WhenI"dseenthemoffIfollowedalocalroadmapandEunice"sinaccuratedirections,andeventuallyarrivedatthePerryStudFarm,homeofJeffersonL.Roots,chairman,amongotherthings,oftheBloodhorseBreedersa.s.sociation.Ahouse-boyinaspotlesswhitecoatshowedmethroughthehouseandontothepatio:ahousemadeoflargecoolconcreteboxes,withrough-castwhitewallsandbaregoldenwoodfloors.Thepatiowa.s.shadedbyavinetrainedacrosstrellis.Therewasagla.s.sandmetaltable,andlowcomfortableloungingchairsaroundit.FromoneoftheseJeffRoots.e.xtricatedhimselfandheldoutawelcominghand.
Hewasathickmanwithapaunchwhichhaddefiedhealthfarms,andheworriedabouthisweight.Hismannerhadthegentle,deprecatingeaseofthereallytoughAmerican;thepowerwasinside,discerniblebutpurring,liketheengineinaRolls.Hewasdressedinatropical-weightcitysuit,andwhileIwasthereanefficientgirlsecretarycametoremindhimthattimeandhisconnectiontoMiamiwouldwaitfornoman.
"Adrink?"hesuggested."It"sahotdayalready.Whatwouldyoulike?"
"Limejuice?"Iasked."Orlemon."
Igotlime,squeezedfreshontocrushedice.Myhostdranksugar-freetonicwaterandmadeafaceoverit.
"JustthesmelloffrenchfriesandI"masizelargerinshirts,"hecomplained.
"Whyworry?"Isaid.
"Everheardofhypertension?"
"Thinpeoplecanhaveittoo."
"Tellthattothebirds...orrather,tellittomywife.Shestarvesme."Heswirledhisgla.s.sgloomily,iceandlemonrisingperilouslytotherim."So,anyway,MrHawkins,howcanIhelpyoutoday?"
Hepushedafoldednewspaperacrossthetableandpointedat.i.twithanappreciativesmile.
"Chrysaliscoc.o.o.ned,"theheadlinessaid.Andunderneath,insmallerletters,"Highpricestallionlosesliberty,corralledatPerry,re-shippedtoMidway.Andarethemaresthereglad,orarethey?Ourtip.i.s.syndicatorsbreatheagain."TherewasapictureofChrysalisinhispaddock,somementionofDave"sleg,andafewsnideremarksaboutthepoliceandthelocalhorsefolkswhohadn"tbeenabletospotamilliondollarsattenpaces.
"Wheredidyourustlehimupfrom?"Rootsasked."SamHengelmanwouldn"tsay.Mostunlikehim."
"Samwasanaccessorytoaconjuringtrick.Alittlematterofsubst.i.tution.Weleftahorseandtookahorse...Iguesshedidn"twanttotalkhimselfintotrouble."
"Andnaturallyyoupaidhim."
"Er,yes."Iagreed."Sowedid."
"ButIgatherfromyourcallthat.i.t"snotaboutChrysalisthatyouwanttoseemenow?"
"No.It"saboutAllyx."
"Allyx?"
"Yes,theotherstallionwhich..."
"Iknowaboutallthat,"heinterrupted."TheyturnedthewholeStateupsidedownlookingforhimandtheyfoundjustasmuchtraceastheydidofChrysalis."
"Doyoubyanychanceremember,tenyearsago,anotherhorsecalledShowman?"
"Showman?Showman?Hegotloosefromagroomwhowa.s.supposedtobeexercisinghim,orsomethinglikethat,andwaskilledintheAppalachians."
"Howcertainwastheidentification?"
Heputhistonicwaterdowncarefullyonthetable.
"Areyousuggestinghe"sstillalive?"
"Ijustwondered,"Isaidmildly."FromwhatI"vebeentold,theyfoundadeadhorsetwoyearsafterShowmanvanished.Butalthoughhewasinahighstateofdecomposition,he"donlybeendeadaboutthreemonths.SoiteasilymightnothavebeenShowman,justsomewhatlikehimincolourandsize."
"Andifitwasn"t?"
"WemightjustpossiblyturnhimupwithAllyx."
"Haveyou..."heclearedhisthroat."Haveyouanyideawherethey...er...mightbe...turnedup?"
"I"mafraidnot.Notyet."
"Theyweren"t...whereveryoufoundChrysalis?"
"No.Thatwasonlyashippingstation,sotospeak.Chrysaliswasintendedtogoonsomewhereelse."
"Andatthatsomewhereelse,onemightfind...?"
