Even Pitch was quiet as they looked out upon the ocean. “It’s high enough now for anything,” he said finally. “Even to have gotten their horses through.” Then his gaze turned to the other side of the canal and he added, “There’s a panel over there, too. They come together over the middle of the canal.” His eyes gleamed.

“We could get the launch through here, Steve! We could load her up with everything we find! Steve, do you realize what this means? Here we have an entrance to this lost world from the sea! We must be on the northwest tip of the island—don’t you think so, Steve? We could easily find it from the boat, couldn’t we?”

But Steve wasn’t listening to Pitch. He hadn’t listened since Pitch had mentioned that the exit was large enough “even to have gotten their horses through.” But he wasn’t thinking of the horses of the Conquistadores. He was thinking of Flame. And as he looked at the hole, now more than ten feet high, he thought how easy it would be to get a small barge in to take his horse from the island. His horse! Flame!

You shouldn’t even think of it, he told himself. It’s impossible.

But I don’t think anything is impossible now, he thought soberly. And the hole is large enough to get a barge through. Even Pitch would agree to that.

But you shouldn’t be thinking of it, he told himself again. You don’t even have Flame. You’re not going to have him. You gave Pitch your word you wouldn’t chase him any longer. And there’s something else even more important. What about the Piebald? What about the band? You want Flame to go back to his band, don’t you? What about all your talk of this perfect breed of horse—of the foals now in Blue Valley and those to come? Would you forget all that just to have Flame? Was it only talk to show Pitch how much you knew about horses—about breeding? Was that all it was, just talk, or were you sincere?

I was sincere, he thought. I am sincere. It wasn’t just talk. I want nothing more than for Flame to lead his band again, for he’s their rightful leader. The band will never be the same if the Piebald remains their king. So I shouldn’t be thinking of taking Flame away, even if it were possible, which it isn’t.

Steve’s eyes were focused upon Pitch, who was closing the panel door.