The Spirit Quest: Part 18


SCENE 50:  REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE

	As they picked their way through the jungle, Fabana stumbled over 
a vine for what seemed like the thousandth time.  "Where are you GOING?"
The answer proved disturbing to say the least. Rafiki was led by 
something ambiguous; a voice might tell him to turn here; a sign in the 
gnarled wood of a tree compelled him to go around an obstacle instead of 
over it.  This was disconcerting to Uhuru and Fabana, who were used to 
tracking real smells, sights and sounds.  Fabana lost her paitence when 
the mandrill stopped for a moment, closed his eyes, then pointed.  "That 
way."
	"Oh wise one, shouldn't you keep your eyes OPEN when tracking?!"  
she snapped.
	Rafiki glanced around at her, grinning.  "Sights and sounds are 
more of a distraction.  They drown out good judgment."
	"Good judgement seems to be seriously lacking, here!"
	Uhuru stepped in front of her.  "You speak from ignorance.  You 
should see what he's capable of!"
	"That's exactly what I'm afraid of."  She sighed and followed 
them.
	Presently, Rafiki called them to a halt.  "We are close now.  You 
must stay behind."
	Fabana shook her head, inscensed, and Uhuru balked.  "Why have we 
come all this way to stop now?"
	"Uhuru, you are my brother in truth.  My heart wants you by my 
side, but I know in my head that you must not interfere, for your 
training is incomplete.  Fabana, you want to plead your case before 
Simba.  I must do this for you, my dear.  I will try to protect Taka, 
but I must not interfere with the justice of the gods."
	He sat down.  From a gourd, he took some saffron yellow seeds.  "I 
must be careful while I mix this.  No talking please."
	"What is it?" Uhuru asked.
	Rafiki half laughed.  "It's so funny, you know.  Every time I tell 
someone `no talking please,' they answer me with a question?"  He slyly 
winked at the hyena to show there were no hard feelings.  "This will put 
me in closer touch with the spirit realm.  But it is very powerful.  Too 
little and all I have are side effects.  Too much and I will convulse 
and die.  This other package contains an emetic.  If I convulse or fall 
down, I may not be able to take the dose.  You will have to hold me up 
and dump the entire dose in my mouth, then give me plenty of water.  Got 
that, Uhuru?"
	"Yes, teacher."  Uhuru looked at him puzzled.  "What side 
effects?"
	"Oh, you'll know.  It either makes me giddy or terribly depressed.  
Let's begin with a prayer for guidance."
	Uhuru and Fabana laid on the ground belly-up and reached out to 
paw at the sky, then they got up and faced the sky.  This was a pious 
act among hyenas.  Rafiki got down on his knees, then touched his 
forehead to the ground.  "Oh Mano, I touch your mane!  Oh Minshasa, I 
kiss your brow!  Hear the cry of your cub in the night!  Hear the prayer 
of one who needs your love!"
	"Yes, Father!  Yes Mother!" Uhuru shouted in the ecstacy of 
prayer.  "Favorites of Aiheu, friends in distress!"
	"Bless our undertaking," Rafiki said.  "Not for our sakes, but for 
those whom we serve."
	"Let us not trust in our own wisdom, which is foolishness," Uhuru 
cried fervently.
	"We summon you from the halls of the righteous."
	Rafiki rose, rubbed Uhuru between the ears affectionately, then 
took the yellow seeds, counted out eighteen of them carefully, counted 
again to be sure, then combined it with a paste of Tiko root to keep it 
from coming back up.  "To the gods and good friends," he said, downing 
the mixture.
	The bitterness, even through the tiko root, made him cringe.  His 
breath reeked of mint.  "Oh, what a hard kick!"  He reached for some 
water and drank it quickly.  "Ycch!"
	"Are you all right?" Fabana said.
	"I think so."  He rubbed his head.  "It has been a while since I 
last did this.  But I think it was not too unpleasant, at least till it 
was over, then boy oh boy what a headache!"  He half laughed.  "Imagine 
me, a shaman, not thinking to lay in a stock of cure-all, the most 
common perscription!  What a fool I was--a stupid fool!"  He laughed.  
"I won't soon forget!"  He patted the gourd affectionately.  "Yes sir-
ee.  No WAY I'm running out THIS time!  I got a big bunch!  BIGGY-big!"
