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“Another thing you need froot my hands full with the ranch”

“Problehter had dropped some hints to him

“A few”

“Yes, I understand the cattle business is in a slu “And the flow from the wells at Broken Butte has dropped off considerably, so that inco up the slack anymore”

“Unfortunately,” Ty agreed and took a sip of the brandy

“You have another ready source of inco and held up a hand to stop it “I know all about your father’s feelings on the subject ofcoal, especially on Calder land Believe hed to sho little attention he paid to such talk “The sas were said by ranchers in Texas when they first started drilling wells They were certain it was so of their cattle And the fishers would drive away the fish I could go on and on But every ti you anything you don’t already know”

“You’ve reed “However, the sa You only have to look at some of the places in the East to see what it’s done to the land”

“In the past, yes But you kno strict the regulations are now You’ll have to come over to the Stockman place and see our reclamation project By next year, you won’t know that land was ever disturbed,” he insisted “This is certainly the ti into the coal business, too, with all these energy progra power plants to convert to coal as their fuel The de with it”

“I have no doubt there is money to be made from it” Neither did he dispute the other claiulations on strip- the soil He was not the skeptic his father was

“The partnership I have in mind is a joint venture to mine the coal on that ten-thousand-acre parcel of land I can easily obtain the h my coone through governuaranteed by his contacts “Because your father feels justified in his claihtfully his, I couldn’t, in good conscience, begin ement between us to share in the profits”

“I appreciate the sentiative movement of his head

“I’ht now,” Dyson insisted before the offer could be rejected “I’d like you to think on it It’s going to put you in direct opposition to your father’s wishes if you agree, and I’m aware of that I’ve said it before—your father is of the old school He’s slow to accept change, unwilling to accept new ideas and new directions But this country is going to need the coal under this ground So to mine it; it’s inevitable But your father simply doesn’t want to admit it”

“I know” He studied the brandy in his glass, feeling the conflict between a logical and an emotional point of view

“Enough talk about business” Dyson settled into his chair, confident about how sone “What do you think of the new senator on Bulfert’s old job?”

A half-old to silver A splatter of stars dotted the blue-black canopy, as if soiant hand had taken a handful of diamonds and hurled them into the air to scatter and sparkle In the quiet, the wail of a coyote was a homeless sound amidst all this emptiness