SCENE:  THE TOKEN


	It is difficult, if not impossible, to hide a fight from 
parents with a hunter's instincts and an excellent sense of smell.  
Taka saw the pain in his mother's eyes as he described the 
incident in the badger hole to her, and felt mixed sadness and 
gladness.  It was a strange kind of gladness that warms the heart 
when tears and sympathy spring from love.  She pulled him to her 
side and began to nuzzle him and kiss him.
	His father Ahadi left early without much to say.  Secretly, 
Taka had hoped he'd feel a little guilty for making Muffy his 
heir, and reconsider whom is the bravest of the two.  Instead, all 
Ahadi did was say, "I'll be back."
	Akase kept the wound clean with her tongue, but even so it 
began to be stiff and throb with each beat of his heart.  Taka 
began to moan as the pain made each movement painful.  He wanted 
to rest, but he could not sleep but the most fitful of naps.
	"How long is this going to hurt?"
	"I don't know, son."  Akase began to lick the wound again 
tenderly.  "I'll see if Makedde has something for the pain."
	"I can't stand it anymore," Taka said.  "Please see what he 
has.  My whole face is burning.  I have a headache."
	"I don't know where Zazu went.  I'll have to send your 
father as soon as he comes back."
	"Where has he gone?"
	"I don't know, but I have my suspicions."
	"I hope he comes back soon.  Real soon."
	"So do I."  He closed his eyes and tried to sleep again.
	Sarabi came by.  "How is he?"
	"Resting."
	"Is he hurting?"
	"Yes, the poor dear.  As soon as Ahadi comes back, I'll send 
him for Makedde."
	"I'll go," Sarabi insisted.  She did not word it as a 
question, and without waiting for a reply, she headed for the 
distant baobab tree.
	Taka's fragile sleep was fraught with dreams.  His legs 
jerked, and his mouth and ears twitched.  "It's so dark in here," 
he muttered.  "Let me go.  Let me go!"  Akase didn't know whether 
or not to wake him.  But the decision was soon made by another.
	"Son, wake up!"
	Taka rolled over and opened his eyes.  He saw the large 
hazel eyes of his father looking down on him.  He was dusty.  A 
trace of blood was on his lips, and his nose had been scratched 
and was bleeding.  Taka started.
	Looking down beside him, he saw the white badger stained 
crimson with blood.
	"He won't hurt you again."
	"Dad, you're bleeding."
	"Am I?"  He half-smiled.  "I think he got a little desperate 
when I found his secret exit.  Is it my nose?"
	"Yes."  Tears began to roll down Taka's cheeks.  "I love 
you."
	"I love you too.  You do believe me, don't you?"
	Taka ran and buried himself in Ahadi's mane, kissing his 
wounded nose and nuzzling him.  "Promise we'll always be friends.  
Promise?"
	"Better yet, I'll swear it."  He smiled broadly.  "You 
feeling better, champ?"
	"You bet!"
	"Now do you want that story?"
	"Sure!"
	Just then, Yolanda walked up.  She glanced at Taka's face, 
and before she could catch herself, said, "Oh my God!  What 
happened to him??"
	Taka quickly hid his face in horror.



SCENE:  CORBAN!


	Avina was always a free-spirited lioness.  She enjoyed 
hunting with her Pride sisters as much as any other lioness, but 
she also liked to try her skill at stalking prey alone like a 
leopard.  She was uncommonly good at it, as good in single hunting 
as Uzuri was at leading a group hunt.  So even though she married 
the King's brother and should be setting a good example for the 
others, she continued to make solitary forays into the savanna.
	To keep from disrupting the night's hunt, she would stalk by 
day.  Spoiling the evening stalk for the other lionesses would be 
unforgivable.  But hunting by day only increased the challenge, 
and she relished each kill she could win for the Pride as she 
showed it off proudly.  "I did it by myself, and in broad 
daylight," she would boast.  The others did not mind as much as 
might be expected.  They enjoyed a good meal as much as she, and 
Avina always sang out cheerfully, "Dinnertime!"  It was her open 
invitation to whomever wanted to dine on the results of her 
labors.