	"That's good," Uhuru said, warily.  "How are you feeling now?"
	"Fine, and how are you, my friend?"  Rafiki laughed.  "I hope this 
takes effect soon.  I don't have all day."
	"Oh I think it's coming along nicely."
	Rafiki looked about, and gradually he could percieve that they 
were anything but alone.  Restless spirits wandered the savanna.  A herd 
of wildebeests that only he could see.  A leopard stalking past him with 
an intent look.  Two lion cubs wrestling in the grass, laughing.  In the 
distance, a couple of animals Rafiki could not recognize.  A Sabretooth 
came close by, very leonine but with enormous fangs.  She did not look 
at him or even seem to acknowledge his existance at first.  But as the 
drug took full effect, he said, "Greetings, Pride sister!"
	She looked about, startled.  "Oue khuch?  Ghash'ee spumu kio?"
	"Do you understand me?"
	She tilted her head in puzzlement.  "What sayest thou?  Thou art 
earthen, and yet thou seest me?"
	"Yes.  You must not be from around here."
	"This was my land.  Now our noble line is lost.  No more do our 
cubs nurse at their mother's side."
	"That's very sad."  He began to cry.  "You're so beautiful!"  
Rafiki fell to his knees.  "So sad, so sad!"
	The cat nodded gravely.  "Good manners are not extinct.  Peace be 
with thee."
	Uhuru came to him and shook him.  "Are you all right?"
	"Why of course I am!"  Rafiki got up and dusted off his knees.  
"You think I am old, perchance?  I'll have you know there's a lot of 
wear and tear left in this old body!"  He straightened with pride.  "My 
whiskers may be white, but I can still pick you up!"
	When Rafiki started toward him, Uhuru backed back.  "I don't think 
that's a good idea."
	"Nonsense!"  Rafiki laughed.  "I'm small but wiry!  Here, let me 
show you."
	"He's right," a lioness voice said.  "It's not a good idea."
	Rafiki turned and looked at the cloud white lioness.  Her crystal 
eyes regarded him intently.
	"Mother Minshasa!"  Rafiki fell before her, grovelled, kissed her 
paws, and then rose and hugged her neck.  "Favored child of Aiheu!"
	Minshasa touched him with her tongue.  Uhuru and Fabana could not 
see her, but they did see Rafiki leaning out at an angle, resting on 
empty air.  The fur on their backs stood on end.
	"My dearest angel," Rafiki stammered.  "When this is over, take me 
away with you.  I want to be one of your cubs.  Kiss me again, and call 
me your own, and I will bless you forever!"  He hugged her again.  "Tell 
me stories about the long-toothed lioness.  That was so sad!"
	"The drug has rattled your good sense," Minshasa said, pushing him 
with a paw.  "Get a grip on yourself."
	"Whatever you say, dearest."
	"Follow me."
	"Anywhere, my angel."
	"And that's enough of that," Minshasa said firmly.  "Try to hold 
yourself together till this is over.  Then you may sweet talk me all you 
want."
	Minshasa led him away from his friends.  She took him to a tree 
and looked up.  "From there, you will be able to see him."
	Excited, Rafiki kissed her again.  "Thank you, mother of light!"  
He climbed from branch to branch, looking through the leaves and across 
the grass.  He spotted Simba pacing in a field.  The lion was splendid 
in stature and grace, crowned with a beautiful mane.  While he had some 
of his father's looks, his face was slender and shapely like his 
mother's.  "Ooooh!"  Rafiki looked down at Minshasa who waited silently 
at the base of the tree.  "Isn't he something!"  She silently nodded.
	"Shhh!  Listen closely, Rafiki."
	Simba was talking to himself.  "She's wrong," he said.  "I can't 
go back.  What would it prove, anyway? It won't change anything. You 
can't change the past."
	"Who's wrong?" Rafiki asked Minshasa.
	"Nala.  She's asked him to come back.  Now listen!"
	Simba looked up at the stars.  "You said you'd always be there for 
me! But you're not.  And it's because of me. It's my fault. It's my 
fault!"  Simba bowed his head, choking back tears.
	"The poor thing!" Rafiki whispered.  "I must cheer him up!"  
Rafiki didn't know what to say, so he thought to break into a rhyme to 
get Simba's attention.  It was one Wandani often used in blind tag.
	"Asante sana, squash banana! We we nugu, mi mi apana!"
