"It was clever of you notto let Li Sung know it was him you were concerned about," she said in alow voice.
"Hell, I can't claim anygreat degree of cleverness. I only told the truth. I am worried aboutyou." He turned away before she could speak. "I'll set up camp. Yougo after Li Sung and see if you can persuade him to stay here while I go afterthe elephant."
"Alone?" she asked,startled. "Don't tell me you were a hunter too at one time?"
He shook his head. "Theonly animals I ever hunted were the rats in the London sewers."
She vaguely remembered himtelling her he had been a rat catcher that night at Zabrie's. "A rat ishardly in the same class as an elephant."
"The principle is thesame. At least, I'm more qualified than you or Li Sung." He unfastened thegirth of his saddle. "Go to him."
She stood there, watching him.The mere thought of him stalking that mad elephant alone sent panic racingthrough her.
"Go on," he repeated.
She hurriedly turned andfollowed Li Sung.
"This was very foolish ofyou," she said quietly as she tell into step with him. "I told youwe'd find another solution."
He didn't answer her.
"You can't claim you'rehere to stop him from doing more damage. That's just an excuse. You just havesome insane desire to destroy the elephant."
He didn't reply.
She had to say something tobreak through that wall of silence. "Ruel wants us to stay here while hegoes after Danor."
"No!" Li Sungwhirled to face her, his eyes blazing."He's mine!"
Shock rippled through her. Shehad never seen Li Sung display such passion about anything. "I didn't sayI'd let him do it. I just said he—"
"This is not yourconcern. Go back to the crossing."
"You're my concern. Justas I'd be your concern if I were the one running after that crazyelephant."
The emotion faded from hisface, and he looked away from her. "You are right. I would feel thesame."
"Then we go after himtogether."
He nodded reluctantly."Very well."
They walked in silence for amoment.
"But you are wrong."His gaze went compulsively to the path Danor had made through the trees."I am not running after Danor anymore."
She looked at him inquiringly.
"He is waiting."
"What?"
He whispered, "He iswaiting for me."
"And what will you dowhen you catch up with him?" Ruel asked as he stirred the wood of thefire.
"Shoot him," Li Sungsaid.
"There can't be manyvulnerable spots on an elephant."
