CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT
Winston watched from his bay window as Taunton Barr and Saracen battled it out on the training track, every time they tackled Beachers Brook he looked away. One daughter replaced by another, he had gained nor prevented anything, the battle for the national had become more important to the three girls than he. He no longer paid mind to outside influence affecting the national, the focus and dream had turned into a nightmare for him internally. He lost control of the training regime as Kalika, Cecelia and Lindy took control of everything, wasn't that he approved of anything that they were doing, just that he loved them to much to control the risk. He thought by now that a suitable jockey would be riding Saracen and his girls would be clear of ever present danger, he had also become attached to Kristy Lindy's child, she called him grandpa. The pending showdown with destiny was something he racked his brain on how to control, he had no answers, only more questions. There was a knock on the door.
'Come in.'
It was mechanic, he closed the door and quietly approached Winston's desk. 'Couple of things you should know, you aren't venturing out like so thought I'd give a heads up.'
'You come in silence, what's wrong.'
'Saracen is four lengths off Taunton every run.'
'I have eyes mechanic, not chastising you for your diligence.'
'I just heard them talking about changing the training regime like.'
Winston turned round and looked at mechanic with a stone face. 'And.'
'They say the pair are becoming set in their ways, they've worked out the hierarchy and just adjusting to who runs where and why.'
There was silence. 'Go on.'
'They are talking of several changes, separating them till the race, Lindy riding Saracen for a while, putting big gaps in the start so one is behind the other on a regular basis to encourage competition.'
'There's something else what is it.'
'Don't know if I should tell you.'
'It's up to you I trust your judgement, I can't force family information from anyone blood is thicker than water.'
Mechanic coughed and looked around nervously, he swallowed hard. 'Both Kalika and Lindy have fallen twice.'
'What!'
'Over the past few days, at Bechers.'
Winston contained himself, he rubbed his forehead with his hand. 'Were they hurt.'
'No, they remounted immediately and got back on it like nothing happened.'
'What did the horses do.'
'Pulled up and turned back to them from what I can gather, they remounted on the rail.'
'Exactly what Flaxmead did when as Lindy took him toward the starting line of the Melbourne Cup, she got off and gave him a serve about his attitude. If he does that in the race they'll be decimated by the field.'
'Not all bad, making them think about strategy harder, they talk of running wide at certain places even if it means loosing ground.'
Winston sighed. 'I've lost their trust, support and respect.'
'You acted like a father.'
'Not what they wanted.'
'Not so sure, I can see them over your shoulder on the way here.'
Winston looked around then back at mechanic. 'You wish to stay.'
'No, gone as far as I can go like, up to you now.'
'Thanks mechanic, I've not been real sharp, just had a call on the satellite phone, things are not as they would appear, how much security can you muster that you trust for the big day.'
'Allot.'
'The race is only two weeks away, bolster as much as you can, cover everything we have ever spoken about and then cover that with a contingency plan, I'm not going to stop this, I cant, all I can do is reduce the risk.'
'Done.' Mechanic walked out and passed the girls in the conservatory. Kalika stood in front of him blocking his path.
'You told him did you not.'
Mechanic smiled. 'Told him what.'
'Everything.'
'I told him what he needs to know, I'm a father as well like.'
'You basta...'
Cecelia jumped in. 'Leave him alone.'
Lindy pulled her to one side to let him through. 'Leave him,' she turned to mechanic. 'Why did you tell him, that we have fallen that is.'
'Because I love the man as much as I love you.'
Kalika's eyes welled up, she looked down in disgust with herself. 'Forgive me.'
'Forgiveness is not for destiny, it's for mistakes and wrong doing, no one has done anything that requires forgiveness.' Mechanic walked away.
Kalika kicked the floor tiles. I'm a bitch.'
Cecelia hugged her looking at Lindy with her head on Kalika's shoulder. 'Yeah, so am I.'
Lindy chuckled. 'We all are, what the hell we going to do, we've been in charge of a procession for the last three weeks, we should have thought about this two weeks ago. I was so familiar with things that I fell, lack of concentration.'
