“But what are you driving at?”

“The point I’m trying to make is that you’d be a pretty unruly guy if you couldn’t get back to the track once in a while.”

“Naturally. It’s been an important part of my life for some fifty years. It’s me.”

“It’s the Black, too,” Alec said quietly.

“Racing?” Henry asked incredulously. “Are you out of your mind, Alec? He’s not controllable on a track. You know that as well as I do.”

“I didn’t mean racing,” Alec said quickly. “But just as training and racing are important to you, freedom is necessary to the Black.”

Henry laughed. “Sure,” he said, “but what do you want to do? Turn him loose to roam wherever he pleases?”

“That’s exactly what I mean.”

“You’re kidding.” But the smile left Henry’s lips when he met Alec’s gaze. “Can’t you just see him running around the countryside? Maybe he’ll even head down the Parkway to New York City for a look at the race tracks.”

“Now you’re trying to be funny,” Alec said.

“Okay, I was tryin’,” Henry returned gravely. “But you suggested this, so let’s hear you come up with some kind of an explanation.”

“He needs a change from the routine and daily schedule he’s had here at the farm. He’s behaved himself for a long, long while but tonight was the turning point. We won’t have a moment’s peace around here from now on. I’m convinced of that, now that I’ve thought it all over. Give him some freedom, a chance to roam and be on his own again, and it’ll get a lot out of his system. He’ll come back a better horse for it.”

“Come back? Come back from where?”

“How about Bill Gallon’s place in southern California?”

“The Desert Ranch? You mean, Alec, you want to send him way out there? Why?”

“Because Bill Gallon has several thousand fenced acres of desert and irrigated pastureland,” Alec said quietly. “The Black would have something like his homeland. He’d have freedom to roam. It’s the closest thing I can think of to what he needs right now. Do you think Bill would let us turn him out there for a month, maybe two months?”

“Of course. He’s one of my best friends, isn’t he? But, Alec …” Henry paused. “You really think that’ll do the trick? You just want him turned loose?”

“That’s all,” Alec said. “It’ll be enough.

“You should go with him. He’s your horse.”

Alec’s gaze dropped to the huge desk in front of him. “I’ll take him out there, anyway.”

“And then come back?” Henry asked.

“Yes, just as soon as I know everything is all right.”

“Why don’t you stay with him?”

“You know why, Henry.”

“Your work here?”

Alec nodded.

Henry was quiet for a few minutes, but his eyes never left Alec’s face. Finally he said, “Maybe you need a change, too.”

“No, I’m fine.”

“But you’ll miss him.”

“Sure.”

“And he’ll miss you.”

“He’ll be too happy, too free to miss anybody,” Alec said.

“Having just you around would make his freedom all the more exciting,” Henry said. “Just the two of you, like it was at first.”

Alec smiled. “You’re getting sentimental, Henry.”

“Sure, but I’d like to see you go with him, if you’re serious about all this.”

“I’m serious, all right.”

Henry stood up. “He’s your horse, so you stay with him. I’ll take over your jobs here, and with your dad and Jinx to help I’ll have no trouble. In fact, it’ll do me good to assume some responsibility around here for a change.”

Alec rose from his chair. “No, Henry.