palomino or buckskin from the cross is impossible.’
‘My demon stallion is palomino, however,’ Mr Toi said. ‘There was a reasonable chance that he would throw a dilute foal, which would be a loud signal to everybody that my horse was the father. We succeeded: the foal is palomino, red dilute, and a fine little horse. Everybody in the Celestial is aware of the parentage, and they’ll have to get over their prejudice about demon foals if they want to take advantage of this mare’s progeny in future.’
‘It was worth the risk,’ Miss Ling said. ‘We planned to gift this half-demon foal to you; then give a natural-horse foal from one of the Tiger’s stallions to Princess Simone. After that, future progeny will be…’ She searched for the word.
‘A free-for-all,’ I said. ‘Everybody will want one.’
‘We’re hoping that some may even want full brothers to this one as well, since you or the Princess will be riding it,’ Mr Toi said.
‘How dark’s the dad?’ I said. The foal had a cream body with a lighter cream mane and tail; it would take a while for his adult colour to show.
‘The stallion is a very brilliant gold with acompletely white mane and tail,’ Mr Toi said. ‘This little fellow will probably be just as rich a colour.’ He leaned on the stable door to watch the foal. ‘My demon stallion is one of the finest mounts on the Celestial—smart, reliable and loyal. If this foal shows any of his traits he will be exceptional.’
‘Sometimes such a mating can produce a fully natural animal,’ Miss Ling said. ‘But we’ve had the foal tested and he has demon essence flowing through his blood.’
‘What are the general implications?’ I said. ‘Will I need to take any special care if I have him as a saddle horse?’
Ling and Toi both shook their heads.
‘My stallion is highly intelligent, to the point of being self-aware,’ Toi said. ‘And this foal seems to have the intelligence of an extremely smart animal. I don’t think you’ll need to give him special attention, and he won’t ever talk—’
‘You stay away from my mummy!’ the foal yelled, sounding like a small boy. He was standing in front of his mother, gangly legs spread wide for support, his tiny carpet-like tail twitching with aggression and his teeth bared.
‘Well, how about that,’ Toi said with amusement.
‘I’m not going to hurt your mummy,’ I said to the foal. ‘I like horses.’
The foal lowered his bulbous forehead, still glaring at me. ‘You look like something that would eat horses.’
I lowered my head as well. ‘Well, I don’t. Usually I take the same form as these two people here, and I look after horses.’
The foal looked back at his mother, who was apparently accustomed to all sorts of Celestialcreatures viewing her and was unperturbed by my presence. He glanced from Ling to Toi, unsure.
‘Your mummy isn’t worried about me,’ I said.
‘Mummy’s not real smart,’ the foal said. He backed up slightly so he was closer to her. ‘She don’t talk.’
‘This foal just became worth ten jin of jade all by himself,’ Toi said, still amused. ‘He’s smart and courageous and isn’t afraid to speak his mind.’
‘I can’t take him as a saddle horse now,’ I said. ‘He’s much too valuable as breeding stock.’
Ling and Toi both shook their heads.
‘No, no,’ Toi said. ‘Half-demon horses aren’t useful as breeding stock, they’re always sterile. We can geld him for you and you can use him as a riding horse, no problem at all.’
‘I don’t feel good about doing that to a sentient creature,’ I said, watching the foal.
He overcame his fear and approached me cautiously and with curiosity, although his tiny tail still flapped with agitation. ‘Are you talking about me?’ he said.
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘We think you are very beautiful and all of us want to own you when you grow up into a fine, strong horse.’
He stared at me with round, liquid eyes. ‘You think
‘My demon stallion is palomino, however,’ Mr Toi said. ‘There was a reasonable chance that he would throw a dilute foal, which would be a loud signal to everybody that my horse was the father. We succeeded: the foal is palomino, red dilute, and a fine little horse. Everybody in the Celestial is aware of the parentage, and they’ll have to get over their prejudice about demon foals if they want to take advantage of this mare’s progeny in future.’
‘It was worth the risk,’ Miss Ling said. ‘We planned to gift this half-demon foal to you; then give a natural-horse foal from one of the Tiger’s stallions to Princess Simone. After that, future progeny will be…’ She searched for the word.
‘A free-for-all,’ I said. ‘Everybody will want one.’
‘We’re hoping that some may even want full brothers to this one as well, since you or the Princess will be riding it,’ Mr Toi said.
‘How dark’s the dad?’ I said. The foal had a cream body with a lighter cream mane and tail; it would take a while for his adult colour to show.
‘The stallion is a very brilliant gold with acompletely white mane and tail,’ Mr Toi said. ‘This little fellow will probably be just as rich a colour.’ He leaned on the stable door to watch the foal. ‘My demon stallion is one of the finest mounts on the Celestial—smart, reliable and loyal. If this foal shows any of his traits he will be exceptional.’
‘Sometimes such a mating can produce a fully natural animal,’ Miss Ling said. ‘But we’ve had the foal tested and he has demon essence flowing through his blood.’
‘What are the general implications?’ I said. ‘Will I need to take any special care if I have him as a saddle horse?’
Ling and Toi both shook their heads.
‘My stallion is highly intelligent, to the point of being self-aware,’ Toi said. ‘And this foal seems to have the intelligence of an extremely smart animal. I don’t think you’ll need to give him special attention, and he won’t ever talk—’
‘You stay away from my mummy!’ the foal yelled, sounding like a small boy. He was standing in front of his mother, gangly legs spread wide for support, his tiny carpet-like tail twitching with aggression and his teeth bared.
‘Well, how about that,’ Toi said with amusement.
‘I’m not going to hurt your mummy,’ I said to the foal. ‘I like horses.’
The foal lowered his bulbous forehead, still glaring at me. ‘You look like something that would eat horses.’
I lowered my head as well. ‘Well, I don’t. Usually I take the same form as these two people here, and I look after horses.’
The foal looked back at his mother, who was apparently accustomed to all sorts of Celestialcreatures viewing her and was unperturbed by my presence. He glanced from Ling to Toi, unsure.
‘Your mummy isn’t worried about me,’ I said.
‘Mummy’s not real smart,’ the foal said. He backed up slightly so he was closer to her. ‘She don’t talk.’
‘This foal just became worth ten jin of jade all by himself,’ Toi said, still amused. ‘He’s smart and courageous and isn’t afraid to speak his mind.’
‘I can’t take him as a saddle horse now,’ I said. ‘He’s much too valuable as breeding stock.’
Ling and Toi both shook their heads.
‘No, no,’ Toi said. ‘Half-demon horses aren’t useful as breeding stock, they’re always sterile. We can geld him for you and you can use him as a riding horse, no problem at all.’
‘I don’t feel good about doing that to a sentient creature,’ I said, watching the foal.
He overcame his fear and approached me cautiously and with curiosity, although his tiny tail still flapped with agitation. ‘Are you talking about me?’ he said.
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘We think you are very beautiful and all of us want to own you when you grow up into a fine, strong horse.’
He stared at me with round, liquid eyes. ‘You think
Similar Books
