Featured Article » Fiction

The Galloping Goose

Written by Herbert and William Sakalaucks

"Okay, guys, very carefully, peel the logo stencils and coverings off the doors and I'll get the big one on the back end," Arlen instructed. The sharp smell of drying paint hung in the air, a fine mist shrouding the gathered crowd, as Mike and Martin peeled off the new door logos for the Grantville, Rudolstadt, and Saalfeld Railway and Tram Line; the rays of light glistening off the black logo. A capital G above the R and S looked like they were ready to fly with their speed lettering extensions.

"You know, Arlen, this new logo really makes it look like it is ready for speed," Martin commented. "How's the rear logo look? You've kept it a real tight secret, I'm not even sure Don Francisco's spies could have gotten any hint about its design."

"Come on back and see," Arlen said, with a smirk on his face. Everybody crowded around in the tight space behind the engine. There on the back door was a picture of a goose running flat out, neck parallel to the ground, feet in mid-stride. "I'm calling this new engine the 'Galloping Goose' class railbus after its Colorado narrow gauge ancestors up-time."

Resplendent in its silver and black paint scheme, was an old Ford truck cab and frame with a hand-crafted wooden passenger compartment that Martin had built. Martin's prior experience as a boatwright showed in the smooth sweeping lines of the body. It could seat twenty-four passengers and could carry luggage and freight in the back. Arlen had scrounged the glass and seats from an old Blue Bird bus that was being scrapped. The interior looked like a Black Forest cuckoo clock-makers dream. Every possible inch was carved black walnut and polished to a high sheen. A small propane stove for heat was also in the rear of the car. Underneath the Goose, Arlen had installed a small set of lead wheels with a large drive wheel set in back, powered by a chain drive. The Ford's frame still had a hydraulic lift in front for machinery.

"How fast do you think it can go?" asked one of the workers in the crowd.

"On a good, flat track and no load, probably forty miles per hour. Around here in the hills, and with the rail we've got, maybe twenty to twenty-five with a good tail wind." Most of the GRS's current freight trains averaged around ten miles per hour. "That's still twice as fast as our freight trains can do." Arlen was grinning from ear to ear.

"So, has the railroad bought it already?" Mike tried to prick Arlen's ego a little. They'd been friends since grade school and were always trying to upstage each other. "Last I heard, they wanted to run trials with it to make sure it really worked, and see if passenger demand would support its cost."

"They're still looking at a trial. I've painted this one as a demonstrator. I had to scrounge up just about all the silver auto paint that was left in town. Hopefully, seeing it in railroad colors will help seal the deal." Arlen had put a lot of his own time in on designing and building the Goose, but his enthusiasm still had a bit of doubt clouding it. Mike sensed the hesitation and waited for Arlen to continue. Arlen sighed and went on, "It's probably got the same problem the original Geese had. They tended to gallop from side to side at higher speeds. We've got an upgrade planned for the production model to improve the springs and weight distribution that should solve that problem if it crops up. We just need to get the first one sold. We even have a larger steam-powered version with a wooden body on the drawing board, but first, we have to sell the railroad investors on the idea that passenger business can be a paying proposition."

Passenger service in November 1634 was very austere, expensive, and slow. The Goose showed potential to provide a quick way to overcome many of the objections that had been raised about improving passenger service. Arlen knew that the best engineered equipment still had to be sold to be successful.

The whole crew proceeded to board the Goose while Arlen started the engine. "Mike, since you're a trainee engineer, I thought I'd let you be the one to back her out of the shop and show her to the world."

Mike slipped into the seat that Arlen vacated for him. He turned on the music system and inserted a CD. "I thought this might be appropriate for the occasion." Strains of John Denver singing "Jenny Dreamed of Trains" filled the Goose. Slowly, Mike backed the Goose out into the rail yard and then parked it on the service track. Everybody piled out, many commenting on how beautiful the interior was and how comfortable the seats were. Mike muttered under his breath, "Not if you ever had to ride two hours on a field trip on them."

After a while, the excitement died down and Mike nudged Arlen in the ribs to gently remind him of the passing time. "Don't forget our evening plans. You know that Dee and Mimi are waiting for us to take them to Tyler's Restaurant tonight and we both need to clean up before we meet them. What time are the reservations for?"

