At the station, the Germans were interrogating Maurice. He was hit several times in the face. He had a bruise on his right cheek, his chin, and blood was on his forehead.
German Pony 593: *Hits Maurice while holding him by the neck* Who did it?
Maurice: *Gets punched again, and has blood come out of his nose* I'm not sure, I can't remember. I was drunk!
German Pony 593: You're lying!! *Throws a bucket of water onto Maurice*
Maurice: *Coughing*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Walks into the room* If you tell the truth, you live. Now, what does he look like?
Maurice: Colonel, I can't remember. *Stares at Von Waldheim* A big stallion, in a grey suit. A hat. I think.
Schmidt: *Arrives* Sir. Labiche never left the hotel.
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Looks at Maurice, and looks at the soldiers interrogating him* Let him go.
They left, and Maurice sighed, relieved that they were no longer torturing him.
At 6:45, it was starting to get dark. Labiche left his room, dressed in his railroad uniform.
Labiche: *Walking down the stairs, and stops at the front desk*
Christine: *At the desk, drinking a cup of coffee*
Labiche: *Signs out, and gets ready to leave*
Christine: Do you want some coffee?
Labiche: *Looks at her*
Christine: It goes with the room. No extra charge.
Labiche: What's your name?
German Pony 19: *Arrives with another German pony* Labiche, the Colonel is waiting.
Christine: *Watching Labiche leave* Christine.
Both Labiche, and the German pony looked at her. None of them replied as they left the hotel.
Didont: *Shoveling coal into the firebox*
Labiche: *Climbs into the cab*
Didont: *Looks at Labiche* Did you talk to him?
Labiche: Maurice, is the track clear up ahead?
Maurice: *Wearing a band-aid on his forehead where he was bleeding* All the way to Germaneigh.
Labiche: *Starts opening the regulator*
Colonel Von Waldheim: Did you sleep well Labiche?!
Labiche: *Looks at the Colonel, and four other German ponies* Like a baby Colonel. *Closes the regulator. He decides not to leave until the Colonel tells him to*
Colonel Von Waldheim: I trust this time the bearings are well oiled.
Labiche: Why don't you check them yourself?
Colonel Von Waldheim: Sargent.
German Pony 49: *Walks into the engine*
Colonel Von Waldheim: Sargent Swatz will arrive with you. The last town before entering Germaneigh will be Saint-Avold. You will stop there so Captain Schmidt will report to me by telephone. A pleasant trip Captain.
Schmidt: *Salutes Von Waldheim*
Colonel Von Waldheim: Is that clear?
Labiche: I will stop at Saint-Avold.
Colonel Von Waldheim: Have you ever been to Germaneigh Labiche?
Labiche: No Colonel.
Colonel Von Waldheim: You should find the experience interesting. A chance to broaden your horizon. Alright station master. *Walks away*
Maurice: *Grabs his whistle, and blows in it*
Labiche: *Opens the regulator, and drives the train. He blows the whistle upon departure*
Didont: *Next to the German pony* Just keep out of my way. *Looks at Labiche* If we stop at Saint-Avold, we'll get our heads blown off.
Labiche: *Increases speed*
The entire train left the station, and Maurice walked into his office in the station, when he saw a Nazi pony.
Nazi Pony: *Sitting in his chair, smoking a cigarette while reading a magazine*
Maurice: *Closes the door, and goes to his phone. He talks to someone on the phone* Get me Commercy please..... I don't have that.... This is railroad business! *The pony he is calling hangs up on him, so he puts the phone away*
Nazi Pony: What's the matter?
Maurice: Your army regulations.
Labiche: *Blows the whistle on the train as he passes through a station at 50 miles an hour*
Schmidt: *Checks the sign on the station* Montmirail.
German Pony 84: *Marks their current location on a map*
Labiche: *Passes through another station with a sign that says Challons*
Schmidt: *Sees the sign* Challons.
German Pony 84: *Marks their current location on a map*
They passed through another station, but there was lots of damage. They could not read the sign on the station, and they had to go slow because of the bad track conditions.
After passing through that, Labiche was able to drive the train at 55 miles an hour, passing a station called Verdun.
Signal Tower Ponies: *Watching the train*
Pony on phone: Hello Metz? It's on time.
Maurice: *Smoking his pipe* Good news. Thank you. *Hangs up*
He has a plan. A very sneaky one.
Around that time, Maurice's nephew walked in. His name is Robert.
Robert: *Carrying a basket, puts it down on top of a cabinet by the door* What time will you be home uncle?
Maurice: When I feel like leaving! I'm sitting here having a good time! Drinking, playing cards, having a good time!
Robert: That's all I wanted to know. *Walks away*
Maurice: Robert. *Sees him stop outside of his office, and walks to him* I'm a tempered old stallion.
Labiche: *Blows the whistle as he drives the train pass a group of railroad ponies*
Didont: *Shoveling coal*
The entire train passed the ponies, and they crossed the tracks.
Labiche: *Blows the whistle as he decreases the train's speed to 15. He is in a town called Metz*
German Pony 49: *Looks outside* Why are we slowing down?
Didont: Are you blind? There's been an air raid. Slow down, we're switching.
Labiche: *Decreases the speed to 10*
German Pony 49: *Gets out of the cab, and walks onto the tender*
Didont: What are you going to do?
Labiche: *Doesn't answer, and checks the fuel gauge*
Didont: I don't want to stop at Saint-Avold.
Labiche: Do you want to go to Germaneigh? We'll stop at Saint-Avold. *Increases speed, and blows the whistle three times*
Railroad Pony 40: *Switches the track for Labiche*
Labiche: *Passes the switch, and goes right*
Didont: *Watching Labiche*
Labiche: *Increases speed*
The entire train passed the switch, and started to cross another track.
Railroad Pony 94: *Switches the track ahead of Labiche*
Labiche: *Goes right on the switch, and passes a concentration camp*
German Pony 49: *Watching the scenery, and looks at Labiche* This is taking us south. *Gets closer to Labiche, and hits his shoulder* I SAID THIS IS TAKING US SOUTH!
Didont: You saw the way those tracks were blown up. We have to go around.
Labiche: What's the next town on your map?!
German Pony 49: Remilly.
Labiche: *Increases speed* Keep your eyes open. Your horizon is about to be broadened.
As they entered the town Remilly, they saw the city's name on a tower on the right side of the track.
German Pony 49: *Looking at Labiche and Didont*
Labiche: *Looking ahead of the train*
Didont: *Looking at the German pony*
As the end of the train passed the tower, the sign was removed. They weren't in Remilly after all. They ended up in Pont A Moussoni. Labiche talked to Maurice before tying him up earlier, and told him what was happening. It was Maurice's idea to get together several ponies, and change the city signs to make the Germans think they were heading into Germaneigh. Instead, they were being turned around.
The phone rang at the Rive-Reine station.
Maurice: *Picks up the phone in his office* Rive-Reine... Yes, this is Maurice.. Right, call them... My wife is saving some cheese for me. She's bringing it to me on the next train here. Yes, yes. The train will stop, but there are no passengers. Good. I'll save a piece of cheese for you. *Hangs up*
Nazi Pony: Railroad business, huh?
Maurice: Ah, yes.
Meanwhile, Labiche was still driving the train, but with the signs being changed, they were heading in the wrong direction.
Labiche: *Blows the whistle as he gets near a railroad crossing*
Old Mare: *Closing the crossing gates on one side of the crossing, and then runs across the line to close the other gate*
Labiche: *Passes the railroad crossing*
Old Mare: *Waves hello*
Labiche: *Does not pay attention as he is looking in front of the train*
German Pony 84: *In the caboose with Schmidt* Next stop is Saint-Avold sir.
Schmidt: *Smiles, and unbuttons his coat*
Labiche: *Slows down, and stops at the station marked St. Avold*
Didont: Should we run?
Labiche: Sargent. May we stretch our legs?
German Pony 49: Alright, get down. *Climbs out of the cab*
Labiche & Didont: *Following the German*
German Ponies: *Run towards them as they climb out of the cab*
German Pony 49: Corporals watch them. *Walks away*
German Ponies: *Watching Labiche, and Didont*
Schmidt: *Walks onto the station platform, and sees the station master* You! Where's the telephone?
Station Master: *Points inside the station*
Schmidt: Sargent, nopony leaves the train, we will only stop here for two minutes.
German Pony 49: Jawohl Captain.
Schmidt: *Gets to the phone, and uses it to call Colonel Von Waldheim*
Labiche: *Walks to the left*
German Ponies: *Switching positions to prevent Labiche from going anywhere*
German Pony 1: Tell Maurice that there's cheese on the train, and save a piece for Pierre, and Harlan.
These German ponies were not German after all. They were French ponies in disguise.
Schmidt: Hello Colonel? Colonel, we are in Saint-Avold. Yes Colonel.
German Pony 49: *Walks towards them, stopping between the Germans, and Labiche, and Didont* What's it like here in Saint-Avold? Huh? *Awaits a response*
German Pony 1: *Frowns as he shakes his head*
German Pony 49: Heh. I know what you mean. I'll be glad to get back to Marelin.
Schmidt: *Walks out of the station* Sarge!!
German Pony 49: Yes Captain?!
Schmidt: We must go!