	With Sarabi and Elanna in the care of their Aunt Akase, 
Avina went blythly into the tall grass, blending her golden body 
into the gilt colors of the savanna.  Sarabi would be fine playing 
with Taka, and Muffy would content himself with a few words from 
Elanna.  And few words there would be, for while many thought 
Muffy would end up marrying Elanna, there was no magic the way 
there was between Taka and Sarabi.
	Avina ghosted through the fields on quiet paws, seeing all 
and being seen by none.  Her pride in her own skills was evident, 
and well she had reason to be proud.
	A herd of Hartbeests did not even hear her approach, though 
they were rather uneasy, stopping from time to time in order to 
listen.  Hartbeests had a feeling about such things that makes 
them very hard to stalk.
	Ears down, tail down, and legs moving in perfect oneness 
with the rhythm of the earth mother, Avina kept her eyes on the 
herd and gradually, methodically closed the gap, stopping from 
time to time as a head looks up from grazing to glance about.
	Chuckling inside, Avina knew that she would have a sure 
kill.  There was a buck on the outside of the herd that she had 
picked out.  He was old, and chances are he would be slower than 
the rest.  She kept on concentrating, contemplating, and closing 
the gap until a rush was forced upon her.
	A Hartbeest looked up and saw her.  Without waiting for a 
reaction, Avina sprang out of hiding, sprinting with all the speed 
Aiheu gave her toward the old buck.
	Indeed, he was slower than the others.  The herd opened like 
a large blossom, but she ignored everything but her target.  It 
was a very private matter staged in the middle of a large herd.  
Her strength flowed, her courage rose, and the buck was coming 
closer, closer, ever closer.
	The hartbeest changed direction, but so did she.  Avina 
cornered tightly and cleanly, and even managed to gain a little on 
her target.  "You are mine!"
	With all her might, Avina sprang as she had sprung many 
times before.  Up and forward she came, rising to loop her strong 
arm around his neck and pull him over.
	But she missed.  "Damn!"
	A strong hoof slammed her cheek.  In an instant, her great 
strength left her.  Tumbling out of control, she rolled to a stop.  
There, stunned and breathless, she writhed in agony, clutching at 
her face, and letting quickly go when it burned like fire.  She 
tried to cry out, but her jaw hung open crookedly and all that 
came out was a dull, wordless shriek.  Anger and disappointment 
quickly gave way to terror at her predicament.  She desperately 
needed a friend.  Someone, anyone.  There was no one.  As she lay 
on the ground, she wondered if she might die there alone.
	"No," she insisted, summoning all her strength to pull her 
wounded body from the bonds of gravity and stand once more.
	When she could struggle to her feet, she felt something drip 
from her chin.  Blood and saliva were dripping profusely from her 
battered face, out of the corner of her mouth.  She started to 
panic.
	Gasping, she fought to think clearly through the muddled 
haze.  "I have to get to Makedde," she thought.  Unsure where she 
was, she lost valuable time trying to focus on the distant horizon 
and find the baobab tree.  "Aiheu abamami-Lord, give me strength."
	She began her long march in the hot sun.  Her useless jaw 
seared her with each step, and she fought to keep her eyes 
focused.
	She tried once to feel with a paw to see what had happened.  
The tip of a shattered jaw had stuck through the skin.  It was 
like a sharp dagger, covered with her lifeblood.  "Oh Gods," she 
thought.  "My face!  My face--is gone!  It's gone!"  She wondered 
what she looked like, and what she would do if the pain did not 
lessen. 
	What would Shaka think when he saw her?  He would still love 
her, for he was a good and gentle lion, but her beauty was gone 
forever.  And most likely she would never hunt again.  What a 
foolish waste!  What a stupid thing to do!  And that is if she 
even lived to see him again.  All of her cleverness, all of her 
boasting and bragging was now a reproach to her.  "What a fool I 
was!" she thought.  "What an idiot among fools!"  Now she would be 
a charity case, an example that parents would hold up to their 
daughters when they acted recklessly.
