All too shortly, Radhya’s time sense awakened her. Laid out on her dressing table were beautiful sea green pants, tunic, and hooded robe. The robe had waves embroidered around its hem in shades of green that shimmered and ran like water. Combs for her hair were set on top. They were a solid material resembling water. Under the clothes was a note from Aninya saying she had sent a gown and accessories for tonight’s banquet to Radhya’s room at the visitor’s center. Radhya blessed her as she stumbled into the shower to begin preparations for the day.

She met her bodyguards downstairs, and they retraced their route of the night before. She was soothed on the walk by the songbirds and lizards. Radhya gave the present to Will to carry in Max’s new invention, a special stasis pouch on his belt.

At the track, people were milling everywhere. Many more than the participants had obviously arrived this morning. Additional people were thronging through the gate. Radhya checked the boards for the odds on her horses. The distaff mile was the third race, and Secretary was 100 to 1. The fifth race was a mile and a half. Tango Dancer was 87 to 1 in it. The Helix Cup, which was to be a major annual race, was sixth. Son-O-War was 237 to 1.

Radhya smiled and headed for the betting comps. After wagering a small fortune on her horses, she retired to her owner’s box. A light buffet was laid out, as per her instructions. She tucked in ravenously.

“Each of you grab something here. Just don’t let anyone see you,” she told them.

Padr watched as Max and Will gobbled down the sandwiches. As slaves showed up to replenish the trays, they glanced from the corners of their eyes at the slaves eating at the royal’s buffet.

“Radhya, my dearest,” Noel slid into the box trailed by Princess Felina. “I have a little-written contract for you. Just so our deal is binding.”

Princess Felina was wringing her hands.

“I don’t think much of you treating your fiancé this way,” she scolded.

“But my dear Princess, how could I bear it if after you left, Radhya decided to renege on our verbal agreement?” Noel said condescendingly.

“Oh dear, I suppose you must love her a lot, but it is just not romantic to make her sign a contract to contract with you,” Felina whined.

Radhya said, “Oh I don’t mind.”

Noel looked from under lowered brows.

“As long as my conditions are met I am agreeable to sign this thing. However, if it does not say that if my status, on my own merits, exceeds his, then everything is off,” Radhya commented.

“But my dear,” replied Felina, “You know the odds of that are astronomical.”

“Yes, I know, but I want it in hard copy anyway. After all, the penalty is here in writing. ‘If the contractee,’ that is me, ‘fails to perform by signing the merger contract no later than the day after the status review, she shall be stripped of all status and lands and estates and patents and be relegated to the ranks of freedmen, with no possibility of review.’ So I think my clause should be included as well.”

“Oh dear, I didn’t want Noel to put that in there. It is one thing to say such a thing to persuade a reluctant bride, but another to threaten it in writing. I am so sorry my dear,” explained Princess Felina.

“What hold does Barone have on you to make you do this?” inquired Radhya.

Felina’s eyes grew wide, and she blushed, shaking her head.

“At least Princess, make my contract day beautiful will you?”

Felina perked up and began to sparkle. “Oh Radhya, I give you my word that your contract day will be the most beautiful one since my mother and father joined. I’ll see to it. And this place is so beautiful. Until, yesterday, I never realized how truly unusual and gorgeous this place is. With this, I can do miracles. It is even more spectacular than Junction.”

“Thank you milady,” said Radhya bowing her head at the compliment.

More high-status aristocrats came by as the time for the first race approached. Without exception, the visitors expressed appreciation for the track and surroundings.

Lord Desmoinnis stayed to watch the first race with them. He was dressed in conservative dove grey, his florid jowls an intrusion in the color pattern for his hair was the same grey as his robe. His colt, Socail, was in the first race. It was 2 to 1 to win. Noel Barone’s Killer was at 30 to 1, and Barone sputtered about ignorant idiots.

Lord Barone put his arm possessively around Radhya’s shoulders. She shook her head as Max and Padr moved to shift him. As the trumpets sounded for the parade to post, Noel led her to the front of the box. She extracted herself politely. Noel pointed out a big, bony, solid bay. The jockey was dressed in Noel’s scarlet red livery.

