The next morning, Pietro could hardly believe that he was on the back of a horse, in the sun, and supervising. He had to get up very, very early, much earlier than anyone, and even though he knew he had authority over the men, he didn't enjoy it. Let's hope that this reaps results quickly, he thought. He was sweating. Now he understood Benigno always wore the broad rimmed hat. He had thought it looked ridiculous, but in this position it made perfect sense.

"We should go see how the new overseer is doing."Ma.Xamila told her sisters.

"Probably fine. What could possibly go wrong? I do wonder, though, why he volunteered, you know. He never seemed fit for it, though."Alonsina said.

"That's what makes it so funny. Don't you see? Poor guy. He's only wasting his time and energy."Ma.Xamila said with supreme satisfaction.

"What do you mean, he's wasting his time? Do you know why he's doing this?"

"Yes, Sissy told us."

"Well, what does he want? You can't say money because well, that job wouldn't pay very well. Better than others, yes, but not so well."

"How dare you speak like that about him!"Francisca exclaimed. "You should be ashamed of yourselves. That nice young man helping us get through that unpleasant business, and you saying things about him behind his back. Besides, of course he wouldn't want money. If that was so, why didn't he say so? Wouldn't that be easier? He is a perfect gentleman."

"And why would a gentleman be doing that job?"Kitty asked.

"What she means, Gatica, is that he was a gentleman for volunteering, for giving up his time to take over Benigno's place. Besides, you know, just because someone has money and they dress well doesn't mean he's a gentleman. Just take a look at that...man you spoke to yesterday."

"You never told me what he did, though."

"Niña, entre esos dos ya se han hechado un Cristiano!"Francisca told her.

"What?"

"They killed someone."

"Who?"

"That's really nobody's business."

Arthur spoke to the dectuplets after breakfast.

"You guys said that you would solve the problem yesterday."he reminded them.

"It already is solved, Cuzzy."

"What problem?"asked Jesus.

"Nothing, Don Chuy. What Dumbo here meant was that you see, Chachi wanted to come and stay for a while, because her parents need a break from her, and she wanted to stay here, but we convinced her to go to Europe instead. At this hour, she should be heading to Madrid."

"Oh good. We don't want Chachi here. She's already caused enough trouble, you know. Besides, I was just wondering, if for lunch today, you know, you could have them butcher a couple of goats. That meat is so tender."

"Sure. Just go to the kitchen and tell them."

When Jesus was gone, Arthur asked the dectuplets why they had lied to him.

"Because there was no point in telling him the truth."

"Then what was the point in lying about it? Don't tell me for the same reason we lied to him about Ma.Eugenia doing you guys a favor?"

"No, no, no. This is for a different reason."

"Which is?"

"We can't exactly share that with you, you know? That's Sissy's secret, not ours."

"You guys should stop taking orders from a cat."

"Sissy's no ordinary cat, Dumbo. We belong to her, she belongs to us, and to each other. We should never separate. We're a team, no one better mess with us. By the way, you know, now that I remembered about Chachi, that reminds me, Scott won't be dining in the kitchen anymore."

"Why is that? He can't dine with us because your mother would have a heart attack."

"We never said he was dining with us."

"Then where?"

"Oh, that's something we've already decided. Juanita will be complaining about it. The staff doesn't like him anymore than we do."

Stupid cat, Arthur thought, looking at Sissy look out the window. Sissy turned around and hissed at him. Guillermo and Rebecca ran toward him.

"Can we play the Gamecube?"

"All the games are on vacation right now. It's their day off. Go find something else to do. Go keep Mama Teta company, she's lonely."

Maybe the dectuplets had lied to him. No, they wouldn't lie. But if they didn't, how could they have gotten Ma.Eugenia to forget everything and reconcile with her father.

"Now, you have to tell me what you meant last night."

"I don't think it's time just yet."

"Why?"

