The story so far: Malaika the elephant and Uhura the giraffe, transformed into humans for the day, have made a friend.

The first stop on the grand tour for Malaika and Uhura was Jean’s house; she wanted to get a heavier coat.

“I realize this will not be the most interesting thing you see today, but it’ll only take a minute,” Jean told them. “Why don’t you come in?”

They headed upstairs, and Malaika and Uhura stood in the living room and looked around as Jean rummaged through the closet.

There was a bookshelf filled with photos. One was of Jean and a man, white-haired, glasses, fit-looking, holding a string of fish.

“Who’s that?” Uhura asked.

Jean smiled, but it was somehow a sad smile. “That’s my husband, Harold. He died a year, a year and a half ago. Heart attack. He was only 60.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Uhura said. She thought of Laikipia, her former mate, who had died two years before.

“Do you have children?” Uhura asked.

“A daughter,” Jean said, pointing to a photo of a young woman at a graduation ceremony. “And she has a son. But they live all the way in Boston, so I don’t get to see them much.”

The phone rang from the kitchen.

“I’m sorry,” Jean said. “I’ll be right back.”

Uhura and Malaika sunk down into the sofa. A female black cat with white paws and a white tip on its tail crept in from down the hall, saw them and hissed.

Uhura cocked an eyebrow. “Well, that’s rude,” she said.

It seemed that, even as human, Uhura and Malaika could speak the universal language that most animals spoke.

The cat, surprised,  jumped on the coffee table in front of them.

“Who are you?” the cat asked.

“I’m Uhura. This is Malaika.”

“I’m Susie Q. What are you doing here?”

“We’re visiting Jean,” Uhura said. “She’s showing us the city.”

“Good,” the cat said. “She needs some friends. She’s really closed herself off since her mate died.”

The cat began grooming, smoothing the top of her head with a wet paw.

“It’s sad,” the cat said. “Jean was really shaken by Harold’s death. It’s like a light was turned off inside her.”Jean came back from the kitchen. “Oh, I see you’ve met Susie.”

“Yes,” Malaika said. “She introduced herself.”

“Right,” Jean said, amused. “So are you ready to go?”

“We’re ready,” Malaika said.

DID YOU KNOW?The Cheyenne Mountain’s Uhura the giraffe was featured on an episode of “Nature” several years ago titled “Tall Blondes,” in which Uhura gives birth. It can be ordered on DVD at www.shopthirteen.org.

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