	She staggered forward, trying to hold her head up.  It was 
not easy.  Her neck was strained, her panting dried out her 
throat, and her eye was running on the side where she had been 
kicked.  "Keep going, girl," she thought.  "I can't stop.  I have 
to find Rafiki.  Please, gods, let him be home!"
	The sun tormented her.  Flies were gathering in hosts to 
plague her, and she could not raise her paw to swat at them.  In 
fact, she could barely raise her paw to step forward.
	Her eyes began to go out of focus, and she could not 
compensate.  The world was growing darker, and the image of 
distant trees began to sway and shimmer.  "No, I can't die!  I 
have two children!  I have to get home!  I have to get home!"
	Blood had covered her chest, running down her legs.  The 
smell of it entered the side of her nose she could still breathe 
through.  Surely it had travelled other places by now.
	There were footsteps in the grass around her.
	"Who is there?"  The words came out almost unrecognizable as 
speech so she painfully and slowly uttered.  "Who...is...there??"
	"Just us."
	It was a hyena voice.  "Help me.  I'm the wife of the Prince 
Consort."  The words burned like fire.  "If you...get me to 
Rafiki...my husband will...reward you.  Imagine...all you can 
eat!"
	"That's what I'm imagining right now."
	"No!  Don't do this!  In the name of God!"
	"Nothing personal, dearie," the voice said.  As if at a 
signal, a hunting party came out of the grass and attacked her.



SCENE:  BORDER PATROL


	It was Shaka's turn to do border patrol, a job he didn't 
like thought he didn't really hate it either.  It did take away 
time he could be spending with his family.  He would have been 
playing with Sarabi and Elanna, but instead he was defending the 
Pride Lands against enemies that rarely ever show up.
	He amused himself by remembering the long passages of the 
Leonid Saga he had memorized as a youth from his father.  Shaka 
was good at reciting verse, and he was a living encyclopedia of 
lore and ceremonial prose.  He sang to himself Sarabi's favorite 
song.


	"Moko Greatmane was a great cat,
		And a great big cat was he,
	He climbed up over the mountain pass
		to see what he could see,
	As the cat climbed up, all the rain climbed down
		and the wind was blowing fast...."


	"Hello there!" shouted Zazu.  "Sorry to interrupt Your 
Highness, but there are hyenas on the eastern meadow!  They've 
killed something."
	"Thanks," Shaka said.  "I'll get on it."
	He was looking for a little excitement anyhow.  Chuckling to 
himself about the impression he'd make on the hyenas, he loped 
across the savanna and plunged through the reeds.  "Let them hunt 
on the Pride Lands, eh?  Not as long as I'm on the job."  His easy 
but massive lope made up the distance rather quickly.
	At last he spotted them, eating quickly as if they knew it 
was a matter of urgency.  
	He roared at the hyenas.  They growled, but withdrew from 
the carcass and stood back a few yards.
	"My Gods, it's a lioness!"  He didn't recognize her until he 
got close enough to turn what remained of the face with his paw.  
The final look of horror still hung on her shattered face.
	"Avina," he whispered quietly.  Her torn body lay open under 
the barren sky, and flies buzzed around.  "Avina!"  Shaka looked 
up to the sky, drew in a deep breath and shrieked, "Avina!!!  Oh 
God, Noooooo!!!"
	His grief and rage were competing like two rabbits trying to 
enter the same hole at the same time.  For the vital moment, rage 
won out.  His eyes red with hate fixed on his target.  "Dirty 
stinking murderers!!!  I'll kill you!!!"
	He took out after the hyenas at full tilt.  For a lion, his 
onslaught was something terrible to behold.  But he was built for 
power, not for speed, and was unable to catch up with the lighter-
built hyenas the way a lioness might have.  Instead, he kept up 
with them.
	The scavengers flew across the savanna swiftly as evening 
swallows.  They put on one final spurt and with great relief 
crossed the border into the elephant graveyard where their grounds 
began.  
	They stopped for a moment to look back-a foolish mistake.  
Shaka kept coming.  He ran over the invisible line that delineated 
his authority.  He half-ran, half-stumbled down the slope and into 
the dusty realm of the dead.  Finally, one of the hyenas stumbled 
over a pile of bones and headed to a terrifying stop.
