Reverently he whispered the words of an old tale: “Look, my King, the cub has returned a lion.” He turned and looked at the painting of Simba. He reached out and put his fingertips on it and they began to tingle. His hand started shaking. “Simba?? He's--he’s alive? He he- He's alive!! ” He laughed loud and wonderfully. “It is time! ” Trying to control his shaking hands, he picked up some red ochre and hastily daubed a mane on the painting. “Krull, come quickly! ”
The hyena arrived seconds later. He saw the radiant face of Rafiki and smiled, genuinely pleased. “Yes??”
“I need an escort.” He drew close and gave Krull an affectionate pat. “Listen carefully, ” he whispered. “The time has come when you will see the power of Aiheu strike like a mighty thunderclap. You will be blessed for your acts, even if they are against your will.”
“Against my will?” Krull said. “The old vow by Roh’kash means nothing to me. Through you I have come to know Aiheu, and I have given my life to him. I am his servant now.”
Rafiki beamed with joy. “Today is twice blessed. They call you Krull, which in your tongue means flint, but I call you Uhuru, which means peace.” Rafiki took his staff and said, “There is a long journey ahead, my friend. We will not return alone.”
“Where do we head, my Lord?”
“Into the wind, Uhuru. We go to the King! ”
SCENE: SHENZI’S PLAN
A couple of days later, all the hyena guard knew of Rafiki’s escape. But afraid for their own safety, they said nothing to the others. All visitors were turned away, even the very ill, and suspicion began to build that someone had murdered the mandrill secretly and eaten him. Indeed, with the scarcity of food, it was not a foolish notion. Uzuri’s son Kombi was lost, and for the longest two hours of her life, she expected to find the remains of her dead child as she searched the Pride Lands. When she found Kombi digging in a termite mound, she cuffed him, then kissed him, and cried. “You must never wander off again. It is not safe anymore.” Indeed, most lionesses felt that way, and had taken to sleeping lightly with a paw across their children.
A couple of hyenas came privately to Elanna.
“What are you doing here?”
“Hsssh! ” Bot’la came to her side and whispered in her ear. “My lady, this is urgent. But you must not tell the King.”
“What is this coming and going that you don’t tell the King?”
“I have a mate, ” Bot’la of the hyenas said. “I’ll level with you—we love our mates and pups as much as you. We have feelings too.”
“So?”
“So…” He whispered even more lowly. “You are the one that loves Scar.”
“Taka, ” she said indignantly.
“Keep it down, please! ” The sound of his voice startled him, and the Bot’la winced. “You love him. You know in your heart no one else does.”
“This is treason.”
“OK, so it’s treason. Fine. But even though we don’t care a whit for Taka, it so happens my friend and I feel differently about you. Your care for him is—well—almost hyena-like. I think you deserve a break, so I’m going to let you have it straight. If you want to help your husband, you’ll listen to me.”
Elanna nodded. “Speak freely.”
“It is not mine to say. But that Rafiki, the ape that Taka hates so much, has shown me things. Awful things. He’s sworn to protect the rightful King, the son of Ahadi--he will not break a vow to his God. And he’s almost foaming at the mouth with fear, for disaster waits for the Pride Lands and no one listens to him. Such awful things, but so easy to avoid if only someone who bends the King’s ear will act quickly.”
“What things?”
“I have sworn not to repeat what I saw, ” Bot’la said. “Such words even in speaking can cause mischief. Rafiki has made a good faith effort to undo the evil he has loosed. You must be the voice of reason. You must influence your husband.”
“Do you realize what you are saying?”
“Yes. If things meet their appointed course, all of us will die. The land is sick. The water is gone. And there is worse—madness and despair. I don’t want to die, Elanna. I don’t want my family to die. And I feel I don’t want you to die, either.”
Elanna was silent for a moment. “How will I get out of here?”
“We have arranged that. Follow us and we will take you to him.”
She nodded. “You’re right.” She began to cry. “I thought we had no friends, but you are good, Bot’la. I can see God’s mercy in you, so I know now there must be a God.”
Bot’la winced as if a sharp thorn had been driven through his heart, but he quickly hid it. He led her out of the cave and down the side with utmost silence and care. And by skirting the cistern and euphorbias, they made it away from Pride Rock and into the tall grass.
She was unaware that Rafiki was long gone to search for Simba. All she knew is that some kind souls are cloaked in different hides. Somewhere, somehow, they will sit with the great kings of the past.
She was not worried when her small body guard of two became four. But she didn’t know whether to feel flattered or frightened when two more joined ranks and suddenly there were six. She didn’t have that many friends, much less Taka.
Behind the south kopje, four more hyenas fell in line. It was then her heart sank. She was headed away from the baobab, and not to hide her from her husband’s watchful eyes. They had turned toward the desolate lands, the appropriate place where poor Ahadi and Akase went to meet their God together. Now she would die without family or friends.
“Forgive me, Aiheu. Forgive me that I have loved him, but o gods, how I loved him. Bless my poor husband and comfort him in his hour of grief.”
One of the hyenas went “Hssssh! At least try to die with dignity.”
“My dignity before the gods is intact. Worry about your own—you bring ten hunters to kill one lioness.”
“Silence! ” Bot’la commanded. He added with some regret. “I don’t enjoy this. We’re just trying to save ourselves and our families. You can understand that.”
Then back at Pride Rock there was a tremendous shout. Bot’la looked back. There was a fire at the rock. Lions roared, and hyenas screamed with rage and pain.
“The war is on! ” He looked at Elanna and thought for a moment. Finally Bot’la said, “This is our land now. Get out.”
Elanna hurried away from the hyenas. The guard headed back to Pride Rock to fight the last battle. “Death or glory, lads! Out with the lions! ”
SCENE: IT’S HAPPENING AGAIN
At the climax of the battle for Pride Rock, Taka was struck such a blow from Simba that he tumbled from the lower promontory. He fell injured at the base, but still alive.
Waiting for him were Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. They looked very displeased. Taka tried to move, but one of his legs was broken and his ribs were cracked.
“Ahh, my friends.”
“Friends?” Shenzi sneered. “I thought he said we were the enemy! ”
“Yeah, that's what I heard, ” Banzai said. “Ed?”
Ed laughed.
Taka trembled. “No. Le-Le-Let me explain. No. You don't understand. No! I didn't mean for... No, No! Look, I’m sorry I called you... No! No! ” They closed in on him.
“Oh gods! Oh my gods, it’s the dream! Wake me, Elanna! It’s happening again! ”
“Wake me, Elanna! ” sneered Shenzi. “It’s happening again! ” Scar was frozen, unable to resist. She closed her powerful jaws on his throat and crushed his windpipe. He struggled for only a second, then shuddered and fell limp, nearly crushing her underneath.