An Inconvenient Elephant by Judy Reene Singer Read Free Book Online Page A

seemed logical. Though there were some driving roads cut throughout Charara, the terrain, according to Diamond, would be mostly uncharted.
    â€œDid you tell her that we want to help?” I asked.
    Diamond nodded. “She says that we can be the ones to push him to Chizarira. It would save her a few days. He doesn’t have a lot of time.”
    â€œBut how?” I asked. “We can’t do it on foot. Is she sending horses?”
    â€œNo,” Diamond said, eyeing my plate. “They finally managed to get petrol. She’s sending us a Rover. Are you going to finish that sadza ?”
    I pushed my plate at her. “Take whatever you want. I never did figure out what the appeal is with this stuff.”
    â€œIt’s cheap and filling,” Diamond said, wiping my plate clean with her fingers. “Charlotte also said they’re sending an old friend of theirs who has done like a million rescues. She said he should be a big help.”
    â€œThat’s great,” I said. “When does he arrive?”
    She burped and checked her watch. “In about another hour.”
    Â 
    I thought I would never see him again.
    There was a rap at our door and a sharp whiff of cigarette smoke as soon as Diamond opened it. Russian cigarettes. From an old Russian friend who was a major part of the rescue team when Tom rescued Margo.
    Grisha.
    â€œMadame Neelie,” he said with great surprise, his thick Russian accent as garbled as ever. “My eyes cannot believe my heavy amazement!”
    â€œMe either!” I said. I fought the temptation to look over his shoulder for Tom. We embraced and I stepped back to exult in my good fortune. Grisha had spent most of his life helping Tom with elephant rescues and was considered a world expert. “Please, just call me plain Neelie.”
    He looked just as I remembered him—pale blue eyes that noticed everything, maybe a little more gray throughout the thatch of light red hair he left uncombed, but still lean and muscular, with the ever-present Stolichnye Light hanging from the corner of his mouth.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?” I asked him joyfully. “How did you get involved with this?”
    He looked perplexed. “Have I committed grave confusion? Grisha is thinking woman peoples would have gladness over his present position.”
    â€œOh, we do, we do,” I said, and pulled out a chair for him. “Sit down, we need to talk. You have to tell us everything.”
    Diamond was still standing by the door, watching us, looking mystified.
    â€œOh, Diamond,” I apologized, “I forgot. This is Grisha, Tom’s assistant.”
    â€œDiamond-Rose Tremaine,” she said, extending her hand to him. Ever courtly, he rose halfway from his chair and kissed the tip of her fingers. “Where are the other men?” she asked. “Surely you brought others.”
    His eyes widened. “But Grisha can drive only one truck at a time! I was disclosed you have help here .”
    â€œBut it’s just Diamond and me,” I protested. “How are we going to be able to move the elephant with only the three of us?”
    â€œThis is a tribulation,” he agreed, sitting back down. “Now Grisha must make new strategy.” He pressed his fingers to his chin. “Since we cannot make heavy spectacle here and we must bring ellie to Chizarira, da ? And Grisha has only one Grisha and two woman peoples…” He closed his eyes to think. “We can make use of same plan. Is good plan. Da . I have plan to move elephant. Don’t make heavy worry too much.”
    â€œWe have to use the park roads, not the main roads, or we’ll be stopped,” Diamond interjected. “We have to transport him somehow—or drive him along the more remote park roads until we get to Charlotte’s camp. But then what?”
    â€œOh, when we make arrivement, Mr. Thomas determines to bring plane in