The deer in the headlights look that Arlen got told him everything he ever needed to know. "Move! I'll help Martin check that everything's cleaned up with the paint sprayer. He can lock up and I'll meet you at your house."

The shop crew hurried to clear the shop before the boys' girlfriends ended their short, yet exciting lives. Tonight was the informal rehearsal dinner for Arlen and Mimi, who were getting married on Sunday. Mike had gotten leave to be there as the best man and Deirdre Hardy was going to be Mimi's maid of honor. All the workers razzed Arlen for his forgetfulness as he hurried off, but they were also proud of what they and Arlen had built. Martin was the proudest of all.

****

When Arlen arrived at his parent's home, out of breath, his mother greeted him at the door. "You make sure you don't get any of that grease and paint on the bed. Last time you were late, you just tossed everything and you almost ruined the comforter!"

"I'll be careful, Mom." Arlen responded light-headedly. "Can you call Tyler's and make sure everything is set for the dinner, please?"

"I already did. I also called Mimi and Dee at the new apartment and told them that you and Mike were working at finishing the Goose. I called her back when you came in and they'll meet you at Tyler's in forty five minutes."

Arlen called out, "Thanks, Mom! I've got the coveralls in the basket. I'll start the laundry before I go."

Just as Arlen finished dressing after his shower, Mike arrived and the whole process was repeated. He and Mike checked each other's appearance, flattened Arlen's cowlick for about the fifth time, put on their best winter coats, and walked to Tyler's.

On the way, Mike went over the plans for Sunday's upcoming nuptials. "Just remember, Arlen," Mike started his lecture, "You've got the easiest part in the whole thing. Make sure you're there by noon. Then, you stand at the front of the church, smile from ear to ear as Mimi walks down the aisle, turn around, say 'I do,' put the ring on her hand, kiss her, turn around and walk down the aisle without tripping. Got that?"

Arlen chuckled, "I think so. Just don't forget the ring, okay?"

"Right."

The friendly banter on wedding plans continued. As they approached Tyler's Mike asked apprehensively, "Are we on time? Dee said she'd skin me if I got you here late."

"Funny, Mimi told me the same thing about you! We've still got five minutes. Wouldn't it be funny if they were late this time?"

"Not a snowballs chance. Speaking of snowballs, I think we're in for some snow. You can almost taste it in the air." Mike loved snow. He'd spent quite a bit of his winter breaks skiing at Snowshoe Mountain before the Ring of Fire and had a knack for sensing when snow conditions would be good.

"I just hope if it does, that it doesn't spoil the service on Sunday. Mimi and I don't have a lot of family that can be here." The thoughts of just what the Ring of Fire had cost them carried Arlen and Mike into Tyler's. Once across the threshold, the aromas from the kitchen woke them from their reverie. They looked anxiously for their dates.

Herman Bartig, the doorman, greeted them as they walked in. "Mimi and Dee are waiting in the bar area for you. They just got here five minutes ago. Don't let them tease you that they've been waiting. They sounded mischievous as they came in!"

When they entered the bar, Mimi spotted Arlen and made a bee line for him. The un-ladylike, full-body kiss drew a round of applause from the regulars at the bar. After the wolf whistles died down and Arlen got his breath back, he asked, "Do I know you, ma'am? My fiancée is supposed to be around here somewhere and she's the really jealous type."

"Just wait 'til Sunday night!" she said with a sly grin. "You ain't seen nothing yet!"

"I hope I'll see nothing on Sunday night. The wait since our betrothal in June has been killing me. Cold showers only work so long!"

Dee came up and greeted Mike with only a slightly more demure kiss. "Maybe next year, Mike?" she asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows. Dee and Mike had been going together since their junior year in high school and were starting to get serious. All four young people had been friends since they were in grade school and the last three years had brought them even closer together. Mimi and Dee were both starting teaching careers and Mike and Arlen had worked on trains since their volunteer days at the Cass Scenic Railway.

The maitre-de came up at that point and interrupted to tell them that their table was ready. The table they approached was covered with a crisply ironed white tablecloth, elegant porcelain plates, stainless steel flatware, crystal glasses and a silk rose in a vase. As they sat down, a waiter arrived with a tray of appetizers. "Compliments of the management, Thuringerwald Oysters, for the bride and groom."

