Taunton Barr

by Brian Cain

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

  Winston had not been out of his office for over a month, with morning was now less than two weeks to the race, was not long before the results of the plan became reality as mechanic knocked at the door. 'Come in.'

  Winston was a little more jovial after the encounter with the female members of his family, he looked up at mechanic with a warm smile which was hardly what was written on mechanics face. 'The phones are running hot, the media all over us about Taunton, what's happened to him, I could run faster than him this morning and he's refusing jumps.'

  'Taunton's in Glastonbury, his double looks just like him but has trouble running.'

  Mechanic looked scathing. 'Why was I not told.'

  'Journalists aren't stupid, they would have picked your reactions on the phone as realistic, had we told you your reaction would be calculated, now you know I suggest you continue to answer questions in the same manner as you did this morning.'

  'I don't get it.'

  Winston looked over his glasses. 'What are the odds on Taunton.'

  'Even money.'

  'Mmm, and believably so.' Winston took off his glasses and lent back in his chair. 'All the mums and dads robbed of their hope and adulation by those whom continue to benefit from a system that is rigged against them. Expectation in this case jubilance for those whom believe in Taunton but disappointing when it comes to reward for such loyalty, sound a bit like politics does it not.'

  Mechanic looked interested. 'Mmm.'

  'By the race Taunton will be lucky to be twenty five to one. The media will turn on him and we will be attacked and ridiculed for running a champion into the ground and embracing him in front of millions.'

  'Keep talking.'

  'Mums and dads however are supportive, as I have found lately to my discomfort. If I thought we were going to loose or the girls be hurt I would call it all off.'

  'Not much chance of that.'

  'Indeed, mums and dads will still back him and with the same gusto, for they have hope. I'm not going to tell you what to say, because you don't need to know.'

  'They are asking to talk directly to you.'

  'I've been out of sight for a month, I could be in hospital or on the moon for all they know.'

  'We always issue statements.'

  'Yes, and now is the time to capitalise on saying nothing.'

  Mechanic nodded with a pout, then a smile. 'I'll see to it like.'

  'Be careful with Hayford, she's dangerous.'

  Mechanic nodded, he left.

  At times Winston buried his face in his hands, deep in thought at the barrage of information that came across his desk, he had delegated much of his empire and just handling the empowered was full time. But mostly his mind was full of three girls.

  Mavis entered the office with lunch, she began to lay it out on the table. 'When you coming out of here Winston, you've been in here for a month, probably them girls bleeding hand full they are I feel sorry for you sometimes like.'

  Winston got up from his desk and moved to the small table set up to one side in view of the bay window, he began to pour tea. 'It's two lumps you have is it not Mavis.'

  'Yes, why do you ask.'

  He poured a tea and stretched out offering it to her. 'I have a hell of a lot to do I was late this morning.'

  Winston place the tea on the opposite side of the table and sat down. 'Sit down Mavis.'

  She sat slowly with a worried look on her face nervously wiping her hands on her apron. 'If it's about being late I .....'

  'Its not about being late Mavis I'm not concerned about what time you get here never have been.'

  'Oh.'

  Winston began to sip tea and select salad from the gathered cuisine. 'We now have less than two weeks to the race.'

  'Oh, I know, people an arf excited.'

  'Please Mavis allow me to finish.' She was silent, Winston rubbed his hands together before he spoke and he stopped what he was doing with his lunch. 'Things will be confusing for the next few days and the media is going to come at you, I have seldom asked you for silence but in this case I request your cooperation. I am going to tell you nothing and ask you say nothing for reasons our safety is not compromised, not that I don't love you any less, just I know silence is most difficult for you when it comes to the community.'

  'Is something wrong.'

  'Physically and commercially no, inside me as a father yes, I trust you understand.'

  Mavis was silent and looked stone faced, without reason or tranquil concentration. She blinked allot then looked down. 'I'm as worried as you Mr Blake.'

