Kalika put Taunton in the meadow and joined Blake on the porch of his house. She was agitated, obviously concerned about something. Winston had made tea for them and some cucumber sandwiches, she sipped her tea and looked troubled. 'Okay, what is it Kalika, we have something that needs to be discussed by the look.'
She looked down into her tea cup and swilled the contents around. 'I don't understand, my father knew he was ill and had not much more time. Why would he look for a little foal to attack such an insurmountable task as winning the National. I agree Taunton could be such a horse but I will struggle to carry the seven years to success.'
'Some things we need not know and currently you don't need to know.'
She stood up smashing her tea cup on the table. 'For goodness sake Winston I am not a child stop treating me like one.'
Winston hesitated. 'Sit down please.' She sat down shaking her head. 'Till just a few days ago you had no idea your father wished to infiltrate the steeplechase industry. He knew you can get no inside information or change anything without being involved and contributing, complaining in the corner of the pub achieves nothing. I still believe you need to concentrate on training Taunton.'
'I want to know what's going on and don't tell me its nothing. Trevor Hocket has always been used to spread information, nothing more, he's the worst vet I can think of.'
'Everyone has their uses.'
'By telling you certain things I endanger your life and expand the risk for everyone else involved.'
She glared at Winston. 'You don't trust me.'
'No, far from it, I love you as my own.' Kalika looked away, her eyes welled, she got up and ran down the steps. 'Kalika stop.' She stopped, threw her hair around and returned.
'Sorry, being childish.'
'Very well, I will do something I promised your father I would not do, put you in as much danger as your father and I. Your father wanted you to be the person you are, he and I have become retributive, we are dangerous and have stooped to the level of our adversaries. He wanted to die seeing you as he had planned and he did. A brave man once told me to defend is non progressive, its generally done without result. To succeed in war one must attack the centre of the military might of your enemy, destroy its power to engage in conflict and convince its populus they have been defeated with out further bloodshed. The national is war Kalika, nearly seven kilometres of war, and you need a special soldier to fight it. Your father spoke to us three years ago about running a horse that had already decimated their ranks and they feared.'
Kalika looked into space with an open mouth, she mumbled. 'No.'
'I gather you know who we mean.'
'Pleas no I couldn't watch.'
'I may not live to see Taunton win the national, but next year I will see Flaxmead win it. Your father has been going to Taunton for the last three years for a very good reason, its just a cover. We have created a diversion there the authorities will be scratching their head about it for months. We planted the little horse there for good reason, we know exactly where he comes from and that he is destined to do battle in the National when old enough, Flaxmead is his Father. Flaxmead has been at Glastonbury part of our operation for the last three years. There was something your father told me while he was on the ground, its why he was so excited.' Winston got up and leaned on a porch column facing Kalika. 'I got no doubt he was on his way over here to tell me what he said, there is a course at the Glastonbury operation disguised as a golf course, replicates the National course at Aintree. The evening before your father died Flaxmead covered the course faster than any other ever. The fastest winning time is 8 minutes and 47.8 seconds by Mr. Frisk in 1990. Flaxmead covered the course for the first time in 8 minutes and 32 seconds on the day of your fathers death, tenth time he has broken the record in the last year, that's what he told me. He will race this coming April, he will run two preliminaries two months before the national, from the time this is announced your life as mine will be in danger. Your father achieved this without laying a hand or crop on him.'
Kalika looked drained, was pail and her eyes were damp. 'Who has been riding him.'
'There is only one person who can, Lindy Cumberland.'
She looked down and shook her head, 'Oh my god. I see them in the news travelling around doing charity work, only last week they were on show at Flemington in Australia.'
'Doubles, been there for over three years, that good they could fool me.'
'She'll be killed.'
'They wont see which way she went, the problem is getting them there in one piece, and now I go against your fathers will and endanger you with this information.' Kalika got up and with her head bowed walked slowly toward the barn. 'Kalika are you with us.'
She turned and walked backwards. 'My father wanted Flaxmead in the National next April, best thing I can do is make as much of a show here as possible with Taunton.'
Winston smiled and nodded. 'That's the girl.'
'We flat race Taunton in a year or so, he will be as fast as his father.'
Winston put his hands on his hips and laughed. 'Well you'd know.' Kalika turned and trotted off toward the barn, Winston sat down by his phones, he mumbled to himself as he watched Kalika skip along. 'Forgive me Roger, for I have lost you but gained her.'