German Pony 49: Get up!
The three of them got back in the cab.
German Pony 49: Auf wiedersehen.
German Ponies: *Nod*
Labiche: *Blows the whistle, and drives out of the station*
Station Master: *Walking towards the German ponies. He holds a station lamp marked Commercy*
That was the name of the town they're really in.
German Pony 49: *Looking out the cab, enjoying the scenery*
Didont: *Lights a cigarette for Labiche to smoke*
At a station marked Zweibrucken, Labiche was driving 45 miles an hour.
Schmidt: *Sees the station they are passing, and marks their current location on a map* We are home at last. We are in Germaneigh.
But they were really in Vitry Le Francois
Ponies: *Removing the station signs*
Next morning in Rive-Reine, Maurice was watching two ponies in a locomotive half a mile away from him.
Railroad Pony 92: *Blows the whistle as he drives forward*
Maurice: *Watching the train go faster, and faster*
It was going too fast, and once it got on the mainline, it derailed. The tracks were blocked.
Maurice: *Runs to the engine, and looks at the pony behind the controls* Are you alright?
Railroad Pony 92: *Climbs out* Yes, I'm alright.
German Ponies: *Arriving in a motorcycle with sidecar*
Maurice: YOU'RE CRAZY!! What do you think you were doing speeding on a curve like that?!?
Railroad Pony 92: You told me to hurry, didn't you?!
Maurice: Yes! But at full speed?!
German Ponies: *Enjoying the argument*
Several miles west from the station in Rive-Reine, Labiche and Didont were in the train.
Didont: How close?
Labiche: A few minutes.
Didont: Good luck.
Labiche: If anything happens, separate. Meet you at the old farmhouse at the river.
Railroad Pony 64: *Watching the train pass him. He has a rag covering a sign behind him. As the train passes him, he switches the track for another pony in his locomotive, then removes the rag to reveal the sign says Rive-Reine*
Pesquet: *Driving a locomotive on the track, behind the art train*
Labiche: Let's switch places.
Didont: *Sits where Labiche was sitting*
Labiche: *Throws his cigarette into the firebox, and shovels coal. When the German is not looking, he hits him with the shovel, and pushes him out the cab*
German Pony 49: AAAAH!!!! *Rolls down an embankment*
Didont: *Has the German's MP40, and goes onto the tender. He is going to uncouple the engine from the train*
Labiche: *Watching Didont, and slows down so that the train is pushing the engine*
Didont: *Uncouples the cars, and holds onto the tender*
Labiche: *Makes the engine go faster*
Didont: *Waiting to jump*
Labiche: *Slows down*
Didont: *Jumps off*
Labiche: *Before jumping off, he moves the throttle to make the engine go faster. Once that is done, he jumps off, and runs with Didont*
German Pony 734: Hey!! *Fires at Labiche with a Kar98* Hey!! *Fires another bullet*
Didont & Labiche: *Crossing a narrow concrete bridge as fast as they can*
German Pony 983: *Shoots at them with an MG42*
Labiche: *Gets shot in the back leg on his right, and falls down. He stands up, and runs again*
German Pony 734: *Fires 3 bullets, but they all miss*
As the engine was speeding away from the train, it coasted downhill.
Pesquet: *Getting closer to the train*
At the Rive-Reine station
Maurice: *With the Railroad and German ponies*
German Pony 555: *Sees the engine heading towards the crash* Stop!!
German Ponies: *Running after the engine* Hey, slow down in there!!!
There was no one in the engine, and it crashed into the train blocking it's path.
The art train coasted into the station, and was now slowing down.
German Ponies: Hey!! Make this train stop!!
Since there was no engine pulling the train, it crashed into the engine in front of it. Because of it's slow speed, none of the cars were derailed.
German Pony 84: *Wakes up from the accident*
Pesquet: *Sees the accident in front of him, and has his engine set at 20 miles an hour. He jumps out, and runs into a small forest where no one can see him*
German Pony 84: *Looks behind the train, and sees an engine coming towards him*
The engine smashed the caboose on the back of the train.
German Ponies: *Running around*
Pesquet: *Running away*
German Ponies: *Shooting Pesquet*
Pesquet: *Dies*
German Pony: *Arriving on a motorcycle with a sidecar*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *In the sidecar* Saaaaaarge! Get me the poliiiiiiice!
German Pony 30: Yes sir! *Runs away*
German Pony: *Stops the motorcycle* Sir, they won't do anything.
Colonel Von Waldheim: I WANT THEM!! THEY'RE GOING TO HELP US GET EVERYTHING SORTED OUT!!!! *Gets off the motorcycle, and looks at the accident that has occurred*
Christine was in her hotel watching the Germans try to clean up the accident, but decided to go into another part of her hotel.
Christine: *Walks to the back of her hotel, and looks in the backyard. She then walks away*
Labiche: *Climbs over the wall, and into the backyard. With his back leg shot, he has to limp to the hotel. He knocks on the door*
Christine: *Looks outside, and opens the door*
Labiche: *Walks in, and leans on a wall*
Christine: No. No, you can't stay here.
Labiche: *Looks at the floor*
Outside of the hotel.
Maurice & Railroad Pony 92: *Blindfolded, and facing a wall*
German Ponies: Fire! *Executing Maurice & Railroad Pony 92*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *After witnessing the executions, he goes toward the wreck of his train* Major!
German Pony 39: *Runs to him*
Colonel Von Waldheim: How soon will the cranes be here?!
German Pony 39: Tonight. Any work that can be done without heavy equipment will be finished before that.
Colonel Von Waldheim: Put more ponies to work! I want this done faster!!
German Pony 39: But Colonel, until the crane can move the engine-
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Stares at the Major*
German Pony 39: Yes Colonel. *Goes to get more ponies to work*
German Pony 69: *Arrives* Sir! No sign of Labiche sir. We searched for hours. There's no sign of him anywhere.
Colonel Von Waldheim: I WANT HIM!
German Pony 69: But Colonel, he could have gone back to Paris.
Colonel Von Waldheim: No. He's around somewhere, I know. With twists, and turns he'll make plans, but he won't leave the train. I'm beginning to know him. Keep looking for him! Search the town!
He was in the wine cellar in Christine's hotel.
Labiche: *Laying on a bed smoking a cigar*
Christine: *Arrives with a tray of food* I brought you some clothes. How's your leg?
Labiche: Much better thank you.
Christine: *Hears German ponies shouting*
Labiche: What's going on out there?
Christine: You should know. Maurice, and an engineer were shot. Another engineer was shot trying to escape.
Labiche: Pesquet.
Christine: *Hears one of her doors open, and goes upstairs with three bottles of wine*
Labiche: *Grabs a knife, in case any Germans are there*
Christine: *Makes it upstairs*
German Pony 930: Labiche! Have you seen him?!
Christine: *Puts the wine bottles on a table* Labiche?
German Pony 930: Yes Labiche!! He was in room 5, and left yesterday!
Christine: Yes, he left yesterday.
German Pony 930: I know that. I know he left yesterday! I am asking if you've SEEN HIM TODAY!!
Christine: Labiche, Labiche. Yes I've seen him! I see him everyday with Hitler. They're in the wine cellar downstairs!
The Germans did not appreciate her sarcasm, and left the hotel.
Labiche: *Puts the knife away*
Christine: *Comes downstairs, and grabs another bottle of wine. She opens it when tears start to come out of her eyes*
Labiche: *Walks towards Christine, and puts a hoof on her shoulder*
Christine: Please. *Moves to the side away from Labiche, and sits down* Why did you come back here? You want everyone killed. You think you're being a hero, maybe you don't care if you live. What right have you to do this? Leave us alone. I knew Maurice all my life. He and his wife, sat with me when my husband was killed. It was the first year of the war, and now i'll sit with her, we know the truth. Stallions will be heroes, while the widows moan.
Labiche: *Sits down in front of her* Perhaps stallions are fools. There were over a hundred involved in stopping that train. Switch ponies, brake ponies, yard masters. Station masters. God knows how many will be shot, like Maurice. You know what's on that train? Paintings.
Christine: *Looks at Labiche*
Labiche: That's right, paintings, art. The national heritage. The pride of France.
Christine: *Looks away*
Labiche: Crazy, isn't it?
Christine: *Has another tear come out of her eye*
Labiche: It's quiet up there. *Stands up*
Christine: Where are you going?
Labiche: Perhaps I can leave now.
Christine: *Gets in front of him* You can't take two steps without being seen. They're looking for you everywhere.
Labiche: My friend who was with me on the train, I have to meet him. He may not even be alive.
Christine: It won't help him if you're killed. Wait until it's dark. Eat your food.
Labiche: *Stands behind Christine*
Christine: *Holds Labiche*
Labiche: *Hugs Christine*
A crane finally arrived, and the pony operating it was lifting one of the engines off the track. A Major was ordering him what to do.
Major Herren: Ready?! Pick it up!
German Pony 88: *Lifting the engine slowly*
Major Herren: *Walks to the left, and finds a spot near the track that is occupied by nothing* Put it on it's side over there.
Colonel Von Waldheim: Major!! *Walks toward him with two ponies behind him* Can't you move any faster?!
Major Herren: This is a hell of a mess Colonel! We're doing the best we can!
