Sam is still mad at me for what he calls my "damn foolish behavior." Instead of staying in the inn by the warm fire, I went to the stables to help Charlie with the horses. The first snowfall has dumped four inches on the landscape, covering it in a white blanket that glows in the moonlight.
The stables are actually a converted car garage. Charlie was in the middle of brushing down the horses when I entered. There are two horses that draw the carriage, plus Sam's horse, Looms. Charlie's breath misted in the cold night air. The horses look at me with wide blue eyes; their breath is nearly as cold as the air and doesn't show. They are beasts of the cold, like the laughing children.
My father may have bred horses, but I have always hated them. Still, they are important to Charlie. "What are they named?" I asked, hanging back near the shelves of car manuals that had been stripped of paper.
Charlie's good humor seems to have returned. "The paint is Pinwheel, and the roan is Presley. You know Looms." He gestured to each horse in turn. Looms ignored me, chomping contentedly at the contents of his feedbag. Pinwheel nickered and nudged Charlie's shoulder. He laughed and patted her flank affectionally and went back to brushing her. Presley eyed me and laid his ears back against his head.
"Is it all right if I ask you a few questions? For my journal," I clarified.
"Don't bother me none. I'd appreciate it if you grabbed a brush and took care of Presley, though. It's cold as a witch's tit out here." I did as he asked. Presley shifted a bit and nipped at me. "Don't mind him, he's a big ol' teddy bear." The horse rolled his eyes at me and nipped again. This time he caught my shirt, tearing a hole with his sharp teeth. Charlie chuckled. "Just thump him on the nose, show him who's boss."
I did as he said, knocking him on the nose just hard enough for him to feel it. Presley shifted back a bit, still eyeballing me, but he let me unbuckle his saddle and start brushing him down. Meanwhile, Charlie finished taking care of Pinwheel and was tapping a pack of cigarettes against his hand.
"So how long have you been a carriage driver?"
"Going on about fifteen years now. Took over my uncle's rig, but that broke down about five years into it. It's tough keeping the things moving. It's even tougher trying to find parts to fix it. Sammy's been a right genius when it comes to that." He pulled a cigarette out and lit it, inhaling deeply.
Presley's coat had a huge clump of fur matted together. "When did you meet Sam?" This asked through gritted teeth as I tried to unmat it.
He paused, mumbling and counting on his fingers. "Ten, maybe twelve years back." Silence as I avoided Presley's teeth. "No, now that I think on it, closer to twenty. Back when I was first learning the business from my uncle. She was a wee bit of a thing then, hiding behind her daddy's knee. Yeah, it must have been her, now that I think about it. Back before her daddy went and joined up with the Children."
"And then-wait, what?"
Charlie blew out a stream of silver-blue smoke. "What, what?"
"Sam's a girl?"
He stared at me for a moment, then burst out into laughter. "Boy, you don't know nothing 'bout Traders, do you? Sammy's not a girl or a boy, not as far as she's concerned." My confusion must have been evident. He shook his head, still chuckling. "Sammy is Sammy, that's all. Don't ever treat her different and you'll get along fine."
Presley chose that moment to step on my foot. Charlie helped me limp to the doctor, where I found out that cursed horse had broken three toes. I'm now restricted by crutches for the next few weeks. Sam mentioned going out to find some decent painkillers tomorrow, as the doctor didn't have much to spare. I am sorely disappointed by this turn of events, I had hoped to accompany Sam on his her next scouting trip. On the other hand, maybe I had best avoid Sam until I can straighten this all out in my head.
All in all, the interview with Charlie was rather terrible. I don't seem to be improving my interpersonal skills at all. I must try harder if I want this journey to succeed.
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