Kako was suitably grateful. She went on the hunt with Uzuri, even though her condition was less than ideal, and that overlooking her advanced pregnancy.
One night they were hunting wildebeests when Kako fell in agony. She was attended by two other lionesses while the others went on with the chase. It was there in an open savanna that she gave birth.
Like most lionesses who are not of royal blood, Kako was praying for a female. There is no difference in the love of a mother for a son or daughter, but a daughter does not grow up to be a lion, and she can be the comfort of a mother’s old age. So Kako was both happy and sad when Isha cleaned off the child and said, “Mother, behold your son.” He was small and wet and his nose was pushed in, the sort of beauty a lion could not appreciate, but a lioness worshipped. “Come, my son.” She took the small child and placed it against her where it took its first meal under the starry heavens.
KAKO: Little one, small and soft as a new golden blossom
Little one, snuggled next to my heart,
Someday soon you’ll be grown and be off on adventures
But your journey is still at its start.
Stay a while, don’t be rushed, let the world wait to own you
Life is short, do not flee, for I’ve only just known you
Love is here, take my heart, let my strong arms enthrone you
Child of mine, gift of God, little one!
Isha came and touched the small infant with her tongue. “Isn’t he beautiful! What are you going to call him?”
“He will be Mabatu, like his father.” That was the only part of her past that was not locked behind a door of silence.
SCENE: YOUNG MABATU
Taka found that he could speak to Kako without being reviled, though Kako was not overly friendly in return. Still, Kako would speak her mind, and to get more than two words out of her was Taka’s one great pleasure outside of his mate Elanna.
When Mabatu’s eyes first opened, the first thing he saw was his mother. And the second thing he saw was Taka peering down at him with an elated grin. “Look at him! Isn’t he a looker! ”
During the days of Mabatu’s milk, Taka would save choice portions of the kills for Kako. Later he would bring Mabatu tempting tidbits to eat. Baba, as he was often called, found Taka more than an Uncle, for indeed he was like a father to the cub. Love was a rare commodity for Taka, and he begged for it from those who could and would feel for him. Indeed, when it suited him, Taka could be capable of great tenderness on his own terms and at his own times. This patronage frightened the other lionesses, who knew that the strength of his love was only matched by the strength of his hate. Those who had betrayed his love were as likely as not to end up dead.
Still, his care of Mabatu was his one shred of respectability that commanded respect from the lionesses. They even began to speak to him as he passed. He was so surprised to have someone ask HIM if the weather wasn’t divine that he suspected a joke at first. But little by little the pleasantries sounded more and more sincere. If it only wasn’t for the hyenas, he might have made some friends.
When Mabatu was three moons old, it rained heavily. That rain would be remembered for a long time because it was the last rain before the drought.
It took a while for the sun to bake the remaining water out of the soil and dry up the grass. Dry spells were frequent on the savanna and only to be expected. For the first week, no one was alarmed. A week later, some of the lionesses remarked on it before the hunt. But after four weeks without rain, hunting began to suffer. Little Baba was now four moons old, and his appetite was growing along with his body. His “Uncle” had to work harder to find enough for him to eat. Once when game was very scarce, Taka brought him a couple of large fish that had been stranded in a pool once part of the river. When Mabatu started to turn up his nose at them, Taka looked hurt and said, “But I caught them myself just for you.”
Baba tried one, and liking it quickly devoured it. He sniffed of the other, but looked up. “What are you going to eat?”
“I’ll find something.”
“Here.” He shoved the fish over to Taka. “You eat this one.”
Taka looked into Mabatu’s eyes. There was a quality about them that reminded him of young Simba. For a moment he experienced if not repentance at least a pang of regret. “What a kind thing to do, ” he said, nuzzling the cub. “I love you, Baba.”
“I love you too.”