"There"sagoodchance,Ithink."
"Theymighthavebeenshippedabroadagain.DowntoMexicoorSouthAmerica."
"It"spossible;butI"minclinedagainst.i.t,onthewhole."UncleBark,whoeverhewas,livedsomewhereintheStates.Yolahadnotneededtocalltheoverseasoperatortogetthroughtohim,onthetelephone.Shehadn"tevenmadeitpersontoperson.
"Thewholethingseemssoextraordinary."Rootssaid,shakinghishead."Somenutgoingaroundstealingstallionswhosevalueatoncedropstozero,becausehecan"tadmithe"sgotthem.Doyouthinksomefanaticsomewhereisconductingexperiments.Tryingtoproduceasuper-horse?Orhowaboutacriminalsyndicateallgettingtheirmarescoveredbybluestbloodstallionsatdonkeyprices?...No,thatwouldn"twork,they"dneverbeabletosellthefoalsforstud,theywouldn"tbeabletocashinonthebloodlines..."
"Ithinkit"sagooddealsimplerthaneitherofthose,"Isaid,smiling."Muchmoredowntoearth."
"Thenwhat?"
Itoldhim.
HecheweditoverandIdrankmylimejuice.
"Anyway,"Isaid."IthoughtI"dtryalongthoselines,andseeifitleadsanywhere."
"It"sfantastic,"Rootssaid."AndIhopetoG.o.dyou"rewrong."
Ilaughed."Yes,Icanseethat."
"It"lltakeyoumonthstoploughthroughallthatworkyourself...andIdon"tsupposeyouhavetoocloseaknowledgeofthethoroughbredsceneoverhere...sowhydon"tIgetyousomehelp?"
"I"dbeverygrateful."
Therewasanoutsideextensiontelephoneclosetohischair.Heliftedthereceiverandpressedb.u.t.tons.Ilistenedtohimarrangingwiththepublishersofaleadinghorsejournalformetohavetherunoftheirfilesandthetemporaryservicesoftwolong-memorieda.s.sistants.
"That"sfixed,then,"hesaid,standingup."TheofficeisonNorthBroadway,alonginLexington.Iguessyou"llletmeknowhowyoumakeout?"
"Icertainlywill."
"DaveandEunice...they"regreatguys."
"Theyare."
"Givehermybest,"hesaid,lookingathiswatch.
"She"sgonetoCalifornia..."
"Thenewplace?"
Inodded.
"CrazyideaofDave"s,movingtothecoast.ThecentreofthebloodstockindustryisrighthereinLexington,andthisistheplacetobe."
Imadethesortofnon-critical,non-committalnoiseinmythroatnecessaryonsuchoccasions,andJeffRootsthrustoutaroundedhand.
"Ihavethisstockholders"meetinginMiami,"hesaid,apologetically,andhewalkedwithmethroughthehousetowherehissecretarywaitedinaCadillacparkedbesideEunice"sToronadoOldsmobile.
Atthenewspaperoffices,Ifound,anythingJeffRootswanteddonewasdonewhole-heartedlyandatthedouble.Mytwotemporarya.s.sistantsprovedtobeanelderlymanwhospentmostofhistimecompilinganannualstallionregister,andamaidenladyinherfiftieswhosehorsefaceandcrispmasculinevoicewereeasytotake,a.s.shehadanunexpectedlysweetsmileandaphenomenalmemory.
WhenIexplainedwhatIwaslookingfortheybothstaredatmeindumb-strucksilence.
"Isn"t.i.tpossible?"Iasked.
MrHarrisandMissBrittrecoveredthemselvesandsaidtheyguessedso.
"Andwhilewe"reat.i.t,wemightmakealistofanyonewhosenameornicknamemightbeBark.OrBart,perhaps;thoughIthinkit"sBark."
MissBrittpromptlyreeledoffsixnames,allBarkleys,livinginandaroundLexington.
"Maybethat"snotsuchagoodidea,"Isighed.
"Noharminit,"MissBrittsaidbriskly."Wecanmakeallthelistssimultaneously."
SheandMrHarriswentintoahuddleandfromtheretothereferenceroom,andwereshortlyuptotheirelbowsinpapersandbooks.Theytoldmetosmokeandwait,whichIdidallday.
Atfiveo"clocktheycameacrosswiththeresults.
"Thisisthebestwecando,"MissBrittsaiddoubtfully."TherearewelloverthreethousandstallionsatstudintheStates,yousee.Youaskedustosortoutanywhosefeeshadrisensteadilyoverthepasteightornineyears...therearetwohundredandnineofthem."Sheputacloselytypedlistinfrontofme.
