Page 92 of Iron Unicorn

“You’ve got the other two sored horses here?”

“Sure do.”

“What’s their going rate?”

“We bar sored horses from going up on auction, so you’ll walk out with the animals for free. Their costs are charged to the previous owners.”

“Well, they’ll be used as parade horses for New York. If anyone can afford to reverse the soring damage, it’s them—and they’ll be treated like princes and princesses by that family.”

“Yep. I was going to hold them for our king, but he’s getting older, and if you’re helping to oversee the stable in New York, these beauties will be fine.”

That much I could promise. “Hook me up with a pair of horses you think are suitable for RPS training and are good to be ridden now. Then I’ll call it a day and pretend I didn’t completely ignore my buy limits for the day.”

Joe laughed, led me through the barn, and returned the black to her stall before saying, “They don’t count if they’re free. You didn’t buy any. They’regifts.”

“You know what, Joe? I like the way you think. I’m also going to need a bombproof pony for a little girl who is recovering from heart surgery. I’d like the animal to be on the larger side in case there needs to be any casts in use.”

“I’ve got a good candidate that will need minimal training. She’s an older gray pony, but you should get at least six to eight riding years out of her, possibly more with excellent care.”

“Show me.”

TWENTY-ONE

“I just love horses like any self-respecting Montana-bred RPS agent, Carl.”

I almost got awaywith getting the sored horses to the trailer without being caught. A flash of fury caught my attention, and I spied Eddie staring at the black mare I led. I halted, soothed the animal, and ordered, “Cool down that temper and go somewhere away from the horses if you can’t put a lid on it.”

To my relief, Eddie went to do as told, and a puzzled Olivia stared at me. “What’s going on?”

I waved her over, and upon explaining the situation, I needed to send her off, too.

I shook my head and went back to work loading the horses with some help from Carl.

“You know he’s angry when he’s getting through your suppressor,” the RPS agent murmured.

“Yep. And he’s going to blab to his dad, not that I can blame him, and then his dad’s going to get pissed because his laws worked as intended and he can’t hit anyone with a crop.” I nodded in Joe’s direction, who helped get the rest of our acquisitions loaded into the second trailer. “To be fair to me, I’m buying for myselfandfor New York.”

“I’ll make sure Eddie doesn’t actually go call his dad about this while you finish getting them loaded up. Also, I’m having you tested for horse empathy.”

“I just love horses like any self-respecting Montana-bred RPS agent, Carl.”

Carl stared at me before pointing at my new mare, who was locked in a stall because she’d gone ballistic post treatment. “You go to her, and she’s an angel. Anyone else? She is ready to start murdering anyone who gets near her colt. That, Terry, is what we Texans call a positive horse empathy symptom.”

I scowled at him, shook my head, and urged the black mare into the trailer along with the other Standardbreds. Unlike the other trailer, which had backfacing stalls, I’d be hauling the Standardbreds in a box trailer the twenty minutes to the royal stable. Once I checked everyone had enough space and there wouldn’t be a problem, I closed the door, secured it, and said, “I’m really going to be accused of being an imposter if I show positive for horse empathy.”

“You’ve had more than a little exposure to His Royal Majesty, your love of horses is known, and you’ve been around Eddie a lot. Unfortunately, it’s probable confirmation that His Royal Majesty is propagating empathy of several types.” Carl patted my shoulder. “I’m sure you’re devastated having another functional empathy ability. Your grullo and the mare over there are bonding candidates for you, not that you’ll mind that in the slightest, and those other quarters you bought already love you to pieces.”

“Well, I asked Joe for bombproof horses suitable for RPS work.”

“He delivered. But I want you resting at the royal ranch tomorrow and evaluated, because we’re going to have to haul your bonding candidates along wherever we go.”

Damn it. “Does the RPS have a trailer and truck I can borrow, then?”

“Yeah, we can hook you up so you can handle the hauling to Dallas. This changes things yet again. Eddie might have gotten edgy because he’s got a ridiculous range for things like this, but you’re the one pulling his tricks. But it’s evidence we need to take Eddie and His Royal Majesty out for a wander around Texas. If there are sored horses anywhere near them, they get urges—and those urges lead us right to the victims.”

And as the sored horses hadn’t been in the slaughter pen, it explained why Eddie had gone along with my recommendation to check out the auction barn first. “Through a suppressor, though?”

“Yeah. That part is worrisome, especially if you’re not receiving from the horses. I’ll give Princess Melody a call and get her recommendations, and I’ll ask for a talent evaluator to torture you at the royal ranch. Then we’ll get you set up for your run at Queen Jessica. I’ll go talk to Eddie and Olivia and make sure they understand they need to keep nice and calm because we got two trailers filled with touchy animals, and I’m not talking about theirs. They got themselves good stock after lively bidding wars. Beats vet bills, though.”

---