When Ruel looked up, Kartauktossed him the knife he had taken from Pachtal.
Ruel let the knife fall to theground. "No. Too quick." He picked Abdar up and carried him thrashingand struggling deeper into the smoke near the blazing tent. "You and Janeget over into the trees."
"Kali will punishyou," Abdar sobbed. "You will see. Kali will strike you down."
"You can talk it overwith her soon," Ruel said as he carried Abdar past the tent and droppedhim on the riv-erbank. "Li Sung!"
"Here!" Li Sungcalled out of the veil of smoke across the clearing.
Ruel walked over to theprotection of the trees, where Jane and Kartauk now stood. "The elephantshave done their part," he shouted. "Take them back across theriver!"
"Gladly," Li Sungsaid. "They have no liking for all this fire and smoke."
"No!" Abdar screamedas he realized what the order meant.
Too quick, Ruel had said aboutthe dagger. This might also be quick, but Abdar would die in an agony ofterror, the death he feared the most.
"No, do not—" Abdarbroke off as he saw the elephants thundering toward him out of the smoke."This is not Kali's will! This is not—"
Jane doubted if the elephantseven saw Abdar on the bank in their eagerness to get away from the fire andsmoke surrounding them.
This was justice. She wouldnot have lifted a hand to save him, but she could not watch it. She closed hereyes but could not shut out Abdar's screams as the elephants crushed himbeneath their feet.
She opened her eyes when thescreams stopped but avoided looking at Abdar.
Ruel had not closed his eyes.He was staring at Abdar's broken remains with savage satisfaction.
Tiger burn bright.
"You go ahead."Kartauk told Jane and Ruel as they got into the canoe to return to theencampment. "I have something to do here."
"What?" Ruel asked.
"The masks." Kartauklooked back toward the ragged, blackened ruins of Abdar's tent. "The tentwas only partially destroyed. They're still there."
Jane shivered. "Then letthem stay there. You can't possibly want them."
"I cannot leavethem," Kartauk said simply. "Gold is forever. Throw those masks intothe river and in a thousand years from now the river will be gone but thosemasks will still exist. Do you like the thought of that?"
"No." Jane knew thememory of those hideous masks would haunt her for the rest of her life."How can you destroy them?"
"I cannot destroy them. Itold you, gold is immortal." He smiled faintly. "But I can changethem. I can melt down the gold and make something beautiful from thatugliness."
"Jan's too?"
"I'm not sure." Hisbrow wrinkled thoughtfully. "There was something odd about the way Pachtalbehaved when it was mentioned." He stepped back away from the canoe."I will come back to the encampment as soon as I find all the masks."
Chapter22
When Jane and Ruel arrived,the encamp ment had the air of a circus fairground with Cinnadans millingaround, laughing and gesturing, reliving their victory.
Jane's spirits could not helpbut be lifted in response. Her gaze searched the throng. "I don't see LiSung."
Ruel nodded across theclearing. "There he is."
Li Sung was coming toward thembut was forced to stop every few steps to speak to one of the jubilantwarriors. His face reflected the same euphoria when he finally reached them."Were we not magnificent?"
"Magnificent. What's thedamage?" Ruel asked.
