We’ve got to be sure, if we’re going to race him.”

Two men were taking El Dorado off the van. He was a light golden chestnut of medium height. He walked quietly alongside his handlers and his movements were frictionless.

“Supple as a cat, that one,” Henry said. “And a lot of power to go along with it.”

“But his racing records don’t come anywhere near those of Satan,” Alec said.

“No,” Henry admitted, “nor of the others, either. We’ll have to keep an eye on him … but no need to worry too much about him. It’ll be Phar Fly and the European horses that’ll give us the most trouble.”

El Dorado stopped in his tracks when the Black whistled again. Snorting, he turned his golden head in the direction of the Black. He snorted again, then moved about uneasily; his handler led him down the row while the other man got his stall ready.

Alec went to the Black, but the stallion had eyes only for the chestnut. Alec stayed with his horse while Henry went to join the man walking El Dorado.

Repeatedly the Black struck his door. Alec offered him a carrot, but the stallion ignored it. Turning to El Dorado, Alec saw that the chestnut was becoming excited by the Black’s frequent challenging whistles; the man at his head kept him far down the row while Henry walked beside him.

A short while later El Dorado was led into his stall and Henry returned. “They’re a little worried about their horse,” he told Alec.

“You mean because of the Black?”

“No, not that. He wasn’t feeling well a couple of days ago and ran a pretty high fever.”

“But he’s all right now, isn’t he? He looks it, anyway.”

“Yeah, they think so. No fever, and he’s eating well. But they’re going to keep a close watch on him.”

With the coming of night the Black continued to remain at the door, watching for a glimpse of El Dorado and repeating his shrill, piercing blasts.

“I thought he’d get over seeing him by now,” Alec said while he and Henry sat on the bench outside the stall.

“Sometimes they never get over it,” Henry answered quietly.

“But the Black will. I’m sure he will.”

Shrugging his shoulders, Henry said, “Maybe, Alec. An’ maybe not. But we’ll know before long.”

“Is Lenny Sansone coming with Satan?” Alec asked, intentionally changing the subject.

“Yeah, I thought it best if he worked him right along, Alec. I figured the Black wouldn’t like to see you up on Satan even during the works.”

“I guess you’re right, Henry.”

Long after they had gone to bed, Alec heard the Black’s pounding against the door and the constant shifting of his feet as he moved uneasily about his stall.

Tomorrow there would be even more to occupy the stallion’s mind, Alec knew. For tomorrow Satan would arrive. And after him would come Phar Fly, Cavaliere, Sea King, Avenger and Kashmir. Yes, as Henry had said, things were going to change pretty fast around there from now on.

The next morning Henry took the van to meet the plane bringing Satan while Alec stayed behind to take care of the Black. He was grooming the stallion when one of the men who handled El Dorado appeared at the stall door.

“I wonder if you could loan us one of your pails?” the man asked. “El Dorado banged up ours yesterday.”

“Sure,” Alec said, leaving the stall.

The man followed him. “We’re getting a couple more, so I’ll return this to you by afternoon,” he said when Alec gave him the pail. “That’s some looking horse you have there,” he added. “Heard a lot about him. Is he everything they say he is?”

“I think so,” Alec said.

The Black had his head over the stall door and once more screamed at El Dorado, even though the chestnut wasn’t in sight.

“Is he like that always?” the man asked.

“No,” Alec replied.

“Give you any trouble?”

“No.”

After the man had gone Alec finished grooming the Black, then turned to the adjacent stall, where the cots were. He was about to remove them to get the stall ready for Satan when he stopped to look thoughtfully at the Black. Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a good idea to put Satan next to the Black.