Free Pegasus: A Novel by Danielle Steel Page B

frightened. He could feel Pluto slipping right between
     his fingers. And Nick would hate to tell Alex that the beautiful young stallion had
     died before they arrived.
    “There isn’t a damn thing you can do except hope and pray he decides to survive this.
     He’s young enough to make it through it if he wants to.” All Nick could do was hope
     he wouldn’t die.
    Beauregard Thompson stayed with him for a while, and then went back to his own cabin
     to check on his wife, and Nick stayedalone in the boxcar with the horses for the rest of the day. The room stewards had
     promised to watch over the boys. And he knew that Toby could entertain Lucas. The
     storm finally calmed a little, but Pluto didn’t move and barely made a sound even
     when Nick stroked him and talked to him. He seemed to be getting weaker.
    By the end of the day, Nick was in despair. It was obvious that the stallion wasn’t
     going to make it, and it was only a matter of time before he died, maybe hours. And
     there was no way to feed him or even give him water while he lay there. Nick knew
     enough about horses to realize that he was watching the beautiful young stallion’s
     final hours. At one point, he even thought of being merciful, and using his pistol
     to put him down, but he didn’t have the heart to do it. He sat down next to him instead,
     and continued stroking his neck and crooning to him, and his eyes filled with tears.
     It was heartbreaking to watch the Lipizzaner slowly die.
    And finally, he laid his own head down against Pluto’s massive shoulder, and knowing
     no one was there to hear him, Nick begged him to stay alive.
    “I know this must sound stupid to you,” he said in a low voice to the horse, “and
     you deserve better than life in a circus, but I need you for my boys. Without you,
     they probably won’t want us in Florida, and if they don’t, I have no way to feed Toby
     and Lucas. If you don’t come to the circus with us, we’re really in a bad spot here.
     Pluto, if you’d just stay alive for me, I swear I’ll take care of you forever, and
     I’ll owe you my life. My boys are depending on you and so am I. Please don’t die … please … we
     need you so desperately.… I need you.… I’ll do everything for you I can. I promise.…”
     Tears slid down Nick’s cheeks as he spoke to him.
    He suddenly noticed that the storm had calmed completely. The pitching and rolling
     had stopped. And as though he had noticedit, too, Pluto turned his head to look at Nick, lying alongside him, and he shook
     his head as though to nod. And then he gave a gigantic shudder, which Nick was terrified
     would be his last, and with enormous effort, and a loud whinnying, Pluto fought his
     way to a standing position on shaking legs. Nick watched, unable to believe his eyes.
     Pluto was up! He had made it, and with any luck at all, and some sustenance, he wouldn’t
     die! It was as though the stallion had made his own decision, and a supreme effort
     for his new owner.
    Nick put his arms around the horse’s neck and sobbed. He had never been so grateful
     for anything in his life. The horse dying on their way to Florida would have been
     one blow too many in a series of brutal shocks that had turned their life upside down.
     And now it felt right-side up again. He offered the horse some water, which Pluto
     took gingerly with a grateful glance at Nick, and then he turned to look at the other
     horses, and Nina whinnied to him from her stall, as though to say welcome back. Nick
     stayed with him for another hour to make sure he didn’t lie down again, but the stallion
     was eating and already looked better when he left.
    Nick went to find Beauregard Thompson immediately, and knocked on the door of his
     cabin when he didn’t see him on deck. He came to the door, was surprised to see Nick,
     and said he had been ministering to his wife.
    “How is he?” he asked in a somber tone, referring to the stallion. And he was sure