Colonel Von Waldheim: I asked for two cranes!
Major Herren: *Walks toward him* It took an order from staff headquarters to get this one. With Von Runstedt falling back, the army has other uses for railway equipment.
Colonel Von Waldheim: All Von Runstedt can lose are stallions. This train is more valuable.
When it was dark, they put the two locomotives in front of the art train on their sides by the track. Other ponies were repairing the tracks.
Christine: *Walking outside with a bucket of ice. She heads towards a big bucket, and dumps the ice into it*
German Pony 943: *Walks by*
Christine: *Looks at the door to the wine cellar* It's alright.
Labiche: *Opens the door, and gets out*
German Ponies: *Talking as they get close*
Labiche: *Ducks behind the wall with Christine so they can't be spotted*
Germans: *Walk past*
Christine: *Kisses Labiche's neck*
Labiche: *Runs away*
Chrstine: *Watches him run off*
Five minutes later at the farmhouse.
Didont: *Cutting a loaf of bread in half* At Commercy, they shot the station master. At Metz, they took hostages. *Walks to Labiche* At Remilly, they killed more ponies. Shot them on the spot.
Labiche: Eh.
Didont: Kids mostly. That's all I know so far. *Eats a piece of bread, and sits in front of him*
Labiche: *Stands up, and walks to the left* What about the train?
Didont: It'll be ready to move tomorrow.
Labiche: Where the hell are the Allies? What are they taking? The tourist's route to Paris?
Didont: Well I'll believe them when I see them. *Hears somepony walk in, and grabs an MP40. He throws it to Labiche while he gets a knife*
They looked at the entrance where the noise was heard, but it was the Resistance Leader with Robert.
Labiche: *Points the gun at them* Who are you?!
Resistance Leader: Labiche it's me! With Robert, Maurice's nephew!
Labiche: Okay, come in. *Walks to the other side of the barn. The four of them sit down at a table*
Resistance Leader: I'm glad to see you're alive. You're to be complimented. That was quite a job you did.
Labiche: Where are the Allies?
Resistance Leader: What shape is the train in?
Didont: *Gives the leader a cup of tea* It'll be repaired by morning.
Resistance Leader: *Takes the tea* Thank you. *Takes a sip* When does it leave Rive-Reine?
Labiche: It won't move until daylight. Where are the Allies?
Resistance leader: It has been arranged for a French division to reach Paris first. A gesture.
Labiche: Gesture! They can make gestures! Let them make one for Pesquet, or Maurice! That kid of Lefèvre's, he'd appreciate a gesture. *Walks to the other side of the room*
Resistance Leader: What do you intend to do?
Labiche: *Grabs several sticks of dynamite* This is what we intend to do. Plastic. What we should have done in the first place! Tomorrow night, no Allies, we blow the train to hell!!
Resistance Leader: London wants the train safe.
Labiche: *Losing his temper* What do they want us to do?! Stop it with our bear hooves?! Lay it across the tracks?!?
Resistance leader: Right after dawn, all switching tracks and trains in the area will be bombed. The art train is not to be destroyed. Orders are to mark it so that the planes will pass it up.
Labiche: Mark it?
Resistance leader: White paint, on the top of the first three cars. London has decided the paintings must not be damaged.
Labiche: Paint it? For Von Waldheim-- make him a present? To hell with London! We started this whole thing for one reason: to stop the train, because the Allies were going to be here! Well, where are they? Every day they've been due, and every day a pony has been killed for thinking they were just over the next hill. I say to hell with them. Now they want us to paint the train? Let 'em blow it up!
Didont walked towards him, attempting to calm him down.
Didont: Paul, it'd be too bad, if it got blown up... that is, if it could be saved. Papa Boule, Pesquet, the others... they wanted it saved.
Labiche: And they're dead. And they'll never know!
Didont: But we will.
Resistance Leader: White paint. Just the first three cars.
Robert: *Stands up*
Resistance Leader: I can find my way back. *Leaves*
Robert: *Stays with Labiche, and Didont*
Labiche: *Walks to the other side of the room, watching the resistance leader leave, then looks at the two stallions with him* You know what it's like down there? There are Germans all over the place. You haven't got a chance!!
Didont: I'll think of something.
Labiche: What are you gonna do?! *Walks towards Didont* You gonna tell them that you want to paint the train so it'll look nice when it gets to Germaneigh? It's hopeless!!
Didont: It's not hopeless.
Labiche: *Turns around, walks away from Didont, then looks at him* You crazy bastard. Who are you gonna get to help ya? Have you thought of that? WHO ARE YOU GONNA GET TO HELP YA?!
Robert: *Carrying his shotgun* Me. I can fight.
Didont: That makes two of us. A small army.
Labiche: *Looks at the shotgun, and takes it* What do you shoot with this?
Robert: Rabbits.
Labiche: You're not fighting rabbits. How long have you been in Rive-Reine?
Didont: Have you got a plan?
Labiche: Shut up.
Robert: I lived there all my life.
Labiche: Can you get some ponies to help?
Robert: Not in Rive-Reine. They're all working on fixing the tracks.
Labiche: Other towns?
Robert: Remilly. Maurice knew some friends there. Railroad ponies. I can get them.
Labiche: And paint?
Robert: Yes, and purchase too.
Labiche: See to the ponies, and paint.
Robert: *Leaving*
Labiche: Be back an hour before dawn.
Robert: *Gone*
Didont: *Pouring himself a cup of wine* With luck, no one will be hurt.
Labiche: No one's ever hurt. Just dead.
Didont: Paul, uh, have you ever seen any of those paintings on the train? I haven't. You know, when it's over, I think maybe we should take a look. Hmm? *Gets another cup of wine, and gives it to Labiche. They drink the wine together*
4:43 AM. It was still very dark.
Robert: *Walking through the station with a tray of garbage*
He went into the kitchen, placed it on a table, and climbed to the roof.
Robert: *Walking on the roof to a power switch. On his way, a tile goes down, landing on a lower section of the roof*
When he got to the switch, he played with it to make the air raid siren go on.
German Ponies: *Stop what they're doing, and listen to the siren* AIR RAID!! *Shutting off the lights* INSIDE!!
Colonel Von Waldheim: NO! No no, keep working!!!!
But no one listened to him.
Labiche: *Walks to the station with Didont, and two Railroad Ponies carrying a ladder, and paint from the bushes*
They were very careful to make sure no one spotted them.
Railroad Pony 1: *Sets up the ladder*
Railroad Pony 2: *Climbs up*
Didont: *Follows*
Railroad Pony 1: *Climbs up with Labiche*
Labiche: *Has the MP40, pointed at the Germans*
Railroad Ponies: *Begin painting the top of the first three cars in white. They start with the third one*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Looking up, expecting an air raid, but sees nothing. He is the only German outside*
Railroad Ponies: *Painting the second car, using a rag to get the white paint all over the roof*
Robert: *Quietly walking on the roof, making his way back into the station, but he steps on a loose tile, and it slides down*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Hears the tile break on the ground, and looks behind him to see it*
Now he was very suspicious. The alarm was on, but there were no airplanes bombing them. Something was wrong.
Colonel Von Waldheim: Herren!! LIGHTS!!
Major Herren: *Turns on the lights*
Germans: *Walking outside* What is this?!
Colonel Von Waldheim: Up there!! *Grabs a pistol as he spots Robert, and shoots him*
Robert: *Dies, and falls off the roof*
Labiche: *Shoots two German ponies* Go, get out of here!!
Didont: *Leaving with the Railroad ponies, but he realizes something* We didn't paint the first car!! *Goes back up to paint the first car*
German Ponies: *Shooting at him*
Labiche: *Shoots the German ponies* Didont!! Run! Run, get off of there!!
Didont: *Finishes painting the first car, and makes a run for the ladder to climb down*
German Pony: *Shoots Didont with a Kar98*
Labiche: *Shoots the German with the Kar98, and runs away*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *On top of the train, looking at the white paint on his train, then looks at Didont who is dead*
Two hours later, several ponies were scraping the white paint off of the first three cars of the train. Two German ponies were supervising them, carrying MP40's to shoot them if they disobeyed any orders.
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Watches the engine for his train get coupled up. He hears some explosions*
German Pony 39: *Also hears the explosions, and looks up in the sky*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Looks at Major Herren*
Major Herren: That's not thunder Colonel, artillery.
Colonel Von Waldheim: How close?
Major Herren: Three miles perhaps. 88's, I think.
Colonel Von Waldheim: When will they be finished?
Major Herren: Half an hour. Does it matter? You can't take the train out in daylight.
Colonel Von Waldheim: The Allies could be here before night!
Major Herren: Possibly, but a moving train has no chance.
The air raid siren went off again.
Ponies: *Getting off the train*
German Pony 39: Colonel! *Pushes Von Waldheim into cover, under one of the engines left on it's side by the tracks* Get down, get down!! *They both get under*
Allies: *Flying B52 bombers, passing by without dropping any bombs*
Five bombers flew past, and none of them dropped any bombs.
German Pony 39: Why?
Colonel Von Waldheim: The paint on the cars. It's a signal. They're not going to bomb the train! Don't scrape it off, leave it there! It's my ticket to Germaneigh!!
