"Oh, THAT'S for certain!" Not intimidated in the least, she paced forward, forcing him back a step. "I know all about your 'efforts!' They've produced a rather large pride, in case you haven't noticed. A pride which needs to be fed, protected, cared for, and LOOKED AFTER! Why can't you be more like your brother was? Now THERE was a responsible lion."
Ugas groaned. "Not again, please!"
"Kazi was out here from well before sunup to well after sundown, patrolling the land and defending us against our enemies."
"And he died of exhaustion. Is that what you want me to do?"
“At least he died with honor. I'm glad he didn’t live to see you like this!" Her jaw trembled as she wheeled about and stalked off a short distance, her head lowered.
Ugas stood still a moment, then slowly padded over to her and nuzzled her cheek. "Addie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snipe at you."
She raised her head and blinked back tears. "Yeah, right."
"I'm serious. I just-"
"Ugas, I know you loved him."
He took his paw and gently wiped away her tears. “I’m trying, Addie, but I’m just not my brother. He was always better at fighting, better at tracking, but I had the personality. Well my charm won’t work on rogue lions and wild dogs. I’m having to be someone I’m not, trying to support a double burden on old shoulders, rising early and resting late, patrolling this whole land by myself. No son to help me, and now no brother.”
“There are many lions who never had a brother. Do they complain? No--they are glad just to have a home and a family.”
“But they are young, Addie. They still have their health.” He looked down. “I’m near the end of my path, old girl. I should be able to pass some of the load to another. Instead I have to spend my final days tired and afraid. Always tired and afraid. I have aches where I didn’t think I had bones, and every time I think about making that long trek, my heart skips a beat.”
Adhama took a shaky breath. "Are you just giving up, then? What are you saying to me, brother?”
Ugas looked at her intently. “I’m not giving up. Tonight I met someone that may help us. If I can work my will, she’ll be my wife and mother of my son. A son, Addie!”
“Mother of your son?” She looked at him skeptically. “Kazi fathered nothing but daughters, and so have you. It looks like you’d stop trying.”
“I CAN’T stop trying. Don’t you know what happens to old lions who have no son?” He looked pleadingly into her eyes, then turned and trudged away, his head and tail hung low. “There are lots of rogues out there who would swap their whiskers for this place,” he muttered. “I won’t let them drive me off. I’d rather die here in one brave gesture than starve slowly. I love my daughters, but if only Aiheu would give me a son! Merciful God, help me!”
CHAPTER: A FREE LUNCH
Uzuri crept back to the Pride Lands with a knot in her stomach. Ugas’ offer began to sound ever better as the ominous shadow of Pride Rock began to loom over her. “Aiheu abamami,” she muttered, taking the trail up the stone to where Taka was waiting.
Before she even walked into the cave, Taka said, “So you have a problem with Pipkah, I hear?”
“He’s a royal pain, Scar.”
“Need I remind you who’s really royal??”
“Sorry--Your Majesty.”
“Well then.” Taka pulled himself up straight and tried to sound commanding. “Let’s work things out. If you don’t want to hunt with Pipkah and his group, you don’t have to.”
“Thank you VERY MUCH, Sire.”
“Just make sure you get enough food for all, because they get first choice.”
“What??”
“They are willing to hunt for their share, but you seem to think it’s unwise.”
“But Sire...surely you don’t expect us to...we’ll starve!”
“Not when you’re motivated by hunger to learn some courtesy.”
“But I....”
“No buts, Uzuri. Pipkah tells me Fini threatened his life, and you went along with it.”
“We spoke in anger. You didn’t see what they did!”
“I didn’t have to. Everyone’s talking about it. Now there are a lot of hungry eyes looking to you for food. Go scrounge up something like a good girl.”
Uzuri was stunned. She numbly nodded her head, turned and left. For a third time, she remembered the kind words Ugas spoke to her: “There is no hate in me.” Never had he seemed so kind as by contrast with Taka.
