Ellis Peters - George Felse 11 - Death To The Landlords by Ellis Peters Read Free Book Online Page A

and let that go, having nothing to say on the subject. ‘See – elephant!’ His pointing finger indicated them with precision, high on the steep hillside where the sun filtered through the trees and turned animals and earth to moving gold and static gold. In orderly file they paced after their tusker leader, the cows and calves following confidently; and though they seemed to move with the deliberation of doomsday, they covered the ground at an amazing pace, bearing obliquely downhill to the water. And now they were more playful and more relaxed than in the morning, scratching themselves meditatively on the ghostly trees, surging through the breast-deep water with a bow-wave breaking in phosphorescence before them, the little ones bouncing and frolicking in abandoned joy, the elders curling their trunks over them protectively.
    Patti said: ‘I love elephants!’ And after a moment of silent watching she said sadly: ‘Why can’t we have a community like that, as placid and as natural and as perfect!’ And indeed there was a conviction of untroubled happiness and kindliness here which at this moment seemed to justify her.
    ‘Some worlds,’ Larry said dourly, ‘are simpler than others. You take what’s dished out to you, and pay for it. Not like the Spanish proverb!’
    ‘Look!’ whispered Lakshman. The boat lay motionless now, and under the slope of trees it was premature dusk. ‘They’re going to cross!’
    What moved them to it no one could guess, but the tusker and his younger fellow had waded far out into the water, and the cows were moving without haste after them, and marshalling the little ones with them. The whole herd was surging steadily into the lake, and setting course unmistakably for the other shore. Forward they lurched until tusks and trunks and massive shoulders and twitching ears had all vanished under the water, like ships sinking at their launching; but when only the domed, glistening tops of their heads remained visible, the lurching gait changed, and they swam. Like animated black stepping-stones, the herd sailed across the narrow arm of the lake with hardly a ripple, unhurried, majestic, oblivious of the boat that lay off in entranced silence, watching their passing from some thirty yards away. Occasionally a trunk came up for air, waved gently for a moment, and was again withdrawn, or the tip of an ear ruffled the surface. The watchers hardly drew breath until the cluster of rounded stones drew near to the steep shore opposite, and the leaders heaved their huge shoulders clear of the lake, streaming water and phosphorescence, and thumped imperturbably up the slope and into the tall grass, to disappear among the trees. The cows thrust up their heads one by one and followed, nuzzled by their calves, and all the glistening herd passed out of sight with hardly a sound.
    Patti drew a long, awed breath. ‘My God, and I never even knew they could!’
    They looked at one another like people awakening from a dream. After that, anything was going to be an anti-climax.
    Why look for more elephants? They had been so close that they could almost have leaned over and patted the littlest calf on its bobbing pewter head as it sailed by. And while they had been spellbound here, the day had lurched a long step towards its ending, at least here between the shrouding forested hills. In the opener water it would still be bright.
    ‘Have we still got time to go on to the wider part?’ Larry asked. ‘It must look marvellous in this light.’
    Lakshman conferred with Romesh, and Romesh in his obliging fashion hoisted a shoulder, and flashed his grin, and said that they need not worry about staying out beyond their time, they had plenty of fuel, and there would be no more cruises after this one. So they headed for the open water, silvery and placid mile on mile to the dam; and the day changed its mind and came back to full sunlight as soon as they were out from between the enfolding arms of the forest. Several