	Simba glanced at him, annoyed.  To have looked Simba in the eyes 
again so thrilled Rafiki that he thought he would jump out of his hide!
	Simba left, and Rafiki followed.  When the lion settled down on a 
log that crossed a small pond, Rafiki tossed a rock.  He was still good 
with his pitching, and the rock landed in the water right in front of 
him.  Rafiki hustled up a nearby tree to avoid a nasty claws-out swipe 
he felt he deserved.  But Simba only looked up.
	"Asante sana, squash banana!  We we nugu, mi mi apana!"
	"Come on," Simba said.  "Will you cut it out!"
	Rafiki laughed, jumping up and down.  "Can't cut it out.  It'll 
grow right back!"  He giggled at his own joke.  Minshasa looked up at 
him.  "When I cut it out, it won't grow back!  Now behave yourself!"
	Trying to tone himself down, Rafiki followed Simba as he left the 
log and travelled on.  Simba looked back and saw it was a mandrill and 
corban.  He decided not to act on his feelings of annoyance by turning 
his pest into a meal.
	"Creepy little monkey.  Will you stop following me?  Who are you?"
	Rafiki rushed to him.  Got right in his face.  "The question is: 
who are YOU?"
	Simba was taken aback, but he sighed.  "I thought I knew.  Now, 
I'm not so sure."
	"Well I know who you are.  Shhh.  Come here.  It's a secret."  He 
pulled Simba's head over to whisper.  "Asante sana, squash banana!  We 
we nugu, mi mi apana!"  He laughed.
	"Enough already!"  Simba looked puzzled.  "What's that supposed to 
mean, anyway?"
	"It means you are a baboon--and I'm not!"
	"I think you're a little confused."
	"Wrong!  I'm not the one who's confused.  You don't even know who 
you are!"
	Simba began to rankle.  "Oh, and I suppose you know?"
	"Sure do.  You're Mufasa's boy."  Rafiki smiled at the effect that 
had on him, and he skipped away.
	"Hey, wait!"
	Simba chased him across the grassland.  Finally he reached Rafiki 
who sat in meditation on a rock.
	"You knew my father?"
	Rafiki turned only his eyes.  "Correction.  I KNOW your father."
	Simba looked down.  Painfully he said, "I hate to tell you this, 
but...."  He caught a tear before it could show.  "....he died.  A long 
time ago."
	Rafiki became agitated.  He leaped off the rock and headed toward 
the trees.  "Nope.  Wrong again!  Ha ha ha!  He's alive!  And I'll show 
him to you.  You follow old Rafiki--he knows the way.  Come on!"
	With an energy that could only be an effect of the powerful herbs 
in his blood, the old mandrill spryly swung through, around, and over 
the branches and bushes.  Simba struggled to keep up with his large 
bulk.
	Rafiki laughed, easily outpacing the lion.  Suddenly he stopped 
and put his hand up in Simba's face.  "STOP!"
	He motioned Simba to some nearby reeds.  "Shhh!"  He parted the 
reeds and pointed with his staff.  "Look down there."
	Simba worked his way to the edge of a pool of water where he saw 
his reflection.  He peered at it intently for a moment, then sighed with 
disappointment.  "That's not my father.  That's just my reflection."
	"No," Rafiki said intently.  "Look harder."
	The mandrill made moves over the water.  He struggled to 
concentrate despite the giddiness of the drug.  His love of Simba came 
out fully and focused him.  The water rippled, breaking Simba's 
reflection into tiny bits of color.  The colors then resolved to form 
Mufasa's face.
	"You see?  He lives in you."
	Simba stared at the picture.  While he was staring spellbound, 
Rafiki took a large thorn from his staff, and gritting his teeth, jabbed 
it into his palm.  He stifled a cry as the red drops of blood fell into 
the water.
	His sacrifice was accepted.  The wind began to pick up, and upon 
the clouds came one of the Nisei--Mufasa!  He was immense, but the light 
of love in his eyes was reassuring.
	"Simba," he said quietly.
	"Father?"
	"Simba, you have forgotten me."
	Simba was wounded.  "No!  How could I?"
	Mufasa was stern.  "You have forgotten who you are, and so have 
forgotten me."  He looked a little more kindly but kept his reproachful 
tone.  "Look inside yourself, Simba.  You are more than what you have 
become.  You must take your place in the Circle of Life."
