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"Well, now it seems we have little choice," he said wearily He picked up his pack and lio"

26

The chestnut stallion galloped across the verdant Virginia countryside as if it were racing neck and neck in the Kentucky Derby Jordan Gant crouched in the saddle like an overgrown jockey and whipped his crop repeatedly on hispace Its eyes rolled, its sleek coat was shiny with sweat and its tongue hung from its mouth Still, Gant showed no mercy It was not so much cruelty, which would have assuard he held for anything that came under his control

Gant crossed e of a driveway bordered by poplar trees until he ca country house He headed to a stable area near the house, and allowed the exhausted animal to come to a trot, then a walk and finally to a halt Gant slid easily out of the saddle, took a towel froroo as it was led away

Gant strode up a stone ay

toward the front door He was dressed for polo in a black short-sleeved shirt and jodhpurs Gant had a muscular, athletic physique, and he would have worn his clothes well even if they weren't custoh boots of cordovan leather with his crop as he walked, as if his arm had a mind of its own The massive wooden front door opened at Gant's approach, and he stepped into an enor in the center Gant handed his gloves and towel to the cadaverous butler who had opened the door

The butler said, "Your guest has arrived, sir He's waiting in the library"

"A Boht up, and the usual for me"

The butler bowed and disappeared down a long hallway Gant went through a door off the foyer into a spacious cha bookshelves filled with the priceless volurave stood near a set of French doors that overlooked reen as the top of a billiard table He was perusing an antique book bound in red Moroccan leather

"That's a rare edition of the Divine Comedy published in 1507," Gant said "There are only three known copies I own them all"

"You've got quite the extensive collection of Dante"

"Actually, it's the best in the world," Gant said without pretense

Margrave smiled and slipped the book back onto the shelf "I would expect no less Did you have a good ride?"

Gant tossed the whip onto a side table "I always have a good ride The horse does all the work The animal that I rode today is new to my stables It's a stallion that needed to be shoho the boss is I always take a new horse out for a test-drive Those that survive are treated like royalty Those that don't end up in a glue factory"

"Survival of the fittest?"