by Wood, Karen
From her hidey-hole in the shrub, Ruby could see understanding flash through Seth’s eyes. He understood that Magnifico horses only ever bonded with one special person and that they were nothing but trouble to anyone else. She held her breath as she waited for Seth to answer.
He looked thoughtful for a while, but then shook his head. ‘I haven’t heard anything.’
Ruby sighed. They had found the walrus moustache, but it had come to nothing. The vision was meaningless. She watched with a sinking heart as Seth started to turn away.
‘Actually…’ Seth stopped suddenly and turned back to Kit. ‘Now that I think of it, Shadrak did say something about a gypsy mare once. But it was a long time ago, almost a year now.’
‘What did he say?’ asked Kit, hope shining in her face.
‘He said the groom from the police commissioner’s place was at the pub one night; fall-down drunk, he was.’ Seth made a face. ‘He’s a piece of work, that guy. Anyway, he said that gypsy cobs were the worst breed of horse in the world. He had a big bruise on his leg where one had kicked him. He was going send her to the livestock sales and sell her for pet food while the commissioner was away.’ He shrugged. ‘No one believed him. He went on like that all the time. All talk, he was.’
Seth seemed to notice the look on Kit’s face. It was a mix of shock and sadness. He paused. ‘He wasn’t all talk, was he?’
Kit shook her head.
Seth looked appalled. ‘If it was a Magnifico horse, that would explain why he was having so much trouble with it. You know what they can be like if they end up with the wrong owner.’
Kit nodded.
Ruby burst out of the bushes. ‘The police commissioner’s place,’ she said. ‘Is it near here?’
Seth looked startled, but Ruby stared impatiently at him, waiting for an answer. Leaves and twigs were caught in her hair.
Seth nodded. ‘He’s away a lot; his groom looks after the place while he is away. Just follow the road out the other side of town. After a couple of kilometres, take the first road on the left. It has big post-and-rail fences. You can’t miss it.’
‘Forget it,’ said Kit. ‘No way am I sneaking onto the police commissioner’s property.’
‘We wouldn’t be sneaking in,’ said Ruby. ‘Just standing on the outside, having a little peek.’
‘I’m not going to stalk the police commissioner,’ said Kit.
‘We wouldn’t be doing to do anything illegal,’ Ruby argued. ‘We would just be … going for a night ride …to watch the fireworks display tonight. And maybe getting a little bit …lost.’
Kit still looked unconvinced.
The girls found Grampy and Analita standing outside the information centre.
‘I found a local truck repair business,’ said Grampy. ‘I have to go and see them.’
‘I’ll take the girls back to Zelda’s place,’ said Analita.
‘Can we go for a night ride later tonight?’ asked Ruby. ‘There will be fireworks on the peak of the mountain.’
‘Sure,’ said Analita.
‘I’ll come along and make sure you don’t get into any mischief,’ said Grampy, frowning.
After feeding and watering the horses back at the barn, the triplets spent the afternoon gazing into Zelda’s crystal ball. They all held hands in a circle. Then Zelda showed them how to stare into the sphere and look for shapes.
‘Just like you see shapes in the clouds, you might see shapes in the crystal ball,’ she said, picking it up and passing it to Ruby. ‘When you see a shape, search inside your deepest dreams to find the meaning.’
The ball had cracks and lines and many imperfections. Sunlight bounced around inside it and made the shapes move around. ‘I see a horse,’ said Ruby excitedly. ‘It’s galloping.’
‘Is it galloping to the left or the right?’ asked Zelda.
‘To the left.’
‘Then it is in your past.’
‘It’s the colt,’ said Ruby sadly. ‘Does that mean he will never be ours?’
‘Not at all,’ said her great-aunt. ‘It simply means he is still in your heart.’
‘All I see are prison bars,’ said Lexie, when it was her turn. ‘And they are definitely to the right. Great, we’re all going to get arrested.’
‘I don’t see anything,’ said Kit, sounding disappointed. ‘Just lines and cracks. Everything looks broken and chaotic.’
‘Sometimes if you don’t see anything it will catch up with you in your dreams, in a night or two,’ said Zelda. ‘You will wake up and know what it meant.’
