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Chap. 159  The races K’ndar had wandered to the edge of the crowd surrounding the race track.  There were several punters there, taking last minute bets on the upcoming 3K race. He looked at their boards. Most of them had Drummer as the favorite at 2-1. He had only a  hazy idea of what  it…

Chap. 158  Drummer K’ndar and Glyena had made two rounds of Ruatha’s racetrack, listening to the various conversations, searching for the men who had sabotaged Swiftsure. It turned out a fruitless effort. “They might not be together, might not have been talking when we passed, or..it could be anything,” K’ndar said to Glyena. “But we…

Chap. 157- The Gatha at Ruatha-Before the Race Despite the races still an hour away, a crowd was beginning to form. Clumps of people were discussing the horses, arguing the merits of their particular favorite. The punters had their chalk boards up, and were already fending off those bettors who wanted an “inside tip’ before…

Chap. 156 The Gathers’ Good Humor man “Wait. K’ndar, wait,” Glyena pulled on K’ndar’s arm. Irritated, K’ndar stopped. “What?” He wanted to get to the racetrack. “Look. There, over there, see where the food tent is? There’s a sign, see that woman? She just put up a sign that says “Good Humor Ice Cream”. See…

Chap. 155 Undoing the fix Wish I had a horse right about now, I’d get there a lot faster, K’ndar thought, as he tried to hurry through the throngs filling the lanes of the Gather. It seemed as if everyone was heading against his path, now that he was in a hurry. Your sister and…

Chap. 154  The Gatha at Ruatha-the Fix The weight of the books he’d purchased made K’ndar’s backpack sag. He felt an odd mix of feelings. He’d spent a lot of money, but the books! What was worth more? Glyena had purchased one, as well. Siskin appeared, chirping, and landed on his shoulder. He is going…

Chap. 152 The Gatha at Ruatha-the Lizard show The air was redolent with the scent of roasting meat and fresh baked pies. The lanes between booths were crowded with people, their accents telling K’ndar they were from all over the planet. They stopped in front of a magician, a young man semi-circled by children and…

Chap. 151  Business before pleasure “Oh, look at his horses!” Glyena cried, as they approached Lizard’s caravan. She went running to them. “Glyena! Stop!” K’ndar cried. She stopped, turning in wonder. “Why?” How to explain the concept of security to a child? “That caravan? It’s Lizard’s home, just like your room at our weyr. It’s…