The Land Rover turned into the yard of White Horse Farm and tooted its horn.
Ron Maxwell appeared at the doorway. “The kids are back,” he called.
Lynne joined him.
The four children hung out of the car windows, waving madly.
“Who’s the visitor?” said Holly as another figure appeared behind them.
“DAD!” yelled Adam and Chantel. They tumbled out of the car into his arms.
Explanations from the children were surprisingly easy.
Descriptions of Glastonbury Tor and the labyrinth, and runes and ruins seen during a twenty-four-hour trip to the Isle of Man, more than satisfied the adults that the cousins had experienced an exceptional trip.
Mr. Smythe was invited to stay for tea.
The children unloaded their backpacks and carried them up to the bedrooms.
Chantel sat at the top of the stairs and waited for Adam. “I’ve something to tell you before we talk to Dad. Mom phoned while you were off in the mist.”
Adam grunted. “Who did she trash this time?”
Chantel shook her head. “No one, but…,” her eyes filled with tears, “…she said you would go to live with Dad, and I would live with her.”
“WHAT?” Adam dropped down beside her. “You’ve gotta be kidding. No way are they going to split us up.” He gave Chantel a massive hug that made her bones crack.
Chantel gasped, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “You mean it, Adam? You really mean it? You don’t think it’s a good idea?” She gazed up at her older brother.
“Course not,” said Adam gruffly. “Mom and Dad are divorcing, not us. We’ll tell them.”
“Mom won’t listen,” said Chantel sadly.
“We’ll make her listen.”
“How?” said Chantel. “We’d have to do something big, like running away.”
“Can’t do that,” said Adam seriously. “I missed home like crazy when I was captured.” He punched the air. “We’ll go on strike?”
Chantel’s eyes widened. “We will?”
Adam grinned. “We’ll walk up and down in front of the house holding signs: Cruelty to Kids; Don’t split us up. And we’ll phone the TV news first, so they’ll cover it.”
“That would be sooo embarrassing,” said Chantel doubtfully.
“Exactly!” said Adam. “Mom hates being embarrassed.”
“We could refuse to go to school,” Chantel said slowly.
“Refuse to do chores,” added Adam.
“Go on a hunger strike,” said Chantel.
There was a long pause. “Naw. No sense not eating,” said Adam. “Got to have the energy to be obnoxious.”
Chantel laughed.
Adam hugged her again. “We’ll make them listen, Chantel. We’ll keep telling them what Holly told Doona and the Lady. It’s their divorce. It’s not our war!”
“You’re right, son. It’s not your war.”
Their father climbed the stairs and sat between them.
Chantel shot him a sideways look. “What did you hear?”
“Enough.” He sighed. “We’ll try to give you kids some choices, so you don’t feel caught in the middle.”
“Like what,” Adam said suspiciously.
His dad shrugged. “Like how it’s best to share you. We both want you. Can you live part-time with me and part-time with your mom? Lots of kids do that.”
“Yeah, Colin Deskey does. One week with his mom and one week with his dad. He’s always leaving stuff at the wrong house.” Adam hunched his shoulders.
“Weekends with one parent, schooldays with the other?”
Adam shrugged.
“Or the school year with one parent and holidays with the other. That would allow one of us to try out a job in another place.”
“Like where?”
“Like England. Uncle Ron needs a farm manager.”
“England! More summers here?”
“Or school in England and summer in Canada. We’ll look at all the options, and you’ll have a say. I promise.”
“You and Mom aren’t going to get together again, are you?” said Chantel sadly.
“No,” said her dad honestly. “But it’s not your war.”
When it was time to exercise the ponies, no one discussed the direction for the evening ride. They all knew.
“Everything started here,” said Chantel as they reached the crest of White Horse Hill. “Where Equus first spoke to me.”
“And you walked seven times around the eye of the chalk carving and found half his talisman,” said Holly. She slipped off Harlequin and tied him to the fence.
“None of you believed me.” Chantel giggled.
The four cousins walked to the ancient white chalk lines carved through the grass that gave the hill its name. They sat above the eye, looking out over the valley.
“What a summer. Totally unbelievable,” said Adam. He chewed a clover head. “Do you think we’ll hear from the Wise Ones again?”
“I think so,” said Owen, “if we want to.” He lay back on the grass and watched a hawk circling in the sky. “But more on our terms. As equals.”
“So…did anyone actually win?” asked Adam.
We all won, replied Equus.