//------------------------------// // Duncan the Humbug // Story: Thomas and Friends: the New Adventures // by The Blue EM2 //------------------------------// It was Christmastime on the Island of Sodor. Again. The snow fell from the skies, blanketing the land in a blanket of white. Everywhere you looked, Christmas lights glowed, and trees stood above the skies like mighty beacons of warmth and light. It was an extremely busy time, with both passenger and cargo trains arriving and departing at all times of the day and night, but it was also a very happy time, as it was very hard to be miserable at Christmas on an island like Sodor. That, and like sensible railway companies, the North Western didn't schedule every conceivable piece of engineering works for the busiest time of the year. However, one engine wasn't happy at all. Duncan looked grumpy, staring at the passengers sharing gifts with one another and being happy. They had no right to be happy at this time of year, especially since some of those on the island had no proper families at all, like Gallus. "Ba!" he said. "Humbug!" As Duncan was being warmed up for the passenger run (he could see the passengers on the main line platforms), Rheneas spoke up. "Hello Duncan!" he said. "You look miserable." "Well deduced," Duncan replied. "I bet Smoulder's happy; she doesn't have to see her stupid relatives." "You guys are more of a family to me then they ever were," Smoulder added, as she finished oiling Duncan round. "How are you coping with the cold, Yona?" "Yona like cold weather!" Yona replied, smiling. "Yona used to cold and singing of carols." Then she started singing loudly and out of tune. "Hark the Herald angels sing-" "If you're going to massacre Mendelssohn, please do it in private," Skarloey said hastily. He disliked bad, out of tune singing. Any Welsh engine did. "I hate winter mornings," Duncan grumbled. "True, the steam's good, but it takes us ages to get up to steam." "Oh, I think winter is a lovely, friendly time," said Rheneas in response. "And," Duncan interrupted, "if the points freeze, that means even more delays!" "Come on crosspatch," Smoulder said, "we've got work to do. No more hanging about!" "See you two later!" Rheneas called, as Duncan snorted off into the distance. Later that day, Duncan was heading round the Lake, near to where the line to the Old Bridge went off. As he steamed along, Rusty suddenly appeared on the other line! "What the?" said Duncan, and Smoulder slammed on the brakes. Both engines, thankfully, stopped in time, but it had been a close one. "Good afternoon, Duncan!" said Rusty cheerfully. "How are you?" "I could be better, to be honest," Duncan replied. "As you can see, we nearly collided with each other." "Sorry," said Sandbar. "I misjudged the stopping distance." "It wasn't your fault," Smoulder replied, shivering despite the heat from Duncan's firebox. "It's this bloomin' snow! It makes the track slippery and increases all the stopping distances." Moments later, they headed off once more. "Talk about Scrooge," Rusty observed, once Duncan was firmly out of earshot. The loop rejoins the main line at Rheneas Falls station, and Duncan rattled to a stop in the Up platform as Skarloey pulled in with a van train. "Good afternoon Duncan!" smiled Skarloey. "Isn't this a lovely day? It's all so busy, and everybody seems so happy." "Well, it's alright for some!" Duncan snapped. "All of these passengers are slowing us down. And where are those vans going anyway?" "We're taking them to Sugarcube Corner," Ocellus explained. "Mrs Cake is baking us all a Christmas cake, and I'm helping her! Isn't that amazing?" "It does sound fun," Smoulder mused, before the signal dropped. "Finally! We can go!" With a blast of the whistle, Duncan was off and away. But Skarloey and Ocellus suddenly felt all their festive cheer melt away. That evening, when they returned to the depot, Rheneas and Rusty were there too. "Duncan's been terrible today," Rheneas said. "He said that he dislikes the cold." "He said today that the icy rails were making it hard to stop in time," added Rusty. "And he stated the passengers were slowing us down," finished Skarloey. Sandbar sighed. "At this rate, he'll have ruined everybody's festive cheer. Not that we need more ruining. Silverstream's parents have started fighting again." Ocellus looked at the floor. "We need to do something to make those two stop being so negative," she said. "But what?" Yona asked. "Yona have no idea." Just then, Duncan rolled in, grumbling. "What a mess! All this snow has turned into slush and makes my wheels slip! It's so annoying! I can barely get any traction