CHAPTER:  KICKING A DEAD HORSE

	The first cooperative hunt was a disaster.  Now Taka did not ask 
her but TOLD her to give the hyenas another chance.  To make it worse, 
Uzuri's plea for Ber to lead the hyenas fell on deaf ears.  Taka 
deferred to Shenzi in the matter, and she wanted Pipkah to remain in 
charge.
	Apparently the little creep was a better liar than he was a 
hunter.
	Uzuri had little choice but to accept Taka's decision, but she was 
going to make it quite clear to Pipkah that THIS time he would wait for 
her signal to close in.  
	Just as she was thinking of a diplomatic way to make her point, 
Pipkah swaggered up to her with a couple of large hyena guards.  "Your 
advice got us into this mess, and it's up to me to get us out.  This 
time I plan the strategy, Toots."
	Uzuri looked at him speechlessly.
	He continued.  "Shenzi and Taka have the utmost of confidence in 
my abilities when I'm allowed to do what I do best."
	"If that's irritating me, you have succeeded beautifully...."
	"This is an outrage!"
	"....and NEVER call me Toots!"
	Uzuri was ready to explode.  She looked over at her sister 
Sarafina, searching for the right words to vent her feelings.  
Frustrated and inarticulate, she struck the ground with a paw.  "Look, 
Sis.  You deal with this--PERSON--while I take a walk to clear my head."  
She turned and started off.
	"You'd better take a mighty long walk," Pipkah called after her.
	She whipped about and snarled.  "I warn you, Pip Squeak--you don't 
have enough friends to keep me from ripping your leg off and jamming it 
down your throat!"
	"Now Sis," Sarafina purred soothingly.  "Don't threaten him like 
that."  She patted Pipkah on the head with a paw, none too gently.  "He 
might lose his concentration in the hunt and have an unfortunate 
accident."  She winked in clear view of Pipkah and Uzuri winked back.
	Pipkah's ears went back and his jaw trembled.  "Holy Roh'kash, you 
can do without me or my plan!  I always said it was a mistake to trust 
your kind!  Didn't I, boys??  Accident indeed!"  He slinked away, 
looking over his shoulder uneasily.  "The Roh'mach will hear about 
this!"
	

