"It will happen."His gaze lingered on her breasts. "I'd wager it's starting to happen now.It's only fair really. As James noticed, I'm going to have an extremelyuncomfortable evening."
Her gaze went involuntarily tohis lower body and then quickly away.
"You see?" he saidsoftly. "It's beginning already and it's not going to end." They hadstopped before Medford, and Ruel smiled and asked politely, "James, may Ipresent Miss Jane Barnaby? I'm sure you'll take good care of her while I go andsee what's keeping Li Sung and Kartauk."
"You are annoyed,"Li Sung observed as they left the salon at the end of the evening. "I waswatching you all through dinner while you were talking to Medford. He is afool?"
"No, I believe he may bea very smart man." She wrinkled her nose. "Though he thinks I'm alittle fool, and that will cause difficulties I could do without."
"He will soon learn hismistake. Did he tell you anything we can use?"
She shook her head. "Hesaid all the information he had gathered was in the survey. He did mentionsomething about the elephants."
"What?"
"He said the Cinnidansrevere them and to harm them would cause trouble."
"So we must stand stilland let them trample us with their huge feet?"
She shrugged. "We mayhave nothing to worry about. We'll face that problem when we must. Medford saidhe had caught only brief glimpses of them while he was doing the survey."She covered a yawn with her hand. "And soon I intend to put everythingelse out of my mind as well and get a good night's sleep. Are your quarterscomfortable?"
"Splendid. I've even beenallotted two servants to care for my every wish. This lowly peon isoverwhelmed."
"That's probably ourhost's intention."
"Or perhaps Ruel wishesto pamper us a little before submitting us to the mercy of his mountain ofgold." He grimaced. "And those big-footed monsters."
"Perhaps." She wasweary of trying to guess Ruel's reasons for doing anything and even more wearyof the unbearable tension that enveloped her whenever she was near him. Tonighthad been almost unbearable, sitting in that opulent room that shimmered withlacy gilt and breathed of Ruel's power. For the entire evening she had sensedin him a rawness and anger just below the surface. She had no idea what hadgoaded him into that initial explosion, but she had come out of it feelingbruised and frightened. She could not wait until they reached the mountain andshe could be free of him until the job was done. "Medford said the journeyto the base camp will take us three days and Ruel usually overnights atElephant Crossing."
"Elephant Crossing,"Li Sung murmured. "That was mentioned in the contract."
She nodded. "The trackhas to be completed over that crossing in eight weeks."
"Ah, yes, the penalties.We forfeit a high fee if we don't meet the deadline, don't we?"
"Fifty percent."
He gave a low whistle.
"That doesn't matter. Wearegoing to make it. We'll take the opportunity tomorrow evening to look overthe area." She stopped at her chamber. "Sleep well, Li Sung."
"I will." His tonewas abstracted as he moved down the corridor toward his own chamber.
Chapter13
Ruel got off his mule andstarted to undo the strap on the backpack. "The sun won't set for anotherhour. I'll set up camp while you and Li Sung look around."
"There doesn't seem to bemuch to see." Jane looked around the clearing—an area a good half-mile indiameter denuded of vegetation except for a few thorn trees that lay dead androtting on the ground. "Why do they call it Elephant Crossing?"
"According to Dilam, theelephants usually stay on the east side of the island but occasionally one ortwo, sometimes even the entire herd, make a trek to the west and take thisroute."
"Then why did you cutyour road directly through the crossing area?"
"It saved me about ahalf-mile of clearing." He shrugged. "I've never seen any elephantsin all the time I've been running pack trains from the mountain. If I ever didrun across a herd, you can bet I'd back away and let them go first."
She frowned. "I can't laytrack here if there's a chance of it being damaged by a herd of elephants. I'llhave to angle away from the crossing."
Ruel smiled. "It willtake more time."
