Uzuri said, "Beesa, I've always thought of you as a second mother. Would you adopt me?"

"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 G.o.ds 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 b.u.g.g.e.r 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! "

"Treason or not, it's the truth." She trudged away slowly, her tail dragging dejectedly in the dust as she headed off to rouse the other lionesses; it was time to hunt.

Uzuri sighed as she stared after her. The trouble was that Isha was right. Taka's refusal to allow the lions to leave Pride Rock and seek out more fruitful hunting grounds was going to be the death of them. Already some of them were beginning to show signs of emaciation, their ribs standing out clearly against their pelts, once sleek and shiny but now dull and drab from the lack of nutrition. Shaking her head despairingly, she rose and crossed over to where the others now stood a.s.sembled.

Sarafina rose to greet her. "Uzuri, " she whispered urgently. "I've got to talk to you."

"Of course." She looked at her curiously. "What is it, Fini?"

"We can't go on like this much longer. Why are we getting ready to hunt?"

"You want to eat, don't you?"

Sarafina snorted. "Of course, but I don't want to die for my supper. All we found on our patrol this morning was a small herd of elephants. You more than anyone should know how hard it is to cut a calf out of the herd and put it down."

"We don't have to worry about that, " Uzuri said firmly. "To hunt elephants is corban, by my own decree."

Sarafina looked at her for a long moment. "Then what are we left with? Picking off the rare straggler who happens to come wandering through? We can't depend on that."

Uzuri sighed deeply. "I know, " she said tiredly. The lack of food was beginning to take its toll on her; her energy waned more and more each day. "So what do YOU suggest?"

"Ajenti! " Sarafina called. "Come here a moment. Tell Uzuri what you told me last night."

Ajenti grinned. "I had the most wonderful idea while we were out scouting a few days ago." She broke off, coughing raggedly.

"By the way, I don't want you coming with us tonight, " Uzuri said worriedly. "You sound terrible."

"I do? Great! " Ajenti snickered at the look on Uzuri's face. "You see, I've been faking that cough for the past couple of days."

"Why?"

"I'm going to play sick and stay here while you go hunting. I plan to sneak out a couple of hours after high moon."

"Just where do you think you can go?" Uzuri asked. "There's nothing to eat for miles around."

"I'm not going for food, I'm going for help. I'm going to try to get past those idiot hyenas and see Rafiki." Her face sobered. "Maybe he can ask the G.o.ds to help us; Taka certainly isn't going to."

Uzuri sucked in a sharp breath at the audacity of this. "Do you know what will happen to you if you get caught? What about the guards? How are you planning to get past them?"

Ajenti said, "Maybe if I'm sick enough, I can get an appointment to see Rafiki. I'm one of the better hunters if I say so myself, and Taka would do well not to lose me."

Taka's sharp voice cut through the air. "If you're quite done chatting, ladies, it's well past sundown. You're late for the hunt."

Uzuri raised her voice. "Yes, Sire." Lowering it to a hoa.r.s.e whisper, she looked at Ajenti. "Stay here, for now. Pretend you're sick, like you've been doing, but don't leave tonight. We'll discuss this when we get back."

Ajenti bowed her head. "Yes, ma'am."

Uzuri and Sarafina joined the other lionesses who milled about restlessly, anxious to begin the hunt. After checking that everyone was present, she led the group in to Taka's cave. The King lay in the threshold, grooming himself silently as they approached. Clearing her throat, she said, "Milord, we ask for your blessing."

Taka looked up and nodded. "Aiheu provides. Thanks be to Aiheu."

"Aiheu provides, " she responded. She turned to leave, but stopped. "Taka, why do we continue this farce? There is no food to be found! I implore you, let us leave here and find better hunting grounds."

He looked up sharply. "No! We will remain here. This drought will not last much longer. The seer has foretold it."

"If we don't leave soon, the jackals will glut themselves on lion meat! " Uzuri humbled herself before him. "Taka, please reconsider. Do you think your father would have taken the word of a seer over the cries of his people?"

"I said we stay! " he snarled. "You overstep your authority, hunt mistress. I will NOT be compared with my father, Lord rest his soul. Now be off before the prey escapes."