All was quiet. The train tracks were damp, but on a dry spot on the tracks, this occurred.
Labiche: *Putting TNT on the tracks. He hears the train whistle, and puts rocks under the TNT. He grabs the wire, and runs to hide behind a bush. The detonator is there*
Once the train was getting closer, Labiche could see some ponies standing on the front of the train. They were hostages.
Labiche: *Blows up the track*
German Ponies: Stop!!
Engineer: *Applies the brakes, then puts the locomotive in reverse*
The train stopped, with the two front wheels off the track.
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Running to the front of the train* After him!! Find Labiche, and kill him!!
Major Herren: Wait! Colonel, he only blew up the track. He will keep doing that, again and again.
Colonel Von Waldheim: What are you suggesting Major?
Major Herren: He could have blown up the engine. The hostages you put on board prevented that. My crew can repair the track in less than an hour. Keep Labiche away from us for the next 5 miles. We will reach Montmirail, and leave him behind.
By the tracks was a small hill with lots of trees. Labiche was on top of that hill, running along the tracks. His leg still hurt from being shot.
Labiche: *Hears hoofsteps, and goes to the top of the hill to hide behind a fallen tree. He still has the MP40 with him*
German Ponies: *Running on the track*
There were thirty one German ponies looking for Labiche.
Thirty German Ponies: *Running down the tracks*
German Pony: *Stops, and looks around*
Labiche: *Gets up without making a sound, and runs to the right, away from the tracks*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Signalling the engineer to move the train backwards*
Engineer: *Moves the train backwards five inches*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Signals him to stop*
Labiche: *Running to the right, up another hill*
German Ponies: *Running down the tracks* Keep looking! Find him!
But from where they were standing, Labiche was nowhere to be seen.
Major Herren: *Watching his soldiers repair the track* A little faster everyone, we have to get this done quickly!
Labiche: *High on the hill, looking at the tracks below him as the Germans walk, searching for him. He uses a few trees, and rocks for cover as he continues going towards the top*
Major Herren: *Watching with Colonel Von Waldheim as they see the ponies laying down the rails, and welding them into place*
Labiche: *Getting tired, and sits down. He watches the Germans as they get ahead of him. They're too far ahead. He decides to get to the top*
Meanwhile, the track was almost repaired.
Labiche: *On the other side of the hill, and starts to go down. He gets too tired, and rolls down 70 inches. As he stops, he sits, and looks to see if there are any Germans near him. There are none, so he decides to slide down the hill. Once he reaches the bottom, he rolls onto a road next to the train tracks. He walks, slides down a small hill, and walks across the tracks to a shed. He busts the door open with the MP40*
Inside was equipment used for building/repairing track, but what Labiche found would be for destroying it.
Labiche: *Finds a tool for putting in railroad spikes, and walks to the tracks. He starts taking out one of the spikes*
Far from Labiche, the track was repaired. The engine was slowly moving on the new section of track, and stopped.
German Pony 86: Outsiders, get on the front now!
Hostages: *Getting on the front of the locomotive*
Engineer: *Climbs into the cab of the engine*
Once everyone was on board, the engineer drove the train, and blew the whistle. The wheels slipped fiercely as the train moved.
Labiche: *Taking out more spikes. Six have been removed so far, three on each side*
German Ponies: *Walking on the train tracks. They're not far from Labiche, but they can't see him because of the curve of the mountain. They're half a mile in front of the train*
Engineer: *Slowing down*
Other German Ponies: *Getting on board*
Engineer: *Increases speed, and blows the whistle*
Labiche: *Takes out two more spikes. Eight have been removed so far*
Without the spikes, the track would not be safe for the train to be on.
Labiche: *Hears the whistle of the train, and runs to his right to hide in a field*
German Pony 20: *Looks in front of him, and looks at the two German ponies behind him* Come here. I think I saw something. *Walks with the two German ponies*
Labiche: *Keeps his head down as he continues to hide*
German Pony 20: *Sees the train behind him, and decides to forget about what he think he saw. Everything seems okay to him*
Engineer: Stop here.
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Stops the train*
Engineer: I will let the others ride in the cab, and go up front. *Gets out of the cab, and goes to stand on the front of the engine with the hostages*
German Pony 20: *Gets in the cab*
German Ponies: *Get on the train*
Engineer: *Gets on the front*
Major Herren: *Drives the train, and blows the whistle*
Colonel Von Waldheim: Ten miles an hour. No more.
Labiche: *Sees the train getting closer to the area that he sabotaged*
Engineer: *Sees the track ahead* STOP!! STOP, STOP!!
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Applies the brakes*
Once the engine got on the section of track where the spikes were removed, the rails moved, and the engine was derailed. It moved the rails, and was now between them.
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Looks at the damaged track, and is cross. He stares at it for ten seconds, and moves forward, examining the damage*
Everyone got off the train, and looked at what happened.
Colonel Von Waldheim: *In front of the train, his anger getting worse* Major.
Major Herren: Yes Colonel?
Colonel Von Waldheim: Can you get this engine back on the rails?
Major Herren: Right now, I don't know. Without a crane, it's impossible.
Colonel Von Waldheim: Nothing is impossible! Put some ponies to work!! I WANT THIS ENGINE BACK ON THE RAILS!!
Major Herren: If we had ten times the ponies, it couldn't be done!
Colonel Von Waldheim: I TELL YOU IT WILL!! Do you hear me!? I TELL YOU IT WILL!!
Major Herren: It's hopeless Colonel.
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Sweating, knowing that Major Herren is right*
Then, a convoy of trucks were heard on the road next to the train tracks.
Colonel Von Waldheim: UNLOAD THE PAINTINGS!! HURRY!!! *Runs to the road*
German Ponies: *Opening the boxcars, and getting the paintings off the cars*
Colonel Von Waldheim: Stop the trucks!! STOP! STOP! *Steps in front of a car*
German Pony 191: *Stops*
The rest of the convoy stopped in front of, and behind the car.
German Pony 191: *Gets out, and salutes the Colonel*
Colonel Von Waldheim: Get your soldiers out of those trucks Lieutenant! I want those trucks!
German Pony 191: Colonel my orders are-
Colonel Von Waldheim: I don't care about your orders, do as I say!!
German Pony 191: Off the trucks!!
German Ponies: *Getting out*
German Pony 339: *Drives his car forward, moving from one part of the convoy, to where Von Waldheim is, and stops 3 inches from him* What the hell is this?
Colonel Von Waldheim: I need your trucks Major, all of them. I have an important cargo to deliver to Germaneigh. It is of vital importance.
German Pony 339: There is a French armor division just over that hill. What about my ponies?
Colonel Von Waldheim: I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR PONIES, I ORDER YOU TO UNLOAD THOSE TRUCKS!!
German Pony 339: Save your orders Colonel, in this section, the war is over. *To his soldiers* Back in the trucks!!
Colonel Von Waldheim: I'll have you shot!!
German Pony 339: *Walks away from him* Back in the trucks!
Colonel Von Waldheim: NO!! HERREN, SHOOT THAT STALLION!! HE IS TO BE EXECUTED FOR INSUBORDINATION!!! *Turns around, and looks at everyone behind him* UNLOAD THE TRUUUUUUUCKS!!!!!!!! *Turns around again* HERREN, I GAVE YOU AN ORDER!!!!!!!!!!!
As the convoy moved again, Major Herren looked at him.
Major Herren: You have lost Colonel. It is hopeless. Look at those ponies, a defeated army.
Colonel Von Waldheim: Lost Herren?
Major Herren: Yes.
German Pony 339: *Walks to them* Do you want transport?
Major Herren: *Nods* Thank you. *Looks at the soldiers unloading the paintings* Leave them here!! Get in the trucks!!!
German Pony 82: *Shoots the hostages with an MG42*
Major Herren: *Climbs into a car* Colonel, are you coming?
Colonel Von Waldheim: You go on Herren.
Major Herren: There is nothing to stay for Colonel.
Colonel Von Waldheim: You're a good officer Herren. I'll be along in a few minutes. There will be other trucks.
German Pony 339: *Drives away*
The rest of the convoy was gone. All that was left now was the art train.
Labiche: *Walking on the left side of the train, carrying the MP40, ready to shoot anything that gets in front of him. He gets to the engine, and looks at the damage he caused*
He climbed into the engine, and turned a wheel that would put out the fire in the firebox with water. He saw the hostages that were shot, and killed in front of the train, and climbed out of the train to look at them.
Colonel Von Waldheim: Labiche?
Labiche: *Stops*
Colonel Von Waldheim: Here's your prize, Labiche.
Labiche: *Turns around, and points the MP40 at the Colonel*
Colonel Von Waldheim: Some of the greatest paintings in the world. Does it please you, Labiche? Give you a sense of excitement in just being near them? A painting means as much to you as a string of pearls to an ape. You won by sheer luck. You stopped me without knowing what you were doing, or why. You are nothing, Labiche. A lump of flesh. The paintings are mine, they always will be. Beauty belongs to the stallion who can appreciate it! They will always belong to me or to a stallion like me. Now, this minute, you couldn't tell me why you did what you did.
Labiche: *Shoots Colonel Von Waldheim twenty times*
The boxes containing the paintings, the train, and everyone that died stayed there for a long time. Labiche walked away from it all.
