"Dilam said he had superiorintelligence." Her brows knitted thoughtfully. "It could be that'swhy he tore up the tracks."
"He tore up the tracksbecause it pleased him to do so."
She shook her head."Maybe he wanted us to follow him. Perhaps he knew he couldn't save hismate but he wanted to give the baby a chance. We've got to give him thatchance."
"No," Li Sung saidflatly.
"Yes," Ruel said.
Li Sung swung to face him."You agree with this madness?"
"She wants it done."Ruel shrugged. "So we do it."
Jane looked at him in surprise.
He smiled as he studied herface. "I told you I'd work on it," he said softly. "I have tostart somewhere."
She tore her gaze away fromhim. "Li Sung, you'll have to get the baby away from the mother. I'm notsure Danor would let us do it." She started back across the graveyard."I'll go back to camp and pack up. Ruel, you stay with Li Sung. He mayneed help."
"Yes, ma'am," Ruelsaid meekly.
** *
An hour later Li Sung and Ruelappeared at camp, driving before them the tiny elephant. The baby was onlythree feet high, tottering and weaving uncertainly with every step. He wasbig-eyed, clumsy, and totally endearing.
"Did you have anytrouble?" she asked Ruel.
"Not with Danor. He letLi Sung do whatever he wished with the baby." He made a face and noddedtoward the elephant. "But we had trouble convincing this little fellow toleave his mother, and it's not easy to shift a hundred-and-fifty-pound infantanywhere he doesn't want to go."
"Where's Danor?"
"Still trying to wakeher," Ruel said. "We may have to find the herd on our own."
"He's so sweet."Jane reached out and gently caressed the baby's trunk. "We'll have to givehim a name."
"Why?" Li Sungasked. "So you'll have a name to mourn him by when he dies?"
"He's not going to die."The elephant curled his trunk about her wrist. "I've always liked the nameCaleb. We'll call him Caleb."
Li Sung made a noise somewherebetween a grunt and a snort.
The elephant released herwrist and started to totter toward her.
Jane's brow knitted worriedly."He doesn't seem too steady on his feet."
"He's weak." Ruelsaid. "There's no telling how much milk the mother was able to give himbefore she died."
"What can we feed him, LiSung?"
Li Sung looked at her withoutspeaking.
"Li Sung?" sheprompted.
"He will dieanyway."
"We don't know that. Tellme what to feed him."
"Water or milk," LiSung said reluctantly. "He's probably too young for anything else."
