Read Children Of Fiends - Part 2 A Nation By Another Name: An Of Sudden Origin Novella for Free Online

gave them pause. She wanted them to feel some sense of freedom and finally said, “Well don’t be long.” Having already perceived her answer, the pucks let the door shut behind them on “long”.  
    The pucks chose to walk out in front of the engine where no one was likely to be looking. Even those who were in the observation level of the dinning car couldn’t see directly out in front of the big black locomotive. They both noted that this was their first time ever being without an escort outdoors. They sniffed the air and let their minds open up to the greater world around them.
    Pucks are not here.
    No.
    This place doesn’t interest them.
    They watch the humans where the humans are.
    Bad things happened to them where we got the train.
    Very bad things.
    They are afraid.
    They are angry. Humans are dangerous.
    There are no birds here. Not even sleeping ones.
    Maybe the birds watch the humans too.
    I’m hungry.
    There is nothing to eat here.
    Let’s go back then.
    Let’s stay. The air is fresh with this breeze before us.
    They stood and listened to the people working behind them, picked up on their concentration over their various tasks, their grunts and strains and felt the people’s hunger as well. They were startled when Dez stepped out of the woods wearing her helmet with her big black gun held at the ready. Without the slightest hesitation she walked up to them. “What are you children doing out here?”
    “We are getting fresh air,” said Hansel.
    “Best to stay with the rest,” said Dez.
    “We like it here,” said Gretel.
    Dez shooed them back toward the passenger cars. “Back inside you two. No telling what’s out here.”
    “There is nothing out here,” said Gretel.
    “You didn’t know that I was out here, did you?” admonished the soldier. “Now back inside.”
    The pucks reluctantly turned and kept Dez in the corner of their eyes as they walked back.
    She would be delicious.
    Yes, she would.
    In the observation deck, Sergeant Green kept in touch with Hernandez and Kelly on patrol. MacAfee was hard at work writing down the events so far, his journal already growing thick with maps, notes and descriptions. Dean was rather astonished to find himself feeling bored. He stood watching the crew transfer the contents of a coal car to the tender. It was hard work and he admonished himself for not setting an example by being out there with them. He gave a nod to MacAfee and said, “I’m going to go shovel.”  
    His crew silently made space for him as he grabbing a free shovel, putting his back into moving the greasy black lumps that would soon enough turn white hot as their stored energy kept the boiler going. The work felt good and he shoveled with gusto. He persuaded himself that he had a legitimate reason for wanting to stay close to the pucks. They were his radar in the fog. Bad enough that the mission was blind to what was before it. Like any captain, he would use all the tools at his disposal. Convincing himself of this didn’t seem to relieve much of his embarrassment. As he vented his frustration with the spade, he resolved that the pucks be stationed in the observation deck while they were under way. If that meant that Eliza needed to be there too, so be it. Eliza was a crush. Crushes for him wore off rapidly as he got to know the women better. This would be all the easier since she had little interest in him. As he thought more about it, he felt relief and chuckled out loud. He shrugged his shoulders at Wall and Murphy who shoveled coal beside him. Get a grip, he told himself. The crew where already astonished to find him throwing in with them. No point in looking like he was losing his marbles.
    They had arranged a pulley system with a big suspended bucket to transfer the coal. Maggie Tender stood on the ground and looked up at her captain, offering a shy grin before pushing the drum toward the tender where others would tilt it into the hold. Appropriate that her name was Tender