  'I wish you didn't understand then you would not feel as I, but you have been with us for a long time for very good reason, be very careful of a journalist called Lee Hayford.'

  'Is there something she needs to know.'

  'You may have heard us talking with concern about Taunton Barr's current poor form.'

  'I saw him this morning, he came last, he wouldn't jump over a fence.'

  'Yes and Hayford may look elsewhere for confirmation.'

  'Oh I see, I don't really understand this but no doubt you have good reason. I was going to bet on Taunton in the race, bit sad really. Probably still will put a couple of bob on him like.'

  'Gather as much money as you can and on the day within the last hour put it all on Taunton.'

  'Doesn't sound like a very good idea to me Winston.'

  'When you're a baker you get your bread cheap.'

  'Sounds like you talk double Dutch to me sometimes it really does.'

  Winston giggled and began prepare his meal. 'You're talking when you should be listening.'

  Mavis scratched her head as she rose to her feet and headed for the door. 'Oh I don't know, all the money we can scrape up wont be much anyway.' She left the room.

  Winston eat his meal, he sipped at a second cup of tea and looked at his watch, he was unsure what the girls regarded as lunch time when Cecelia walked in the open door and sat down at the table with him. 'We don't know what time you consider lunch time to be.'

  'About now I'm just finishing lunch.'

  'Oh, looks nice.' She took Winston's side plate and filled it with salad and cold meat, she tucked in. 'I'm bloody starving.'

  'I noticed. What can you tell me.'

  Between mouthfuls she gave an update. 'I was talking to Lindy on that stupid phone you gave us.'

  'It's a satellite phone, no one can trace or hear your call.'

  'Oh that's important, not. Lindy says Taunton ran fearlessly and really enjoyed himself.'

  'And Saracen.'

  'That black thing that looks like Taunton is absolutely useless, giving kiddies joy rides was where it belongs and should go back there. He knew the double wasn't Taunton and led the pack but didn't run as faster time as usual.'

  'There were several horses that looked like Flaxmead, that one was chosen because it's manner with children was like Flaxmead's.'

  'It's a lovely horse and you probably saved it from the Pal factory.'

  'It's one of Flaxmead's sons, the mare just didn't produce offspring that shared all of his traits nor hers. Just like hopefully your child will not be a juvenile delinquent like its mother was.'

  Cecelia looked disgusted. 'Dad!'

  'What's the progressional plan.'

  'We are waiting for Lindy to roll up then we will have a meeting.'

  'A fly on the wall there wont be bored.'

  'Ohh we really are in good form today, do you have any more lunch I'm starving.'

  'Well, you are eating for two.'

  'In more ways than one, I had an ultrasound yesterday evening, Im having twins.'

  Winston was wide eyed. 'Good gracious, another two of you, shit I better mentally prepare for this.'

  'Dad, really!'

  'Make the meeting a bit later tomorrow so Kalika can attend, she must still be looking at track work.'

  'She's dealing with Janice Portland on Backfire and Roslyn Brooks on Crimson Tide, they are asking question
s about Taunton Barr.'

  'That needs to be managed, they go home and talk.'

  'I'm glad it's them dealing with my sister, what a bitch of a thing.'

  'I thought we were over that.'

  'I use it as a term of endearment.'

  'Oh I see, sorry, I can't wait to be endeared by you, should be an uplifting experience.'

  'If I carried on like that in the school that you no doubt had us sent to I would have been cleaning out the dormitory dustbin for six months.'

  'Where you first encountered your sister.'

  'Don't remind me, what an upstart little bitch, but I felt some kind of connection.'

  'And you followed the same path.'

  'Was one thing we had in common, horses.'

  'You had a lot in common, seeing yourself at times may have been rather confronting.'

  'That is not fair.'

  'That is fact.'

  She was silent with a look of scorn, she folded hear arms. 'I am not like my sister.'

  'Indeed you are, one of the strongest things you have going for you.'