Uzuri went about shouting “Baraza!” which is to say, “meeting!” It was like any strategy meeting might have begun before the hunt, but it had a very important purpose.
By ones and twos the lionesses arrived. Soon they were all together, except for Elanna whose absence was both expected and painful.
“Aiheu abamami,” Uzuri muttered as she nuzzled each of the lionesses from Yolanda, the oldest, down to the newest huntresses. It was an order dictated by tradition. But there was a tenseness in the air, so strong it could be prodded with a paw like water.
“Taka has laid a burden on us,” she spoke slowly. “Now we must hunt for ourselves and for the hyenas. It seems they are afraid for their safety.”
“Damn straight!” Isha said. “And well they should be!”
Ajenti, who was usually more democratic, said, “It’s time to cut King Droopy-Drawers down to size.”
“The hyenas are on his side,” Uzuri said. “We must solve a major problem tonight. Our cubs must eat, and so must we.”
“I say I could acquire a taste for hyena,” Ajenti said.
“This talk is dangerous,” Yolanda said. “They could be spying on us.”
“Let them get an earful,” Isha said. “I heard Fini’s joke about the accident. But I believe we really could kill them one or two at a time tonight without alerting the others. By the time the news got out, there would be too few of them left to fight us.”
“And have you forgotten about Taka?” Uzuri said.
“Leave him to me,” Isha said. “I’ll kill him myself.”
“My gods!” Uzuri’s hackles were raised. “Do you mean commit murder? What about Elanna? She’s Sarabi’s sister, for God’s sake!”
“Don’t remind me,” Sarabi said with understandable bitterness. “That’s all that keeps me from marking her. She’s a disgrace to her people, fawning on that hyena-kissing brother-in-law of mine. As far as I’m concerned, the moment Muffy died, he was out of my family.”
Uzuri looked around at the other lionesses. “Don’t you know the gods would judge us if we just butcher him like a gazelle?”
“Can we possibly be any worse off?” Sarabi insisted. “Maybe the gods will judge us if we DON’T kill him!”
“Some of us have small cubs,” Sarafina said. “Nala might get hurt--or killed. I don’t think we should rashly jump into this.”
“I agree,” Uzuri said.
“You would,” Ajenti said and spat. “You’re her sister.”
“And I’m not yours??” Uzuri said, stepping in front of her and glaring into her eyes. “Aren’t we ALL sisters here? I didn’t say that we shouldn’t overthrow him, just that Sarafina was right. We can’t be rash. We won’t have to kill him if we can get rid of the hyenas. He wouldn’t dare fight all of us.”
“All right, so how would YOU get rid of the hyenas.”
“I’m not sure yet. I’ll think of something. In the meantime, we have to bide our time.”
“Until what?” Ajenti looked around at the others. “Until we’re so hungry we’re too weak to fight?? I’ve seen a lot in my lifetime, but I never thought I’d live to see Uzuri turn coward!”
Uzuri cuffed her across the face--hard. “You take that back, Missy! We can’t fight them while we’re fighting each other! Pull in your claws and apologize!”
Ajenti tried to think of something angry to say, but the more she looked into Uzuri’s face, the more ashamed she felt. “Sorry,” she half whispered. “No one thinks you’re a coward. But it’s a dirty shame not to strike now.”
Uzuri nuzzled her. “One day we’ll cleanse the land of shame, I promise you.”
Upset by the bad news, they hunted very poorly. They missed a Duiker that was practically waiting to die, and tempers flared. Blame enough for three prides was quickly exchanged in low but angry hisses. Uzuri needed all her powers of persuasion to calm them down and refocus their energies on the quarry and off each other. And though it took most of the night, they finally found an old zebra and managed to kill it.
Ajenti was sent to call Taka and the others. “Fresh kill, My Lord,” she said to Taka, her bitterness concealed by a forced smile.
