Changes in the Wind - Part III: Gordon and the Extinct Ones

Chapter 5: Reasons

"What was that?"

"He wanted to get the engine out of service as quickly as possible, all because he wanted the chance to have 'swing at the newest, most modern thing out there'," croaked Matt, "one day, he got his wish, mangled his valve gear and the engine was put in the shed, ready for inspection. I told him I know what he'd done. At first, he denied it, but then the fireman went at him and he finally admitted it. We argued in front of the engine, and all the while my dad said horrid things about the engine, and at last he said those words.

'That engine is old and weak. He doesn't deserve my name, he has no value anymore for it!'"

Gordon sighed deeply, having a driver say that was hurtful. He remembered when a driver told Henry something similar when he failed during the early days of the railway, of course, the other engines refused to work with him ever again after that. Gordon didn't mind working with him though. The driver was sent packing though later that week. But bad memories of Gordon

"I went early in the morning the next day after the argument," said Matt, "I wanted to fix him, and if the railway did not want him, I will drive him to Thesang myself, make sure he'll be safe there. But... he was gone when I arrived. The stationmaster told me he was withdrawn and taken away to be scrapped."

Gordon looked down at his buffers apologetically. "I'm... sorry Matt."

"Yeah... me too," said Matt, he then closed his eyes, "if only I took him a week earlier, or even a day before me dad decided to break him..."

He then got up and touched Gordon's control lever. "If only I had driven him once."

He then switched the control lever to Gordon's control. The big engine felt the change and he felt himself connecting himself to the rest of his body, feeling the movement of his valve gear and control panels in his cab felt like he could command them now to his will. He hadn't had his control lever off to his driver for quite some now and to be honest, he preferred it for him to be the one in control. He knew most engines felt that, even Toby who would never leave his driver behind.

"What was the engine's class and name?" he asked Matt.

Matt paused briefly, thinking it over carefully. "His name was Clarence," he said, "and he was an LMS 2MT tank engine."

Gordon smiled a little. "I would have liked to meet this Clarence."

Matt finally made a small smile as well. "I think you would've liked him," he said, "he was shy but kind."

"Now that is a rare set of personalities for me," chuckled Gordon, "we usually have cocky, confident imbeciles on my railway."

"Well... you're never shy when you are around your family," teased Matt, patting the big engine on the side of the cab. Gordon did not respond to that, he was soon let out of the long siding and went to find a coal hopper and water tower. But he could not help but think about what Matt had said.

***

They traveled with a much bigger fleet that night, Gordon stayed near Papyrus at the front. Papyrus refused to let anyone next to him though, he just led in front and remained silent throughout the trip. Gordon watched him sadly. "How do ya know him?" came a voice.

Gordon looked next to him to see the T9 he had met the night they left London, Lucy. "How do you think?" he asked.

"Well, you two are brothers," said Lucy, curiously, "but you lived on an entirely different railway than him, most of the time, separated! How are you two so close?"

"Sir Nigel Gresley, my designer," explained Gordon, "was very fond of me, so much so he saved me from scrap by giving me to the North Western, I am non-standard as you can see. But he still wanted me to be closely tied to the LNER as possible. So sometimes, only a few times, I would go to Doncaster and be put up on display. I did this one time with Great Northern, Flying Scotsman, and Sir Frederick Banbury. Another time, was in 1929, Papyrus was fresh out of Doncaster and to say he was starstruck by me would be an understatement."