Kalika held Cecelia at arms length. 'Me too, what if Taunton and Saracen turn to us like they did when we fell, could be curtain for them.'
Lindy thought a second. 'We had the pack behind us, they weaved past them pretty well.'
'We are taking on the opposition, wont be any organised hierarchy in the race.'
Lindy sounded sad. 'I wish Roger was here, he'd know.'
Kalika smiled. 'Dad will know.'
'We have been absolute bitches to him, now we want his advice.'
Cecelia wore a reassuring type smile. 'Yeah, he's our dad, how lucky are we, come on.' She led the charge to his office. She waited for them to bunch at his door.
Lindy began to walk backwards away from them. 'He's your dad, you go in.'
'Hey wait a second.'
'Yeah a second, that's all we could stand alone, your fathers been in here alone for weeks, savvy.'
Kalika took offence. 'Your a bitch Lindy.'
Cecelia turned on Kalika. 'She's a bitch, well this kettle is not going to call the pot black.'
Lindy fired back. 'We're arseholes, spoilt arseholes, so full of our own importance we let your father rot in his office.'
There was silence for a few seconds then Kalika raised her clenched hand to knock on the door but before she could a voice was heard. 'Come in.' They all looked wide eyed, Kalika opened the door and they walked to his desk closing the door behind them. Winston stood looking out the window with his back to them.
There was an uncomfortable silence before Kalika asked. 'You knew I was going to knock.'
'I heard muffled voices then sudden silence and made an assumption.'
'We need to talk about the race.'
Winston was distracted. 'When I was cavorting with your mothers had it been made public I would have been condemned, how's that looking now.'
'We didn't come to talk about that.'
'And I needed to know you had both fallen at Beachers.'
'If we told you we were worried you may stop us.'
'Had you not considered the race was irrelevant in comparison to your safety.'
'Yes and that's why we're silent.'
Winton continued to look out the window with his back to them. 'I ask again how are things looking now compared to only months ago.'
'Dad for god's sake we need your help.'
'Saracen is still four lengths from Taunton and yesterday Taunton picked up half a second to the fastest time he has run the course yet.'
'Yes.'
'But Saracen remained four lengths in arrears and made up the same time.'
'Yes, as soon as Saracen steps up Flaxy kicks up a notch.'
'For this adventure his name is Taunton Barr and there is a very good reason for that.'
Lindy spoke. 'You wish Roger was here.'
'Yes I do, what's your plan from the line Lindy.'
'I go wide and hold him to the front runner until the final half mile.'
Winston nodded and folded his arms. 'Mm, and a very wise plan, even the opposition will be expecting that, not that we can engineer a plan better than proven fact.
What is you race plan Kalika.'
'Run the rail as much as I can, draw the opposition in to pocket me while Taunton Lindy runs wide.'
'The last half mile.'
'Saracen will chase Taunton, we have been unable to stop the behaviour.'
'What about Backfire and Crimson Tide.'
'They are as you have seen running well behind Taunton and Saracen.'
'They stick together as well, why is that.'
Lindy replied. 'We wish Roger was here, he'd know.'
'They are off their normal pace but both ran well in a steeple a week ago when tried, they led all the way.'
'Why did you do that, give them an unexpected run, some more mind games and politics.'
'No, we can assume by fact that they will come at you in the national.'
'Along with ten others.'
'Indeed.'
'No horses have the form of Taunton and Saracen.'
'When you run them with the pack alone they dawdle.'
'Saracen is the only horse we have that can push Taunton, he rises to the challenge when pushed.'
'Mm, you don't think I've noticed.'
'So what do we do.'
'Nothing, nothing will stop him, he was born to it.'
'So it's game on.'
'It's no game Lindy, should something happen to either of you we will all die inside.'
'You trust Taunton and Saracen.'
'As much as I trust mechanic.'
'We go to the line as the underdogs, the press is having a field day, they believe Taunton and Saracen are not up to it, that's why we haven't run them beyond minimum qualifying requirements.'
'The press have played into our hands, something I do know how to manipulate, I have belittled the controlling body as well to the point Taunton will carry the heaviest weight penalty a horse has ever had in the national.'
