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The train screaine taxed almost beyond capacity

"Any more and on’t ree

"We don’t want to blow her, and we don’t want to lose the rails!" yelled Soap

So they had to relax their efforts, even though Di on the afternoon Made ladies for unusual situations, but it did not prepare theencers, actually working was not expected of wo were acting drudges, they didn’t even have time to stop for tea Not that there was any tea

As the sun began to set and theside of full, they realized the tender was e, but now they had to face reality

They fed the boilerout the last of the reserves that Bu out the inevitable

"The flyway on us," reported Dimity

An hour or so later, "They’re on our tail now"

Half an hour after that, "Cannons are up"

And then, "Can’t see theht on top of us"

A boo!" said Dimity

"Yes, dear We can hear that," said Sophronia

Nothing happened; the train continued to clatter along The cannonball ible reloaded Soap gave the engine all the throttle they had, but the boiler was cooling regardless

Another boom sounded

This time Dimity didn’t report the occurrence But the train did shake draan to squeal as if the brake were being applied

Soap said, "We’re dragging soht be off the tracks It could derail the rest of us if we aren’t careful" He let the train slow further

Sophronia said, "We’ll have to decouple the less weight, ould have used less coal"

"Too late now," said Soap

"Never!" said Sophronia, readying her hurlie

"You can’t go out there," objected Di cannons at us!"

"One cannon, and it takes theht of the airship and reseat the recoil guard I have ten minutes" Before she’d finished her explanation, Sophronia leapt and grabbed the top of the doorjaht have beenfast As it was, she bumped her shin

"Sophronia," reprimanded Diet yourself killed!"

It was a lot easier to run along the top of the carriages and ju in the opposite direction to the train As soon as she’d crossed the freight carriages, she saw the problee, the one in front of the coach that held the airdinghy, had detached partly frohy was tilted oddly, because half of the coach below had been bloay

Sophronia crouched on the roof of the trans not to worry over the danger, she hooked the grapple part of her hurlie into the top edge of the freight carriage and lowered herself down the side Partly standing on the coupler base, and partly dangling from one arm, she exarateful she’d chosen to leave off her stays

One of the holding pegs had fallen out, and its broken chain was dragging on the track The coupler was linked only halfway as a result The drag on the line that Soap had describedfrom farther back, probably that last coach

Sophronia worked to free the second peg, to lose the dead weight of those last two passenger carriages It edged tight as a new glove It didn’t help that she had only one hand to apply to the task, her other being occupied holding her steady, dangling froed at the peg with the heel of her hand Nothing

She pulled out a vial of perfurease it loose