	Shaka was on top of him very quickly, bearing the hyena's 
small body down with crushing weight.  "You killed my wife!  You 
ripped out my heart, and I will rip out yours!  I give you a 
moment to pray to your god."
	Before he knew what was happening, Shaka was surrounded by 
hyenas on all sides.  They seemed to materialize from the dust and 
emerge from the skulls and caves.
	"Let him go!" said Amarakh, the ruling Roh'mach.  "You are 
trespassing on our lands.  You are holding one of my people."
	"He's a murderer!"  Shaka narrowed his eyes at her.  "He 
killed my wife in cold blood, and he was on my land!  She had two 
cubs, Amarakh.  Two cubs that won't have a mother coming home 
tonight!  She was alive when they ripped her!  Alive!"
	"I will investigate it.  I know him.  He's a trouble maker 
anyhow, and you can be sure I will punish him if he's guilty."
	"IF??"  Shaka looked down at the trapped hyena.  "I saw him 
over her body.  Zazu saw the kill.  You tell her.  TELL HER, 
VERMIN!"
	The trapped hyena squeeled in fear.  "Somebody help me!"
	"You can't extract a confession to a murder by death 
threats."  Amarakh glared back.  "This is my land, and I give you 
my word we will investigate within the customs of our law.  But 
you must let him go.  Leave-now!"
	"I do not believe you."
	"You are not in a position to negotiate," Amarakh said.  
"Leave at once.  I will see your brother the King tonight.  We 
will talk."
	"You are right," he said.  "You are absolutely right.  I am 
NOT in a position to negotiate."  Shaka looked up at the sky.  
"Aiheu abamami!" he cried in his deep grief.  Then he quickly 
dropped his head and bit with tremendous force, snapping the 
hyena's neck and almost severing his head.  The body twitched 
spasmotically before collapsing with eyes staring sightlessly into 
space.  A deep gasp whispered through the assembled throng.  Then 
with bitter rage, the crowd closed in on Shaka.


SCENE:  GATHERING EVIDENCE


	Sarabi and Elanna were playing with Mufasa and Taka.  But 
eventually they began to wonder when their mom and dad were coming 
back.  Ahadi began to wonder too, for it was getting late in the 
day.  "Did they dump the kids on us and take a vacation?"  Akase 
was only joking, but she was genuinely worried.
	Zazu came in for his report.  "Sire, Khemoki of the Zebra'ha 
is certain that...."
	"Wait on that.  I need to know where Shaka and Avina are.  
Have you seen them?"
	"Well, Sire, Shaka went to chase off some hyenas.  They'd 
made a kill in the eastern meadow, and I sent him off right away."
	"How long ago?"
	"Oh, about two hours ago.  Maybe three."
	"Two or three hours??"
	"Well, Sire, I could be wrong."
	"Where is Avina??"
	"I don't know.  She was going to go hunting in the eastern 
meadow and...."  Zazu stopped.  "Oh my lord!  That's where the 
kill was, and...."
	"You must show me the place."  Ahadi shouted, "Sarafina, 
Uzuri, Isha!!  Come quickly!!"
	Fearing what he might find, Zazu led the four of them out 
into the eastern meadow and straight to the place where he saw the 
carcass.  Even from the air, he could recognize the golden color 
of the pelt.  He dropped to the ground and shuddered.
	Ahadi stalked up to the body-what was left of it-and glanced 
at the face.  "Oh God, Avina!!"  He turned away and wretched in 
the grass.  A few awful moments went by where not a word was said.  
Then trying to regain his composure, Ahadi let Uzuri take a look 
at the body.  Uzuri trembled, but she was still able to make her 
observations.  "Her face was...."  She shuddered.  "There is a 
kick wound.  From a large hoofed animal, no doubt.  But there is a 
trail of blood leading back that way.  She wandered here."
	Uzuri followed the trail for some distance, noting with 
horror the hyena tracks.  "The hyenas got to her while she was 
still alive.  Dear God, the evil scum ate her alive!"
	She trotted back to the body, then followed the tracks away 
toward the elephant graveyard.  "It's Shaka-I can still scent him.  
