Devils And Unicorns

Chapter 17

"Is this it?" Florence asked, looking up at the lorry with concern. Most worryingly, it looked at least thirty years old; however, its ancient appearance was only made worse by the rust eating into the chassis rails underneath, the graffiti strewn across one side and the two broken lamps.

"Well, I was on a tight budget." Charlie shrugged. He had used the last remnants of his cash to purchase this corroded leviathan.

"Look, are you gonna pay me for this or ain't ya?" yawned Jasper, the skinny young man who had just delivered the vehicle to them and who was now standing with his hand outstretched impatiently.

"Hang on," Charlie said. He rifled through his pockets and withdrew a few notes, which he handed over to Jasper.

"Thanks. Where can I catch a ride home?" Jasper belched, counting the money indiscreetly before shoving it into his back pocket.

"Bottom of the lane." Charlie nodded towards the end of the yard. Jasper turned and walked off without uttering another word, and was never seen again.

"Charlie, it looks a wreck." Florence sighed.

"I know she looks ugly, but she's solid," Charlie replied, giving the front bumper a firm kick with the heel of his boot. It rattled, and deposited some fine crumbs of rust on the yard, but it did not fall off.

"We're not going anywhere in this until you've checked the floor – twice. I've seen some ugly injuries from horses' legs breaking through the bottom of trailers," Florence said. Charlie pulled open the loading door at the rear of the lorry and climbed onto the ramp it formed. Florence watched him start to kick at the floor firmly, and then he even started to jump up and down as hard as he could.

Florence's brain was suddenly racked by a realisation.

"Er... Charlie..."

"Yeah?" he called from within the belly of the little truck.

"I can't drive."

"Right."

"Can you?"

He appeared at the open doorway.

"Lucky for you," he said, with a smile. He jumped down onto the ground, wiping his hands together. "That floor's fine. I wouldn't have a problem with loading a couple of horses in there."

"Well, Dissent can come along to keep Last Unicorn company," Florence said.

"Good idea."

"When can we leave?"

"What do you mean: 'when can we leave?' The Grand Chase isn't for over a month," Charlie replied distractedly, lifting open the engine cover on the front of the vehicle to reveal its ancient powerhouse.

"I know, but I'm not running him in the Grand Chase just like that. He needs a few races in him."

Charlie did not reply. He was fiddling with something in the engine, rapidly smearing his hands and forearms with oil in varying shades of black and dark brown.

"Charlie?" Florence called.

"What, sorry?"

"I said Last Unicorn needs a few races in him before he runs in the big one. We'd be better off leaving as soon as we can."

"Right, yes, that's a good idea," he said, looking up from the engine. "We can leave tomorrow... as soon as I can get her to start again..." He started chewing his lip thoughtfully, and lowered his head back out of sight under the engine cover. Florence bit her tongue, suppressed her frustration, and disappeared back into the house for something to eat.