're going to take the train down to the end of the line and turn it
around - then pick up everybody for the return trip. D'you want to
come?"
'Of course he does." Bull Jefferson came up from behind and moved
between them. He gave Steve another pat on the back as they walked
on.
'Bean meaning to thank you for that last batch of tape you brought
us.
You're doin' a great job."
'I'm only sorry it's taking so long. I never imagined the data files
would be encrypted." He looked across at Chisum. 'How're you doing on
that?"
'We're managing,' said Chisum.
Bull slapped Chisum's back and said to Steve: 'Cleverest man I've
met.
Don't know what we'd do without him."
Ten miles down the line from the lake the single line track ran out
into a small shunting yard with several sidings, a turntable, water
tower, coal hopper and a shed containing a squat shunting loco powered
by massive batteries and plugged into the mains supply. And all this
had been installed so that the First Family could play with trains.
This was where Steve discovered that riding the rails was only part of
the fun for Bull and his friends. He was given a pair of overalls, and
a union hat to change into, then put to work with an uncoupling hook as
the carriages were shunted back and forth, swung on the turntable, then
reassembled in the right order behind the big loco which now stood with
its nose pointed towards Grand Central. While Steve and his workmates
had been ducking in and out under the buffers and tapping the wheels,
Bull's half of the team had topped up the engine with coal and water,
oiled every bearing in sight, hosed off the dust and polished the
brasswork.