"I take thequinghaoandit goes away."
"And for how long do youthink you can keep it at bay with you working yourself into exhaustion?"
"Until the damnedrailroad's finished."
He shook his head doubtfully."Ruel is a fair man. He would allow you more time if you went to him andtold him you were not well."
"No!" Good God, allshe needed was to have Ruel know she was ill. He was waiting for a weakness inher defenses. "I'll be fine. You're not to tell him. You're not to tellanyone." She started for the tent. "Ask Dilam to check that lastquarter-mile track I started to measure."
"No need, I will doit."
She should have known Li Sungwould insist on taking over the task and he had already used his leg too muchtoday. "This shouldn't take long. I may be able to do it myself."
His jaw set. "I will doit."
After almost two months ofworking day and night, she was too bone-weary to argue with him. "Suityourself."
Ruel glanced up from thesurvey map he was studying as she came into the tent. "You're making verygood time." His finger tapped a circled area on the map on the table."Four miles from Elephant Crossing."
"We should reach it byday after tomorrow. We're averaging over two miles a day. We'd be doing evenbetter than that if we didn't have to do some additional clearing on each sideof the road."
"But you've chosen toangle around the crossing."
"Another threedays." She moved toward the table and tapped a spot on the map."Here. We'll have passed the crossing two days before the deadlinespecified by the contract."
"Perhaps." Hesmiled. "And perhaps not. Cinnidar has been kind to you so far, but youmustn't count on your good luck lasting."
"It will last."
"No trouble with theelephants?"
"We haven't seen oneelephant since we started through the jungle. Dilam doesn't expect any trouble.She says elephants are creatures of habit and by circumventing the crossingwe'll avoid a direct confrontation."
"They're closer than theywere three months ago when we passed here. I heard them as I rode intocamp."
"We always hear them. Itdoesn't mean anything. According to Dilam, they're constantly talking to eachother."
"I was watching Li Sungand Dilam working together as I came into the encampment. They seem to begetting along much better. No problems there?"
"Li Sung has no problemswith Dilam as long as she—"
"Doesn't trynestingwithhim?" Ruel's brow arched inquiringly. "I take it she's given up heraim in that direction?"
She shrugged. "Who knows?She doesn't talk about it, and Li Sung realizes how important this railroad isto both of us. We've all been too busy to worry about anything but getting thework done." She stared directly into his eyes. "Which is what I haveto do now."
"Ybu always run away whenI come to see you."
"I have work to do. Ihave no time to talk."
"I also have work to do,but I make time for you." His voice was almost caressing, but the wordsheld a subtle menace. "I'll always make time for you, Jane."
Always.The foreboding word sent a smotheringsense of relentless inevitability through her. He would never give up, neverleave her until he was satisfied she had suffered enough. God, she was weary ofit all. "Are we through here? I have to get back to work."
"Aye, I've found out whatI needed to know." He turned away. "I'm going to the refinery in thevillage and then pay a visit to the palace to see how Ian is faring. I'll beback in five days."
"Don't bother. I won'thave time to give you a report. In five days we'll be past the crossing andforging toward the canyon wall."
"Oh, it's nobother." He smiled over his shoulder. "Do you know, part of meactually wants you to meet that deadline. You've done a fine job and I admiregood work."
