A Pride of Lions (24 page)

Hugo grinned. “You can hardly spend the night in her stall with her!” he grunted.

“No, but she’ll know I’m with you,” I said innocently.

His eyebrows shot up. “Indeed? You’ll spend the night in your own tent!”

“Yes,
now,
but after we’re married I’ll live here,” I argued. “I don’t see why we shouldn’t tell her that!”

He blinked. “You don’t? Well, my darling, if you can get anything through her thick head—”

“You’re talking about a friend of mine!” I interrupted him.

He gave in gracefully. “Okay,” he said, “on your head be it!”

I leaned over the wall of the verandah, whistling gently. Karibu flapped her ears and came running up to me, rumbling joyfully. Her trunk investigated the bandages on my arm, blowing breathily down my arm. I held Hugo’s hand firmly in my own and, with my other hand, placed her trunk on the top of our joined hands.

‘You’re pleased, aren’t you?” I said anxiously.

But Karibu was far from pleased. Her ears stood out in the most threatening manner and she shook her head to and fro in anger. Finally she turned her back on us and walked back down the garden, snatching at the roses as she went.

“I can’t understand it!” I said faintly.

Hugo grinned. “She’s jealous!” he teased me.

“Nonsense!” I said with decision. “I’ll go and talk to her by myself.”

I hopped over the wall and stood in the clear moonlight, calling Karibu to come back. She was far too put out to heed me. She turned her head, to make sure I was watching, and then, with deliberate malice, she hauled up another young banana tree and set about the long leaves that she liked so

much.

“Karibu,” I whispered to her. “Karibu, you wouldn’t like me to go away altogether, would you?”

I could have sworn she understood me. She rumbled faintly, still munching, but she did not go any farther away.

“And look at the mess you’ve made!” I scolded her. “It would be no more than you deserve if Hugo were to turn you out to fend for yourself! You’re supposed to be a wild elephant! Did you know that?”

“She knows I wouldn’t do that,” Hugo interrupted me. “After this morning, she can do as she likes!”

I turned my head and smiled at him. “It’s been quite a day for all of us,” I admitted.

“A happy day?” he asked.

I nodded, a little surprised that it should have been so. “Very happy!” I agreed.

“Then leave the poor beast to do her worst!”

“Certainly not!” I retorted. “We’ll never have a garden at all!” I ran down the path, tearing my legs on the fallen rose-bushes. “Karibu, that’s enough! You’re going straight into your stable!” I pulled on her ear, leading her away, round the house, towards her own specially built hut. The elephant paused, but then she came happily enough, trotting along beside me and reaching out with her trunk for a mouthful of this and that as we went past.

She was quite pleased to see her stall. She knew that a vast pile of her favourite foods had been cut and stacked ready for her, to keep her going through the long night, for even though she was not yet fully grown, she already had to eat most of the day and night to keep her vast bulk going.

I went in with her, enticing her to follow me with the offer of a handful of acacia leaves. When she was right inside and exploring the pile of food for the most succulent pieces, I shut the lower part of the stable door. She looked up immediately, but, seeing that I was still there, she went back to her food. I slipped out of the door, still talking to her, to find Hugo waiting, for me.

Karibu’s ears flapped and she came immediately to the door, entwining her trunk around my neck.

“I’m surprised Katundi doesn’t think you a witch, Elephant’s Child!” he remarked. He put his arms round me and I reached up eagerly for his kiss.

“Karibu,” I muttered, “go away!”

“Yes, do!” Hugo added his plea to mine, but she only blew in his face, rumbling affectionately all the while. “Dammit!” Hugo exclaimed, exasperated. “I will not share my kisses with an elephant!”

I giggled and pulled affectionately on Karibu’s ear. “It looks as though you may have to,” I said.

“That’s what you think!” He gave the elephant a shove and closed the top of the stable door with calm deliberation. Then he took me back in his arms, his hands flat against the small of my back.

“And now, Clare deJong,” he said fiercely. “Now I’m going to kiss you and you can like it—”

“I’ll love it!” I assured him gladly.