  'Wonder what your childhood was like.'

  'Wonderful.'

  'Come to think of it so was mine, could be because of you.'

  'Indeed not, you are of your mother as well.'

  'You see some of her in me.'

  'All of her.'

  'Really.'

  'Really.'

  'She was a bitch.'

  Winston laughed out loud. 'No, she was determined, loving, hopeful, courageous, handled risk without it clouding ambition, sounds like someone I know who won many show jumping championships.'

  'Kalika did that as well.'

  'What do you expect she's your sister.'

  'But she has a different mother.'

  'But the same father.'

  'We are different.'

  'Until it comes to determination and achievement.'

  'Do you think I'm any good at this arranging shit.'

  'No.'

  'Why.'

  'Because you put little value on other peoples opinion even if it is an educated and experienced one.'

  'But I'm looking into that.'

  'Agreed.'

  'Do you think that's all my fault.'

  'No, it's mine.'

  'Why.'

  'Because I monitored your every move and applied counter measures, life's not like that, you have to do that yourself.'

  'Then why would you put me in a position like this.'

  'Because your sister and Lindy's life depends on it.'

  'What if I get it wrong.'

  There was silence for a few seconds. 'I can't answer that.'

  'Why.'

  'Because it's your call.'

  'Then give me the strength to make better decisions.'

  'I am.'

  'But I'm alone.'

  'When you won countless titles for show jumping were you alone.'

  'No, I had family, you I didn't even know about, and Saracen, you gave him to me.'

  'You delegated and trusted no one, it's okay, that's who you are, nothing wrong with independence.'

  'If I had lost.'

  'You didn't, we trust your judgment.'

  She looked a little forlorn. 'Wow, I thought I was a failure, my school grades were average.'

  'Your strength was not in academia, you have the same traits as Flaxmead when I first saw him. Written off by academic judgement of what is perfect he continues to devastate the very people that turned on him.'

  'It's you not me.'

  'Rubbish, if that be the case Flaxmead would be long gone in the Pal factory, and you would not be sitting before me as one of the most decorated dressage champions we have. Cecelia Ridgehaven, everyone knows who she is. The Rivers boy, brilliant mathematician sent to me for a job when he left uni, he lived at the property next door to you, he still works at the bank in Bristol, hiding behind the veil of financial treachery he is trained in. No one knows who he is.'

  'You're after them aren't you.'

  'Yes I am.'

  'I don't understand that stuff.'

  'I've noticed that's why I put you on a horse, defying the odds, just like Flaxmead, he is nothing more than what he has made of himself, you are no different.'

  She reached across the table and took Winston's hand. 'When you came to see us I would be really excited, you were such a lovely man, I've seen you turn on people, it scares me. Please don't do anything silly dad.'

  'Only the dead are free of war, the rest must fight on.'

  'I thought we were free of war.'

  'Within yes, there are many real wars going on right now, soldiers against soldier, gang against gang, commercial entity against commercial entity. Our minds are trained to think wars are fought only by soldiers against other soldiers for people who claim they are right but have no part in the fight. Tis the law of the jungle that the most intrepid and feared head the fight, intelligence and deceit have turned us into a game of chess. Check mate is when your opponents king is has nowhere to go because it is covered by the opposition to the point of no return. You are now an important and noble piece of our chess set and you have earned that by using the talents you do have well, the law of the jungle respects that.'

  Cecelia looked blank. 'I think I know what you're talking about, can't say that I'm very keen on putting it that way.'

  'Political correctness, another way of protecting the arse of people like me.'

  'But you aren't like that.'

  'But I was.'

  'Then if you were like that perhaps had you not been, I would not be who I am.'

  'Indeed.'

  'Then what do you want from all this.'

  'To see you rise and take control.'

  'Now I'm shitting myself.'

  'You have a gut feeling, a second brain, you used it on board Saracen many times.'

  'Yes, I get that.'

  'Use it to help us all make better decisions.'