The hyenas ran to the site while Ajenti and the cubs merely trotted. There was no reason to run after Taka’s edict. So while the lion cubs sat and stared in misery, the hyenas feasted. And they feasted and feasted.
Lisani nudged her mother Beesa. “When are we going to get our turn?”
“Soon, dear. I hope....”
“That’s what you said last time.”
Beesa was hoping against hope for her daughter’s sake that something would be left at all. But the hyenas finished off the carcass and even began to crack the bones for marrow. Lionesses began to grumble. If ever they had hated hyenas, that moment was the all time high point of their rage. Somewhere in the melee a hyena pup shrieked.
Uzuri noticed the pup running from the carcass, sobbing. Fighting down her bitterness, she went after her; a child had no business running about the savanna alone, leonine or not.
Drawing up alongside, she asked, “What’s wrong? Don’t you like zebra?”
“Leave me alone!”
“What’s wrong? Hey, little girl, I'm not going to hurt you."
The pup looked up into Uzuri’s eyes. At once she relaxed. “I know. I’m a seer like Shimbekh.”
“Really?” Uzuri felt an odd sensation as the child looked at her.
"Yes. I wish I wasn’t!"
Uzuri nuzzled her. “I’m not a seer. Come on, little one. Tell me why you’re so sad."
Makhpil looked up. "Don't you think I can tell how much you lions hate us? Night and day wishing we were dead! All of us!"
"Heavens, child, don't say that! I don’t wish you were dead."
"You’re not like the others. But just a minute ago, one of them...." she pointed--"was thinking...." Makhpil drew up close and in a whisper of supreme embarrassment said, "Get out of my way, brat! I ought to send you straight to hell.” She looked down and wept.
Uzuri stirred uncomfortably. “Some of them are upset now. We had trouble on the hunt. We love our cubs the same way your mother loves you. When they have to go hungry, we get upset and sometimes we say things we don’t mean. But I don’t want you to die.”
Tears streamed down her face. "I don’t want to be here! I want to go home! I want to go far away and never come back!”
Uzuri comforted the child, holding her close with a paw and nuzzling her. "Hon, it's not your fault. I know one lion that’s going to have a lot of explaining to do when Mano gets a hold of him. But you do what’s right and someday when you face your god, you won’t have anything to be ashamed of. So why don't you get something to eat, OK?"
“I wish you were Roh’mach,” Makhpil said, rubbing against Uzuri’s cheek.
Just then, an adult hyena trotted up. “Is everything OK, Makhpil?” She looked suspiciously at Uzuri.
“Everything’s fine,” Uzuri said quickly, patting Makhpil with her large paw. “She just found out that the innocent often suffer along with the guilty.”
The female looked straight into Uzuri’s eyes with a peculiar stare that made her feel like her fur had fallen off leaving her naked. Then the hyena relaxed. “I’m sorry I doubted you. You were kind to my little girl, and I won’t forget that.”
“How did you....” Uzuri smiled shyly. “You must be Shimbekh. You’re the seer, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so. I’ve heard my share of insults today. This unholy and unnatural union will lead us only to sorrow.”
“Don’t get me wrong, but if you’re unhappy here, why don’t you just leave?”
“We can’t,” Shimbekh said. “This thing has divided families down the middle. We’re trapped here to the bitter end, and it will be bitter you know. Death will grow fat on our misery, and pups will cry in the night for their parents but no one will answer them. Don’t judge my clan brothers too harshly. They have been misled, filled with false promises and foolish notions. They are expecting a golden age. They will find something very different.”
“Did you foresee this with your powers?”
“Uzuri, when the truth comes out, sisters will fight brothers and children will fight parents. And not just hyenas will know death, my dear.”
“Us too?”
“To a lesser degree, yes. At least one of your own will die--I have seen it. And what is a seer to do about it? I can make them listen, but I can’t make them believe.” She sighed. “Don’t you think I know about the plan?”
