"That's five hoursaway." Li Sung turned and moved cautiously along the side of the rails,measuring the width of the track. "Let's hope we are out of this marshby—what the—"
He lost his footing, his feetslid out from under him, and he fell to the ground. The next moment he wassliding helplessly down the slippery incline to splash into a mud-filled ditch.
He came to the surface,floundering, spitting a mixture of Chinese and English curses, completelyencased in grainy yellow mud from head to toe.
"Are you hurt?" Janecalled. The ground was soft, and she doubted if he had come to any harm. Dearheaven, she mustn't laugh. Li Sung would kill her if she laughed.
She couldn't help it. Heavens,he looked funny.
"Stop thatsnickering." Li Sung glared at her, his black eyes shining from hismud-coated face. He gazed at the Cinnidan laborers who had stopped working togrin at his dilemma. "And you too. It is not—no! Get him away fromme!"
Danor had suddenly appearedand was lumbering down the slippery incline toward Li Sung.
Jane's amusement vanished."Good God, what on earth is he doing?"
Danor wrapped his trunk aroundLi Sung and heaved him out of the ditch.
"Let me go, youarmor-plated baboon," Li Sung spat out, struggling futilely in theelephant's grasp. He shouted. "Dilam!"
"I am here." Dilambeamed at him as she trotted down the track toward them.
"But you're notdoinganything.You're supposed to know about elephants. Make him—"
"He will not hurtyou." She frowned. "I do not think."
Danor turned and trotted upthe embankment and off across the flat marsh, moving so quickly his heavy bulkdid not have a chance to sink into the soft muddy ground.
"Jane!" Li Sungshouted. "Are you going to shoot this beast or not?"
Jane found herself laughinghelplessly again. "He's not hurting you, is he? Surely you wouldn't wantme to kill him for stinging your pride?"
"The hell Iwouldn't." The words drifted back to her as Danor picked up speed."Put me down!"
Jane could see where Danor washeaded now, and she started after them at a run, her boots sinking into themuddy earth with every step. "Don't worry. I think he'll drop yousoon."
"And then step on myhead."
She was breathless withlaughter as well as running. "No, I don't believe you'll have to worryabout that."
Danor stopped at the bank ofthe river—and tossed Li Sung into the water.
Li Sung came up sputtering andcursing. Danor lumbered into the water, filled his trunk, and sprayed Li Sungin the face.
"He is trying to drownme."
"No." Jane gasped,tears pouring down her face. "I think he's trying to give you abath."
"Stupid beast!" LiSung hit the water with his hand, sending a spray at the elephant.
Danor promptly squirted himagain.
"This is… " Li Sunglooked at Jane and then at the elephant and suddenly his anger ebbed and hislips began to twitch. "Completely unfair." The smile became achuckle. "I do not have a monstrous nose with which to gather water."
Danor's trunk wound around LiSung's shoulders, moving gently up and down his body. It was almost a lovingcaress, Jane thought, like the way the elephant had touched his baby that nightin the jungle.
Li Sung's expression becameoddly arrested. He stood quite still, his head tilted as if listening tosomething. "All right, I forgive you," Li Sung said grudgingly."But only because I needed the bath." He grimaced ruefully. "Andthe laughter. I feel better now." He turned and waded back to shore.
"So do I." Janereached out a hand to help him up the bank. "It doesn't seem nearly solong until sundown now.