"Yes, Sire, " she said through gritted teeth. She turned and led the group away.

The young of the elephants were the subject of repeated near-suicide attacks by lionesses because there was little else to eat. Finally over the loud protests of the other lionesses, Uzuri had forbidden attempts on them because it was a senseless risk. Once in a while, a great while, an animal would pa.s.s through the Pride Lands bound elsewhere and they would catch it. Even when they were lucky enough to bring down a large animal, it proved almost not worth the trouble because the hyenas would move in.

Hyenas were not welcome on the hunt, for they were not as skilled as lions. They chatted too much-something Uzuri could not tolerate. Not that any of the hyenas did much hunting anyhow. One of the major topics of conversation as they gathered for the hunt used to be how to get rid of the hyenas. That was until they began to suspect spies from Shenzi were everywhere, and it was not a foolish suspicion. One of them, Skulk, was particularly quiet on his feet.

Hours later, the moon's pale light painted a small group of elephants. Beesa's pulse raced as she saw a youngster that had strayed too far from the group. Gauging the distance, she decided that she might just be able to cut it off and out of the herd. She began to drool at the thought. G.o.ds, all that meat...the pride might be able to get a halfway decent meal after all. She started to move in, but paused, uncertain, remembering Uzuri's warning. Then the sight of her daughter gnawing on the scrawny carca.s.s of that hideous rat sprang unbidden into her mind. Beesa had been shocked as she realized she could easily count her daughter's ribs simply by looking at her side. That decided her.

"Aiheu provides, " she whispered. Easing forward through the dying gra.s.s, she slowly began to stalk the young elephant.

Uzuri had already sighted the elephants a few moments earlier. She began to softly call out orders, shifting the inverted V pattern of their normal sweep for prey to a left oblique, herself at the head with the others staggered out on the opposite side away from the elephants. She turned her head, intending to shift Beesa over into the trail spot, and stared at the empty gra.s.s where a lioness should have been. "Beesa?"

Malaika gasped. "Oh G.o.ds, Uzuri, look! "

Uzuri's head whipped around, looking over at the spot where Malaika was staring, open-mouthed. "What the...."

There was an elephant cow coming up quietly behind Beesa. Uzuri shouted, "Beesa! Look out! "

Beesa turned around too late, her eyes widening as she saw the elephant charge. She shrieked as the elephant tossed the lioness's four hundred pounds into the air like a rag doll, then brought down her front feet on her with a snapping sound.

"Close ranks! " Uzuri shouted. The lionesses ran to Beesa and formed a circle around her, driving back the elephant. Trumpeting loudly, the cow gathered her calf to her side and joined the herd as it began to lumber away cautiously.

"I'm stove through, " Beesa gasped. "Isha?"

"Beesa?"

"Isha! "

"I'm here, honey! " Isha drew near to listen to her sister's faint words.

"Take care of my Lisani. Promise me."

"I will, honey." Tears flooded Isha's eyes. She nuzzled Beesa and kissed her. "I promise. I love you, Beesa. Pray for me."

"I will, sis."

"Oh Beesa, why did you do it?"

"I promised." Her face contorted in pain. "You must bring Lisani something special. Tell her it's from me." She gasped. Blood began to drain from her mouth. "Isha?"

"I'm still here."

Slowly, painfully, Beesa raised her paw and caressed Isha's cheek. "Save yourself." Her arm fell as her last breath went out in a long sigh.

"Oh G.o.ds! " Isha looked at the body with its horrible wounds. "My sister, " she stammered. "She's dead. What are we going to tell Lisani?" She glanced from face to face at each of the lionesses. "Why did that elephant have to kill her? Why? Why??"

The lionesses stood silently for a moment, unwilling to take the next step which they knew was necessary. Finally, Uzuri stepped forward. She bent down and gently kissed Beesa's cheek. "Aiheu abamami." A tear rolled her face and splashed silently on Beesa's fur. "Pray for me, Beesa."