There was no difference in Simba and Mabatu. Simba used to tell his Uncle, “I love you” from time to time. In his heart Taka swore from then on that only those who knew the evil they caused would die. He felt that he had saved Baba, and in doing so wiped out his guilt for killing Simba (for indeed he thought the cub was dead). Though he was unsure about Roh’kash and had turned his back on Aiheu, he still suffered a superstitious dread about what would happen to him when he breathed his last. Baba would be his atonement. Baba would be his salvation. Baba must live.
SCENE: AFFAIRS OF THE HEART
Isha was very close to Kako and her son Mabatu. She worked hard to help them whenever she could. And they were not without gratitude.
One day when Isha came to take care of Mabatu while Kako went to see Rafiki, she told Isha, “You’re the sister I never had. What wonderful thing did I do to deserve you?”
Isha nuzzled her. “I was just wondering the same thing.”
“That’s the third time this month you’ve taken care of Mabatu for me. There must be something I can do in return.”
“I love the little fellow. I enjoy every moment we spend together.”
While Kako was gone, Isha thought she would just keep an eye on little Baba, but it turned out he wanted to be more involved. So they wrestled. Mabatu was too young to make headway with a fully grown lioness, especially not an accomplished huntress like Isha. She tried hard not to win too badly.
Mabatu was quick, if nothing else. She was surprised to find herself off balance when she was not planning it. He pounced on her stomach and giggled. “Gotcha! ”
After he let her up, she dusted herself off and said, “I’ll get you next time, you little rat fink.”
He kissed her cheek and said, “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
He smiled broadly. “Are you married?”
She laughed, a little embarrased. “No. But maybe someday the right lion will come along.”
In a shy voice, he said, “When I grow up, I want to marry you.”
She laughed again.
“Please don’t laugh at me. I meant it.”
“I wasn’t laughing at you. It was just such a sweet thing to say. I wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.”
“You’re not mad?”
“No.” She kissed him. “It was the nicest proposal I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard quite a few.” She pulled him over with her paw. “Time for your bath, squirt.”
Mabatu did not raise the usual objections. When she cleaned his fur, he purred quietly.
Later that day as the lionesses gathered for the hunt, Uzuri came to Isha with a broad smile on her face. “Congratulations! ”
“On what?”
“On the big event. Mabatu just told me the good news.” She laughed, something Uzuri didn’t often do.
Embarrased, Isha asked her, “Who else did he tell?”
“I don’t know. But I’d catch him quickly if I were you.”
“I’ll have a little talk with him.” Isha thought a moment and burst out laughing. “He asked me if I was married. The little rat fink, I should have known what he was up to! ”
SCENE: SHIMBEKH
Among the hyenas, there were several seers, but few that could compare to Shimbekh. She was said to have the ear of Roh’kash, and her words were never taken lightly.
Without Rafiki to give his guidance to Pride Rock, Taka relied on her judgment to make all his important decisions. Of course, this was of great interest to Shenzi, who saw in it a way to secure control over Taka and virtually rule
the Pride Lands.
Shimbeck was always surrounded by questioning throngs, for everyone wanted her wisdom. But her personal friends were few. Like most seers, she never married. The dark and frightening aspects of the future were a large obstacle to her being seen as a friend. And for most hyenas, Shimbeck and the future were inseparable, as if the unseen had taken on a familiar form to stalk among them.
Makhpil, a shy but talented seer was only an adolescent. But she clung to Shimbeck for comfort. Her own parents were afraid of her, though they had no reason to be. So Shimbeck was both mother and father to Makhpil, and Shimbeck loved her appropriately. They had both faced the future, and it could not come between them.
Prophesy is a two-edged sword—it cuts both ways. Shenzi, at first unable to make Shimbeck lie, convinced her to tell only the truth that helped the hyena cause. A half truth is like a half carcass; it can be dragged twice as far.
