The next morning, Karina and Liada walked along the riverbank.
“Are they building a bridge?” Karina asked.
Five soldiers supervised twenty slaves who were lashing logs together in the water.
“What is ‘bridge’?”
“A way to walk across the water.”
“No, this is...” Liada used her hands to make a pushing motion, then a floating motion.
“Ah, a raft,” Karina said. “But why is it so big?”
“Is for elephant. First make dead trees in water, then cover with dirt. That way, elephant think they walk on ground.”
“I see, but I thought elephants liked the water?”
“Some like, but not this river. Very cold. They put woman elephant on this thing, then men elephant will follow across.”
“When will Hannibal cross the river?”
“Soon now, but he think them other soldiers,” Liada motioned toward the other