The End
German Pony 593: *Hits Maurice while holding him by the neck* Who did it?
Maurice: *Gets punched again, and has blood come out of his nose* I'm not sure, I can't remember. I was drunk!
German Pony 593: You're lying!! *Throws a bucket of water onto Maurice*
Maurice: *Coughing*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Walks into the room* If you tell the truth, you live. Now, what does he look like?
Maurice: Colonel, I can't remember. *Stares at Von Waldheim* A big stallion, in a grey suit. A hat. I think.
Schmidt: *Arrives* Sir. Labiche never left the hotel.
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Looks at Maurice, and looks at the soldiers interrogating him* Let him go.
They left, and Maurice sighed, relieved that they were no longer torturing him.
At 6:45, it was starting to get dark. Labiche left his room, dressed in his railroad uniform.
Labiche: *Walking down the stairs, and stops at the front desk*
Christine: *At the desk, drinking a cup of coffee*
Labiche: *Signs out, and gets ready to leave*
Christine: Do you want some coffee?
Labiche: *Looks at her*
Christine: It goes with the room. No extra charge.
Labiche: What's your name?
German Pony 19: *Arrives with another German pony* Labiche, the Colonel is waiting.
Christine: *Watching Labiche leave* Christine.
Both Labiche, and the German pony looked at her. None of them replied as they left the hotel.
Didont: *Shoveling coal into the firebox*
Labiche: *Climbs into the cab*
Didont: *Looks at Labiche* Did you talk to him?
Labiche: Maurice, is the track clear up ahead?
Maurice: *Wearing a band-aid on his forehead where he was bleeding* All the way to Germaneigh.
Labiche: *Starts opening the regulator*
Colonel Von Waldheim: Did you sleep well Labiche?!
Labiche: *Looks at the Colonel, and four other German ponies* Like a baby Colonel. *Closes the regulator. He decides not to leave until the Colonel tells him to*
Colonel Von Waldheim: I trust this time the bearings are well oiled.
Labiche: Why don't you check them yourself?
Colonel Von Waldheim: Sargent.
German Pony 49: *Walks into the engine*
Colonel Von Waldheim: Sargent Swatz will arrive with you. The last town before entering Germaneigh will be Saint-Avold. You will stop there so Captain Schmidt will report to me by telephone. A pleasant trip Captain.
Schmidt: *Salutes Von Waldheim*
Colonel Von Waldheim: Is that clear?
Labiche: I will stop at Saint-Avold.
Colonel Von Waldheim: Have you ever been to Germaneigh Labiche?
Labiche: No Colonel.
Colonel Von Waldheim: You should find the experience interesting. A chance to broaden your horizon. Alright station master. *Walks away*
Maurice: *Grabs his whistle, and blows in it*
Labiche: *Opens the regulator, and drives the train. He blows the whistle upon departure*
Didont: *Next to the German pony* Just keep out of my way. *Looks at Labiche* If we stop at Saint-Avold, we'll get our heads blown off.
Labiche: *Increases speed*
The entire train left the station, and Maurice walked into his office in the station, when he saw a Nazi pony.
Nazi Pony: *Sitting in his chair, smoking a cigarette while reading a magazine*
Maurice: *Closes the door, and goes to his phone. He talks to someone on the phone* Get me Commercy please..... I don't have that.... This is railroad business! *The pony he is calling hangs up on him, so he puts the phone away*
Nazi Pony: What's the matter?
Maurice: Your army regulations.
Labiche: *Blows the whistle on the train as he passes through a station at 50 miles an hour*
Schmidt: *Checks the sign on the station* Montmirail.
German Pony 84: *Marks their current location on a map*
Labiche: *Passes through another station with a sign that says Challons*
Schmidt: *Sees the sign* Challons.
German Pony 84: *Marks their current location on a map*
They passed through another station, but there was lots of damage. They could not read the sign on the station, and they had to go slow because of the bad track conditions.
After passing through that, Labiche was able to drive the train at 55 miles an hour, passing a station called Verdun.
Signal Tower Ponies: *Watching the train*
Pony on phone: Hello Metz? It's on time.
Maurice: *Smoking his pipe* Good news. Thank you. *Hangs up*
He has a plan. A very sneaky one.
Around that time, Maurice's nephew walked in. His name is Robert.
Robert: *Carrying a basket, puts it down on top of a cabinet by the door* What time will you be home uncle?
Maurice: When I feel like leaving! I'm sitting here having a good time! Drinking, playing cards, having a good time!
Robert: That's all I wanted to know. *Walks away*
Maurice: Robert. *Sees him stop outside of his office, and walks to him* I'm a tempered old stallion.
Labiche: *Blows the whistle as he drives the train pass a group of railroad ponies*
Didont: *Shoveling coal*
The entire train passed the ponies, and they crossed the tracks.
Labiche: *Blows the whistle as he decreases the train's speed to 15. He is in a town called Metz*
German Pony 49: *Looks outside* Why are we slowing down?
Didont: Are you blind? There's been an air raid. Slow down, we're switching.
Labiche: *Decreases the speed to 10*
German Pony 49: *Gets out of the cab, and walks onto the tender*
Didont: What are you going to do?
Labiche: *Doesn't answer, and checks the fuel gauge*
Didont: I don't want to stop at Saint-Avold.
Labiche: Do you want to go to Germaneigh? We'll stop at Saint-Avold. *Increases speed, and blows the whistle three times*
Railroad Pony 40: *Switches the track for Labiche*
Labiche: *Passes the switch, and goes right*
Didont: *Watching Labiche*
Labiche: *Increases speed*
The entire train passed the switch, and started to cross another track.
Railroad Pony 94: *Switches the track ahead of Labiche*
Labiche: *Goes right on the switch, and passes a concentration camp*
German Pony 49: *Watching the scenery, and looks at Labiche* This is taking us south. *Gets closer to Labiche, and hits his shoulder* I SAID THIS IS TAKING US SOUTH!
Didont: You saw the way those tracks were blown up. We have to go around.
Labiche: What's the next town on your map?!
German Pony 49: Remilly.
Labiche: *Increases speed* Keep your eyes open. Your horizon is about to be broadened.
As they entered the town Remilly, they saw the city's name on a tower on the right side of the track.
German Pony 49: *Looking at Labiche and Didont*
Labiche: *Looking ahead of the train*
Didont: *Looking at the German pony*
As the end of the train passed the tower, the sign was removed. They weren't in Remilly after all. They ended up in Pont A Moussoni. Labiche talked to Maurice before tying him up earlier, and told him what was happening. It was Maurice's idea to get together several ponies, and change the city signs to make the Germans think they were heading into Germaneigh. Instead, they were being turned around.
The phone rang at the Rive-Reine station.
Maurice: *Picks up the phone in his office* Rive-Reine... Yes, this is Maurice.. Right, call them... My wife is saving some cheese for me. She's bringing it to me on the next train here. Yes, yes. The train will stop, but there are no passengers. Good. I'll save a piece of cheese for you. *Hangs up*
Nazi Pony: Railroad business, huh?
Maurice: Ah, yes.
Meanwhile, Labiche was still driving the train, but with the signs being changed, they were heading in the wrong direction.
Labiche: *Blows the whistle as he gets near a railroad crossing*
Old Mare: *Closing the crossing gates on one side of the crossing, and then runs across the line to close the other gate*
Labiche: *Passes the railroad crossing*
Old Mare: *Waves hello*
Labiche: *Does not pay attention as he is looking in front of the train*
German Pony 84: *In the caboose with Schmidt* Next stop is Saint-Avold sir.
Schmidt: *Smiles, and unbuttons his coat*
Labiche: *Slows down, and stops at the station marked St. Avold*
Didont: Should we run?
Labiche: Sargent. May we stretch our legs?
German Pony 49: Alright, get down. *Climbs out of the cab*
Labiche & Didont: *Following the German*
German Ponies: *Run towards them as they climb out of the cab*
German Pony 49: Corporals watch them. *Walks away*
German Ponies: *Watching Labiche, and Didont*
Schmidt: *Walks onto the station platform, and sees the station master* You! Where's the telephone?
Station Master: *Points inside the station*
Schmidt: Sargent, nopony leaves the train, we will only stop here for two minutes.
German Pony 49: Jawohl Captain.
Schmidt: *Gets to the phone, and uses it to call Colonel Von Waldheim*
Labiche: *Walks to the left*
German Ponies: *Switching positions to prevent Labiche from going anywhere*
German Pony 1: Tell Maurice that there's cheese on the train, and save a piece for Pierre, and Harlan.
These German ponies were not German after all. They were French ponies in disguise.
Schmidt: Hello Colonel? Colonel, we are in Saint-Avold. Yes Colonel.
German Pony 49: *Walks towards them, stopping between the Germans, and Labiche, and Didont* What's it like here in Saint-Avold? Huh? *Awaits a response*
German Pony 1: *Frowns as he shakes his head*
German Pony 49: Heh. I know what you mean. I'll be glad to get back to Marelin.
Schmidt: *Walks out of the station* Sarge!!
German Pony 49: Yes Captain?!
Schmidt: We must go!
German Pony 49: Get up!
The three of them got back in the cab.