“The plan?”
Shimbekh sent Makhpil back toward the kill with a pat of her paw. “Run along, girl.” And as soon as they were alone, she drew close to Uzuri. “You know, the plan to kill the hyenas off one by one and make it look like an accident.”
Uzuri gasped.
“Don’t worry, hon. I’ve told no one about it. But we have to talk. There are hyenas good and true that would shed their honest blood to drive out Shenzi and cleanse the land of shame.”
Uzuri remembered saying almost the same thing to her pride sisters. She touched Shimbekh’s cheek with her paw and whispered, “When the last battle comes, fight by me. You and Ber and any willing to join you. I swear to you that there will only be two kinds of people that day--friend and foe. Understand?”
“Completely.”
CHAPTER: THE PHOENIX
Ugas trudged slowly along behind Adhama with an ache in his right shoulder that made him grimace slightly with each step. But it had been worth it to see Uzuri's sweet face. They neared the kopjes that served a home for the pride, and the old lion sighed and pushed through the edge of the grasses, emerging into a small clearing where the pride lay.
Lionesses lay scattered about in various spots, but they quickly straightened up nervously as they spotted him. Ugas had been very temperamental in recent days. Conversation dulled and fell silent as he paced past the group and settled onto the ground. His hip twinged again and he groaned.
A cub skittered past him, giggling, and he glared at her from under lowered lids. One of the lionesses hurriedly sat up and called softly. "Alyssa! Come back here!"
The cub slid to a stop and slowly crept back towards her mother under Ugas’ gaze. She glanced at him quickly, then she looked away when she encountered his stare.
Ugas saw the visible fear in her face and felt a thorn pierce his heart. "Alyssa?"
The cub came to an absolute standstill.
"Alyssa. Come here, Honey tree." He beckoned with a forepaw.
Slowly, trembling, she inched forward until she stood beneath his immense bulk. "Yes, sir? I’m sorry."
Ugas stared wonderingly at the shaking cub. "Sorry for what?”
“Whatever it is I did.”
“Did you just do something naughty?”
“I...uh...don’t think so, Sir.”
“Daddy will do nicely.”
“I’m sorry, Daddy.” She looked back at her mother and back at him.
“Don’t you want to give your old Dad a kiss?”
“I guess so.” She edged carefully forward, stretched out her neck and touched his foreleg with her tongue, then darted back a couple of feet.
“Honey tree?” He looked at Agavi. “Vivi, what’s wrong? Doesn’t she love me anymore?”
“She loves you,” Agavi said soothingly. “We all know you’ve been depressed since your brother died. And those aches and pains and now that crick in your spine. I know that a lot of noise and prodding makes you upset, so I told her not to disturb you.”
“Upset?? Since when have my children ever make me upset?? Maybe I like to be disturbed!”
Adhama said, “Let me field that one, hon.” She looked piercingly at Ugas. “Lately, everything makes you upset. You snap at us all the time and think we’re supposed to rub your shoulder all the time and say ‘poor baby’ and ‘there now, that’s a good fellow.’ Well it’s taking its toll on your popularity, as if you haven’t noticed!”
Ugas snarled. “Since when have I snapped at anyone??”
Adhama said, “Oh, that’s a tough one.” She frowned. “Shame on you, carrying on like this in front of the children!”
Ugas sat down, nonplused. “Well, maybe I have been a little....” He glanced over at little Alyssa. “Oh, the poor dear!”
He went to the cub. When she shrank from him, the pain that drew his face was not from his shoulder. “I love you, Lissie.”
Alyssa's jaw trembled and she almost cried. "I love you too, Daddy."