Mike responded with laughter. "After the earlier demonstration, I don't think Arlen will need them, but please, give the chef our thanks!"

The rest of the evening was a complete success. Arlen and Mimi had a chance to have an evening to relax after all the preparations of the past few weeks. When Arlen started to try to talk shop with Mike, Dee fixed him with a withering glare and the subject quickly changed. Around midnight, the celebration broke up and Mike and Arlen escorted the girls back to the new apartment, each couple pausing frequently to embrace and warm up.

The snow started falling softly in large, fluffy flakes. The world seemed to narrow down to just them as the snow muffled the sounds of the evening and visibility decreased

Arlen sighed. "Looks like I'll have to stop by in the morning and shovel."

"I'll have something to warm you up when you're done."

"You'll probably still be asleep. I've got some paperwork to finish if I'm going to get next week free. We've got one engine in for a major repair and I need to show Joachim and his crew how to braze and refinish the broken part. I should be done by noon. I'll stop by afterward to help get the last of my stuff moved into the new place."

They were covered by a light white blanket by the time they finally said good night. Mike and Arlen hurried back to Arlen's parent's home because the snow was now starting to come down in earnest.

****

Saturday morning dawned gray, cold and snowy. Even though it was only late November, it looked like the storm was going to dump a lot of snow. Arlen and Mike shoveled out his parents' house and the new apartment. Mimi and Dee had a big breakfast ready for them and then shoved them off to work.

"We've got a ton of stuff to finish up today and it's looking like we'll have to fight the snow as well as time. You guys go do what you need to at the shop and we'll see you later this afternoon." Dee looked like she would brook no argument, so Arlen and Mike set out for the shops.

After trudging through ankle deep snows for fifteen minutes, they were huffing and puffing, just like the engines they worked with. They weren't the first to arrive that morning. They were greeted by a toasty fire in the office's pot belly stove and the aroma from a large pot of coffee warming on top.

"Everybody in?" called Arlen as he walked out to the repair bay. The steam engine sitting there had its piston rods out. The rod from the engineer's side was on the work bench due to a stress crack that had been found during routine maintenance. An instructor from the tech school was coming by to show Arlen and three of his senior down-time shop machinists how to handle the brazing and heat treating. The informal class was set to start at ten. Over the next hour, Arlen was planning to finish his reports to Hugh Lowe, the GRS president, on the Goose and develop a plan for testing the railbus.

As Arlen was putting the finishing touches on the plan, Martin Erlanger came in the front door of the shop, shook off his coat and stamped his boots clear of snow. "Such a day, not even a wild pig would go out!"

"Any word on how long they think this will last?" Arlen was starting to get worried that the weather could ruin the next day's wedding festivities. He knew everyone coming was already in town, but trudging through snow was not his ideal of how a wedding party should leave the church. He didn't want Mimi to be disappointed.

"I just stopped by the radio station and what reports they could get from the west and north show a wide area of snow. They think it will probably go through tonight or maybe tomorrow morning. They also had just gotten an emergency signal from Saalfeld. There's been another industrial accident, this time at the steel works, with some serious injuries. They had to use the radio because the telegraph line was out. They think there was a snow slide or a tree down somewhere along the rail line. I hope they are able to handle the injuries at the steel works' clinic. The hospital's full and this storm has all the roads closed between here and Saalfeld."

The phone rang. Martin answered, "Hello."

Everyone could hear his end of the conversation and watch his body language. Immediately, they all could tell it wasn't good news. "No, the engine's not ready. You'll have to talk to Arlen about that." Martin held out the receiver. "Arlen, Mr. Lowe from the railroad. He has some questions I can't answer."

Arlen had a bad feeling about what was coming. "Arlen Goss here. What can I do for you, Mr. Lowe?"

"Arlen." Mr. Lowe sounded rushed. "We've had a serious accident at the Saalfeld steelworks. We need to transport two serious burn cases. I've talked to Dr. Adams at the hospital, and he has some real concerns about where best to treat these cases. They've still got a number of people they're treating for that chemical spill and they've got a heavy load of flu cases. Two of their staff members who have some burn experience are at Jena right now working with the university to set up a new trauma unit. Jena hasn't been hit with the flu yet, and this snow should slow down travel enough that it shouldn't spread there too soon. The big question is, can we get them there? Is Number Four done with its rebuild? It's the only engine with a plow that's big enough. We don't have anything else that could get through heavy snow."

