Pappy stood alone in the rain for a long time. Alpha finally nudged his leg, reminding him that it was raining. He moved off and headed for the dining hall, where his father was making him ham and eggs. He wondered if he’d be able to eat the meal. He hadn’t slept at all as he sat at his computer watching the weather patterns across the state. He knew if he canceled the trials, they would all think it was because of Sam and Hawkins.

It was going to be a very long day.

Pappy prepared himself for his father’s input when he sat down to eat his breakfast. When he didn’t hear any comments, he looked up, his eyes full of questions. By the time he finished his second cup of coffee, his father still had not offered any type of conversation.

“Well, say it, Pop,” he finally said.

“It’s raining outside,” Kyros said as he banged pots together. “It’s going to rain all day. It might rain tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.”

Pappy rolled his eyes. “Thanks for sharing that, Pop. See you at lunchtime. By the way, what’s for lunch?”

Kyros banged his pots again. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“All right, Pop. Spit it out, what’s your problem?”

Kyros squinted at a dent he’d just made in one of the pots. “You could have postponed the trials. It’s not like it’s life and death to do it today.”

Pappy sighed. “I thought about it. The trials have been on the schedule from day one. Weather doesn’t enter into it. Yes, we had to make an exception with all the early snow we had at the beginning of the year, and that damn flu that felled us all. But because of those delays we fell behind. We have to make up that time. I can’t be viewed as showing any kind of partiality. Everything will be taken into consideration on the final report. This is about stamina, endurance, and skill. If those recruits can’t give me that, then I don’t need them. That’s the bottom line. I’ll see you at lunch, Pop.”