Tobin stood at the open side of the Puffcap Tramline car, one hand on the brass rail and one foot braced against the floorboards. The car was painted in faded mint and berry stripes, and it gave its usual soft rattle as it slid along the narrow sky path above the clouds. Tobin liked that sound. It sounded steady. It sounded like a job being done right.
Below him, the cloud banks opened and closed like sleepy waves. Ahead, the track climbed toward a long curve that bent around a roof platform tucked into the sky. Tobin had already counted the turn twice. He was ready for it. He wanted everyone in the car to see that he could keep the ride calm and safe.
Then the car gave a small lurch.
Tobin looked down. The strip of braking moss that usually clung under the tram car was gone. Braking moss was the soft, springy green plant that helped slow the wheels on steep track. Without it, the brass rails felt too smooth under the wheels.
Pippa, tiny beside her snack cart, pointed up at the undercarriage. “Tobin,” she squeaked, “the slow-down moss is missing!”
Mina, with her berry-striped scarf, bounced to the window and peered out. “We’re moving faster!” she said. “Look, the clouds are slipping by quicker!”
Tobin tightened his grip on the rail. The tram was not just coasting now. It was picking up speed on the steep stretch above the clouds, and the long curve was coming closer than he liked.
He could try to handle it by himself, right there on the swaying floor. Or he could ask for help before the curve arrived. The tram rattled under his boots, waiting for his answer.
What happens next?
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