'Why did you do those things, you had them eating out of our hands.'
Winston turned around and faced them. 'Because that's what the people need, an underdog so tainted and reviled by the establishment that when it rises to the top the cheer will be so loud it will shatter the foundations of the most robust castles.'
Cecelia spoke for the first time. 'Can we expect worse.'
'Yes, we will be considered losers before we start.'
'Betting on Taunton will still make him the favourite.'
'In a weeks time no one will be game to put a penny on Taunton.'
'How the hell will we achieve that.'
'Lindy, take Taunton to Glastonbury tonight and run his double around for the next two weeks.'
Lindy looked shocked. 'His double has trouble jumping a fence.'
'Exactly, this place is watched by hawks, Saracen will end up favourite.'
'What about Taunton.'
'Run him on the Glastonbury golf course, see how he takes to a bit of revision, you stay there with him, we put one of our female jockeys on the double with a long wig.'
'I would rather go with the flow.'
'Only dead fish go with the flow.'
'Its fake news we see it on line all the time.'
'The problem is not fake news but fake government, please I need a hero and Taunton fits the bill.'
'Well send every bookie broke, they'll come after us with a vengeance.'
'We cant shoot at someone that hides, we need them out of their trenches to do that.'
'We could destroy something we're trying to reform.'
'Building a new house is easy in comparison to restoring a Victorian stately castle is simple, you have a get of guidelines to follow, a stately castle has treachery embedded in its walls, and a set of guidelines to keep it there. Whichever way it goes we are poised to create change.'
'Is this a game or a horse race.'
'I remind you again Lindy this is no game.'
'What have you been doing behind our backs.'
'If I had something you should know I would tell you, you know that.'
'We assume it's all quiet on the western front then.'
'Indeed not.'
'We are worried that you are doing something silly and will get into big trouble.'
'Protecting my girls is not silly, when you talk like that makes me wonder where you think fathers place their morals.'
Kalika interrupted Lindy. 'You always treated me like a father, I wondered why, made me feel precious that not only my father would embrace a child in such a way. We all need stop bickering about moralistic fibre and adolescent history, we are as one.'
Cecelia was battling with emotional contrast, she fought tears her voice a little broken. 'I'm carrying our heir, we better not cock this up, I don't want to be a dead fish, never have. I had no idea why you supported my families every move, I saw you as the kindest man we knew, I drew pictures of you by our horses when I was little. I hope I never wake from this dream.'
Kalika scalded her. 'Can it Cecelia, we need to focus, reduce risk, improve chance, review plans and double check direction, what do you think dad.'
Winston for the first time during the conversation smiled. 'I think you are my daughter, the fastidious organiser, and Cecelia the dreamer, Lindy the lone wolf a daughter I wish I had in my arsenal within the realm. Fortunately we do have her. We must remember where we are going, we all have a vested interest in success for different reasons. Radical people are snakes, people of moderation are the grass they hide in. Now go and win the national because currently we can't see the forest for the trees let alone the grass.'
Lindy looked puzzled. 'What are you on about.'
Winston smiled and folded his arms. 'And that's why you'll win, you have no other current goal, no other misted focus, just the winning post as you squint with concentration between Taunton's ears. My heart is heavy but we continue to reduce the risk as I am torn between the protected and the fearless, who dares wins, and the price can be greatly reduced by what we have done. I would like to know what happens every day, one of you will have to come to me and discuss progress. Lindy will be moving around so Kalika or you Cecelia will need to touch bass with each of you as the time draws near, I must talk to all of you alone the day before the race.'
Kalika looked at Winston with stern resolve. 'You stop this for reason of fear and we will be dogged the rest of our lives.'
Winston hesitated. 'Have I ever stopped you from doing anything you wanted to.'
Kalika looked down and around. 'No, you just support us.'
'Then is it not too much to ask that I am to the least reassured.'
There was a pin drop silence for a few seconds. 'No.'
'Then I will see one of you here tomorrow lunch time, I would like to know how Taunton runs Glastonbury and how Saracen takes to a horse that has trouble running out of sight.'
Lindy chimed in. 'That's exactly what I'd like to know.'