He chased them this way."
	The party of lions headed down the weak but definite trail 
until they reached the boundaries of the elephant graveyard.  
Waiting for them there was a large group of hyenas, and in front 
was Amarakh.
	The lions came in as a group, showing fangs, and daring 
anyone to bother them.  Ahadi demanded, "Where is Shaka?"
	"What is left of him is removed to the place of the dead."  
Amarakh scowled.  "He took the law into his own teeth and killed 
one of ours on our own land without a trial.  We offered to hold 
an inquest, a fair trial by the law of our people.  But he turned 
us down and killed a male whose wife is pregnant."
	"So you murdered him!"
	"We EXECUTED him.  We couldn't wait for him to kill others.  
He was too dangerous to place under arrest."
	"There is no doubt he was dangerous after his wife was 
ripped alive.  We have seen the evidence."
	"We had not, Sire.  We could not be sure, and we could not 
wait to be sure."
	"Here is the dead male's wife," Amarakh said, motioning for 
Fabana to be brought forward.  One of her eyes had been clawed out 
and healed with a brutal scar.  She cowered before the mighty 
King.
	"If you would have revenge," Amarakh said, "let all the 
people see that you fight honorably with her, one on one.  Let 
them see that you have given her the FAIR chance to defend the 
honor of her family."
	The quaking hyena female stammered, "Mercy!  Have mercy!  I 
am with child!"
	Ahadi looked at her with some pity.  "Now you know what it 
feels like to lose someone you love.  The Roh'mach is courting 
death to toy with my sympathies like this, but she has won this 
round.  You will not be harmed."
	But Ahadi looked sternly at Amarakh.  "Because your people 
have killed my brother, and because his wife was basely murdered, 
you are Corban.  No more shall you scavenge on the Pride Lands.  
Not until the last of the group that killed Avina is dead."
	"But my Lord, we will all starve!"
	"Perhaps a few hungry nights will motivate you to enforce 
your own laws, Amarakh.  Besides, this is not such a bad spot to 
scavenge.  You never know when an elephant might want to die."
	She held up her head and stared back.  "You mock me because 
you are powerful, and I am but a hyena.  But the gods know I must 
be fair to my people.  Grief has blinded you, impaired your 
judgement and robbed you of your wisdom."
	Ahadi and the lionesses left.  Someone had to break the news 
to Sarabi and Elanna.  Ahadi knew that Sarabi and Elanna belonged 
with him, and he knew he was the one that must speak the awful 
words.  "Aiheu abamami," he stammered.  "Please God, give me 
strength."
	
	

SCENE:  HAMMER AND TONGS


	Muffy and Taka are six moons older.  Their cubhood spots 
were long gone, and they had grown in size and agility.  It was 
time for them to learn some important lessons about defending a 
kingdom.
	In their cubhood games, they had built up a repertoire of 
reflexes and moves that would serve them well as adults.  But 
there were moves reserved for serious combat, moves they would 
need to defend the Pride Lands from intruders and rivals.  Though 
Ahadi tried to put some fun into learning, this was no game.
	Ahadi knew too well that a lion should know his strengths 
and his weaknesses.  With Mufasa, Ahadi saw strength and 
endurance.  For this reason, Mufasa easily mastered the forward 
thrust his father taught him, coming up on his hind legs and 
pushing out and in with his massive forepaws.  Taka was small but 
quick, and his father taught him the haunch seize first off, 
instructing him to dip low to bite the back leg and throw his 
opponent over.  But of course there were defenses against these 
attacks, and they had to learn them too.  A lion with only one 
strategy will never be king for very long.  
	Yolanda, who was quite a powerful lioness, helped Ahadi with 
his demonstrations.  It looked much more violent in actual 
practice than it had in teaching.  Mufasa and Taka watched 
spellbound and horrified as Yolanda and Ahadi went at it hammer 
and tongs.  They didn't growl or roar, but even in their dignity 
the raw power of aggressive fighting was all too clear.  Of 
course, Ahadi and Yolanda were careful not to really hurt each 
other.  They retracted their claws and did not bite down hard, but 
they used a great deal of strength, and the smell of sweat was on 
the air.