"There's my girl!" He rolled over on his back, scooped her up with a paw and when she stood trembling on his stomach for one moment, pulled in his back legs and arms, lifting her up wriggling on a pedestal of four paws. He began to pump her up and down. "Three baby bunnies a hopping around. Three baby bunnies hop over the ground. If you keep hopping, you'll never start stopping, but you'll get away from the hound!" His legs shot out straight, tossing her into the air. She fell giggling with a sound plop. His stomach was not as firm as it used to be, but he hid his discomfort. He held her to his chest and nuzzled her softly, kissing her with his warm, pink tongue and grunting with pleasure when she kissed him back and rubbed along his soft mane. “I’m never going to be gruff with my little girl again! I promise!” He nuzzled her, then looked over at the other cubs who were watching him closely. “And that promise goes for the rest of you too! Come here, you little scamps! Rides for everyone!”
The other cubs rushed over and mobbed the two of them. Ugas rolled about laughing as a crowd of cubs tickled him, pounced on his tail and tugged at his mane. “Oh, I love you all so much! I could just eat you up!” He would be bouncing bunnies for a long, long time before he got a rest.
Alyssa's mother watched Ugas rolling about, bellowing laughter at the cubs around him. Nudging Adhama with her paw, she asked, "What's got INTO him? You'd think he was young again!"
Adhama smiled. "Young again? Don’t you mean alive again?"
“Up we go!” Ugas cried, hoisting another giggling cub. “Now let your Daddy catch his breath....”
CHAPTER: THE OFFER
Rafiki was languishing in house arrest, unable to leave his baobab without a hyena escort. Once he had tended to be a loner, preferring to deal with one or two friends at a time rather than large groups. But the enforced loneliness was preying on him and he spent long hours in front of the scrying bowl desperate for some shadow of his past to comfort him. His father’s face looked back at him, tinged with sadness. Rafiki didn’t know if he was seeing the past, the present or the future, and tears began to run down his face. “Father, I wish you could be here. I always felt so safe when you held me. So safe and happy.”
Uzuri heard rumors that all access to Rafiki might be cut off without advance notice. She put on her best limp and headed out to the tree. The large number of guards chosen to guard one elderly mandrill was a testament to Taka’s fear of him.
A couple of hyenas stopped her. “My lady, no further please. We insist.”
“I’m injured,” she said. “I need medical treatment.”
“We have good doctors. May I recommend Da’klesh?”
“Rafiki is familiar with my problem. Now if you want me to wake Shenzi from her nap, I’ll do it.”
“No need. Come this way.”
Surrounded by hyenas, she went to the baobab. It was a very tense moment, and she could feel the oppressive sense of being confined already.
The moment she looked in the baobab, the mandrill’s face lit up. He threw his arms around his neck and kissed her. “Honey tree, you remembered old Rafiki?? I’ve missed you so much!” Then he backed off and looked worried. “Are you hurt? I should have asked before I grabbed you like that. What is it, old girl?? Nothing serious I hope.”
She winked and shook her head no. “I think my shoulder is out of joint,” she said loudly. “If you don’t fix it, I won’t be able to hunt for a long time.”
“Do something quick,” one of the hyena guards said, looking inside. “We don’t have enough food as it is!”
Uzuri smiled sweetly and walked over to him. Clearly he was uneasy at her approach despite her smile and he backed out.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” she purred. “You know I’ll always take care of you, even if the others do without.” She gave him a long, slow lick on the cheek. “Meet me behind Pride Rock at sunset, and don’t tell anyone.”
“What’s this??” Krull demanded.
“Nothing, Sir!” The hyena began to tremble. “She doesn’t know what she’s saying!”
“Holding out on us, Dourbet??”
Uzuri looked at Krull pleadingly. “Leave the poor boy alone.” She kissed Dourbet again. “It’s not like he’s the only one to beg for scraps. You ride them so hard, they all wonder who made you a god.”
Krull went into a slow burn. “Well,” he said, his hackles raising, “They won’t wonder any more!!” He looked around. “General assembly, ON THE DOUBLE!!”
Uzuri went back to Rafiki. As Krull cursed the guards loudly in Hyannic, Rafiki began to rub Uzuri’s stiff shoulder.