"Because, sweetheart, it might be too much for you, you saw what happened to Mariana when her tia Isabel told her that Jose Antonio was actually her son. Mariana got worse instead of better. The impact, the emotional impact was too much. Instead, you should accompany us to find out how Pietro likes his new duties."

They walked to the fields. They had to take the children with them because Mama Teta said they were too much trouble for her, and she couldn't take care of them herself.

"I want to go the lake and swim."Guillermo was saying.

"I want to go riding. Can I tell Pablo to get my mare?"Rebecca asked.

"We will go riding, and swimming, and then we'll sing to the flowers."

"When we get to the lake can you make the water make music and can we see all the animals?"

"Yes."

"Can you make me fly?"

"Me, too!"

Ma.Xulia picked Guillermo and Rebecca up using her telekinesis and carried them to the fields that way.

"I know,"said Ma.Xitlalli. "We should get the new overseer to saddle the horses for us."

"Yes. He does, after all, have to impress Ma.Xamila."

Everyone laughed. They found Pietro arguing with one of the stable boys.

"You are fired!"Pietro told him "I shall be speaking to your father about this, Joaquin."

"Pietro!"Ma.Xamila exclaimed, as they entered. "It's one thing that you're above them, another that you argue with them over how they do their jobs."

"Well, he was supposed to have my horse groomed and saddled, but I guess I was a little too hard on him. Joaquin, you're hired again." He smiled. Hopefully they would notice how forgiving he was.

"That's good. They do need the work, you know. By the way, you should go through all the chozas, and see which of all the families live furthest from the house, and in the let's say, worse conditions."

"What for?"

"Oh, would you do that for us, Pietry, would you? You have no idea just how grateful we'd be if you just did that one favor for us. It would mean so much."

"Where's my mare?"asked Rebecca, and noticing Pietro, she told him, "Get me my mare. We're going to go swimming. Hurry."

"Mine, too."Guillermo added.

"Well, you heard the children, Pietro, and our request, so I suggest you get moving. Time stands still for no one, you know, and we don't have all day."

Pietro frowned. He had no choice but to saddle the horsed for them himself, because if he didn't, the one who was going to be fired was him, not the stable boy. Gritting his teeth, he put the briddles and saddles on the horses and led them out.

Well, he thought, at least it's going somewhere. I should look for that choza they want as soon as possible, the sooner the better. Their mother already thinks highly of me, they're starting to notice me, before I know it, I will be part of the family. I just hope those brats, and that stupid 'Mama Teta' don't stay here long. Anything but that.

"He looked pretty mad."Ma.Xiomara said laughing.

"Of course he's mad, he didn't want to do that in the first place, but he was forced to. Poor thing, and being out in the sun all day with no hat. He will get a perfectly good tan. Or should I say burn."

"I think both."Maru told her.

"Yes."

"But who forced him?"

"Himself. His motives. His goals."

A day had never gone by so slowly for Pietro. The problem with the stable boy wasn't the only thing he had to deal with. Every second someone was going to him with a problem. Someone wasn't working, someone was injured, someone fell ill, the fields needed weeding, this, that. And then there was the weather. The weather here wasn't like in Bayville, or anywhere he had lived. Here, the suns were hot and fierce, or the storms raged on for hours and hours, the water coming down in floods. He had bullied someone to give him his hat, as he didn't have one of his own.

"How was your first day?"asked Ma.Xamila.

Pietro had to act like it was nothing. Like he did it because he wanted to and didn't mind.

"It went by pretty quickly. Besides, I'm glad to be of service."

"Yes, Mother was quite pleased with your taking over."

"Glad I could help."

It's reaping results already, he thought. But he wasn't willing to put with this much longer. He thought of how the dectuplets had gotten Kitty to notice Lance, and thought it might work on them. That was it! He just had to flirt with another girl to make them jealous. There were a lot of young girls in the fields, the daughter, nieces, sisters of the workers, but he thought they wouldn't be of much help. The dectuplets didn't go into the fields too often. It would have to be someone right here. A member of the staff? Ma.Eugenia maybe?