	"How can I go back?  I'm not who I used to be."
	Mufasa drew near.  The light of his love filled Simba with awe and 
grief.  "Remember who you are.  You are my son, and the one true king.  
Remember who you are."
	Mufasa began to retreat, and as he did so, his image faded.  Simba 
ran after him.
	"No!  Please!  Don't leave me!"
	"Remember," Mufasa intoned.
	"Father!"
	"Remember."
	In anguish, Simba cried, "Don't leave me!"  But it was no use.  He 
was gone.  The lion trembled.
	Rafiki drew alongside.  "What was THAT!"  He laughed.  "The 
weather.  Pfft!  Very peculiar, don't you think?"
	"Yeah.  Looks like the winds are changing."
	"Ah, change is good."
	"Yeah, but it's not easy.  I know what I have to do.  But going 
back means I'll have to face my past."  He recoiled.  "I've been running 
from it for so long."
	Rafiki looked at him with a devilish grin.  He whacked Simba on 
the head with his staff.
	"Ow!  Jeez, what was that for?"
	"It doesn't matter.  It's in the past!"  He laughed at his clever 
example.
	"Yeah, but it still hurts."
	"Oh yes, the past can hurt.  But the way I see it, you can either 
run from it, or...learn from it."  He took another swing at Simba, but 
this time the lion ducked down.  "Ha, you see!  So what are you going to 
do?"
	Simba couldn't resist the opening.  "First, I'm gonna take your 
stick."  He batted the staff out of Rafiki's hand with a sudden swipe.
	"No, no, no, no!  Not the stick!"
	When he bent down to reclaim his staff, Simba hurried off.
	"Hey, where are you going?"
	Simba shouted, "I'm going back!"
	"Good!  Go on!  Get out of here!"  He laughed, giddy with his 
success.
	Minshasa drew up next to him.  "You did it, honey tree!"
	"I did it?  We did it!"
	"Your humility serves you well."
	"Your kindness serves you well."  He hugged her around the neck.  
"Oh gods, oh gods!  Can he really set things right?"
	"Don't worry, my child."  She nuzzled him and kissed his cheek.  
"Breathe in deeply."
	Rafiki took in a deep breath.  As he did, she blew softly in his 
face.  The scent of wild honey filled his lungs, and his head began to 
clear.  "Oh, my lady, do it again!"  Rafiki took another deep breath and 
felt the odd excitement run out of him.  "Oh yes, that's better!"
	He looked down.  "All those things I said to you.  I'm so sorry.  
I mean, all that mushy goo...."
	"Look at me in the eyes when you say that," Minshasa said softly.  
"You would never say something you didn't mean because of a herb.  No, 
it just loosened your tongue more than you would have liked."  
	"Well, perhaps."
	She purred and began to nuzzle and groom his face.  "Perhaps?"
	The colored patches on Rafiki's cheeks showed a deep blush.  "My 
lady, I must remind myself that you are not an ordinary lioness."
	"There are no ordinary lionesses," Minshasa said.  "There are no 
ordinary mandrills, either."  Minshasa lay in the grass.  One last time 
she blew on him, dissolving his tensions like dry earth dissolves in 
spring rains.  "Rest here, good and faithful servant."
	Rafiki lay his head on her side and closed his eyes.  Moments 
later he fell peacefully asleep with her as a pillow, a gentle smile on 
his face.
	Uhuru and Fabana showed up.  "Hey Rafiki," he said.  "Did you see 
that lion in the clouds?"
	Minshasa looked right at them.  They caught sight of her, and 
Fabana and Uhuru fell before her and grovelled.
	"Shhh, he's asleep!" Minshasa said.  She smiled at Uhuru and made 
a kissing sign with the tip of her tongue.  "Your prayers are a warm cub 
snuggled under my chin."
	Uhuru looked at Fabana.  His eyes were shining.  "Isn't she 
wonderful, Fabana?"
	"My gods," she mouthed, but no sound came out.  



SCENE 51:  THE STRUGGLE

	The fight upon Pride Rock was a horrible thing to behold.  
Lightning flashed and thunder ripped across the sky as Rafiki sought for 
a desperate foothold.  High above him, Simba and Taka grappled, snarling 
and snapping savagely at each other as they fought for dominance.