German Pony 49: Auf wiedersehen.
German Ponies: *Nod*
Labiche: *Blows the whistle, and drives out of the station*
Station Master: *Walking towards the German ponies. He holds a station lamp marked Commercy*
That was the name of the town they're really in.
German Pony 49: *Looking out the cab, enjoying the scenery*
Didont: *Lights a cigarette for Labiche to smoke*
At a station marked Zweibrucken, Labiche was driving 45 miles an hour.
Schmidt: *Sees the station they are passing, and marks their current location on a map* We are home at last. We are in Germaneigh.
But they were really in Vitry Le Francois
Ponies: *Removing the station signs*
Next morning in Rive-Reine, Maurice was watching two ponies in a locomotive half a mile away from him.
Railroad Pony 92: *Blows the whistle as he drives forward*
Maurice: *Watching the train go faster, and faster*
It was going too fast, and once it got on the mainline, it derailed. The tracks were blocked.
Maurice: *Runs to the engine, and looks at the pony behind the controls* Are you alright?
Railroad Pony 92: *Climbs out* Yes, I'm alright.
German Ponies: *Arriving in a motorcycle with sidecar*
Maurice: YOU'RE CRAZY!! What do you think you were doing speeding on a curve like that?!?
Railroad Pony 92: You told me to hurry, didn't you?!
Maurice: Yes! But at full speed?!
German Ponies: *Enjoying the argument*
Several miles west from the station in Rive-Reine, Labiche and Didont were in the train.
Didont: How close?
Labiche: A few minutes.
Didont: Good luck.
Labiche: If anything happens, separate. Meet you at the old farmhouse at the river.
Railroad Pony 64: *Watching the train pass him. He has a rag covering a sign behind him. As the train passes him, he switches the track for another pony in his locomotive, then removes the rag to reveal the sign says Rive-Reine*
Pesquet: *Driving a locomotive on the track, behind the art train*
Labiche: Let's switch places.
Didont: *Sits where Labiche was sitting*
Labiche: *Throws his cigarette into the firebox, and shovels coal. When the German is not looking, he hits him with the shovel, and pushes him out the cab*
German Pony 49: AAAAH!!!! *Rolls down an embankment*
Didont: *Has the German's MP40, and goes onto the tender. He is going to uncouple the engine from the train*
Labiche: *Watching Didont, and slows down so that the train is pushing the engine*
Didont: *Uncouples the cars, and holds onto the tender*
Labiche: *Makes the engine go faster*
Didont: *Waiting to jump*
Labiche: *Slows down*
Didont: *Jumps off*
Labiche: *Before jumping off, he moves the throttle to make the engine go faster. Once that is done, he jumps off, and runs with Didont*
German Pony 734: Hey!! *Fires at Labiche with a Kar98* Hey!! *Fires another bullet*
Didont & Labiche: *Crossing a narrow concrete bridge as fast as they can*
German Pony 983: *Shoots at them with an MG42*
Labiche: *Gets shot in the back leg on his right, and falls down. He stands up, and runs again*
German Pony 734: *Fires 3 bullets, but they all miss*
As the engine was speeding away from the train, it coasted downhill.
Pesquet: *Getting closer to the train*
At the Rive-Reine station
Maurice: *With the Railroad and German ponies*
German Pony 555: *Sees the engine heading towards the crash* Stop!!
German Ponies: *Running after the engine* Hey, slow down in there!!!
There was no one in the engine, and it crashed into the train blocking it's path.
The art train coasted into the station, and was now slowing down.
German Ponies: Hey!! Make this train stop!!
Since there was no engine pulling the train, it crashed into the engine in front of it. Because of it's slow speed, none of the cars were derailed.
German Pony 84: *Wakes up from the accident*
Pesquet: *Sees the accident in front of him, and has his engine set at 20 miles an hour. He jumps out, and runs into a small forest where no one can see him*
German Pony 84: *Looks behind the train, and sees an engine coming towards him*
The engine smashed the caboose on the back of the train.
German Ponies: *Running around*
Pesquet: *Running away*
German Ponies: *Shooting Pesquet*
Pesquet: *Dies*
German Pony: *Arriving on a motorcycle with a sidecar*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *In the sidecar* Saaaaaarge! Get me the poliiiiiiice!
German Pony 30: Yes sir! *Runs away*
German Pony: *Stops the motorcycle* Sir, they won't do anything.
Colonel Von Waldheim: I WANT THEM!! THEY'RE GOING TO HELP US GET EVERYTHING SORTED OUT!!!! *Gets off the motorcycle, and looks at the accident that has occurred*
Christine was in her hotel watching the Germans try to clean up the accident, but decided to go into another part of her hotel.
Christine: *Walks to the back of her hotel, and looks in the backyard. She then walks away*
Labiche: *Climbs over the wall, and into the backyard. With his back leg shot, he has to limp to the hotel. He knocks on the door*
Christine: *Looks outside, and opens the door*
Labiche: *Walks in, and leans on a wall*
Christine: No. No, you can't stay here.
Labiche: *Looks at the floor*
Outside of the hotel.
Maurice & Railroad Pony 92: *Blindfolded, and facing a wall*
German Ponies: Fire! *Executing Maurice & Railroad Pony 92*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *After witnessing the executions, he goes toward the wreck of his train* Major!
German Pony 39: *Runs to him*
Colonel Von Waldheim: How soon will the cranes be here?!
German Pony 39: Tonight. Any work that can be done without heavy equipment will be finished before that.
Colonel Von Waldheim: Put more ponies to work! I want this done faster!!
German Pony 39: But Colonel, until the crane can move the engine-
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Stares at the Major*
German Pony 39: Yes Colonel. *Goes to get more ponies to work*
German Pony 69: *Arrives* Sir! No sign of Labiche sir. We searched for hours. There's no sign of him anywhere.
Colonel Von Waldheim: I WANT HIM!
German Pony 69: But Colonel, he could have gone back to Paris.
Colonel Von Waldheim: No. He's around somewhere, I know. With twists, and turns he'll make plans, but he won't leave the train. I'm beginning to know him. Keep looking for him! Search the town!
He was in the wine cellar in Christine's hotel.
Labiche: *Laying on a bed smoking a cigar*
Christine: *Arrives with a tray of food* I brought you some clothes. How's your leg?
Labiche: Much better thank you.
Christine: *Hears German ponies shouting*
Labiche: What's going on out there?
Christine: You should know. Maurice, and an engineer were shot. Another engineer was shot trying to escape.
Labiche: Pesquet.
Christine: *Hears one of her doors open, and goes upstairs with three bottles of wine*
Labiche: *Grabs a knife, in case any Germans are there*
Christine: *Makes it upstairs*
German Pony 930: Labiche! Have you seen him?!
Christine: *Puts the wine bottles on a table* Labiche?
German Pony 930: Yes Labiche!! He was in room 5, and left yesterday!
Christine: Yes, he left yesterday.
German Pony 930: I know that. I know he left yesterday! I am asking if you've SEEN HIM TODAY!!
Christine: Labiche, Labiche. Yes I've seen him! I see him everyday with Hitler. They're in the wine cellar downstairs!
The Germans did not appreciate her sarcasm, and left the hotel.
Labiche: *Puts the knife away*
Christine: *Comes downstairs, and grabs another bottle of wine. She opens it when tears start to come out of her eyes*
Labiche: *Walks towards Christine, and puts a hoof on her shoulder*
Christine: Please. *Moves to the side away from Labiche, and sits down* Why did you come back here? You want everyone killed. You think you're being a hero, maybe you don't care if you live. What right have you to do this? Leave us alone. I knew Maurice all my life. He and his wife, sat with me when my husband was killed. It was the first year of the war, and now i'll sit with her, we know the truth. Stallions will be heroes, while the widows moan.
Labiche: *Sits down in front of her* Perhaps stallions are fools. There were over a hundred involved in stopping that train. Switch ponies, brake ponies, yard masters. Station masters. God knows how many will be shot, like Maurice. You know what's on that train? Paintings.
Christine: *Looks at Labiche*
Labiche: That's right, paintings, art. The national heritage. The pride of France.
Christine: *Looks away*
Labiche: Crazy, isn't it?
Christine: *Has another tear come out of her eye*
Labiche: It's quiet up there. *Stands up*
Christine: Where are you going?
Labiche: Perhaps I can leave now.
Christine: *Gets in front of him* You can't take two steps without being seen. They're looking for you everywhere.
Labiche: My friend who was with me on the train, I have to meet him. He may not even be alive.
Christine: It won't help him if you're killed. Wait until it's dark. Eat your food.
Labiche: *Stands behind Christine*
Christine: *Holds Labiche*
Labiche: *Hugs Christine*
A crane finally arrived, and the pony operating it was lifting one of the engines off the track. A Major was ordering him what to do.
Major Herren: Ready?! Pick it up!
German Pony 88: *Lifting the engine slowly*
Major Herren: *Walks to the left, and finds a spot near the track that is occupied by nothing* Put it on it's side over there.
Colonel Von Waldheim: Major!! *Walks toward him with two ponies behind him* Can't you move any faster?!
Major Herren: This is a hell of a mess Colonel! We're doing the best we can!
Colonel Von Waldheim: I asked for two cranes!