Socail was a grey with a white star and a white sock. His livery was dove grey and beet red.

“That’s my Killer. He should wipe the track with these lesser horses,” Noel bragged.

“Socail is no slouch. He’ll give your colt a run for his money,” Lord Desmoinnis stated.

“My colt running in the fifth, is half-brother to Socail,” Radhya said, “and the stud I bought for my breeding farm is a full older brother to Killer. So I will watch this race with great interest.”

Barone glared at Desmoinnis, who, engrossed with the animals going into the gates, totally ignored him. Finally, the colts were loaded in the chutes. The bell rang, and they were off.

Socail broke in front and quickly took the rail. A couple of other horses passed him, and he settled third, running well and steady. Killer trailed the pack, bobbing and fighting his jockey. They zoomed past the quarter pole, and the red rider began laying it on with the whip. Killer fought, then at the half, he began to run. The front-runners started to fade, and Socail moved to second place. Killer, moving like a machine placed himself fourth. A failing front-runner boxed him against the rail. At the three-quarter pole, Socail turned on the speed, smoothly springing into first place. Killer fought his way free. He was burning up the track again. Socail spread out and flashed past the finish line, beating Killer by a head.

Lord Desmoinnis flushed redder with pleasure. “Milady it seems I have the honor of being the first winner at your new track. Excuse me, please, to leave for the winner’s circle,” he requested.

“Certainly milord. Perhaps you will escort Lady Felina. She will be doing the presentations today. Unless she is the winner, and then I suppose I will have to do the honors,” Radhya informed him.

“My pleasure” replied Lord Desmoinnis.

He, Princess Felina, and all their guards left the box. Now their two entourages were alone, the Lady turned to Barone, staring straight into his livid face.

“I don’t know what you did to the Princess to get her to force me into this contract farce, but I doubt if you’ll get much pleasure from it.”

“Bah!” snarled Barone. “I don’t talk business when I’m racing. Don’t bother me now. Killer should have won.”

“He certainly had the speed,” agreed Radhya. “He just needs better training and a better jockey.”

“Don’t tell me how to race horses. I’ve been racing for twenty-five years. You have not had your first race yet.”

“Fine, let’s talk about your betrothal present. If it is taken incorrectly, it can kill. Changing your genetic fingerprint is a serious thing. You do realize, don’t you, that if you have any genetic locks on anything they will have to all be reprogrammed.”

“I told you, I don’t talk business at races!” he yelled.

“I heard you. I’ll explain how to use it, then, before the banquet, in front of all these Lords and Ladies, who I am sure, are dying for some juicy gossip and your insecurity about the size of your penis will be very titillating I’m sure.”

“Sh-sh-sh” whispered Barone, glancing over his shoulder at his slaves and hers. “I guess you are right. Give me the instructions now.”

“Excuse me,” she snarled back, “I don’t talk business at a race.”

Lord Barone ground his teeth. “I am sorry my dear, dear Radhya. I should not have spoken like that. I get upset when I lose. Please, let’s sit down here and explain all the wonders you have created for me.”

He put his arm around her waist. She removed it. Noel put his arm around her again.

“Padr,” she called with warning in her voice.

Padr stalked forward. Barone let her go and merely held his hand toward the comfortable sofa on the back wall. Radhya complied grudgingly.

“Now,” he commanded, “tell me all about it.”

Arms folded across her chest Radhya glared at him a moment, then smiled a dangerous smile.

“First, it will be very painful. I mean that sincerely. Every experimental subject so far has reported excruciating pain for about two weeks. I hope that in your case it will be three weeks. Then everything returns to normal, except bigger. You have three things, a tablet, a capsule, and a liquid. Timing is essential. Have an attendant standing by with a molecular timing piece, minimum. This is timed to the second. If you are not accurate, it will dry up and fall off. First, get comfortable, you will be very dizzy. Take the tablet. Wait exactly two hours, exactly, right to the second. Then take the capsule. Wait exactly, and again, I mean exactly twelve hours and thirteen minutes. Twelve hours and fourteen minutes can kill you. Twelve hours and twelve minutes will not give you your full potential. Therefore, in twelve hours and thirteen minutes you drink the liquid. Get every drop. Rinse the bottle and drink that to make sure you get it all. Now you chug, don’t sip. That’s about all there is to it. But remember, it is going to hurt.”