Both Shimbekh and Makpil knew that a seer who lied was a seer no more. The gods would take the truth from those who would not use it. And for a long time, Shenzi only encouraged Shimbekh to manipulate the truth for it would be a shame to lose her rare talent. Somehow Shimbekh’s personal feelings never entered into Shenzi’s mind, and Shimbekh was all too aware of that.
Then came a time months later when Shimbekh had made so many compromises that Shenzi could blackmail her. Shenzi wanted Shimbekh to come to her private quarters, this time without Makpil. And when she had her alone, she said, “You will tell Scar that it is folly to leave Pride Rock. You will tell him that the day he attempts to go, he will die.”
“My Lord Roh’mach, the gods do not say it. A seer is a servant of the Lord. To lie is blasphemy.”
Shenzi smiles coyly. “Is it really blasphemy when the greater good depends on it?”
“You mean YOUR greater good depends on it.”
“Whatever.” Shenzi comes up beside her and pats her lightly on the cheek. “I wouldn’t want to be you Honey Bun, not when Scar finds out how far you stretched the truth.”
“On YOUR orders.”
“Little old me?” Shenzi smiled wickedly. “Would I ask you to lie to my King? For shame! ”
Shimbekh says “You wouldn’t dare tempt the gods.”
“Oh yes I would. Taka’s superstitions are his downfall. I believe in what works, and this works. Play the game by my rules, and you’ll have no reason to frown. Refuse me, and you won’t be able to frown.”
Shimbekh says, “Well I have one prediction for you. This path leads toward defeat. You do not scratch dirt at the gods and profit by it.”
“Are you threatening me??”
“No. You threaten yourself. We all pay for our own sins, Roh’mach. I will pay for mine, but you will pay for yours.” The seer looks at her closely before going. “I will pray for you.”
“You just do that. But first, you see Scar.”
She walks out. Going in to see the King, she bowed deeply. It took all her nerve to keep from trembling. “My Lord, King of Kings, I have something to report.”
“Yes?”
“It is Pride Rock, Your Majesty. It is the source of your life. If you flee, it will mean your death.”
“Oh?” Taka’s ears perked up. “My death?”
“Yes, Sire. Game is scarce, and rain is sparce, but if you are faithful and remain, the rain will fall and the game will return.”
“Good! Very good! And I was just talking with Shenzi about moving. You tell her what you told me, my girl! ”
“I will, Sire.”
Shimbekh bowed deeply and left his cave. Stepping out into the savannah grass, she wondered what would come of this. But she did not have a clue. The future was a sense, like hearing or sight was to most hyenas. Suddenly, as if she had gone deaf or blind, she had only the present moment for the first time in her life.
The feeling of isolation terrified her. She looked into the sky and tried to concentrate. “Please, o gods, don’t forsake me! Please don’t forsake me! She made me do it. She made me do it! ”
She felt panic, and ran back to her cave where Makhpil awaited her. How she would tell her, Shimbekh did not know. But before she could say a word, Makhpil looked into her eyes. “It’s gone, ” she said balefully. “What have you done, Shimbekh?? What have you done??”
SCENE: THE EXODUS
The heat was oppressive. Taka was standing on the promontory of Pride Rock to catch a slight breeze. It had not rained in weeks, and the sun had cruelly scorched the ground. It was as if Aiheu himself had been angry with affairs and decided to show it. Rafiki watched the land dry up, but he was confined and could only rarely intercess for a few drops. The waterhole was just a muddy little remnant in the middle of the cracked, dry plain. It was patronized by elephants, who were not overly afraid of lions. They trampled the mud into the water and left it almost unsuitable for drinking.
Khemoki, Incosi of the Zebra’ha, led his people in for a drink from the shrinking pool. Filling the view were a series of elephant backsides forming an unbroken wall.
“Ahem! ” Khemoki said. He waited a moment longer. “Ahem!!! ”
There was no response.
He tapped with his hoof impatiently, then nudged one of the backsides. “Madam, do you think you could move your billious grey carcass and let me drink??”
The elephant stirred, but when she looked around her expression was anything but helpful.