Major Herren: *Walks toward him* It took an order from staff headquarters to get this one. With Von Runstedt falling back, the army has other uses for railway equipment.
Colonel Von Waldheim: All Von Runstedt can lose are stallions. This train is more valuable.
When it was dark, they put the two locomotives in front of the art train on their sides by the track. Other ponies were repairing the tracks.
Christine: *Walking outside with a bucket of ice. She heads towards a big bucket, and dumps the ice into it*
German Pony 943: *Walks by*
Christine: *Looks at the door to the wine cellar* It's alright.
Labiche: *Opens the door, and gets out*
German Ponies: *Talking as they get close*
Labiche: *Ducks behind the wall with Christine so they can't be spotted*
Germans: *Walk past*
Christine: *Kisses Labiche's neck*
Labiche: *Runs away*
Chrstine: *Watches him run off*
Five minutes later at the farmhouse.
Didont: *Cutting a loaf of bread in half* At Commercy, they shot the station master. At Metz, they took hostages. *Walks to Labiche* At Remilly, they killed more ponies. Shot them on the spot.
Labiche: Eh.
Didont: Kids mostly. That's all I know so far. *Eats a piece of bread, and sits in front of him*
Labiche: *Stands up, and walks to the left* What about the train?
Didont: It'll be ready to move tomorrow.
Labiche: Where the hell are the Allies? What are they taking? The tourist's route to Paris?
Didont: Well I'll believe them when I see them. *Hears somepony walk in, and grabs an MP40. He throws it to Labiche while he gets a knife*
They looked at the entrance where the noise was heard, but it was the Resistance Leader with Robert.
Labiche: *Points the gun at them* Who are you?!
Resistance Leader: Labiche it's me! With Robert, Maurice's nephew!
Labiche: Okay, come in. *Walks to the other side of the barn. The four of them sit down at a table*
Resistance Leader: I'm glad to see you're alive. You're to be complimented. That was quite a job you did.
Labiche: Where are the Allies?
Resistance Leader: What shape is the train in?
Didont: *Gives the leader a cup of tea* It'll be repaired by morning.
Resistance Leader: *Takes the tea* Thank you. *Takes a sip* When does it leave Rive-Reine?
Labiche: It won't move until daylight. Where are the Allies?
Resistance leader: It has been arranged for a French division to reach Paris first. A gesture.
Labiche: Gesture! They can make gestures! Let them make one for Pesquet, or Maurice! That kid of Lefèvre's, he'd appreciate a gesture. *Walks to the other side of the room*
Resistance Leader: What do you intend to do?
Labiche: *Grabs several sticks of dynamite* This is what we intend to do. Plastic. What we should have done in the first place! Tomorrow night, no Allies, we blow the train to hell!!
Resistance Leader: London wants the train safe.
Labiche: *Losing his temper* What do they want us to do?! Stop it with our bear hooves?! Lay it across the tracks?!?
Resistance leader: Right after dawn, all switching tracks and trains in the area will be bombed. The art train is not to be destroyed. Orders are to mark it so that the planes will pass it up.
Labiche: Mark it?
Resistance leader: White paint, on the top of the first three cars. London has decided the paintings must not be damaged.
Labiche: Paint it? For Von Waldheim-- make him a present? To hell with London! We started this whole thing for one reason: to stop the train, because the Allies were going to be here! Well, where are they? Every day they've been due, and every day a pony has been killed for thinking they were just over the next hill. I say to hell with them. Now they want us to paint the train? Let 'em blow it up!
Didont walked towards him, attempting to calm him down.
Didont: Paul, it'd be too bad, if it got blown up... that is, if it could be saved. Papa Boule, Pesquet, the others... they wanted it saved.
Labiche: And they're dead. And they'll never know!
Didont: But we will.
Resistance Leader: White paint. Just the first three cars.
Robert: *Stands up*
Resistance Leader: I can find my way back. *Leaves*
Robert: *Stays with Labiche, and Didont*
Labiche: *Walks to the other side of the room, watching the resistance leader leave, then looks at the two stallions with him* You know what it's like down there? There are Germans all over the place. You haven't got a chance!!
Didont: I'll think of something.
Labiche: What are you gonna do?! *Walks towards Didont* You gonna tell them that you want to paint the train so it'll look nice when it gets to Germaneigh? It's hopeless!!
Didont: It's not hopeless.
Labiche: *Turns around, walks away from Didont, then looks at him* You crazy bastard. Who are you gonna get to help ya? Have you thought of that? WHO ARE YOU GONNA GET TO HELP YA?!
Robert: *Carrying his shotgun* Me. I can fight.
Didont: That makes two of us. A small army.
Labiche: *Looks at the shotgun, and takes it* What do you shoot with this?
Robert: Rabbits.
Labiche: You're not fighting rabbits. How long have you been in Rive-Reine?
Didont: Have you got a plan?
Labiche: Shut up.
Robert: I lived there all my life.
Labiche: Can you get some ponies to help?
Robert: Not in Rive-Reine. They're all working on fixing the tracks.
Labiche: Other towns?
Robert: Remilly. Maurice knew some friends there. Railroad ponies. I can get them.
Labiche: And paint?
Robert: Yes, and purchase too.
Labiche: See to the ponies, and paint.
Robert: *Leaving*
Labiche: Be back an hour before dawn.
Robert: *Gone*
Didont: *Pouring himself a cup of wine* With luck, no one will be hurt.
Labiche: No one's ever hurt. Just dead.
Didont: Paul, uh, have you ever seen any of those paintings on the train? I haven't. You know, when it's over, I think maybe we should take a look. Hmm? *Gets another cup of wine, and gives it to Labiche. They drink the wine together*
4:43 AM. It was still very dark.
Robert: *Walking through the station with a tray of garbage*
He went into the kitchen, placed it on a table, and climbed to the roof.
Robert: *Walking on the roof to a power switch. On his way, a tile goes down, landing on a lower section of the roof*
When he got to the switch, he played with it to make the air raid siren go on.
German Ponies: *Stop what they're doing, and listen to the siren* AIR RAID!! *Shutting off the lights* INSIDE!!
Colonel Von Waldheim: NO! No no, keep working!!!!
But no one listened to him.
Labiche: *Walks to the station with Didont, and two Railroad Ponies carrying a ladder, and paint from the bushes*
They were very careful to make sure no one spotted them.
Railroad Pony 1: *Sets up the ladder*
Railroad Pony 2: *Climbs up*
Didont: *Follows*
Railroad Pony 1: *Climbs up with Labiche*
Labiche: *Has the MP40, pointed at the Germans*
Railroad Ponies: *Begin painting the top of the first three cars in white. They start with the third one*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Looking up, expecting an air raid, but sees nothing. He is the only German outside*
Railroad Ponies: *Painting the second car, using a rag to get the white paint all over the roof*
Robert: *Quietly walking on the roof, making his way back into the station, but he steps on a loose tile, and it slides down*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Hears the tile break on the ground, and looks behind him to see it*
Now he was very suspicious. The alarm was on, but there were no airplanes bombing them. Something was wrong.
Colonel Von Waldheim: Herren!! LIGHTS!!
Major Herren: *Turns on the lights*
Germans: *Walking outside* What is this?!
Colonel Von Waldheim: Up there!! *Grabs a pistol as he spots Robert, and shoots him*
Robert: *Dies, and falls off the roof*
Labiche: *Shoots two German ponies* Go, get out of here!!
Didont: *Leaving with the Railroad ponies, but he realizes something* We didn't paint the first car!! *Goes back up to paint the first car*
German Ponies: *Shooting at him*
Labiche: *Shoots the German ponies* Didont!! Run! Run, get off of there!!
Didont: *Finishes painting the first car, and makes a run for the ladder to climb down*
German Pony: *Shoots Didont with a Kar98*
Labiche: *Shoots the German with the Kar98, and runs away*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *On top of the train, looking at the white paint on his train, then looks at Didont who is dead*
Two hours later, several ponies were scraping the white paint off of the first three cars of the train. Two German ponies were supervising them, carrying MP40's to shoot them if they disobeyed any orders.
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Watches the engine for his train get coupled up. He hears some explosions*
German Pony 39: *Also hears the explosions, and looks up in the sky*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Looks at Major Herren*
Major Herren: That's not thunder Colonel, artillery.
Colonel Von Waldheim: How close?
Major Herren: Three miles perhaps. 88's, I think.
Colonel Von Waldheim: When will they be finished?
Major Herren: Half an hour. Does it matter? You can't take the train out in daylight.
Colonel Von Waldheim: The Allies could be here before night!
Major Herren: Possibly, but a moving train has no chance.
The air raid siren went off again.
Ponies: *Getting off the train*
German Pony 39: Colonel! *Pushes Von Waldheim into cover, under one of the engines left on it's side by the tracks* Get down, get down!! *They both get under*
Allies: *Flying B52 bombers, passing by without dropping any bombs*
Five bombers flew past, and none of them dropped any bombs.
German Pony 39: Why?
Colonel Von Waldheim: The paint on the cars. It's a signal. They're not going to bomb the train! Don't scrape it off, leave it there! It's my ticket to Germaneigh!!
All was quiet. The train tracks were damp, but on a dry spot on the tracks, this occurred.
