We were very pleased to arrive at the town of Gebtu this morning.

The elephants did not like being cooped up on the barge for so long, and had lots of energy to use when we disembarked. That was good, because it seemed like a few hundred people came rushing to the dock when the barge tied on.

Lots of folks wanted to ride the elephants, which would be just fine to release some of their energy.

"The cost of riding the elephants is just one piece of fruit or armful of hay! They are hungry! Adults can only ride the big elephant! Children can ride the two little ones!"

I nodded at my three young assistants to gather up the howdahs, the seats for the elephant's backs, and start putting them on. Many people scattered into nearby sales booths to buy fruit and grains, which made the local merchants rather happy.

We worked our way slowly into the streets of Gebtu. Although the crowds became rather dense, the people had the good sense not to stand too close to the elephants. I suspect that they may have heard of elephants, but probably had never seen them. King Ptolemy might have some war elephants in Memphis and Alexandria, but Gebtu did not seem to have a large enough garrison or army to warrant a squadron of elephants. And of course, elephants had to be imported to Egypt now, the Pharoahs had killed all the local ones for ivory over a thousand years ago.

Everyone was having a good time until some local merchant lost his grip on a little pig, which ran squealing into the streets and under Surus' legs. Surus and his two young elephants never did like loud squealing. Surus stood his ground and actually tried to spear the porker with his tusks. The beast was too quick and ran under Sarissa and then her brother Pyrrhus. Fortunately my assistants saw this coming and were able to pull the children off the elephants backs before the mayhem began.

Pyrrhus and Sarissa ran just as fast as they could down a side street. I needed to stay to keep Surus calm, with a load of adults on his back, so motioned for my assistants to go after the little cowards.