She grunted in pleasure as the muscles loosened up. “We can talk now. They’ll be busy for a while.”
“I’ll say, you little devil!” He chuckled--his first good laugh in a long while. “So my dear, what is the latest news? I never know when I’m being lied to by those fellows.”
“Lies would have to be better than the truth,” Uzuri said with a sigh. “The land is dying. It’s being hunted out, and the rain has stopped. What’s happening to us?”
“I wish I knew.” Rafiki began to rub the other side, his eyes half closed as his thoughts wandered. “There’s a lion to the east. His name is Ugas. If things go too badly here, you could make the excuse you’re hunting for gazelles. When you cross that border, honey tree, no one is going after you.”
“I couldn’t do that. Not and leave my pride sisters in the lurch.”
“Somehow I knew you’d say that. It’s one of the things I love about you.”
She looked at him in the eyes for a moment and purred. “So you know Ugas?”
“Not very well. And these days I don’t get out much.”
“I know.” She began to groom around his face and neck and he sat still, a look of contentment on his face to feel her closeness. “I’ll mention your name the next time I see him. In fact, I might just arrange for you to drop by and see him in person. You could use some fresh air and sunshine.”
He put his arm around her neck and gave her shoulder a pat. “If those hyenas were all that stood in my way, I’d be out like a sparrow. They raid my pantry when I’m not looking. A little Bumpweed in a honeycomb and I guarantee they’d all be sleeping like little pups while I walked out as big as you please.” He chuckled for a moment, but then looked down at the tooth of Ahadi he kept with him always. Fingering the ivory fang, a wistful look of sadness washed the joy from his face. “My life is rooted to the Pride Lands deeper than this old baobab. I’ve lived most of my life here, and I guess I’ll die here. Whether I die happy or sad is for Aiheu to decide.”
CHAPTER: UZURI AND UGAS
A few evenings later Uzuri was meeting with the pride sisters to discuss the approach for the night’s hunt.
“Tonight we’ll come into the Southern meadow. There is a group of Tommies down there and if we move fast, they’ll still be there if those hyenas will shut up and keep out of our way.”
“How will we approach them?” Ajenti asked.
“We’ll use the double blind method. You take the right side with Yolanda and Isha will come with me on the left while Fini leads the rest of you around through the wadi to wait for the signal.
“Sarafina is sick,” Ajenti said. “Remember?”
“Okay. Then Yolanda can lead that group.”
“And who will that leave on the right with Isha?”
She struggled to concentrate. “Oh, Beesa can do it. I don’t care. Let’s just do this thing before the darned gazelles go home, OK?”
Uzuri paced away nervously. She was in her season, a time in her life that could make her feel very special or very alone.
She sat down and sighed deeply. Rafiki was confined to the baobab or she would have asked his advice on what to do. Maybe he had some kind of herb to find her lost powers of concentration and dull the empty feeling inside of her. The temptation to push past the guards and plead for help was great.
Still she could not risk two visits in such a short time--it might arouse suspicion. She sighed deeply again.
Then she remembered who she could turn to for advice. Ugas was just across the Western Border. She had not accepted his invitation to come back, but this would be the time. He would dispense more of his fatherly advice and compassion.
“Beesa, I don’t feel good. You lead this hunt the way we’ve planned, OK?”
“Sure, hon.” She drew close and whispered, “You got yourself a Honey Tree out in the bushes?”
“Beesa, you should be ashamed!” She added in a whisper, “Girl, I wish!”
“There’s been a rogue male sighted to the south. Maybe you two will hit it off.”
“Beesa!” Uzuri groomed one of her paws nervously. “I’m not selling myself to the highest bidder. Still, thank you.”
Her remark was casual, but her inner turmoil was great. A lioness’ natural drives are as strong as a lion’s. Aiheu did not make them to rebel against the natural order of things, so she found herself at odds with her own body, a conflict that left her no place to run.