	The two traded powerful blows, each striving to undo the other.  
Simba struck out, but Taka blocked his swing and countered, sending the 
younger lion sliding across the flat peak to the edge.
	Lightning flashed again, and Rafiki felt the air about him 
shimmering and roiling, like the air over the desert at highsun.  A 
twisting, rippling shape flitted in and out of his vision, hovering over 
Taka like a ghostly thundercloud.
	"Makei," Rafiki grated.  The ground thrummed under his feet.  
Slowly reaching up, he clapsed the makeshift locket he wore around his 
neck.  Always warm to the touch, it flared brightly now, full of its own 
inner heat as he held it in his fist.  Gripping the thong, he placed a 
rock in the pouch to weight it down and began to twirl it about his 
head, the light making a glowing circle that lit his face, the 
scintillating light flickering over his aged and lined features, now set 
in determination.
	Faster, faster he twirled it, waiting.  Simba twisted, struck by a 
heavy blow from Taka.  The line was clear to the peak.
	"Aiheu, do not fail me now!"  He released the pouch, watching as 
it shot through the air, a brilliant streak of light flashing to the 
peak....
	It intersected the billowing cloud of darkness over Taka's head 
and exploded in a shower of thunder.
	Taka twisted as he flew through the air.  Simba's feet sank into 
his belly, driving the breath from him and sending him flying over the 
edge of the peak.  Rafiki watched in horror as the lion's form dropped 
through the air to dissappear in the rocks below.
	"I am sorry, my boy," he whispered.  A cold drop splashed from his 
head, and he looked up, blinking in surprise.  A second drop fell, then 
antother, faster, faster--soon he was deluged by the gentle caress of 
rain.  Minshasa's voice rang in Rafiki's ear.  "Let us make life!"
	The old mandrill fell to his knees, hearing the hiss and sputter 
as the fires around him were quenched by the blessings of heaven.  "Even 
so, old friend!  I touch your face!"


SCENE 52: BUSA SIMBA IYO!

	Sarabi truged slowly through the downpour, tears and rain blurring 
her vision to the point she was nearly blind.  Blinking rapidly, she 
took a deep breath and fought to control herself.  Her breath shuddered 
out of her as she rounded the foot of Pride Rock slowly, glimpsing the 
other lionesses at the base.  A cream colored lioness looked up and 
brightened immediately.
	"Sassie!"  Sarafina rose and padded over to her, rubbing her cheek 
against Sarabi's.  "Are you okay?"
	"I'm fine, Fini."  Sarabi nuzzled her gently.  "Where's Nala?"
	Sarafina nodded over her shoulder.  "Over there, resting.  We're 
all waiting for Simba to come down."  Her eyes glowed as she looked at 
her friend.  "Gods, Sassie, did you see him in the fight?  He looks 
beautiful!"
	"I know."  Sarabi's voice faltered, her eyes stinging suddenly.  
"Oh, Fini, my son lives!  Praise Aiehu, he lives!"
	Sarafina rubbed Sarabi's cheek with her own.  "Look, there he is!"  
They turned to look up the slopes of Pride Rock.  Simba emerged from the 
smoke and mist, moving slowly but surely to the bottom of the path where 
the rock met the ground.  Sarabi, unable to bear it any longer, rose and 
went to him.
	He looked at her and smiled uncertainly.  "Mother?"
	"Yes?"
	"My nose hurts."
	Sarabi laughed, her tears mixing with the rain as she looked at 
the scorched spot on his muzzle.  "If that's all that's hurting you, you 
shuld count yourself lucky."  She licked his face gently with her warm, 
moist tongue and nuzzled his wet mane.  "Oh, my son, I love you so 
much."
	Simba closed his eyes, shuddering.  The words which he had thought 
he would never hear again since his father's death now rang in his ears.  
"I love you too, mother."  He smiled at her.  "I've missed you so much."
	"And we, you."  He turned to see Uzuri smiling at him, her eyes 
lidded in satisfaction.  "I told you if you listened to me and ate right 
that you'd grow up to be big and strong like your father."  She cocked 
an eyebrow and studied his lean, muscular form.  "What have you been 
eating, anyway?"
	"Don't ask."  A warm shape brushed against him, and he turned back 
to see Nala standing before him. "Beloved," she purred, nuzzling him 
firmly.