"Number Four has a cracked rod. We won't be able to get it rebuilt before Monday."

All Arlen heard was a deep sigh on the other end as Hugh thought back to his conversation with Dr. Adams. The doctor had gotten on his soapbox about all the world's medical problems always having to come to Grantville to be cured. The current overload at the hospital made this an ideal opportunity to showcase what other facilities could do. Hugh decided to see if there was any other way to get the patients safely to Jena. "Is there any way to accelerate the work? The men that got injured were doing some experimental test castings for the railroad and I really want to help."

Arlen saw his chance. "We just finished that railbus I was telling you about last week. It's got enough power to buck the snow and we can put a plow on it. Should take us half an hour to hook up and by the time the medics are ready and get here, we should be ready."

"Great! I'll call the hospital and tell them to have their EMT's meet you at the shop. Just be ready to roll as soon as you can. The reports I've gotten indicate at least two serious burn cases and one fatality already. I'll also send a track crew along, in case there's any trouble on the line."

"We'll be ready, Mr. Lowe." Arlen hung up and motioned the staff to gather round. "Martin, call the county road shop and tell them they need to bring over the old wedge plow truck so that we can use the plow. Vardy Rowland, the foreman, will know which one we need. Julius, get the Goose fueled and make sure we've got extra fuel for the motor and the stove. Stefan and Joachim, take off the arm rests on the last four sets of seats. Put boards between them and get some sleeping bags so that we can use them as beds. Mike, give Mimi a call and tell her what's happening. Also, I'll need an engineer, can you handle it?"

"Sure, but don't you want someone with more experience than I've got running the Goose?"

"You are the most experienced engineer we've got for it. Nobody outside the shop has even been in it and Martin and I will be along if any problems crop up." Mike's eyes went wide, but his military training kicked in and he just saluted and went to finish his tasks.

Arlen took a deep breath and started going through a mental checklist on what else might be needed. This would be the Goose's shakedown run and there were a lot of things that could go wrong, especially with the amount of snow they had already gotten and what was still coming.

"Spare drive chain, extra sand for traction, rerailer, bars, shovels and jacks in case of derailment, track bars and spike mauls in case of track problems, two chainsaws, extra blankets, food and water in case we're stranded and a rabbit's foot for luck." As he thought of each item, Arlen called out to the shop crew and they located and loaded the item into the freight compartment. Martin got two of the shop crew to help him top off the sandboxes on the Goose and then added four fifty-pound bags of sand in the back. By the time he'd finished his loading, the truck had arrived with the plow. Mason Sizemore came in, shaking off snow like a small bear and sputtering about proper channels for requisitioning government property.

"Mason, please, we've got an emergency. Just help us get the plow switched over to the railbus."

Mason looked like he wanted to say some more but then acquiesced. "The snow is breaking branches and trees that are blocking the roads. Where did you say you want the plow set?"

Arlen pointed out towards the yard. "We've cleared a space on one of the crossings out front. If you can set the plow on the tracks so we can just hook up and go, that would be great. It'll save us time and that's the most important thing right now."

Mase went out at the fastest jog Arlen had ever seen him do. The sound of gears meshing told him that the truck was being positioned. Then, brakes squealing brought Arlen to the window to see what had happened. It was the ambulance from the hospital pulling in. Walter Allen and Frieda Zimmerman, both EMT's from the Fire Department got out and unloaded their gear from the back.

"Come on in here and tell us what more you need!" Arlen called. "We're getting the plow installed now and should be ready to go in five minutes."

"Has anyone called with an update?" Walt seemed extremely concerned. "The last radio call we got was that there was one definite fatality and two serious burn cases." While Walt was talking to Arlen, Frieda and Martin were transferring additional supplies from the ambulance into the Goose. Just then, three more figures came high stepping through the snow in the yard. The snow swirled in through the door as they entered. Lucas Chehab from the VoA radio station was followed by Mimi and Dee.