"Next,youwantedthenamesofanystallionswhohadbeenconspicuouslymoresuccessfulatstudthanonewouldhaveexpectedfromtheirownbreeding.Therearetwohundredandeightytwoofthose."Shegavemeasecondsheet.
"Next,youwantedtoknowifanyofthisyear"stwo-year-oldshadprovedconspicuouslybetteratracingthanonewouldnormallyhaveexpectedfromtheirbreeding.Therearetwenty-nineofthose."Sheaddedthethirdlist.
"Andlastly,thepeoplewhocouldbecalledBark...thirty-twoofthem.FromtheBarKRanchtoBarryKyle."
"You"vedonewonders,"Isaidsincerely."Isupposeit"stoomuchtohopethatanyonefarmisconcernedonallfourlists?"
"Mostofthestallionsonthefirstlistarethesameasthoseonthesecond.Thatstandstoreason.Butnoneofthesiresoftheexceptionaltwo-year-oldsareoneitherofthefirsttwolists.Andnoneofthetwo-year-oldswerebredbyanyoftheBarks."Bothofthemlookeddowncastatsuchnegativeresultsafteralltheirwork.
"Nevermind,"Isaid."We"lltryitanotherwaytomorrow."
MissBrittsnortedwhichIinterpretedasagreement."Romewasn"tbuiltinaday,"shesaid,nodding.MrHarrisseemedtodoubtthatthisparticularRomecouldbebuiltatallwiththematerialsavailable,butheturnedupuncomplainingatninethefollowingmorning,andtheybothdivedinagain,onnewpermutations.
Bynoonthefirsttwolistshadbeenreducedtotwenty.Wealladjournedforasandwich.Attwothesearchingbeganagain.AtthreetenMissBrittgaspedsharplyandhereyeswentwide.Shescribbledquicklyonafreshpieceofpaper,consideredtheresultwithherheadononeside,andthenlookedacrosstome.
"Well..."shesaid."Well..."Thewordswouldn"tcome.
"You"vefoundthem,"Isaid.
Shenodded,onlyhalfbelievingit.
"Cross-checkingthemallbywheretheyraced,theiryearsofpurchase,theirmarkingsandtheirapproximateages,asyouasked...wecameupwithtwelvepossibleswhichappearedonthefirsttwolists.Andoneofthesiresofthetwo-year-oldsfitsyourrequirementsandcomesfromthesamefarmasoneofthefirsttwelve.Er...doyoufollowme?"
"Onyourheels,"Isaid,smiling.
MrHarrisandIbothjoinedherandlookedoverhershoulderatwhatshehadwritten.
"Moviemaker,agedfourteenyears;presentstudfeetenthousanddollars.
Centigrade,agedtwelveyears;thisyear"sstudfeefifteenhundreddollars,feenextyeartwenty-fivehundred.
BothstandingatOrpheusFarm,LosCaillos.
ThepropertyofCulhamJamesOffen."
MoviemakerandCentigrade:ShowmanandAllyx.Asclearasafrostysky.
Stallionswerenormallybookedforthirtytofortymareseachbreedingseason.Fortymaresattenthousanddollarsathrowmeantfourhundredthousanddolla.r.s.everyyear,giveortakealivefoalortwo.Moviemakerhadcostonehundredandfiftythousanddollarsatpublicauctiontenyearsago,accordingtoMissBritt"sresearches.SincethenOffenhadbeenpaidsomewhereneartwoandahalfmilliondollarsinstudfees.
CentigradehadbeenboughtforahundredthousanddollarsatKenelandsales.Attwenty-fivehundredatimehewouldearnthathundredthousandnextyearalone.Andnothingwasmorelikelythanthathetoowouldrisetoamuchhigherfee.
"CulhamJamesOffenissowellregarded,"MissBrittsaidinconsternation."Isimplycan"tbelieveit.He"sacceptedasoneofthetoprankbreeders."
"Theonlythingis,ofcourse,"saidMrHarrisregretfully,"thatthere"snoconnectionwiththenameBark."
MissBrittlookedatmeandhersmileshoneoutsweetandtriumphant.
"b.u.t.thereis,isn"tthere?MrHarris,you"renomusician.Haven"tyoueverheardofOrpheusintheUnderworld...byOffenbach?"
CHAPTERTWELVE.
Waltsaid"ForG.o.d"ssake"fourtimesandadmittedb.u.t.tressLifemightbewillingtosendhimfromcoasttocoastifAllyxwerethepotofgoldattheendoftherainbow.