Nothing but fury and hate absorbed the stallion.

The Black moved quickly toward the door again, carrying Alec with him. He struck high with his foreleg, bringing it down over the door. Outside Satan was rearing, and his face, too, was fearful to see.

Lenny Sansone had hold of the upper half of the stall door. “Get out, Alec! I’ll shut it!” he shouted.

Knowing that he was afraid, Alec tightened his grip on the halter. If he left now, he knew he’d forever be afraid of the Black. Anything would be better than that. His heart pounding, he stepped in front of the stallion, trying to force him back from the door. His weight threw the stallion off balance and the Black pulled his foreleg off the door.

“Shut the top!” Alec shouted to Lenny.

“Not until you get out!”

“Shut it!” Alec shouted again, and when the door remained open for the Black to see what was going on outside, Alec pulled it shut himself.

The only light came through a small, high window to the rear of the stall. And within the light Alec moved with the Black, always talking to him, always touching him. The stallion screamed his piercing challenge repeatedly. For a while he was answered by Satan’s whistle; then it was quiet outside and Alec knew that Henry and the others had moved Satan away from the Black’s stall.

Gradually the stallion’s actions became less furious. For a time he stood still and was responsive to Alec’s voice and hands. But then he was on the move again, turning restlessly about the stall, stopping only to paw at the straw with his forefoot.

It was only after a long while that the fire left his eyes and he turned to Alec. He shoved his nose hard against the boy’s chest, then nuzzled his pockets for carrots.

Removing one, Alec fed it to him. “You didn’t want it before,” he said, “you didn’t want anything but to fight. It can’t work out that way, Black … not for you or for me. Neither of us belongs here if it’s going to be that way. Maybe I’ve been wrong all along.… Maybe we shouldn’t be here at all.”

And as Alec remained with his horse he thought of how much he had looked forward to the day when the Black would meet his colt. He’d even thought they would recognize each other for what they were, father and son. But it hadn’t worked out that way at all. There was no love between them. They were two giant stallions, both eager and willing to fight. No, it wasn’t the same as he’d thought it would be at all. And now Alec wondered what he would do … and, more important, what Henry would do, for it was he who would decide whether or not the Black would race in the International.

Later Alec left the stall, closing the top door. He walked up the row to the end stall, where Henry stood alone, leaning on the door, watching Satan.

The black colt drew away from Henry when Alec joined the trainer. “How is he?” the boy asked anxiously, reaching out to touch Satan. But the colt moved farther back into his stall.

“He’s calming down now,” Henry said quietly. “He’ll be all right.”

Taking a carrot from his pocket, Alec held it out to Satan. The big colt took a step closer, his heavy head extended; but then he came to a stop again and his nostrils quivered.

“He probably smells the Black on you,” Henry said. Alec was withdrawing his hand when Henry added, “Keep it there.