Blood Sport Part 17

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'masizelargerins.h.i.+rts,'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-s.h.i.+ppedtoMidway.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.Thatwasonlyas.h.i.+ppingstation,sotospeak.Chrysaliswasintendedtogoonsomewhereelse.'

'Andatthatsomewhereelse,onemightfind...?'

'There'sagoodchance,Ithink.'

'Theymighthavebeens.h.i.+ppedabroadagain.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'tbeabletocas.h.i.+nonthebloodlines...'

'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.