Appleloosa
November 3, 2012
It was the end of another hard day’s work for the South-Western Railroad Company. Promontory stepped down off Engine 14 in the rail house and tried to shake some of the coal dust out of his coat. He was a muscular earth stallion, about 24 years old with a brown coat, messy black mane, and icy blue eyes. The rail house was a bustle of activity at the end of the day, other engines always returning from the day and tired ponies getting ready to head home. Promontory sighed, he then took off his cap scratched his head. He could hear 'Choo Choo Ch-Boogie' playing faintly from the radio in the supervisor's office. He trotted over to the main office and waited in line to clock out from a twelve hour shift, of which he’d probably only be paid for ten. Promontory clocked out, threw on his dusty jacket and hat and was about to walk out when the clerk behind the service desk called out to him in a gruff tone, "Hey Promontory! This letter came from the corporate office for ya'!"
The clerk practically threw it at him, and he caught it in his teeth. "Thanks Mac."
He mumbled and continued on his way out the door. Outside in the fading dusk light, Promontory got a better look at the letter. The envelope read:
To: Mr. Promontory
From: South-Western Railroad Co. Board of Executives,
Response to recent promotion request
His eyes lit up. This could be it! He could finally, after years of hard work, finally move up in the company!
The letter was one, hope-dashing sentence:
" We regret to inform you at this time that due to financial constraints, no promotion is available. - Board of Executives"
He wasn't too surprised. He had requested a promotion several times before and had been denied each time in the same manner. He threw the letter down on the ground and continued to trot along down the dusty Appleloosa street. There were a few others he worked walking along about the same, looking like zombies: bloodshot eyes and covered in dirt and coal dust. Most of them where either headed to their homes or to their favorite salt saloons in town. A shout came from behind him. "Hey Promontory! Hey wait up a second while ya'?"
Promontory turned around to see a scrawny earth stallion, with an orange coat and green mane running to catch up with him. His name was Silas and he was about twenty or so. Promontory, in a more irritated tone than intended, grumbled, "Tarnation Silas. I never understand how you have so much dang energy left at the end of the day."
"What's got under your hide?" Silas asked with some concern.
"Aw nothin’. It’s just that those stuffed up busybodies at the corporate office denied my promotion request... again."
"Shoot. Say, I gots myself a great idea: How's about you and I head over to the Salt Block and drown our sorrows in cider! My treat! Waddaya' say?"
Promontory smirked, "Thanks but no thanks. I think I'm gonna just head home and try and catch a few winks of sleep."
Silas gasped in jest. "You passin' up free cider? Shoot, you really must be down on yourself!"
Realizing his friend was serious, Silas shrugged and went on, "Fine, suit yourself, goodnight partner!”
"Night amigo,” Promontory said with a smile.
While Silas turned and headed toward the Salt Block, Promontory continued slowly down the street and watched his friend head into the bar. He could hear the piano playing a lively tune and a couple of hoots and hollers from a few patrons in the distance.
Eventually, Promontory made it to his boarding house, up the stairs, and to his room. His room was small, only about 10x12, and was furnished only with the bare necessities: an old cot, a wash basin, a cracked mirror, and a wood cabinet where he kept his hat and duster. The room was drafty and the roof leaked a bit whenever rain came around, but for only six bits a month, he wasn't complaining. It was the cheapest place to live in town. Promontory took off his jacket and hat and threw them down on the floor, not even bothering to put them away in his closet. Next, he blew out the candle lights and collapsed onto the lumpy cot and drifted quickly off into a placid sleep.
Promontory woke up to someone knocking on his door sometime later. At first, he thought he was just dreaming, so he continued laying there with his eyes closed. When he realized he was awake and the knocking was not a figment of his imagination, he jumped up. "Hold your horses I'm comin'!" He stumbled across the room in the pitch black dark, stepping on his hat while he searched for the door. Suddenly, he smacked his snout right into something wooden, hard and flat. He found the door alright. After cussing to himself, he found the knob, swung the door open, and let the bright light from the naked bulb hanging down from the ceiling in the hallway flood his vision.
"Mr. Promontory?" he heard a voice say, his eyes still trying to adjust to the light.
He squinted, blinked, and rubbed his eyes. He could finally see who the mystery voice belonged to: in front of him stood a well dressed white pegasus stallion. He had the look of a Royal Guard, except instead of golden armor, he wore a green and blue plaid sports coat, a white shirt, red tie, topped off with a white fedora with a black band. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Colonel Warspite."
"No disrespect sir but do you realize what time it is?" Promontory said angrily. He was none too happy about being woken up at some ungodly hour.
"Yes. I'm terribly sorry to have inconvenienced you like this, but I got in on a late train from Manehattan." Promontory was dazed and confused. Warspite broke the awkward silence that followed by clearing his throat and going on, "Anyway, I have some important business to discuss with you, may I come inside for a moment?"
"Uh, yeah, yeah sure,” Promontory said unsurely. He wasn’t sure why Manehattan big wigs were bothering him in Appleloosa, but he didn’t like the way it felt.
Promontory moved aside and the Colonel strode right in. Promontory shut the door. The room was, again, very small, and the furniture was barely big enough for two full grown stallions to be in at once. "So what can I help you with sir?"
"I'm Chief of Security for Fancypants Industries, Mr. Promontory. I assume you know who Mr. Fancypants is?" he said in a condescending manner.
"Sure, he's one of those high-class uppity-ups in Manehattan. A big celebrity and what not."
"Well, Mr. Fancypants has asked me to personally invite you to a little social gathering he'll be hosting at the Hapton Hooves Hotel this Saturday in Manehattan."
Promontory wasn't sure he heard right, "You care to repeat that, sir?”
Warspite grinned, "You heard me son. I believe he wants to discuss a little business proposition with you."
"Specifically what about, sir?" Promontory was worried now. He never did trust these big city types.
"Mr. Fancypants didn't fill me in on the details, he just told me to pass the message along to you."
"Well you'd better tell your boss that I already have a job, but the offer is appreciated. Now, if that's all I think I'll say my goodnights Colonel Warspite."
"Oh yes, we already know all about that dead end job of yours," he remarked snidely.
Promontory narrowed his eyes at Warspite, "What do you mean by 'dead end job', sir?"
"You know just as much as me that you’re never going to go anywhere from where you are now. You've worked non-stop, day in and day out for the last six years and have been loyal to your company and what do you have to show for it? A room in a boarding house not fit for any living creature and fatigue."
Promontory glared at the Colonel thinking to himself. Who was he to come barging into his room in the middle of the night, insult him, and tell him how to run his life? He had gotten into fights with other stallions for less but managed to keep a lid on his temper. Promontory headed to his door and opened it and with forced kindness he said, "Thank you again for your oh so kind offer Colonel, but I'm going to have to kindly refuse."
Colonel Warspite sighed and headed out the door. Turning around, he told Promontory, "Well if you reconsider Mr. Promontory I'll be staying in room 205 at the Appleloosa House, and I'll be leaving for Manehattan tomorrow by train promptly at 5 a.m. Goodnight."
And with that, the Colonel proceeded down the hall, around the corner, and out sight. It was only now that the Colonel was gone and Promontory was left alone with his thoughts that the full impact of what he had said hit him. Promontory sat on the edge of his cot and thought. He was going nowhere. He knew deep in his heart he could be so much more than an engineer and that if he stayed with South-Western that was all he would probably ever be.
Later, Colonel Warspite was just about to turn in for the evening in his comfortable suite at the Appleloosa House when he heard a knock at his door. He headed out of the bedroom and opened it. There was Promontory. "Excuse me Colonel, can we talk?"