"Walt, I've got the status update for you. Michael Koester and Fredrich Klein have got second degree burns on their arms and upper bodies. Their team leader, Gustav Arndt, received third degree burns over most of his body and died shortly after the accident. They're not sure exactly what happened. Mr. Pierce sent word that he thinks they have enough pain killers to hold the two for about two hours. You'll need to get there before then or they may lose both of them to shock."

Walt took a moment to digest the news. His conversation with Dr. Adams when the call came in had been short and to the point. The hospital was full. If the patients could be transported to Jena safely then it was Walt's responsibility to make the call and get them there. This was a golden opportunity to start expanding medical care expectations to other sites. It looked like the parameters were a go for transporting to Jena unless something came up while they were enroute to Saalfeld. "Arlen, how long will the trip from Saalfeld to Jena take?"

"A normal run would be Saalfeld, Rudolstadt, and then to Jena. With the regular trains, that would be almost three hours in clear conditions, four in the snow, if at all. If the Goose works as well as our plans say she should, we should be in Saalfeld in less than half an hour and in Jena by mid-afternoon. Say about two hours, including the time to load the patients," Arlen said.

Frieda slipped in from the rail yard, "All the supplies are loaded. We're set. Are we ready to go?"

The shop entrance door swung open again and a group of five track workers from the railroad congregated around the entrance.

"Were you all raised in a barn?!" someone yelled from the shop. A chorus of good natured "ja's!" came from the group, who were mostly down-timers. "Well, shut the door before you let all the hot air out!"

"Jawohl, we wouldn't want Julius to wander out into the snow." The old joke drew a sharp elbow to the ribs of the joker from Martin.

Julius quickly shot back, "At least they let me in the house now. You, they still keep in the barn." That drew another round of laughter from the track crew.

"If you are all done with your jokes, let's get loaded. Two men are waiting on our arrival. We've got a long day ahead of us. Anybody have anything else they need?" Silence greeted Arlen's question. "Los gehts!" They all filed out into the swirling show in the shop's switching yard and started to board the Goose.

Mike settled into the engineer's seat. Martin took the conductor's seat in front of the passenger area. Mike commented, "You know, without the steering wheel, there's a lot more space here than you would think."

"I sure hope we're in time for those guys in Saalfeld," Arlen muttered.

The only sound as they worked their way through the tracks in Grantville was the hum of the Ford's engine and the clickety-clack of the wheels on the rail joints. The Goose was a ghost through the snow as they approached the station. The Goose slowed and Mark O'Reilly got out and threw the harp switch to move the Goose to the main track. He signaled with his kerosene lantern to have the Goose move onto the station main track. The Goose moved slowly over the switch and picked up Mark as they went by. Arlen then had Mike stop and Martin went into the station to get the train orders for the first leg of the trip. Mr. Nisbet, the railroad's general manager, was waiting inside to personally deliver the train orders.

"You're the only thing on the line today. We've cleared anything that might slow the run. You're authorized to run at whatever speed you feel is safe. Show me what the Goose can do and I'll decide how to present it to Mr. Lowe and to the board, but get those guys there safely. Remember," Mr. Nisbet added sternly, "the trip from Rudolstadt to Jena, it's all older strap rail. You'll have to watch the rail in case the weather has caused any problems." With that, he handed Martin his Form 19. Nisbet's fervor surprised Martin. The railroad manager was known as a cold fish, but maybe he had a heart after all. Martin turned and headed out the door into the blowing snow.

When he reached the Goose, he looked up to check the sky. It was still snowing, and the sky was a uniform grey. The wind had started to blow the fallen snow into drifts in the yards around the station. Martin opened the door and got in quickly, shaking the snow off as he entered. "Here's the Train Order. We're the only one on the line. We need to watch the strap rail on the Jena line. They're not sure what this type of weather might do to it." He felt a little pompous repeating what the written orders said, but railroad regulations required that the engineer verbally acknowledge the orders from the conductor. Since he was acting as the conductor on this run, Martin wanted no questions that he had followed procedures.

Mike acknowledged the orders. Grinning, he added, "At least we don't have to watch for snake-heads like the old-timers did. With the welding and the short sections of real rail at the joints, it's a big improvement over the old style strap rail." Mike then let off the brake and the Goose started trotting its way to Saalfeld.