‘Why didn’t Grampy tell us about you?’ Ruby asked. Zelda seemed like such a wonderful and interesting person.
Her great-aunt looked suddenly sad. ‘Everyone was very upset when Levinia died. People said things they didn’t mean. I came to visit you when you were little babies, but Gallius and I seeing each other again …well, it was painful for both of us.’
‘What did you see in the crystal ball, Zelda?’ asked Kit.
‘I saw lots of breaks and cracks coming together and healing,’ said Zelda. She smiled warmly at them. ‘Now, would you like me to come to the police commissioner’s place with you tonight?’
All three girls gasped.
‘You used the crystal ball to read our thoughts,’ said Ruby.
‘Your deepest thoughts,’ said Zelda, giving her a wink.
Later that afternoon, just as the sun was sinking behind the mountains, the Trickett family set off on their horses to watch the fireworks. The girls tucked Chance into her stall for the night before leaving.
‘The best place to see the fireworks is at the top of the mountain. There is a track that runs alongside a little farm, just outside of town,’ said Zelda.
Ruby pulled her beanie down around her ears as she rode into the cold clear night. Grampy rode behind Lexie on Featherfoot and Analita rode behind Kit.
As they followed a snow-lined track, a loud boom echoed through the night. The first firework launched high into the sky. It whistled up through the darkness and burst into sprays of light. Across the mountain, people could be heard cheering. More fireworks exploded overhead and soon the night was alive with colour and sound. The snow beneath reflected pink, purple, gold and green.
Ruby could have watched all night. But she had more important things to do.
The fireworks continued to light the sky, showing them the way. They came alongside paddocks with tall post-and-rail fences. An enormous house sat on top of a hill with many more buildings around it. From the buildings came the sound of horses whinnying.
Suddenly the night seemed less magical.
‘They’re frightened,’ said Kit. ‘Listen to them.’
Kismet let out a neigh. Soon their other horses were whinnying too. They wouldn’t stop. Between their calls Ruby heard the shrill cry of a foal.
‘Destiny!’ said all three girls at once.
Before anyone knew what was happening, Grampy had slipped off the back of Featherfoot. He squeezed through the fence and ran as fast as he could through the snow.
‘Grampy!’ they called, but the old man ran on across the field without looking back.
Tinker reared into the night. Ruby clung on. ‘Whoa, boy,’ she said. ‘It’s okay.’
But Tinker kept turning on the spot. He neighed so loudly, it made his belly shudder. ‘Something is really wrong,’ Ruby said. ‘Tinker never behaves like this.’
‘It’s Destiny,’ said Kit, who was also having trouble holding Kismet. ‘Something is happening to him. He’s very upset.’ She jumped off and handed her reins to Analita.
Ruby jumped off and pushed her reins at Zelda.
‘Where are you going?’ said Lexie.
‘To help Destiny.’ Ruby raced off after Kit and Grampy.
‘Wait for me!’ she heard Lexie call.
The snow was icy. It made running almost impossible. Overhead, the fireworks still blasted into the sky. They lit up the farm all around her.
Ruby made it
to the edge of what appeared to be the stables, and saw Grampy’s lean frame peering through a window. She joined him, puffing so hard she could hardly breathe.
‘Shhh,’ Grampy whispered.
Ruby heard two men yelling and cursing. When she looked through the window, she saw them struggling to hold Destiny. He reared and pulled against several ropes. They were around his body, under his tail and attached to his halter. His amber eyes rolled about in his head.
‘Get into that stall!’ A small wiry man with a deep voice and a shaggy moustache heaved at the ropes. Destiny fought wildly against him, shaking his head and paddling his forelegs.
The other man took a whip and struck him. Kit gasped. Slowly, the men managed to get Destiny into a stable and slam the door shut. The taller man closed a second, higher door, with long iron bars, and bolted it. ‘That oughta keep the little monster in for the night,’ he said, wiping sweat from his brow.
‘It’s as mad as its mother,’ said the smaller man. ‘I was doing the boss a favour when I dogged that mare.’
‘Didn’t count on some do-gooder saving her,’ said the tall one.