CHAPTER:  OUT OF BOUNDS

	Taka was a lion who inspired pity for a while, then contempt and 
finally anger.  Uzuri had pitied him once.  She had reached the stage of 
contempt during his difficult adolescence.  Now she had reached the 
point of anger, a white hot anger that could swallow up the moon and the 
sun and make the rivers run red with blood.  She was headed to the 
eastern meadow, ready to leave and never come back.
	Being hunt mistress was her sense of belonging, her identity.  
Uzuri was beautiful, but she always saw herself first as a good provider 
and a leader.  That night by siding with Pipkah, Taka had stripped her 
of all she held dear.  She felt naked and ashamed and very angry.  If he 
did not appreciate her talents, she would find someone who did.  
	Uzuri had no idea where she would go.  Indeed, the world beyond 
the Pride Lands was unknown to her and fraught with danger.  The 
intimate knowledge of her home that made her such a fearsome huntress 
would be gone.  She would see only what was in front of her nose.
	As she calmed down, her reckless courage failed her and she felt 
very vulnerable and small.  Could she leave her sister Sarafina and 
young Nala?  Could she spurn Ajenti's sage wisdom, Beesa's compassion 
and Yolanda's gentle advice?  And then came the terrible thought of 
losing Rafiki's matchless devotion.
	She realized she could never turn her back on those she loved.  
And the void her anger left behind filled with fear.  Glancing about, 
she saw a large pair of eyes glowing in the moonlight.  
	"Oh gods, no!"
	She backed back.  It was a male lion!  She turned and started to 
run.
	"No, wait!"
	"Leave me alone!"  She ran madly toward her territory and safety.
	"Please, come back!  I'm not going to hurt you!"
	"Leave me alone!"
	She ran blindly into some hedges and got tangled.  It only stopped 
her forward progress for a moment, but that was long enough for him to 
catch up.  
	"I'm too old for this," he complained, wheezing.  "Are you all 
right?"
	"I'll protect myself!" she snarled defensively.  "Let me go!  I 
don't want to cause trouble, but I'll fight if I have to!"
	"I don't want you to fight," the lion said soothingly.  "You came 
on my land and almost walked into me.  Won't you at least introduce 
yourself?"
	"Sorry," she said stiffly.  "I'm Uzuri.  Glad to meet you.  Can I 
go now?"
	"Sure you can," he said gently.  "Run away if you must, but don't 
tell them I harmed you.  At least tell them the truth, and be sure you 
get my name right."
	"I don't know your name."
	"You never asked me.  I'm Ugas."  He smiled bashfully.
	"I'm sorry.  I'm not always this rude--uh--Ugas."  She relaxed.  
"Are you the King here or a rogue lion?"
	"I'm King here."  He drew near enough to reach out and touch her 
with a paw but he made no move to do so.  His large, beautiful eyes 
swept over her face in a search for understanding.  "Uzuri, you look 
depressed.  Is everything quite all right?"
	"I'm fine.  Just fine."
	"Your words say you are fine, but I see something in the way 
you're standing, the set of your ears, even the way you look at me.  
It's as if your whole being is crying out for help."  He sat like a 
sphinx and began to idly groom his mane and said matter-of-factly, "You 
were thinking of running away."
	"How did you....says who??"
	"Don't be upset, my dear."  He smiled pleasantly.  "You can 
confide in me.  That's the best part of meeting a stranger--you can say 
anything that comes to your mind.  I've lived a long life--maybe I'll 
have the answer you're looking for."
	"No, it's nothing, thank you."  She licked her paw nervously but 
looked into Ugas' eyes and his warm, fatherly smile.  "Well, yes," she 
said at last.  It felt good to admit it.  "Our King is dead and now his 
brother is ruling the Pride Lands.  I'm sure he means well, but 
he's...."
	"But you can't stand him.  Mufasa was a good friend.  Scar 
is...how shall I put this...acting like himself."  He shrugged.  "So are 
the rumors true?  Are hyenas really living on Pride Rock?"
	"Yes!  Oh gods, it's awful!"
	"And terribly unfair to you, hunt mistress.  I hear your first 
joint effort was a disaster."
	"It sure was!"  She gasped.  "How did you know that??"
	"I have eyes and ears all over.  Even Zazu."  He saw her 
expression of shock, but only nodded and began to examine his claws.  
"Don't look so surprised.  His mother lives here, and she's a first-
class gossip.  And then Mufasa used to always do border patrol with me 
before `IT' happened."
	"You walked the line together?"
	"He'd nod at me, and I'd nod at him.  He never said much, but when 
he did speak, it was always something worth hearing.  And the first day 
he wasn't there, I had this horrible emptiness inside."  He sighed.  "I 
didn't realize Simba was dead too, not for several days.  Taka didn't 
tell me anything, and Zazu hasn't been back."
	Uzuri hung her head.  Tears began to run down her cheeks.
	"You poor dear thing," Ugas purred, reaching up with a paw and 
wiping her face.
	She looked into his gentle eyes and saw genuine compassion.  "You 
really liked Mufasa, didn't you?"
	"Yes.  And the child, too, for I have no son of my own.  I used to 
think Mufasa was so lucky."  A tear slid down his cheek.  "You're a 
parent.  Surely you understand."
	"I understand, but I'm not a parent."
	"You're not??"  He looked surprised.  "As beautiful as you are?"
	She looked down, embarrassed.  "You flatter me."
	"Oh no, my dear.  You are beautiful.  And when you cry, the beauty 
goes all the way through."  He lifted her chin with a paw and looked 
into her sad eyes.  "I bet a smile would have the same effect."
	"I don't have any smiles left."
	Ugas kissed away the new tears.  "You pierce my heart with a 
thorn, child.  Taka is so full of hate--I've seen it when he walks the 
border.  He glares at me and shouts, `This land is mine!  You want it, 
but you'll never have it!'"  He nuzzled her.  "There is no hate in me, 
Uzuri.  Come with me and I'll see if I can find a few smiles left.  Meet 
the others--they could be your pride sisters."  He watched for her 
reaction, but when she said nothing, he added, "I'm offering you 
freedom, my dear.  Freedom and friendship."
	"You're very kind, but not now.  I have family there."
	"Bring them with you.  Don't go back to Taka--it's not safe while 
he's there."
	"Thank you, but it's my home.  There's more at stake than family 
and friends.  You understand, don't you?"
	"Yes.  Do what you feel you must."
	She sighed.  "Well, it's time for me to make my report.  You're 
such a kind lion, Aiheu would listen to your prayers.  Say a prayer for 
me."
	Ugas nodded.  "I will.  Take care of yourself, dear."
	"Thank you, Your Majesty."
	"Call me Ugas," he said, rising and touching her cheek with his 
nose, then kissing her lightly.  "Come back to me."
	"When?"
	"Any time you want to see me.  Any time at all.  That goes for 
your friends as well."
	She felt of his cheek with a paw.  "Yes, I might just do that."


CHAPTER: FAMILY TIES

	Ugas hummed to himself as he trotted through the grass.  His mind 
wandered back to Uzuri and the short time they shared, and he smiled 
despite himself.  "Lovely Uzuri," he thought dreamily, "what was Aiheu 
thinking when he fashioned you?  Was he singing his favorite song?  Was 
he in a good mood?"
	Ugas had known many lionesses over the course of his life, but 
there was something about this one.  The way she looked at him made him 
want to frisk about like a cub.  He closed his eyes and summoned up the 
image of her face again.  "Uzuri," he whispered.  
	He tried to imagine what her smile was like, but her pervasive 
sadness was too strong.  "I will make you smile," he thought.  "I'll 
devote my life to it.  The magic of your smile would cheat death itself, 
and I'd be young again!"
	"Daydreaming again, you old goat?!"
	Ugas started and opened his eyes to see the lioness glaring at him 
through the scrub bushes that lined the path he had been following.  
"Adhama, what are you doing here?"
	"Making sure you do your sentry duty this time."  She emerged from 
the cover and stood face to face with him.  "I found hyena tracks not 
twenty lengths from our kopje last night, Ugas!  What have you been 
doing out here, napping??"
	He drew himself up to his full height, his neck arching in 
indignation.  "You know full well I was patrolling!  If it wasn't for 
me, Sis, this pride wouldn't even exist!"
	"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!"

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