“Put a cork in it, sweetcheeks.”
“I say! ” He looked around in a huff. “Whinny, old girl, did you hear that? We don’t have to stand here and be insulted! We can jolly well find us another water hole out of this God-forsaken neighborhood.”
“Hear hear, ” one of the zebras cried. “Good show, Milord.”
The Pride Lands were desolate. The songs of birds had long since gone from the trees. What few animals still trudged across the parched grassland stirred up dust in their wake. Vultures cruised the skies in search of prey where eagles and flamingos once soared. And still it did not rain. There were no clouds. There was no hope.
Taka waited for news from Gopa the stork. Gopa had none of the charm or polish of Zazu, but he was extremely thorough.
When the large bird arrived with all the grace of a wounded flamingo, he bowed and said, “Sire, the Zebra’ha, have left the Pride Lands. The Incosi decided that grazing is better to the north, and besides it’s too dangerous with the hyenas and lions together. To be precise, Khemoki called them ‘That demmed rabble.’”
“Didn’t you try to stop them??”
“No, Sire. I only report the news, I don’t make it.”
Yet another irritating fowl had made Taka’s short list. “One of these days, ” he thought, “I’m going to wring that long neck of his.”
No more zebras. That joined with the fact that the Wildebeests were gone and the antelopes had skipped out left the land in a sorry shape.
Beesa was out in the hot sun of midday with some other lionesses. They were risking their life with each stone they overturned with their paws, hoping to capture a lizard or snake that may hold body and soul together. Isha, panting, looked up into the cloudless sky. The sun beamed back with a vengeance. “Aiheu, why have you forsaken us? I think I’m going mad.”
The insufferable heat made the image of distant trees ripple like reflections in a pond. When the wind did blow, it stirred up dust and made little difference in the feeling of discomfort.
Beesa heard something rattle in the grass. She froze, held up her paw, crouched and sprang. “Ow! ” She bit at the large rat that had latched on to her paw. Only when its head was crushed in her powerful jaws could she work the sharp incisors out of her flesh.
“Look, ” Isha said. “Sis caught something! It’s a big rat. Look how big it is! ”
“Correction, ” Beesa said. “It caught me.”
“Still, it’s big enough for you--ahem--and maybe a lucky relative?”
“Yes, Isha. Some lucky relative like my daughter. She gets the whole thing.”
“Me too, ” Isha said. “The least you could have done was eat it yourself. Then I could have called you selfish and resented you.”
Beesa licked her paw to clean the wound. Then she took up the rat and trotted back toward her home on Pride Rock. Her paw was not very sore. If the gods were with her, her hunting would not be affected.
Lisani saw her mother and ran to meet her.
“What’cha got?”
“It’s a rat, ” Beesa said proudly. “It’s all yours.”
“Ewww! A rat! ”
“You should be glad to get it. The little bugger tried to eat me first.” Beesa sighed and said, “Look, if you promise to eat some of it, I’ll make a special effort tonight to get you something really nice, OK?”
“OK, I’ll try.” She tried a bite, found it was not so bad, then famished fell on the rest of it. When she finished, there was nothing but some skin and bones left. “Mom, I wouldn’t even mind another rat right now. I’m still hungry.”
“I know, dear.” She began to groom her little girl. “Just remember, when things can’t get worse, they can only get better.”
SCENE: THE WAGES OF SIN
Uzuri sat quietly, trying to ignore the constant gnawing in her stomach as she watched the progress of the setting sun. As the top of the crimson disk sank below the level of the treetops, she rose and padded over to Isha.
"Gather the party." She looked at the sky hopefully. "We'll try again tonight. Maybe Aiheu will yet show us mercy."
The younger lioness shook her head as she stood. "Not as long as that fool makes us stay here, " Isha growled.
"Shh! I'm not sure if that's treason or blasphemy, but hold your tongue. Taka's spies are everywhere! "
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