CONTENTS

I[The First Signpost]
II[The Umbrella Man]
III[Bianca, the Blind One]
IV[A Newborn]
V[The Flying Centaur]
VI[Giorgio Meets a Snail]
VII[Bring Out the Satchel!]
VIII[Over the Mountain]
IX[The Cart Horse of Casalino]
X[A Buyer of Ox Skins]
XI[The Ghost in the Warehouse]
XII[Rejected]
XIII[The Goddess Fortuna]
XIV[At the Curve of San Martino]
XV[The Odd Pieces Again]
XVI[The Rabbit's Foot and the Horn]
XVII[Gaudenzia, Joy of Living]
XVIII[Back Home to the Maremma]
XIX[No Morning Glory]
XX[A Simple Plan]
XXI[Half-bred]
XXII[Speak! Speak!]
XXIII[The Hours Before]
XXIV[Have You Fear? Have You Fear?]
XXV[Behold, the Palio!]
XXVI[Victor of the Piazza]
XXVII[A Time to Seek]
XXVIII[All Roads Lead to Rome]
XXIX[The Three Acts]
XXX[Duel Between Horse and Man]
XXXI[At the Victory Dinner]
[And Now....]

Foreword

For months I wrote the story of the Palio in my mind. I pictured a fearless boy rider in this wildest of all horse races, a boy who dared defy the ancient rules and willed his horse to win—in spite of the strict orders of his captain.

When I finally went to Siena and faced the real battle of the Palio, I had to scuttle my preconceived plot. No rider, no matter how brave, would ever defy the ancient rules of the race. They are as firm and immutable as the walls of the city.