Engines and Airships (1st draft)

Chapter Nine

They stopped that night, and gathered around the campfire, but the mood wasn’t for singing and dancing and music. There was little food, people’s caravans had been destroyed, they had been turned out of a village and Carlos, their leader, as it were, was still bedridden, although Maria told them that he was making a recovery. Dee, sitting as she finished off a piece of stale bread, thought about Carlos. She wondered how he’d become leader. He wasn’t, as most people knew, the sharpest knife in the drawer, but inside that huge body of his was also a huge heart, narmy though it sounded inside Dee’s head. And Dee could tell he did have some kind of intelligence, although it was hard to put her finger on it. He wasn’t particularly artistic or academic, and she had to wonder if he was even literate despite speaking Anglish very well, but he was practical. Sensible. He tried to do what he felt was best, with a great dollop of common sense added into the mix.

“Diego…?” she turned to Diego, who was sitting next to her, finishing off a withered raw carrot. No-one had the energy to cook that evening.

“Yes, Dee?”

“How did Carlos get to be the leader?” she asked. Diego turned a puzzled face on her.

“Leader? He may make decisions and decide things, but he is not like your kings and queens and Parrr-lia-ment,” he made the word sound like an avalanche. “Have you not noticed that?”

“No…”

“I mean that he…he simply makes decisions because we feel that he is the best person. He has common sense. Practical mind. When we say, ‘We have almost no food left’, he says ‘Eat all you have left, it will keep you awake and we make longer journey to next town’. But Oothers, they might say ‘No, eat very small amounts. Lasts for longer.’ But then if we do this, we are tired and hungry. We must stop more often. Carlos’ way, it works better,” Dee nodded. She never knew how to reply to things like this, or even how to look like she was really listening.

“I see. So he’s just someone you go to for decisions?”

“Yes, but more. He is not just decision-maker, he is family. He brings heart and goodwill. He does not have a bad word to say about anyone. Others, we have squabbles, minor fights over little things sometimes. But Carlos, yes he has his flaws, but ultimately he is a very good man,”

“Okay. I get it. So he’s the one who doesn’t have any grudges, so he won’t be biased if he’s sorting out an argument, right?” Dee asked.

“Yes,” Diego replied, and there was a silence for a while.

“How long has he been part of this group?” Dee, unsurprisingly, was the one to break it. She didn’t like silences. In reply to her question, Diego just shrugged in the expressive way which many of the travellers did.

“Who knows? Years. Decades. Since forever. Probably his whole life. Remember I have only been part of this group for a few years,” he said.

“Right. Thanks. Just one more question – please?” Dee looked at him with pleading eyes and a grin. Diego laughed and nodded.

“Of course,”

“How far is it until we get to Melshardas?” Diego’s face sobered at this.

“Many a mile. I am not sure of it exactly, but a long way. I am not sure if we will be able to make it with out small amounts of food,”

“Right. Thanks. I guess I’ll go pester Mirela and Carlos now. Bye, Diego!” Dee got up, dusting herself off and walking towards the caravan which she knew held her friends.

“Maria? Mirela?” Dee knocked softly on the door. She waited awkwardly for a second, before it was pulled open by Maria. The woman’s black hair was tousled and her dark eyes had circles around them. She looked knackered.