Labiche: *Putting TNT on the tracks. He hears the train whistle, and puts rocks under the TNT. He grabs the wire, and runs to hide behind a bush. The detonator is there*
Once the train was getting closer, Labiche could see some ponies standing on the front of the train. They were hostages.
Labiche: *Blows up the track*
German Ponies: Stop!!
Engineer: *Applies the brakes, then puts the locomotive in reverse*
The train stopped, with the two front wheels off the track.
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Running to the front of the train* After him!! Find Labiche, and kill him!!
Major Herren: Wait! Colonel, he only blew up the track. He will keep doing that, again and again.
Colonel Von Waldheim: What are you suggesting Major?
Major Herren: He could have blown up the engine. The hostages you put on board prevented that. My crew can repair the track in less than an hour. Keep Labiche away from us for the next 5 miles. We will reach Montmirail, and leave him behind.
By the tracks was a small hill with lots of trees. Labiche was on top of that hill, running along the tracks. His leg still hurt from being shot.
Labiche: *Hears hoofsteps, and goes to the top of the hill to hide behind a fallen tree. He still has the MP40 with him*
German Ponies: *Running on the track*
There were thirty one German ponies looking for Labiche.
Thirty German Ponies: *Running down the tracks*
German Pony: *Stops, and looks around*
Labiche: *Gets up without making a sound, and runs to the right, away from the tracks*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Signalling the engineer to move the train backwards*
Engineer: *Moves the train backwards five inches*
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Signals him to stop*
Labiche: *Running to the right, up another hill*
German Ponies: *Running down the tracks* Keep looking! Find him!
But from where they were standing, Labiche was nowhere to be seen.
Major Herren: *Watching his soldiers repair the track* A little faster everyone, we have to get this done quickly!
Labiche: *High on the hill, looking at the tracks below him as the Germans walk, searching for him. He uses a few trees, and rocks for cover as he continues going towards the top*
Major Herren: *Watching with Colonel Von Waldheim as they see the ponies laying down the rails, and welding them into place*
Labiche: *Getting tired, and sits down. He watches the Germans as they get ahead of him. They're too far ahead. He decides to get to the top*
Meanwhile, the track was almost repaired.
Labiche: *On the other side of the hill, and starts to go down. He gets too tired, and rolls down 70 inches. As he stops, he sits, and looks to see if there are any Germans near him. There are none, so he decides to slide down the hill. Once he reaches the bottom, he rolls onto a road next to the train tracks. He walks, slides down a small hill, and walks across the tracks to a shed. He busts the door open with the MP40*
Inside was equipment used for building/repairing track, but what Labiche found would be for destroying it.
Labiche: *Finds a tool for putting in railroad spikes, and walks to the tracks. He starts taking out one of the spikes*
Far from Labiche, the track was repaired. The engine was slowly moving on the new section of track, and stopped.
German Pony 86: Outsiders, get on the front now!
Hostages: *Getting on the front of the locomotive*
Engineer: *Climbs into the cab of the engine*
Once everyone was on board, the engineer drove the train, and blew the whistle. The wheels slipped fiercely as the train moved.
Labiche: *Taking out more spikes. Six have been removed so far, three on each side*
German Ponies: *Walking on the train tracks. They're not far from Labiche, but they can't see him because of the curve of the mountain. They're half a mile in front of the train*
Engineer: *Slowing down*
Other German Ponies: *Getting on board*
Engineer: *Increases speed, and blows the whistle*
Labiche: *Takes out two more spikes. Eight have been removed so far*
Without the spikes, the track would not be safe for the train to be on.
Labiche: *Hears the whistle of the train, and runs to his right to hide in a field*
German Pony 20: *Looks in front of him, and looks at the two German ponies behind him* Come here. I think I saw something. *Walks with the two German ponies*
Labiche: *Keeps his head down as he continues to hide*
German Pony 20: *Sees the train behind him, and decides to forget about what he think he saw. Everything seems okay to him*
Engineer: Stop here.
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Stops the train*
Engineer: I will let the others ride in the cab, and go up front. *Gets out of the cab, and goes to stand on the front of the engine with the hostages*
German Pony 20: *Gets in the cab*
German Ponies: *Get on the train*
Engineer: *Gets on the front*
Major Herren: *Drives the train, and blows the whistle*
Colonel Von Waldheim: Ten miles an hour. No more.
Labiche: *Sees the train getting closer to the area that he sabotaged*
Engineer: *Sees the track ahead* STOP!! STOP, STOP!!
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Applies the brakes*
Once the engine got on the section of track where the spikes were removed, the rails moved, and the engine was derailed. It moved the rails, and was now between them.
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Looks at the damaged track, and is cross. He stares at it for ten seconds, and moves forward, examining the damage*
Everyone got off the train, and looked at what happened.
Colonel Von Waldheim: *In front of the train, his anger getting worse* Major.
Major Herren: Yes Colonel?
Colonel Von Waldheim: Can you get this engine back on the rails?
Major Herren: Right now, I don't know. Without a crane, it's impossible.
Colonel Von Waldheim: Nothing is impossible! Put some ponies to work!! I WANT THIS ENGINE BACK ON THE RAILS!!
Major Herren: If we had ten times the ponies, it couldn't be done!
Colonel Von Waldheim: I TELL YOU IT WILL!! Do you hear me!? I TELL YOU IT WILL!!
Major Herren: It's hopeless Colonel.
Colonel Von Waldheim: *Sweating, knowing that Major Herren is right*
Then, a convoy of trucks were heard on the road next to the train tracks.
Colonel Von Waldheim: UNLOAD THE PAINTINGS!! HURRY!!! *Runs to the road*
German Ponies: *Opening the boxcars, and getting the paintings off the cars*
Colonel Von Waldheim: Stop the trucks!! STOP! STOP! *Steps in front of a car*
German Pony 191: *Stops*
The rest of the convoy stopped in front of, and behind the car.
German Pony 191: *Gets out, and salutes the Colonel*
Colonel Von Waldheim: Get your soldiers out of those trucks Lieutenant! I want those trucks!
German Pony 191: Colonel my orders are-
Colonel Von Waldheim: I don't care about your orders, do as I say!!
German Pony 191: Off the trucks!!
German Ponies: *Getting out*
German Pony 339: *Drives his car forward, moving from one part of the convoy, to where Von Waldheim is, and stops 3 inches from him* What the hell is this?
Colonel Von Waldheim: I need your trucks Major, all of them. I have an important cargo to deliver to Germaneigh. It is of vital importance.
German Pony 339: There is a French armor division just over that hill. What about my ponies?
Colonel Von Waldheim: I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR PONIES, I ORDER YOU TO UNLOAD THOSE TRUCKS!!
German Pony 339: Save your orders Colonel, in this section, the war is over. *To his soldiers* Back in the trucks!!
Colonel Von Waldheim: I'll have you shot!!
German Pony 339: *Walks away from him* Back in the trucks!
Colonel Von Waldheim: NO!! HERREN, SHOOT THAT STALLION!! HE IS TO BE EXECUTED FOR INSUBORDINATION!!! *Turns around, and looks at everyone behind him* UNLOAD THE TRUUUUUUUCKS!!!!!!!! *Turns around again* HERREN, I GAVE YOU AN ORDER!!!!!!!!!!!
As the convoy moved again, Major Herren looked at him.
Major Herren: You have lost Colonel. It is hopeless. Look at those ponies, a defeated army.
Colonel Von Waldheim: Lost Herren?
Major Herren: Yes.
German Pony 339: *Walks to them* Do you want transport?
Major Herren: *Nods* Thank you. *Looks at the soldiers unloading the paintings* Leave them here!! Get in the trucks!!!
German Pony 82: *Shoots the hostages with an MG42*
Major Herren: *Climbs into a car* Colonel, are you coming?
Colonel Von Waldheim: You go on Herren.
Major Herren: There is nothing to stay for Colonel.
Colonel Von Waldheim: You're a good officer Herren. I'll be along in a few minutes. There will be other trucks.
German Pony 339: *Drives away*
The rest of the convoy was gone. All that was left now was the art train.
Labiche: *Walking on the left side of the train, carrying the MP40, ready to shoot anything that gets in front of him. He gets to the engine, and looks at the damage he caused*
He climbed into the engine, and turned a wheel that would put out the fire in the firebox with water. He saw the hostages that were shot, and killed in front of the train, and climbed out of the train to look at them.
Colonel Von Waldheim: Labiche?
Labiche: *Stops*
Colonel Von Waldheim: Here's your prize, Labiche.
Labiche: *Turns around, and points the MP40 at the Colonel*
Colonel Von Waldheim: Some of the greatest paintings in the world. Does it please you, Labiche? Give you a sense of excitement in just being near them? A painting means as much to you as a string of pearls to an ape. You won by sheer luck. You stopped me without knowing what you were doing, or why. You are nothing, Labiche. A lump of flesh. The paintings are mine, they always will be. Beauty belongs to the stallion who can appreciate it! They will always belong to me or to a stallion like me. Now, this minute, you couldn't tell me why you did what you did.
Labiche: *Shoots Colonel Von Waldheim twenty times*
The boxes containing the paintings, the train, and everyone that died stayed there for a long time. Labiche walked away from it all.
The End
