Chapter 12: Arrival

The moment the windshield blinked I freed myself of my seatbelt, grabbed the door handle, and was out of her like she was equipped with James Bond's famous Aston Martin ejection seat — this one a side-eject model.

I was mouthing apologies before my feet hit the ground. And this move made my leap into her as the sand cruiser was bearing down on us weeks ago look like it had been performed by a quadriplegic in comparison.

Why was I so frenzied? Well, I'd basically put my entire self quite intimately inside a female now for weeks without ever once receiving her express permission to do so, and used her as I wished. That is not always a wise move.

In the back of my mind was a story I'd once read by a famous science fiction author about how a car is the most deadly weapon most of us will ever get near. Three thousand pounds of guided metal is nothing to be casual about — especially if it now has the capability of becoming angry with you.

Not that Sally seemed angry. In fact, quite the opposite. She seemed to be feeling some affection for the adventures we'd shared together.

Turns out that the thought of this was bothering me a whole lot more than it bothered Sally, who was looking at me with a rather bemused expression in her big — and I do mean big — beautiful, blue eyes.

One thing about Sally, she has a great sense of humor. She let me make a fool of myself for a good three minutes with my apologies before her compassion, which is as big as she is herself, took over. But what did you expect me to do? I'm on her turf now, and everything's reversed.

"It's okay," Sally reassured me several times before I finally ran down on my requests for forgiveness.

That left me standing there, silently shifting back and forth on my feet. I'd actually found my way to exactly what I'd been looking for, and now didn't even know what I wanted to do about it. What I even could do about it.

It was about this time that I realized I was still holding the Highway Map. No matter what else is happening to you along the way, Hang Onto That Map!

"I believe this is yours," I said, gingerly offering it back to her.

"It's yours now," she replied charmingly. "I don't plan on ever needing it again."

I gave an internal sigh of relief hearing that. I'd certainly need a Map from somewhere to get back home. I'd already planned for this eventuality, intending to go to the Zansasi station here, explain what had happened, and be given a new Map right on the spot. I was hoping I'd have better luck than the last time I'd tried getting a Map from them.

The Zansasi have refined inscrutable to such a degree that no assumptions about them or their actions can ever be made. Having this Map already was one big hurdle removed.

Come to think of it, here I was with my own Zansasi Map now. And in a place I never would have reached had that first Map arrived. A place, I should be clear, that is so much better than what I'd initially asked for that I'm happy beyond words that I hadn't gotten that first Map.

Maybe I got my Map after all. After all, I'm holding one now. My Map just came by a different than expected delivery method.

"Sally," I told her genuinely. "There aren't words to express how special these weeks with you have been, even if we couldn't speak a word to each other. I promise you I'll never forget an moment of our time together."

There it was. My great — or not so great — goodbye speech. I'd known there's no place in this world for me. Here the cars drive themselves.

But I wasn't kidding about the sentiment. I was having trouble holding back my tears, and it wasn't because I'd just lost the best car I'll ever have.

Many of us want our cars to be real somehow, and be fond of us, and all that mush. And for this one shining moment all that has been true for me. Most people never have a moment like this, and I was at least smart enough to recognize it while it was happening. This way I was able to enjoy it in the present.

Sally gave me my bittersweet moment to savor before saying, "Unless you're planning to walk, you really should hop in."

She emphasized her words by popping open her passenger-side door — which also clearly defined our new relationship.

"It's a long road to Radiator Springs otherwise. And from what you've already told and shown me, you're just like me when it comes to appreciating a good small town and their way of life."

I was still hesitating as I digested her last words when a small crack of thunder pealed directly over my head. Somehow a pint-sized rain cloud had slipped in above us and was about to unload.

I quickly scampered around and jumped in, pulling the door shut just as the first fat drops landed on Sally.

"Boy, that was close," I said, wondering if she could hear me — or I her — now that I was inside. Turns out that's not a problem at all.

"Only if you're not expecting it," she replied, shivering not from the cold, but from the pleasure of this mini-cloudburst.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Oh," she replied. "I guess you wouldn't know. Here the rain arrives when we most need it to wash off.

Come to think of it, Sally had become rather dusty from our last trip together. Especially from the drive through the Murkwood. While there hadn't been time to give her a good wash in our final dash to The Highway itself, I'd been keeping her immaculate otherwise. Now she was keeping herself equally immaculate.

The storm, which was only falling on us, ended moments later. Sally gave herself one good shake that had me grabbing for the seatbelt — and her apologizing to me moments later this time.

"It's okay," I assured her. Then we were off like a shot.

"I'd like to make it back before sunset," she said to me as the scenery zipping by already seemed like a blur. And we weren't even on this world's Interstates yet.

Given that it looked like late morning here at best, I could see we were in for a good long drive today.

The first thing I have to say about Sally's driving is that she makes me look like an old fuddy-duddy. This is a fast car who has lived in the fast lane. She loves to run and show off her best features.

Oh, she asked me a couple times if I minded her driving, and of course I said, "Go for it!" each time. What else could I say, considering?

Once I got over my initial fright and realized that she really is an excellent driver who knows precisely all her limits, I could almost relax and enjoy our travel together.

Yes there are speed limits here, and cars dedicated to enforcing them. And Sally is a beautiful female with a sharp lawyer's mind underneath all that lovely bodywork

Twice we were pulled over — or more accurately, Sally stopped rather than show how easily she can outrun the local heat.

And twice she sweet-talked her way into a mild verbal warning by immediately showing a bit of respect, confessing to everything she'd done, apologizing, and saying it was all just to show herself off to me. What a gal!

And we were finally able to start having a real two-way conversation. One that lasted all the way back to Radiator Springs.

Of course she was getting in about three words for every one of my own. Must be that lawyer part of her. Or maybe it just makes sense, considering how long these past weeks of enforced silence must of have been for her. The fact that she can talk a-mile-a-minute while driving even faster only confirms how talented this little lady really is.