“How much bigger?” asked Barone.

“At least double maybe a little more. Two centimeters becomes four; four becomes eight, six becomes twelve, you get the idea,” she answered. “Oh and don’t try to analyze it so you can recreate and sell it. Each one is based on the individual’s own DNA. Yours would not work for anyone else. I have had a necessity to become that specific in my work.”

“When did you make it then?” he asked. “We only agreed to this last night?”

“The four of us,” she said indicating her slaves, “stayed up the whole night making it. And for the record, you forced me into this arrangement. I didn’t agree. How about if I give this to you as a free gift and we just forget the contracting. Then we can go back to being friends.”

Lord Barone‘s smile made her blood run cold. She forced back the shadows waiting to pounce, that memory that always hovered, just beneath the surface of her mind.

“Distaff Mile is the next race, and I want to see my horse win,” snapped Radhya jumping up from the sofa, fear distilled into anger.

“Very few horses win their maiden race,” a smug Noel replied.

Radhya moved to the front of the box. The post parade for the third had started, Secretary in position number one. She pranced tautly; her blood-colored coat gleaming in the sun. She shook her ebony mane and tail fiercely. Radhya’s livery colors were light emerald green and dark forest green, a color that glowed against her bay coat.

Lord Barone’s entry was Harlot’s Heat, a large black filly. To Radhya, his horse appeared to hang over on the front end. The filly stalked along as though alone, to the number three position. The red livery looked gruesome on her darkness.

Lady Love was Princess Felina’s entry. She was a pure silvery white, delicate yet athletic. She wore, of course, the royal purple. She minced her way along the track, spurning it with her hooves.

Seven other entries were starting as well. Radhya gripped the ledge at the front of the box until her knuckles whitened.

“You’d best relax milady. You give your suitor too much ammunition,” whispered Padr in her ear.

She glanced around to see Lord Barone watching her closely, a superior smile on his narrow lips. Lady Kirbyson relaxed every muscle as much as possible while still maintaining her same pose.

The starting bell caught her off guard. Focusing her attention on the fillies flying around the track, Radhya could see nothing at first, but as they passed the quarter pole, she could just distinguish Barone’s filly in the lead. She looked at him, and his eyes were glowing with manic glee, his lips pulled back exposing his teeth like a snarling wolf. Radhya shivered and looked away.

The horses were tearing down the track at a furious speed. Harlot’s Heat was still in front, but Lady Love and Secretary were breaking from the pack. Stride by stride they crept closer to the black filly, running together neck by neck. The audience in the grandstands rose roaring to their feet. In a rush, the white and the bay passed the front-runner. In an astounding burst of speed, Lady Love pulled ahead of Secretary and flashed passed the wire a half-length in the lead.

Radhya felt a knife of disappointment course through her. She looked around. Noel was flying thunderclouds again, stamping back and forth across the floor. Radhya quickly grabbed hold of her emotions, deciding never to be a sore loser.

Placing a smile on her face, she said, “Not too bad for a first race is it now?”

Padr gave her a sympathetic look, but Max and Will looked blank.

“Excellent, my dear,” sneered Noel. “Excellent for you anyway.”

Lady Kirbyson swept from the box and down to the winner’s circle. Princess Felina, flushed with success and pleasure, was beaming at the crowd. After the presentation, Radhya stayed to speak to some of the other aristocracy. She was gracious to all, receiving congratulations on a fine start to her racing career. She returned to her box for the fifth because Tango Dancer was a contestant. The box was fortuitously empty when she returned.

“Oh Will,” she sighed, “this is going to kill me. I don’t seem to handle such excitement very well. Have you got something to help calm me down, keep me cool?”

As Will reached for his kit, Padr pushed him away.

“This is part of living. You’ve been a recluse so long you don’t know how to live anymore. Are you so scared of having an honest emotion that you want to drug it away the first time it appears? If you drug yourself every time you feel anything, you’re not the person I thought you were,” he stated.