The silver paint scheme on the Goose blended in well with the falling snow. Only the headlights and red markers on the rear highlighted its departure through the Grantville yard. As it hauntingly glided out of town, the chatter inside the passenger area slowly died down. Everyone knew this was a mercy mission and thoughts of what lay ahead weighed heavily on them.

Mike asked, "What's the speed limit on this short section to Schwarza? The plow seemed to handle the snow in the yard pretty well."

"Hold it down to twenty-five. The wye at Schwarza's not too far and we may have to pick up updated orders there. I'll be glad when the signaling is upgraded and we don't have to get orders at every station." Arlen was concentrating intently on the track and the sounds and movement of the Goose, so Mike just nodded and went back to watching the track for snowdrifts.

Five minutes of waddling later, the small whistlestop station at Schwarza loomed up on their left. It was positioned inside the wye where the three tracks from Grantville, Saalfeld, and Rudolstadt joined together. Mike slowed down, but the station master was standing on the platform with a wooden hoop outstretched for Mike to grab. Mike rolled down the window, stuck his arm out and snagged the hoop. He handed it to Arlen and then rolled up the window. As he brushed off the snow that had come in, Arlen took off the flimsy paper and read it quickly. "Mike, there's a track crew located telegraph break just south of Mile Post 3. Top speed five miles per hour between Mile Posts 2 and 4. Watch for workers and new rail along track. Saalfeld is expecting us in twenty minutes."

"You've got it, Arlen. If you see anything, let me know."

Walt called out from the back, "Any new word on the patients?"

Arlen yelled, "Nope, just slow orders for a crew fixing the telegraph. We should be in Saalfeld in fifteen or twenty minutes. Looks like the track's okay to there."

The track crew was relieved. They hadn't looked forward to working in the snow, if they could help it. As cold and blustery as it was, hands would freeze to rails or tools in minutes if they weren't careful. The news that they would reach the patients in Saalfeld quickly lifted everyone's spirits. As they passed Mile Post 2, Mike slowed down. The spray from the plow subsided and the Goose's waddle dissipated. . Everyone got a good look at where a tree had taken out the telegraph line as they drifted past. There was a bundled up figure with a lantern that waved the Goose through. As they passed, the three telegraph workers gave a muffled cheer that could be heard inside the Goose.

Arlen got up and walked back into the passenger area. "Walt, Frieda, we're about five minutes out. If there's anything you need to do before we arrive, now would be a good time to do it."

Frieda nodded, "Your guys did a great job and got everything set before we left Grantville. We just need our patients now." Arlen accepted the praise quietly and turned back for the cab. He gave Martin a pat on the back. "We'll have to let the shop crew know what a good job they did when we get back. You've really gotten them working together as a team." Martin smiled. In the guild, only a master might ever be thanked for a job well done.

****

The normal scene inside the foundry was like a vision from Dante's Inferno. Heat and smoke left everyone who wasn't acclimated gasping. The sparks and noise left visitors on edge.

The morning had started out quietly enough. It was Saturday and they were working a light shift. The railroad's experimental casting work was the only major job scheduled. Susan Swisher had hoped to get caught up on paperwork when the scream of the steam whistle alerted her to an emergency. As she bolted out of her office she could see the workers starting to gather in the casting area. There were three groups, each gathered around an injured worker. Thadeus Zakrewicz, the shift EMT, came jogging out of his office, emergency gear in hand and yelled "What's happened?"

"I don't know, but it looks like it's in the casting area."

They got their first good view of the situation when they turned the corner between the open tool racks. Gustave Arndt was on the floor in the pour area with a small group gathered around his still body. It took Thad only a glance to tell that, if Gus wasn't already dead, he soon would be. He'd been burned severely over the top half of his body and his leather protective gear was covered with slowly cooling steel that still popped and sizzled. Susan did a quick pulse check, shook her head and they headed over to the other two burn victims.

"Susan, take these keys and go back to my office. I'll need the full emergency kit and what morphine that's there. You know the drill. Anything else you might find that could help, bring it along." Knowing that there would be questions later about what had happened, Thad decided to ask while the events were still fresh in everyone's minds. "Anybody see what happened here?"

