Elephant Song

THIRTY-TWO

Six years passed, and it was late in Thunder, the Forty-third Year Since The Crash. Two figures dressed in new bullhand's robes, a white-haired young man and a young girl, walked the Miira-Arcadia Road through the heavy downpour. Johnjay looked down at her. "Girl, are you getting tired?"

She nodded. "And cold, Father."

They stopped and Johnjay released the girl's hand and swung his pack from his shoulder. From the pack he withdrew a ragged blue robe and wrapped the girl in it. He replaced the pack, then picked up the girl and kissed her. "It won't be long now."

She put her arms around the man's neck and rested her head upon his shoulder. Johnjay continued walking through the rain.

In the distance he could just make out the shape of a figure riding a horse in his direction. The horse was walking very slowly, its head and neck down against the rain. Johnjay patted the girl's back and continued walking.

His mind studied the past six years. He had buried the eggs deep in the mud of the swamp, and little by little Girl grew to trust him. In time she learned to talk, and then cry. Soon after, she learned how to laugh. As No One, the man had gone forth upon the road exchanging fortunes for food and goods. The bullhand's robes he had obtained from a Kuumic wardrober to be worn on this day that he had seen so clearly one night at a fire near the Kuumic-Tarzak Road.

The figure upon the horse was slumped, its bullhand's hood pulled over its head. As Johnjay came abreast of the horse's head, he reached out and gently took the bridle in his hand. The horse stopped, but the figure upon its back did not move. Johnjay walked to the figure's side and shook its arm. "Mother? Mother?"

The figure sat up, rubbed the sleep from its eyes, and looked down. "Johnjay!" She bent over and reached out her arm, placing it around Johnjay's neck. Her legs slipped from the horse's back and flopped lifeless in the mud. Johnjay's strong arm wrapped around Little Will's waist, holding her upright. She looked up into Johnjay's face. "Reg is dead. She went night before last."

Johnjay nodded. "I know. I am very sorry."

Little Will nodded, then placed her forehead against Johnjay's chest as her hand clenched at his robe. "I missed you. I missed you so."

Johnjay kissed his mother and held her tightly. "Mother, there's someone I want you to meet."

Little Will sniffed, looked to the bundle still sleeping upon her son's right shoulder. She reached over and lifted the blue cloth from the child's face. "How beautiful she is."

"She's your granddaughter. Her name is Girl."

"That is no proper name. Girl."

The child opened her eyes and started at the sight of the stranger. Johnjay laughed. "Girl, meet your grandmother."

The child looked at her father, then she smiled at Little Will and extended her arms for a hug. After a moment she released her grandmother and turned to Johnjay. "You can put me down, Father."

Johnjay lowered her to the muddy road then straightened up and looked at his mother. Her eyes were brimming with tears. "You can come home now." He held her close and nodded.

"It will be good to be home."

"What will you do, Johnjay? I know of the great powers you possess."

"Mother, I'm going to study with Mortify. I am going to doctor. I will be a very good doctor."

Little Will pushed back a little and glanced up at the sky. "We should be going. People will be saying we don't have sense enough to come in out of the rain."

Johnjay lifted her to the back of her horse and laughed. "When did bullhands ever have sense enough to come in out of the rain?"

As he turned the horse around, Little Will reached to the kit tied behind her on the horse's saddle. She reached out her hand toward her son. In it was a gold and mahogany bullhook. He stared at it.

"Take it. It's yours now."

He shook his head as he took the object in his hands and studied it, He looked up at Little Will. "Thank you, but I can't take it." He turned and held the bullhook out to Girl. "Do you know what this is?"

The girl took it and nodded. "It's a steering wheel. You tell the bull what to do with it."

Johnjay looked at his mother, and she nodded back. He squatted next to Girl. "That bullhook is yours now. Take good care of it."

Girl hugged the bullhook to her chest and nodded, her face in smiles.

Johnjay stood, placed his right hand upon Girl's shoulder and took the horse's bridle with his left hand. He began walking toward Miira. "Let's go home. It looks like the rain is letting up."

Little Will wiped the tears from her eyes as she nodded. "It'll rain again. It always does."

Girl waved the bullhook in the air. "Life with a circus is just one long uninterrupted dee-light!"

In moments the rain had closed behind them.