Shocked, Radhya looked at him, her mouth agape. After thinking a minute, she replied, “Thank you. You are correct. I must control myself by myself, not rely on a drug. That would have been a shameful mistake. I am grateful.”

Padr bowed his head and turned away. Radhya went to the front of the box to watch Tango Dancer.

Her colt was number seven, a beautiful gleaming grey. He walked the track calmly, ebony mane and tail glistening in the sunlight. He was undoubtedly the most beautiful animal on the track that day. Radhya could see patrons below her pointing to him and consulting their programs.

Just as they were at the starting gate, Noel pranced in.

“Well” he gloated, “did you see my Keddedy Bay win the fourth? My Voyager will clean up this one as well.”

The gates flew up, and the horses were off. Fleur-de-Lis and Calcutta Rat took the early lead and fought a seesaw war for first place. First one then the other was leading, throwing clods of dirt backward to the third and fourth place runners. Tango Dancer kept his fourth position until the halfway point. He exploded down the track. Calcutta Rat and Fleur-de-Lis might as well have been standing still. Radhya couldn’t breathe with the beauty of Tango’s running. Faster and faster he moved, like clouds before a hurricane. Tango Dancer crossed the finish line seven lengths in front and still pulling away. The stands were silent. Then a roar clove the air.

Radhya felt so weak she backed to the sofa and sat down. Noel stared at her, mouth hanging open.

“I never,” he sputtered, “I never saw a horse run like that. You bred him?”

“No” murmured Radhya, “I commissioned a breeder on Kentucky to breed him for me. I just selected his parents.”

“Amazing,” said Noel shaking his head. “When we contract he will belong to me as well.”

“Milady,” interrupted Padr, “They will need you in the winner’s circle.”

Radhya rose on shaky legs and left. This time the roles were reversed. Lady Felina presented her with the trophy. Radhya hugged Li and Tan, the jockey.

“A reward for you both. Tell me what you want when we all get home tonight.”

She hugged them both again. “Hurry,” she cried to her bodyguards, “the main event will be starting soon. I don’t want to miss Son-O-War. “

“I hope you don’t hope for another race like that. Something like that happens once in a lifetime,” commented Padr.

Radhya merely grinned at him and rushed on her way. Back in the box, Lord Barone was waiting. Radhya felt the joy drain from her at the sight of him.

“Now all the premium runners will be out,” he explained to her. “There’s Lady Felina’s Silver Bullet. He’s a full brother to Lady Love. Then there’s Lady Koom’s Exodus; he’s a real bugger to beat. Ocean Pearl is a big threat, so is Irritation. Of course, my big black colt, Single Might, is going to be the winner. I am glad though, one of your entries won, and second isn’t a bad place for a maiden race either.”

“Milord, let’s have the Helix Cup run before you hand out the prize to yourself,” Lady Kirbyson replied.

The field was very large, twenty-four horses. The post parade seemed endless to Radhya, and she was sure time stood still until the barrier was sprung.

Son-O-War sprang to the lead; his huge body blazing like wildfire down the track. His distance from the other racers grew with every stride. All the mighty racers, the cream of the aristocratic stables, were left behind in the dust, like smoke to his flame. He crossed the finish line thirty lengths ahead of Silver Bullet and Single Might who had a photo finish for second place, Single Might’s black snout a hair ahead of Lady Felina’s favorite.

“Well, it seems I am destined to be second to you, again,” snarled Lord Barone. “Today only, you realize.”

“Hopefully forever” laughed Radhya as she bounced off to the winner’s circle again.

Princess Felina handed her the huge double helix of emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and diamonds. It was a gaudy barbaric thing, exactly as Radhya had commissioned it. As the crowd cheered and applauded, Radhya beamed at everyone. Crowds surrounded her and congratulated her making the guards work hard to get her some breathing room.

When the commotion cleared, Padr spoke quietly to her. “These are animals you picked the parents of, and I am very impressed. I understand you also picked me?”

“No” she replied softly. “I never picked you, that was all my grandfather’s doing. I’ll try to explain it to you someday.”