She retreated as Malaika stepped forward, followed by Sarabi. One by one, Beesa's hunt sisters came forward to bid her farewell. Finally, only Isha remained. The lioness stood immobile, looking down at her sister's body. She bent to kiss her cheek, but crumpled, sobbing, beside the still form. "Oh G.o.ds! " She tilted her head up and roared at the sky, giving vent to her grief as the other lionesses joined in, the eerie sound echoing back from the cliffs.

Back at Pride Rock, the hyenas heard the cry. They came to Taka for an explanation, but he had none. "It doesn't sound good, " he said.

Finally, the lionesses came trailing in slowly, eyes cast down and filled with tears. Taka looked from one to another uncertainly as they approached.

"Uzuri? What's wrong? I heard a cry."

Uzuri looked at him crossly. "Count us, Your Majesty. What do YOU think?" She shouldered past him roughly and sat down, her face quivering as she fought for control.

Lisani came gamboling up to the hunting party. She b.u.t.ted up against Isha, purring happily as she greeted her aunt. "Isha, where's Mom? What did she get for me? A zebra?" Her face began to drop. "Another rat?" She saw Isha's tears. "Nothing at all?"

Isha's jaw trembled. "Lisani, Honey Tree, I want you to be a brave little girl. Very brave. Your mother...." She began to sob. "You're going to stay with me now."

Lisani stared as she took in the pained expression on her aunt's face. Looking around, she saw it mirrored on the others as they sat, staring at nothing.

"Is she hurt?" She went to Uzuri. "Aunt Uzuri, what's wrong??"

"Oh my poor baby! "

Suddenly realizing that the worst had happened, she ran back to Isha and huddled against her warm body, bursting into tears. "I want my mommy! " she shrieked. "Aunt Isha, I want my mommy! " Isha held her close with a paw. "We all want your mommy, but she's gone."

Kh'tel, one of the hyenas asked, "Am I to take that poor Beesa is dead?"

"You ARE to take it, " Uzuri said sternly.

"Well then, the body is corban for a moon. That is the duration, isn't it?" With barely suppressed excitement, he said, "Pray tell, where is the body? We wouldn't want to trespa.s.s."

Uzuri showed her fangs. "You sure wouldn't! *Cause if you touch her, you will be our next meal! "

"Your Majesty, " Kh'tel protested. "I merely tried to follow leonine custom. I resent these vile accusations."

"I'll show you vile accusations! " In a moment, Uzuri sprang on on the hyena, pinning him to the ground. Other hyenas moved closer, threatening, but she barked, "Come one step closer and I'll kill him! "

"I forbid you to hurt him, " Taka shouted. "Let him go! "

"Beesa is dead, and it's all his fault! Him and his kind! He doesn't touch her. Let the jackals have their fill, but I'll kill the first hyena that touches her! "

"I know you're upset, " Taka said. "I'm sure you know you're overreacting here. We don't want a war, now, do we?"

Hyenas glared at her. Lionesses glared at the hyenas. It was a tinderbox just waiting to burst into flame.

"Let him go, " Taka said sternly. "I'd hate to have to MAKE you let him go."

"You mean just you and I? One-on-one with no outside interference?" Uzuri had a fierce light in her eyes that froze Taka's blood. Clearly she could make good on her threat. "Are those your terms, Sire?"

Taka was clearly at a disadvantage. He squirmed inside, trying to think of something, anything, he could say and not live to regret.

Elanna said, "For the sake of the G.o.ds, you two, concede the point. Let the hyena go, Uzuri. In return my husband will not punish you." She looked at Taka and half smiled. "Tell her you'll let her go, dear. She's reasonable."

Taka nodded. "Yes, yes. Elanna speaks for me. We're all friends here. We just have our misunderstandings." He stared at Uzuri. "Don't we, my dear?"

"Yes, Sire." She glared down at the still-trapped hyena and said, "We're all friends here." She kissed the hyena right on the end of the nose with a long, wet, drooling lick that made him gasp and sputter. "Mmmmm. Don't try to eat things that bite back, Hon. You might get invited to dinner."

When Kh'tel was released, he ran in blind panic from the cave, wiping his nose in the gra.s.s and trembling.