up!" "Cheer up, Duncan," Smoulder said. "You're all getting repainted soon." "Indeed!" added Rusty. "I'm getting lined black!" "It's about time," Duncan grumbled, as he backed into the shed. "We're all grubby, got new timetables to remember, are covered in slush, have food jammed under the carriage seats..." The others tuned him out. "If only he'd stop grumbling," Rheneas sighed. "If only for one day," added Skarloey. Just then, Duke rolled into the depot. He had heard the entire conversation, and as Cheerilee did some quick maintenance, Duke spoke up. "Duncan's being a pain in the smokebox, is he? I have an idea..." The next morning, Mr Percival came around to see the engines. "Hello, everybody!" he said. "All of you will soon be getting repainted. However, there is a catch, a catch you all must follow. You must all be cheerful for the entire day, and there will be no negativity. Got it?" "Yes sir!" the engines and their drivers chorused. But one was internally annoyed. Duncan put on the goofiest grin he could muster and set off for his train. At Crovan's Gate, he was held at the platform for Duke to pass with an empty slate train. Rheneas was waiting to reverse into the carriage sidings. "What a nice day!" he exclaimed. "Remember, Duncan, go carefully with all this extra snow! It's certain to make the track slippery!" "Thanks for the reminder," Duncan replied, that ridiculous grin still plastered to his smokebox. As his coaches were pushed into position, Smoulder filled up her teapot and poured a cup of tea. "I can't think of anything nicer than a cup of tea on a cold day," she said. The passengers soon got on, and Skarloey pulled up with more trucks. "Good morning!" he said. "How are you doing?" "Completely fine," Duncan replied, as the passengers got on with incredible amounts of baggage (most were travelling to the Sodor Lake Hotel to spend the holiday). He then set off as soon as the whistle blew. Ocellus wasn't convinced. "Something seems fake about his cheerfulness," she said. On the way up the valley, Duncan's passengers began singing Christmas Carols. Duncan hated people singing out of tune, and was about to sound his whistle to get them in tune when he stopped in the loop at Cross-ny-Cuirn to let Rusty pass. "Hark the Herald Angels Sing, glory to the New Born King!" Rusty sang, as he flew through. "And a partridge in a pear tree!" Sandbar added. Duncan tried to keep the smile up, but his cheerful demaneour was starting to crack. "I prefer Silent Night," he said, as he set off. "Or how about Once in Royal?" Smoulder suggested. "That one's overused," Duncan replied. "Especially in Christmas Day, when we should be singing 'Oh Come, all ye Faithful'." Trouble came at Lakeside station. Duke had stopped in the platform, and Duncan was held behind him. Duncan lost his patience and blasted his whistle. "For Barclay's Sake!" he exclaimed. "What's the hold up?" "There's some slippery track on the other side of the loop, meaning I can't easily get to the quarry," Duke replied. "We'll just have to wait." Duncan then had a bright idea. "I'll drop the coaches here and push you through the slippery section. Two engines are better than one, eh?" "Good idea!" Duke replied. The two engines made short work of the slippery track, and the platform was soon clear for Duncan to bring his coaches into. That evening, when he returned to the shed, Mr Percival was waiting for the other engines. "Hello Duncan!" he said. "I heard from Duke that you helped him. Good show. You'll be repainted." "What?" Duncan replied. "I lost my temper at him. You said there was to be no negativity for the entire day." "And I am a little annoyed at Garble for sending me embarrassing photos," Smoulder added. "Doesn't he know I hate dresses?" "You helped Duke in his time of need," Mr Percival replied. "That, I think, is grounds enough for repainting. Though do tell me, why are you often miserable at Christmastime?" Duncan sighed. "I miss Glasgow," he replied. "Christmas in the works was always so much fun, and Sodor's so different to that." Cheerilee brought Duke to a stop in the depot, and climbed off his footplate. "Then Duke and I have had an idea that I think you'll like. For the first ever time, we will celebrate Hogmanay on Sodor!" "Thank you!" Duncan smiled. "In return, I will try to be more cheerful from now on." "It would be unreasonable to ask you two to be cheerful all the time," said Rusty, as he arrived, "as that's just the way you are. But you are no less useful because of it." "Merry Christmas, Duncan, and to all of us!" Sandbar called. "God bless us!" "God bless us, every one!" they all called together.