	Sarabi ambled over by Mufasa, trying to look casual.  "Be 
careful with him Muffy," she whispered.  "You know you're 
stronger.  You don't have to prove anything by hurting him."
	"Don't worry, Sassie.  He's my brother."
	"Then you'll try not to make him look too bad?"
	He smiled.  "You really like him, don't you?"
	"Yes."  She gave him a quick tongue touch to the cheek.  
"Thank you, Muffy.  You're a real sweetheart."
	"Not to mention a real hunk," Elanna said, flirting.
	Winded, Ahadi and Yolanda finally stopped.  Ahadi pushed his 
mane out of his eyes and said, "Of course (pant), you realize 
(pant) that there would have (pant) been a winner (pant) and a 
loser if this (pant) had been real."
	Yolanda nuzzled him.  "Incosi (pant), I touch your mane."  
	"I (pant) feel it."  Ahadi took in a deep breath and let it 
out slowly.  "OK, my sons.  You try it."
	The two brothers stood up and faced each other.  Taka took a 
deep breath and began circling Mufasa slowly.  His head bobbed, 
weaving an irregular pattern as he looked for an opening.
	Mufasa lowered his forequarters and shifted around, keeping 
the bulk of his body facing Taka.  The speed with which Taka could 
dart in and grab a haunch was frightening, and he dared not expose 
his vulnerable back legs.
	Taka frowned.  "Fine then," he thought.  He resumed 
circling, pacing himself, his breath going in and out 
rhythmically.  Then he took a short, quick breath.
	Muffy read the signs correctly and jumped back just in time.  
Taka pounced on empty grassland, his paws scrabbling for purchase.
	Ahadi nodded gravely but said nothing.
	Looking around, Taka saw Muffy smiling at him tauntingly.  
Baring his teeth angry, he began flailing at his brother wildly.  
Startled, Muffy methodically countered one blow after another, 
blocking Taka's sweeps with his forepaws.  With a guttural moan, 
Taka felt panic set in as he realized he was probably going to 
lose--again.  He glanced at Sarabi, trying to read her expression.
	That moment was all Muffy needed.  He cuffed Taka hard 
enough to tip him off balance.  Before Taka could draw in another 
breath, Muffy's heavy weight was bearing down on his chest, 
pinning him to the ground.  "Say uncle!"
	"No!" he gasped, fighting for air as he struggled futilely.  
Muffy was too strong for him.
	Taka struggled hard, but Muffy was too strong for him.
	"Say uncle!"
	"No!"
	Taka could not bear to be humiliated like this, not in front 
of Sarabi!  He saw Muffy's leg within reach of his jaws.
	"Say uncle!"
	"I--said--NO!"  His teeth buried themselves in Muffy's leg.  
As Mufasa jumped up, bellowing in pain, Taka darted out from under 
him and came out swinging with all of his might.  A forepaw struck 
Mufasa under the chin, making his teeth click together painfully.
	"Cut it out, Taka!"  Mufasa backed away, his forehead 
furrowed in anger.  "Don't make me get rough with you."
	"Give me your best shot," Taka whispers arrogantly.  "I know 
you're being careful with me.  After all, you're a real 
sweetheart."
	"And you're a real fool."  His eyes narrowed.  He closed 
with Taka, grappling.  Taka swung at his legs, trying to hook them 
out from under, but Muffy blocked the move quickly.  Circling 
again, Taka slid in and tried at another angle, only to meet the 
same result.  Fear crept in as he felt his strength waning.  In 
desperation, he cheated again, going for a leg hold with teeth 
bared.
	"No!"  Mufasa struck at him claws-out with all his might.  
Taka went sprawling to the ground.  "Try that again and I'll knock 
your fool head off!"
	Taka wobbled to his feet, took a couple of unsteady steps, 
and sat down again.  He rubbed his face with a paw.
	Sarabi wanted to rush over and comfort him, but she knew 
better.  It would make a bad situation worse.
	Muffy saw the look on Sarabi's face and thought about the 
promise.  He looked at Taka and saw the dazed expression on his 
face.  "Taka, are you OK?"
