The sun was lowering in the sky as two horses galloped at full speed across the grassy countryside of Persephone toward a copse of trees. Even to a person with only a rudimentary knowledge of horses, it was apparent the two animals were unevenly matched. That the tall and lean young man riding the draught animal could keep up with the other rider at all was an achievement in itself. The other rider, though heavy set, rode a young and lean animal that was clearly of Arabian ancestry from Earth-That-Was.

As the two horses neared the stand of trees the young man astride the plow horse lowered his reigns and leaned forward on the neck of the animal, almost as if to hug it. As if by a miracle, the animal seemed to find a hidden store of strength and surged forward to draw even with the young Arabian mare. As the two steeds charged into the trees the older horse might even have been ahead, albeit by no more than the length of its nose.

A moment later the two horses cantered to a stop at a small stream that ran through the oasis of trees and the riders both dismounted. Slapping one another on the back in good-natured camaraderie they both rolled to the ground laughing.

"Gorramit Jason, how the hell you manage that!" said the heavyset man to his companion.

"Runs in the family, Rick," said Jason Libby to his friend.

"Gorram reader, I swear that's gotta be cheatin’ doin' what you do," replied Rick Orlan.

"How man times I gotta tell you, I ain’t no reader, that was my sister," replied Jason. "I just sometimes feel things."

Rick pulled himself to his feet, and walked to the water to splash some in his face. "Be that as it may, it still seems like an unfair advantage. That horse ain’t fit to pull morn' a plough, yet you set a'straide her and she beats young Betsie here."

"Wont always. Betsies young yet. Don' as yet know her own potential. Can't feel her own potential."

"That what you sense; n' use."

"Not just me. Ol' Winter here senses it too." said Jason rubbing the cheek of the