25

25

On the way back to the inn, Becca and Walt were quiet. They passed one of the yellow-and-black horse-crossing signs. Then a similar warning painted on the asphalt in massive white letters.

“What's the solution?” Becca said.

“With the horses?” Walt kept his eyes on the road. “There isn't one.”

“There's always a solution,” Becca said. “I learned that in court. Not everyone will end up happy, but you compromise and come to a conclusion that works best for everyone involved.”

“There's no magic wand here. We have too many people and too many horses and a growing metropolitan area. The wild habitat the horses depend on is disappearing. Add to that the nineteen-year-long drought—which is probably the new desert normal—and there's not enough food to sustain them.”

Walt turned off the road at a sig……