	"I'll live."  He rose unsteadily and shook his head.
	Ahadi sniffed of the cut on Muffy's leg.  He looked over at 
Taka and frowned.  "Some wrestling match."
	"He cheated," Elanna said.  "I saw him do it twice."
	Ignoring them, Taka paced away slowly, wincing at the 
throbbing in his cheek where Mufasa's powerful forepaw had struck 
him. He whacked at small stones with his powerful paw, muttering 
words his mother did not teach him under his breath.
	Wending his way around the face of Pride Rock, he lay down 
in his favorite resting place, on a ledge under a jutting overhang 
of granite which shaded him nicely.  With some trepidation, he 
raised a paw to his face and touched it gingerly. Bringing his 
forepaw before him, he was relieved to find no trace of blood.
	"Taka?"
	He glanced over to see Sarabi gracefully make her way onto 
the ledge with him.  He smiled listlessly.  "Hey, Sassie."
	She padded up to him, glaring. "Don't 'Hey, Sassie,' me. 
What did you think you were doing?!"
	His smile vanished quickly.  "What are you talking about?"
	"Were you trying to kill yourself?  Let me see your face." 
She started to examine the swollen cheek under his scarred left 
eye, but he jerked away.
	"Don't worry about me.  I would've won that stupid fight if 
he hadn't cheated."
	Her eyebrows lifted. "He cheated?  Taka, you bit his leg! 
I'm surprised he didn't knock your fool head off!"
	He narrowed his eyes, glaring at her.  "Yes, I appreciate 
the support, Sarabi." He added mockingly, "Oh, Muffy, take it easy 
on him, he's not strong like you are." He spat.  "I don't want him 
to LET me win, I want to BEAT him!  Just once, I'd like to be 
better at something!"
	"But you are better at something," she said.  "I don't want 
to see you get hurt, that's all."  Her voice wavered as she fought 
back tears.  "I'm sorry if my love is getting in the way of that 
tiff with your brother."  She turned and headed away.
	Taka froze. "Sassie, wait!"  He watched as her form 
continued away down the path.  "Oh, God, it's happening!" he 
cried.
	He ran after her, got out ahead and blocked her path.  
Sarabi stopped, startled.
	"I'm sorry!  Please, I'm sorry!"  He began to beg, pleading 
desperately.  Falling on his back, he pawed at her.  "I love you!  
Please don't leave me, Sassie!"
	She saw the sheer terror in his eyes, and felt the hair on 
the back of her neck stand up.  She forgot her anger.
	"I had to try and win," he stammered.  "If I lost all the 
time, you might not love me anymore.  I'm a loser, Sassie.  Not 
that I don't try."
	"Is your head full of dead grass?"  Sarabi took her paw and 
held up Taka's chin so that he looked her in the eyes.  "I love 
you because you're sweet and clever and very cute.  That won't 
change because Muffy beats you at wrestling."  She kissed him with 
her warm tongue and nuzzled him.  "I am a little disappointed that 
you cheated, though.  I've always thought you were above that."
	"Oh."  He didn't know whether he liked that remark, but he 
loved her.  Kissing her cheek, he said, "I'll love you till the 
day I die.  Longer, even.  They will see two stars side by side 
and know it is us."  Without shame, his eyes filled with tears.  
"My love must be stronger than fate itself if it's to survive.  My 
body may be weak, but Sassie, my heart is strong."
	"Taka, it's that prophesy again.  I can tell it.  When will 
you learn to trust me?"  She stroked his face with a paw.
	"I believe your goodness is so strong that you can beat this 
thing, but you heard the rest.  `He who is first to touch you 
shall beget your doom.'"  He looked down.  "Muffy was the first 
one to touch me.  He's going to kill me, Sassie."
	"That's foolish.  He loves you!"
	"You knew he was too strong for me.  We're gonna get in a 
fight one day, and he's going to lose his cool and kill me." He 
turned his gaze to the vast savanna which stretched before them.
	Sarabi was horrified. "Stop talking like that, you're 
scaring me!"  Moving close to him, she nuzzled his head gently. 
