Grace latched on to this.
'I want to say goodbye to him, Daddy. Could we go see him this morning? Before I go back to the hospital?'
Annie had spoken just once to Harry Logan. It had been an awkward call and though neither mentioned her threat to sue him, it had hung heavily over their every word. Logan had been charming and, in her tone at least, Annie got as near to an apology as she ever got. But since then, her news of Pilgrim had come only through Liz Hammond. Not wanting to add unduly to their worries over Grace, Liz had given Annie a picture of the horse's recovery that was as reassuring as it was false.
The wounds were healing well, she said. The skin grafts over the cannon bone had taken. The nasal bone repair looked better than they had ever dared hope. None of these was a lie. And none of them prepared Annie, Robert and Grace for what they were about to see as they came up the long drive and parked in front of Joan Dyer's house.
Mrs Dyer came out of the stable and crossed the yard toward them, wiping her hands on the sides of the old blue quilt jacket she always wore. The wind whipped strands of gray hair across her face and she smiled as she tidied them away. The smile was so odd and out of character that Annie was puzzled. It was probably just awkwardness at the sight of Grace being helped out onto her crutches by Robert.
'Hello Grace,' Mrs Dyer said. 'How are you dear?'
'She's doing just great, aren't you baby?' Robert said. Why can't he let her answer for herself? thought Annie. Grace smiled bravely.
'Yes, I'm fine.'
'Did you have a good Christmas? Lots of presents?'
'Zillions,' said Grace. 'We had a fabulous time, didn't we?' She looked at Annie.
'Fabulous,' Annie endorsed.
No one seemed to know what to say next and for a moment they all stood there in the cold wind, embarrassed. Clouds barreled furiously overhead and the red walls of the barn were suddenly set ablaze by a burst of sun.
'Grace wants to see Pilgrim,' said Robert. 'Is he in the barn?'
Mrs Dyer's face flickered.
'No. He's out back.'
Annie sensed something was wrong and could see Grace did too.
'Great,' said Robert. 'Can we go see him?'
Mrs Dyer hesitated but only for an instant.
'Of course.'
She turned and walked off. They followed her out of the yard and around to the old row of stalls at the back of the barn.
'Mind how you go. It's pretty muddy back here.'
She looked over her shoulder at Grace on her crutches then darted a look at Annie. It felt like a warning.
'She's pretty darn good on these things, don't you think Joan?' Robert said. 'I can't keep up.'
'Yes, I can see.' Mrs Dyer smiled, briefly.
'Why isn't he in the barn?' Grace asked. Mrs Dyer didn't answer. They were at the stalls now and she stopped by the only door that was closed and turned to face them. She swallowed hard and looked at Annie.
'I don't know how much Harry and Liz have told you.' Annie shrugged.
'Well, we know he's lucky to be alive,' Robert said. There was a pause. They were all waiting for Mrs Dyer to go on. She seemed to be searching for the right words.
'Grace,' she said. 'Pilgrim isn't how he used to be. He's been very disturbed by what happened.' Grace looked very worried suddenly and Mrs Dyer looked at Annie and Robert for help. 'To be honest, I'm not sure it's a good idea for her to see him.'
'Why? What—?' Robert started to say, but Grace cut him off.
'I want to see him. Open the door.'
Mrs Dyer looked at Annie for a decision. It seemed to Annie that they had already gone too far to turn back. She nodded. Reluctantly Mrs Dyer drew back the bolt on the top half of the door. There was an immediate explosion of sound inside the stall which startled them all. Then there was silence. Mrs Dyer slowly opened the top door and Grace peered in with Annie and Robert standing behind her.
It took a while for the girl's eyes to grow accustomed to the darkness. Then she saw him. Her voice when she spoke was so small and frail that the others
'I want to say goodbye to him, Daddy. Could we go see him this morning? Before I go back to the hospital?'
Annie had spoken just once to Harry Logan. It had been an awkward call and though neither mentioned her threat to sue him, it had hung heavily over their every word. Logan had been charming and, in her tone at least, Annie got as near to an apology as she ever got. But since then, her news of Pilgrim had come only through Liz Hammond. Not wanting to add unduly to their worries over Grace, Liz had given Annie a picture of the horse's recovery that was as reassuring as it was false.
The wounds were healing well, she said. The skin grafts over the cannon bone had taken. The nasal bone repair looked better than they had ever dared hope. None of these was a lie. And none of them prepared Annie, Robert and Grace for what they were about to see as they came up the long drive and parked in front of Joan Dyer's house.
Mrs Dyer came out of the stable and crossed the yard toward them, wiping her hands on the sides of the old blue quilt jacket she always wore. The wind whipped strands of gray hair across her face and she smiled as she tidied them away. The smile was so odd and out of character that Annie was puzzled. It was probably just awkwardness at the sight of Grace being helped out onto her crutches by Robert.
'Hello Grace,' Mrs Dyer said. 'How are you dear?'
'She's doing just great, aren't you baby?' Robert said. Why can't he let her answer for herself? thought Annie. Grace smiled bravely.
'Yes, I'm fine.'
'Did you have a good Christmas? Lots of presents?'
'Zillions,' said Grace. 'We had a fabulous time, didn't we?' She looked at Annie.
'Fabulous,' Annie endorsed.
No one seemed to know what to say next and for a moment they all stood there in the cold wind, embarrassed. Clouds barreled furiously overhead and the red walls of the barn were suddenly set ablaze by a burst of sun.
'Grace wants to see Pilgrim,' said Robert. 'Is he in the barn?'
Mrs Dyer's face flickered.
'No. He's out back.'
Annie sensed something was wrong and could see Grace did too.
'Great,' said Robert. 'Can we go see him?'
Mrs Dyer hesitated but only for an instant.
'Of course.'
She turned and walked off. They followed her out of the yard and around to the old row of stalls at the back of the barn.
'Mind how you go. It's pretty muddy back here.'
She looked over her shoulder at Grace on her crutches then darted a look at Annie. It felt like a warning.
'She's pretty darn good on these things, don't you think Joan?' Robert said. 'I can't keep up.'
'Yes, I can see.' Mrs Dyer smiled, briefly.
'Why isn't he in the barn?' Grace asked. Mrs Dyer didn't answer. They were at the stalls now and she stopped by the only door that was closed and turned to face them. She swallowed hard and looked at Annie.
'I don't know how much Harry and Liz have told you.' Annie shrugged.
'Well, we know he's lucky to be alive,' Robert said. There was a pause. They were all waiting for Mrs Dyer to go on. She seemed to be searching for the right words.
'Grace,' she said. 'Pilgrim isn't how he used to be. He's been very disturbed by what happened.' Grace looked very worried suddenly and Mrs Dyer looked at Annie and Robert for help. 'To be honest, I'm not sure it's a good idea for her to see him.'
'Why? What—?' Robert started to say, but Grace cut him off.
'I want to see him. Open the door.'
Mrs Dyer looked at Annie for a decision. It seemed to Annie that they had already gone too far to turn back. She nodded. Reluctantly Mrs Dyer drew back the bolt on the top half of the door. There was an immediate explosion of sound inside the stall which startled them all. Then there was silence. Mrs Dyer slowly opened the top door and Grace peered in with Annie and Robert standing behind her.
It took a while for the girl's eyes to grow accustomed to the darkness. Then she saw him. Her voice when she spoke was so small and frail that the others
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