Ruby felt her hackles rise as she realised they were talking about Chance. She felt the same fury rush through Kit. This was the man Seth had talked about, who had sent the mare to slaughter for pet food.
‘Next time the boss goes on a holiday, this one might have a little accident too,’ the small man snarled.
Ruby shot a look at Grampy. She could tell he had heard the comment. His eyes had narrowed and his mouth was set in a hard line.
‘Let’s go,’ said the tall man. ‘I promised to take my kids to the lantern parade.’
Once alone, Destiny screamed so loudly that Ruby had to choke back a sob. Next to her, Kit’s eyes brimmed with tears. Lexie’s fists clenched.
‘It was Destiny’s heart,’ Kit whispered. ‘In the ball, the lines and cracks …It was his little spirit.’
Grampy quickly made his move. ‘Stay here,’ he ordered, before disappearing into the building.
The triplets watched through the window as Grampy tiptoed along the aisle. It was only now that Ruby noticed the dark blue saddlecloths hanging over the stable doors. The horse rugs had the blue and white checks of police uniforms. It made her nerves run wild. ‘Hurry up, Grampy,’ she muttered quietly. If they got caught, they would be in serious trouble.
Grampy unbolted the stable door, slipped inside and soothed the colt, running his hands over his neck and talking softly to him. Destiny nickered and snuffled and put his head into Grampy’s lap. He closed his eyes.
Grampy undid the ropes. ‘It’s okay,’ he said.
‘What will you do now?’ Ruby called softly through the window.
‘He is by himself,’ said Grampy. ‘If we can put another horse in here, he might be less afraid.’
‘But they plan to hurt him,’ said Ruby. ‘You heard them!’
‘We can’t just steal him,’ Grampy hissed. ‘He’ll only get taken back and then we’ll have no hope of saving him.’
‘There are some mares in the front paddock,’ said Kit.
Grampy tossed her one of Destiny’s ropes. ‘See if you can catch one and bring her in here.’
The three girls crept back through the snow and found a small band of horses sheltering under some trees. Kit chose a large bay mare with feathery legs. ‘This girl seems gentle and wise,’ she said. ‘I think Destiny would like her.’
They led the mare back to the stables. When they put her in the stall next to Destiny, she put her muzzle through the bars and let the colt sniff her nose. She nickered softly to him.
‘I think she is a Waler,’ said Grampy, running his eyes over her heavy-set legs.
‘What is the police commissioner going to think when he finds her in here tomorrow?’ asked Ruby.
Grampy shrugged. ‘I don’t know. But I can’t leave Destiny in here alone. This is the only honest thing I can do for him.’ He gave the colt one last pat before quietly slipping out of his stall. ‘Be quiet now, Destiny,’ he said through the bars on the door. ‘We will think of a way to help you.’
Ruby took a last look at Destiny and her heart nearly tore in two. The colt would never settle with those two horrible men looking after him. They had tried to sell his mother to a pet food company and they were planning to do the same to him.
‘We have to talk to the commissioner and tell him what we heard,’ said Ruby.
‘And tell him we were in his stables?’ said Grampy. ‘No.’
It was a long, cold ride back to the barn. Even the lantern parade in the town below didn’t warm Ruby’s heart. She could see the whole procession: hundreds of lanterns made from rice paper bobbing up and down with lights inside them. Some were just balls. Others were shaped like animals or fairies. There was a giant unicorn and an elephant. It was a glorious sight.
Late that night they gathered around the wood heater in Zelda’s barn. Their great-aunt had made chicken soup. Ruby warmed her hands on a mug of it.
‘Into bed,’ said Analita when she had finished. ‘Big day tomorrow.’
Ruby nodded. It would be hard to leap around and pretend to be happy in the parade when all she could think about was the colt. But she had to go. Meanwhile, Grampy would think of something.
As she lay snuggled into her swag alongside Lexie and Kit, she saw Grampy in the dim orange glow of the wood heater. He sat quietly on a pile of old horse rugs.
Zelda put her soup down and took Grandma Levinia’s diary. She placed it in Grampy’s lap.
