Time Will Tell

Time Will Tell part 10

Blinking several times, Colin worked to clear his vision, positive his eyes deceived him. The boy was there one minute and then gone. Less than thirty seconds passed before he was back, but only in a different position. Even stranger—he was no longer wearing his sleeveless jacket. Plus his shirt was a different color. Colin narrowed his gaze and watched in stunned silence as the boy went over to the bushes and emerged a little later in the garb he’d worn earlier in the day. He then strolled past him not more than a few feet from his hiding spot.

Fascinated, Colin stared after him. A dozen questions swirled inside his brain, his most pressing running along the lines of what the hell had just transpired. There was more to Liberty Edwards than met the eye. Since Nathan had befriended him, he decided to talk to Berta about his new stable hand. Berta knew everything going on in her household. What she didn’t know, she would easily glean, once her curiosity was spiked.

Colin remained in his hiding spot until the boy was out of sight before finally heading back to the stable. Just as he pushed through the main door, a noise at the rear of the building drew his attention. The earlier scene he’d witnessed faded somewhat as he hurried to check on his favorite stallion.

Zeus greeted him with a loud neigh and one hoof pawing the ground. The horse’s ears perked up and he bobbed his head as Colin held out the carrot he’d taken out of his pocket and said in a soothing tone, “Hey, big fellow. Was that you making that racket?” The stallion nudged his hand and captured the bribe. Colin grinned. Must have been, he decided, since all was quiet. Zeus probably sensed his presence and didn’t want to go unnoticed.

As Colin shrugged aside his concern, the memory of the boy disappearing and reappearing entered his thoughts again. While the horse chewed on his carrot, Colin grabbed a brush and began stroking and talking about what he’d seen out by the twin oaks.

“So, what do you think, Zeus,” he asked after ending his spiel. “Am I crazy?” Colin smiled when Zeus eyed him thoughtfully. Then the horse shook his head and neighed, as if to say no, like the horse understood the question. Suddenly, the thought of seeing an apparition wasn’t as disturbing as it had been a few minutes earlier. “You’re good for the soul, Zeus. I’m going to be gone for a few days. I’ll miss you.” Colin put away the brush. “There are several new mares needing your attention, my good fellow. You’ll be busy enough—too busy to miss me.”

His entire future was riding on all the horses in this barn, but this one was special. So was Asapurna, the mare two stalls down. Both horses were the basis of his prized stable.

He stroked Zeus’s sleek neck, thinking it an appropriate name. In fact, all of his horses were named after mythological gods or goddesses, which seemed fitting considering their ancestors. Mythology and the legends of ancient people had always fascinated Colin.

With Lexington as Zeus’s sire, the stallion was a god among horses and one of the best runners he’d ever seen. Four years earlier, when Colin had first purchased the pair from Woodburn Farm, Lexington’s owner, his deal had included breeding Asapurna with Lexington. The result was a little filly he named Fortuna—the goddess of chance.

Lexington had been a descendant of Diomed, a champion thoroughbred and the winner of England’s first Epsom Derby in 1780; a race that Colin knew was still run today. Diomed’s blood ran through some of the finest American thoroughbreds of the nineteenth century. Having never seen a better champion, Colin saw a sure thing in Lexington. Bred with the right mares, the stallion’s offspring would produce legendary horses. Zeus was one of those offspring. Fortuna was another.

“Well, good buddy, I need to get going.” He gave Zeus a final pat, then walked the distance to Asapurna’s stall. When he leaned against the gate, it unlatched and opened. He froze as an eerie sensation settled on the back of his neck. Colin spun around and listened as his searching gaze swept the stable. Everything appeared normal and only the sound of chirping insects or croaking tree frogs filled the air.