Making sure no hyenas followed her, she went to the east and finally slipped into the neighboring territory. “Ugas? Are you out there?” There was no answer and she realized just how disappointed she was. “Ugas??”
“Uzuri!” a rich voice said at last. The lion hurried over, his face beaming. “I’ve waited for you. I thought you’d forgotten me.”
“I see you haven’t forgotten me,” Uzuri said. “Thanks.”
“You’re unforgettable,” Ugas said. “I enjoyed our talk, but I’d like to get to know you a lot better. Can you stay a little longer?”
She bowed her head. “You said if I had a problem I could come to you. Does the offer still stand? Can I tell you anything?”
“Anything at all, my dear. I’m so glad you came back--I’ve been really worried about you.”
“I don’t know what to do anymore. I can’t hunt with those hyenas- -well most of them. Some of them aren’t half bad, but that Pipkah-- ugh!! And their Incosi is a she-devil!!”
“You didn’t come here to talk about hyenas.”
“You’re very perceptive for a male.”
He laughed. “It doesn’t take much perception to tell what’s bothering you.”
She cleared her throat self-consciously. “Well, uh, yes. Ugas, I’m so alone and confused!”
Ugas smiled sweetly. “Uzuri, you’re not alone now. And perhaps you’re not as much confused as you are frightened.”
“Frightened of what?”
“Frightened of this.” Ugas drew close and touched her cheek with his nose, then kissed her lightly. “Simple closeness. Letting your feelings show. Do you have a consort?”
Uzuri looked at him timidly. “No. Why?”
“Because all I could think about for the last moon was your beautiful, sad face. I wanted to kiss away your tears forever.” He nuzzled her, and though surprised, she did not pull away. “I’ve never seen your smile. I bet it’s beautiful.”
“You’re toying with me.”
“I’m too old for subterfuge and subtle gestures. Now let’s see that smile. Think of something happy. Like maybe fresh antelope.” He looked into her eyes deeply. “Not good enough? Then imagine the look on Taka’s face if he caught us making passionate love behind Pride Rock!”
She tried to look away before the smile covered her face. Hiding behind a paw, she felt like slinking away, but he looked around her camouflage and said, “Oh, it IS a pretty smile. You should do it more often.”
“You’re terrible!”
“I know. Quite wicked. And if you can pardon me for dreaming out loud, I really would like to make passionate love to you. You make me tremble.”
Uzuri shoved him with a paw. “You aren’t serious!”
Ugas looked at her pleadingly. “I was never more serious. When you get to be my age, you see more and more yesterdays behind you and fewer and fewer tomorrows ahead.” He sighed. “I have no son to inherit my kingdom. I was almost desperate enough to form a loveless union, and then you came. Uzuri, I could love you. I could love you with my whole heart, my whole being. You’ve awakened feelings in me that I thought were dead. Am I selfish to want both a son and a little happiness before the sun sets on my life?” He waited a while for her reaction, but she stood unmoving, staring at him.
He bowed his head. “I’m sorry. I still feel like the same young lion inside, before the evening aches and pains settle in. Sometimes I forget that I’m just an old fool.”
“Ugas, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean....”
“No need to apologize. Why would you want a broken-down has-been like me when you’re so young and beautiful? I wasn’t always old. There was a time when I might have lured you away from that lonely lifestyle and made you happy. Please tell no one you saw me this way out of respect for the Ugas that once was.”
He turned and trudged away, his tail hanging limply and a distinct slump to his face and ears.
“Ugas, wait!”
He turned and looked at her, tears in his eyes.
“Only if you will pledge to me,” she said.
“And tie you down to an old carcass? How long could I make you happy?”
“However long it would be is that much more than nothing. And I could give you sons.”
“You just pity me. I shouldn’t have begged you. Maybe it’s better that I go now before you do something out of pity that we’ll both regret.” He turned and trudged away again.