‘It makes me even sadder when I look at Levinia’s writings,’ he said, shaking his head. He pushed the diary away.
Zelda dragged a chair over and sat before him. She pulled a bundle of black cloth from her pocket and unfolded it. Grampy stared at the purple crystal ball that sat in her wrinkled hands while Zelda fell into a trance. Several minutes later she blinked rapidly and shook her head slightly.
‘What did you see?’ asked Grampy.
‘I saw two horses,’ she said in a puzzled voice. ‘One was large and one was small. They were headed in different directions.’
Grampy looked even sadder. ‘The colt will not come home with Chance,’ he said.
Zelda put her hand over Grampy’s. ‘The future is promised to no one, Gallius. Take the mare with you tomorrow. It is important that she goes with you.’
Grampy looked to Chance, who stood with her head low in the corner of the barn. ‘I know how she feels,’ he said.
‘What has happened to you, Gallius?’ asked Zelda. ‘Despite our differences, I always admired your fighting spirit. Those girls don’t know the half of what you can do with a horse. Why do you keep it from them?’
‘It’s not the same without Levinia. It’s not the same without Magnifico. I thought Destiny would bring it all back. But it is not to be.’
‘Levinia wanted these girls to ride. She saw it in their future.’
Grampy’s face went to stone. ‘Like you said, Zelda, the future is promised to no one.’
Zelda sighed deeply, put the diary back into his lap and walked out of the barn. A waft of cold air rushed in as she closed the door behind her.
Grampy stared at the diary for a long while before his fingers began fumbling with the button on its cover. Ruby felt the whole barn warm up when he finally opened it. A tear slid down his cheek.
She saw Grampy nod, as though he had heard something. He smiled a small smile. Then he closed the diary, hugged it to his chest and lay down to sleep.
Ruby lay quietly staring into the fire. She touched her necklace and for a brief moment she saw the colt. Destiny galloped back and forth with a lead rope dangling from his halter, seemingly lost. Then the flames took over and the vision was gone.
Ruby took heart from the vision. The colt’s future had not yet been decided.
The next day the sky was brilliant blue all over. There was a fresh dump of snow and everything looked pristine and new. Everything, that is, except Gram
py’s truck. It looked like someone had put a giant axe through the front of it.
The tow truck driver attached his chains to it and took some money from Grampy before dragging the wreck off to the repair shop.
‘How will we ever get home?’ said Analita.
‘Looks like you’re stuck here for a while,’ said Zelda, appearing with tea and pikelets. ‘Gonna take some work to get that old thing going again.’
‘We will worry about that later,’ said Grampy. ‘Today, we must ride in the street parade. I’m going to try to talk to Destiny’s owner.’
‘Are you going to buy him?’ asked Ruby.
Grampy put his hands in the air. ‘You know how little money we have. If he will sell him cheaply, maybe. If not, perhaps I can at least show this policeman how to handle him better. Lexie, put a bridle on Chance. We will take her too.’
‘But she’s so difficult,’ said Lexie.
‘Do we have to take her in the parade?’ Ruby asked.
‘I’ll hold on to her,’ said Kit. Although Chance had never really bonded with any of the Tricketts, Kit had the most patience with her.
‘It will do her good to stretch her legs,’ said Grampy. ‘She’s been locked in a stable since we got here.’
The girls prepared the horses and changed into their costumes. They rode into town and gathered at the registration field again. There were even more people than the previous day.
‘All horses to that end of the field!’ The lady in the orange vest pointed a stern finger to the corner of the field.
Unfortunately that meant standing next to the Hexleys. There was a tense silence as both families stood around waiting to be placed in the parade.
Seth adjusted his walrus moustache and combed his hair over. Silvanus stood lazily eating from a bag of sweets. Ruby stayed behind Tinker, trying not to make eye contact. Lexie fussed with the ribbons in Featherfoot’s mane.
Meanwhile, Kit was having too much trouble holding Chance to notice them. ‘Hey!’ she said helplessly. ‘Chance, stop it!’
The mare sniffed at the air and nickered greedily. She dragged Kit towards Silvanus. Kit dug her heels in but the old mare was stronger.