"Taka, maybe your head IS full of dead grass.  Muffy loves you.  
He needs you.  He's your brother.  Rafiki was wrong--even Makedde 
said so."
	Taka half smiled.  "Yeah, he did, didn't he!  You really 
think we can beat this thing?  The three of us?"
	She kissed his cheek gently. "Of course." She rose, 
switching her tail. "You stay here and rest, Taka. I'll be back in 
a minute."
	"Okay." He lay his head on his forepaws slowly and shut his 
eyes.
	Sarabi hurried down the path to where it joined the 
promontory at the front of Pride Rock.  Padding across its smooth 
surface, she entered the cool recesses of the main cave. As her 
eyes adjusted, she saw Mufasa sitting nearby, licking his wound 
gingerly.
	"Muffy, I must talk to you."
	"Sure."  He smiled at her.
	"It's about Taka."
	His face fell.  "Hey, I tried to go easy on him, but when he 
bit me, I saw red."
	"I know, and I'm not upset with you."
	She sighed.  "It's that prophesy again."
	"You two had another fight?"
	"No.  Well, yes, but that's beside the point."  She sighed 
again.  "Don't be upset, Muffy, but you know that business about 
the one that touched him first bringing about his doom?"
	"Yes.  But...."  Mufasa's eyes broadened.  "Oh gods, don't 
tell me he thinks I'm going to whack him??"
	She looked at him closely.  "You wouldn't, would you?  
Promise?"
	"For gods' sake!"  He blinked at her, surprised.  "Of course 
I promise!  He's my brother!"  He shook his head.  "What AM I 
going to do with him, Sassie?"
	"Tell him.  He needs to hear it from you more than anyone 
else."
	Nodding, he started away.
	Poor Mufasa wanted to ask his parents for help, but the 
whole thing embarrased him too badly.  He resigned himself to 
handling Taka "the usual way," which meant humoring his moods, no 
matter how ridiculous they are, and being careful to remind him 
that he's loved.
	He finally got his chance later that day.
	Taka was resting on the end of the promontory.  It was his 
favorite place to sulk when he felt like the whole world was out 
to get him.  The scale of the view helped put his problems into 
perspective in the great pagent of life.
	"Taka?"
	"What?"  Taka didn't bother to turn around.
	"I just saw Sassie."
	Taka turned around that time.  "What did she say??"
	"Not much."  Muffy tried to keep his tail from twitching. 
Apparently he was successful.  "She was upset.  She looked a 
little depressed, so I asked her what was up."
	"Oh gods, here it comes."  Taka drooped.
	"She was watching us fight, and she thought about the 
prophesy.  You know, the part about the first one that touched you 
would begat your doom."
	"Oh?"  Taka gave him his undivided attention.  "And what did 
you tell her?"
	Mufasa smiled, but a tear rolled down his cheek.  "I told 
her you're my brother.  I'm sorry I hit you so hard.  You bit me, 
and I went crazy.  You know we both love you, Sassie and I.  She 
worries about you.  In fact, she's always telling me how she's 
going to marry you when you get older."  Mufasa swallowed a sudden 
lump in his throat. "You don't know how lucky you are, Taka.  I 
got the kingdom, but you got Sassie."
	Taka smiled at him, a real smile, now.  "Yeah, I guess I am. 
She's really beautiful, isn't she?"
	Unable to reply, Mufasa merely nodded.
	Taka looked at him closely.  "Why Muffy, you're jealous.."
	"Come off it."
	"No, you really are."  Taka smiled an amused smile.  "Gods!  
You're jealous of me!  And all this time.."  He rose briskly, 
stretched his legs, and came running over to Muffy.  He nuzzled 
him and put his forearm around Mufasa's shoulder.  "You must think 
I'm crazy."
	"No.  Well, not much."
	"Sometimes I feel crazy.  Dad always has it all together.  
He always knows the score."  A tear ran down Taka's face.  "Help 
me fight this thing, Muffy.  If the three of us work hard, we can 
beat the prophesy.  We can.  You're good inside; so is Sassie.  
We've got to be good to beat it."
	Muffy swallowed hard, then said, "Don't worry.  We'll be 
really good."

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