	He moved to respond, but they were interrupted by the dry rattle 
of a seed filled gourd.  They all looked to see Rafiki perched atop a 
small outcropping.  The tired old mandrill nodded at Simba and lifted 
his staff to point at the outthrust promontory of Pride Rock.
	Simba felt a wave of fear ripple through him, followed by a tingle 
of excitement.  Slowly, he moved away from his family to stand in front 
of Rafiki.  The mandrill's brown eyes looked kindly into Simba's amber 
ones.  He smiled and bowed deeply before the lion.
	Simba felt a wave of warmth drive away the dampness of the rain.  
He lifted a massive forepaw and gently draped it over Rafiki's shoulder, 
drawing the mandrill to him in an embrace.  Rafiki wrapped his arms 
around Simba's shoulders and held him for a moment, then drew away.  He 
met the lion's gaze again and nodded.
	"It is time."
	Simba returned the nod and moved away.  Placing a paw tentatively 
on the granite outcropping of the promontory, he began his ascent.
	Below, the lionesses followed his progress in awe.  "Gods forgive 
me," Isha said, "but I never thought I would live to see this day."  Her 
voice broke, and she nuzzled her young cub Habusu, crying.  "Look, Habu!  
There is your king!"  Habu stared upward, neck craned back until it 
ached, jaw gaping in delight as he watched the magnificent lion above 
him.
	Simba strode toward the end of the promontory, awash in such an 
array of emotion that it made him giddy.  Reaching the end, he looked 
down upon the hopeful faces of the lionesses below staring up at him.  
Lifting his gaze skyward, he peered at the gray clouds overhead.  The 
rain poured down on him, streaming into his ears and soaking his mane, 
but still he waited.  Abruptly, a rift opened in the clouds overhead, 
and he saw the stars burning brightly overhead in the vault of Heaven.  
A voice filled his ears, numbing his mind as he recognized it as his 
father's.
	"Remember..."
	Simba stood at the tip of the promontory, suspended halfway 
between Heaven and Earth, floating on a wave of feeling so intense he 
could barely breathe.  He felt each drop of rain as it struck him, the 
gentle breeze caressing his face, carrying upon it such a myriad of 
scents his head fairly exploded with them.  Lifting his face again, he 
closed his eyes and roared, the sound filling his soul as if God Himself 
had touched him with thunder.
	Below, Uzuri bellowed into the driving rain.  "Behold, the King!"  
She answered Simba with her own roar, the other lionesses joining her.  
He returned it tenfold, the sound echoing off the kopjes and stones.  It 
reached across the freshened plains to the mighty forests.  At last, at 
long last, Mufasa's anointed was king.
	Nala watched him descend, her eyes tracking his every move as he 
leapt gracefully to the ground.  Pacing over, Simba stood  in front of 
her, breathless, the steam rising from his body as the rain evaporated.  
As the lionesses looked on, he lifted his left forepaw and rested it 
upon Nala's shoulder, caressing it, feeling the muscles playing 
underneath the pads of his paw.  She answered with a purr from deep in 
her chest.  Looking up, she met his gaze, and their eyes locked. The 
light from the last of the rapidly dying fires gleamed in her eyes, the 
twin pools of emerald radiance holding him in an iron grip he had no 
wish to break.  Simba took a deep breath and spoke.
	"Before the gods, before the stars, before the assembled host I 
swear to give you my protection, my life, and my comfort, forever."
	Nala trembled.  "Till the last beat of my heart, to the last 
breath I sigh, our lives are one, so help me gods."  She moved close to 
him and settled her head against his mane, purring.
	Simba nuzzled her, oblivious to the pain in his scorched muzzle.  
"Until this day I have been but half a lion.  You have made me whole."
	Rafiki made the pilgrimage to the bottom of Pride Rock where 
Sarabi and Fabana sat watch over the body of Taka, washed in blood and 
rain.  He knelt beside the body.  With fumbling fingers, he reached into 
his pouch and removed a strip of jerky.  Sarabi and Fabana watched 
silently as he produced a piece of Tiko root.  He knelt by Taka's face, 
its weary features relaxed at last, and laid the two objects by his 
muzzle.  "I cannot breathe life into you now, my little boy!"  He took 
Taka's large paw between his hands and tears began to stream down his 
face, mixing with the silvery curtain of rain that drew itself around 
him.