"I did, Mr. Zakrewicz," one of the men said. "They were all set up to try the test casting for the new turntable support ring. Gus was supervising the work and Michael and Friedrich were making sure the mold was secure. The crane operator called out to ask if they were set. It sounded like Gus said, 'Go,' gave a hand signal to start, and then he was lying across the mold. Michael and Friedrich tried to pull him back but all they got for their efforts were burns. Gus didn't make a sound at all."

"Anybody else?"

"Just like he said. I saw Gus wave his hand like Jaimie should start pouring. Gus had an odd expression on his face, took two steps forward, and seemed to be reaching for something in the pattern area. Then the pour started and Michael and Friedrich were trying to help him."

There were other nods of agreement but no more comments. Thad was starting to get a suspicion about what had happened. The lack of response to the initial burn and the collapse were key indicators. "It sounds like Gus may have had a stroke or a heart attack."

He was interrupted by the sound of someone getting violently sick across the room. The crane operator, Jaimie, was down on his hands and knees, trying to stop what were now dry heaves.

"Jaimie, are you all right?" Thad asked. He knew he would probably need to send Jaimie to see a counselor after this was all over. Thankfully, someone had found a blanket to cover Gus.

"It was my fault, Thad. I thought Gus signaled to start."

"He probably did, Jaimie. It looks like he may have had a stroke and was gone before he even started to reach for the pattern box." The dazed look in his eyes lifted a bit. Jaimie was young and, with help, should recover. Thad turned back to his two surviving burn patients as Susan and Gunther returned with the needed supplies.

"Michael, Friedrich, we're going to get you to a hospital as fast as this weather permits. Right now, you're not feeling much pain because you're in shock. I'm going to have to get your leather gear off so that I can assess the extent of your injuries. Before I do that, I'm going to give you some morphine and you'll be out like a light in a few minutes. You won't feel the pain when I start to work. Your families have been called." He looked at the crowd and got an affirmative nod from Jim Pierce, who had just arrived. "And they'll be here shortly," he continued. "Anything you want me to tell them when they arrive?"

Michael whispered, "Tell my wife, I love her and to take care of herself. The safe box is . . ."

Susan interrupted. "You can tell her that yourself tomorrow at the hospital. This looks bad and will hurt like hell for a while, but you definitely aren't going to die."

An hour later, after the two men had been freed of their protective gear and the wounds cleaned as well as conditions allowed, Thad turned to Mr. Pierce, and asked, "What's the word on transportation? Can we get them to Grantville okay?"

"I talked to Dr. Adams. He wants us to send the two burn cases to Jena if we can. The trauma folks with burn training are in Jena for a meeting on the new trauma center and he's worried that all the flu cases they've got right now could hurt their long term survival chances."

Susan turned white and looked like she might faint. Jim Pierce hurried to add, "It's not as bad as it sounds, the railroad's been contacted and is sending a special train that will take them directly to Jena and should be here anytime. Grantville's sending their two EMT's with burn experience and a fresh supply of morphine. They think they can get everyone to Jena before nightfall. Can we move them to the station now?"

Thad considered the situation for a moment. "We're set here. They're both stabilized and the morphine has them out. I'll need eight strong, steady carriers to get them transferred to stretchers and carried to the station. If we cover them with enough blankets, the five minute trek shouldn't be too hard on them."

Mr. Pierce called out, "I need eight volunteers to move the injured!" Twenty hands shot up and in two minutes the two injured had been gently placed on stretchers and the carriers were ready for the trip to the station. Just then, a strange noise startled everyone. In the ensuing quiet, Mr. Pierce said softly, "I think your ride's here now!"

****

On the outskirts of Saalfeld, Mike hit the button on the electric horn Arlen had installed. The loud blasts of "aahhOOOOOgah" startled the crew in back and announced their arrival to the whole town. As soon as Mike slowed down for the red approach signal, one of the track crew jumped off and slogged through the snow and tried to get throw the switch for the depot's turnaround wye. It wouldn't budge.

"Damn blue ice's frozen the switch!" Somebody else jumped out with a sledgehammer and broom and between the two of them, they had the switch cleared in less than a minute. Mike brought the Goose up and they reboarded on the fly. They repeated the process at the next leg of the wye and then backed down the track to the depot. They were greeted by a procession from the foundry. A figure broke out of the crowd and stumbled through the snow to the Goose. When she got closer, Walt ...