PROLOGUE:

Makaka slowly and reverently ran his fingers over the body of Uzuri.  As 
his tears splashed on her fur, he remembered many safe and happy times 
he had spent as a child hugging her strong, soft neck and snuggling to 
her side to sleep.  But most vividly in that moment, he remembered her 
quiet voice telling him stories under the stars.  
	"Now you are with Mano and Minshasa," he whispered.  "Now they 
will be more than stories to you."  He caressed her cheek gently and 
sniffed back bitter tears.  "Oh Momma, my love will find you wherever 
you are.  And someday, I will find you too."
	The lionesses Misha and Swala came solemnly to move the body of 
their pride sister to its final resting place.  Misha gently but firmly 
gripped one of Uzuri's front paws, and Swala grasped the back of Uzuri's 
neck.  At a given signal, they both pulled backwards, and her body 
lurched forward about half a length.  Makaka gasped in horror.
	"Oh gods, don't hurt her!"  Makaka fell across the body and clung 
monkey-like to her neck.  "Don't bite her!  Look, there's blood on her 
neck!  Oh gods, she's bleeding!  She's bleeding!"
	"It's just her body," Misha said soothingly.  "Her Ka is in Heaven 
with Aiheu."
	"But there's blood on her neck!  Look, she's hurt!  See??"  His 
hands reached for his throat and he began to gasp for breath.  "Oh no!"
	"Remember your asthma!" Swala said, nuzzling him softly.  "Relax, 
Honey Tree!  Try to relax!"
	Makaka stared wide-eyed at the entrance of the cave, struggling 
for breath.  His thin, ineffective gasps could not fan the flames of 
life, and he began to crawl in torment toward the one person that knew 
how to help him.  He could not even call her name.
	"Anasa!  Come quickly!" Misha shouted.  "He needs you!"
	Makaka's wife rushed in with a pouch she always carried with her 
for just such an emergency.  She reached with trembling hands to sort 
through the different cures and finally pull out some silvervein leaves.  
She crushed them between her fingers, and putting an arm around her 
husband, she held the aromatic herbs in front of his nose and mouth till 
the minty smell permeated his lungs.  The look of glazed panic left his 
eyes and his breathing became more regular.  "There, my dear.  Relax, 
honey tree.  Everything's going to be all right, my poor, dear husband!  
Breathe deeply.  That's it, darling.  Deeply and slowly like crystal 
clear waters from a spring.  Think about the spring, the calm, deep 
spring, and let the waters slowly carry your pain away."
	Between the silvervein and her gentle love, Makaka relaxed and 
began to take deep and regular breaths.
	Anasa nodded at Misha, and the two lionesses took up their 
stations again.  With a powerful effort, they started Uzuri on her last 
journey.
	When Makaka found his tongue again, he shuddered and said, "She 
was bleeding!  Oh gods, it was awful!"  He looked down at his palm where 
the red bloom of her lifeblood lingered still.  "She's gone.  All that's 
left of her is a few drops of blood!"
	"I cut a lock of her fur," she said quietly.  "She had me take it 
just for you yesterday.  She knew the end was near."
	Makaka took the golden treasure and scented the familiar 
fragrance.  His chin trembled and tears streamed down his face.  "You 
don't know how much this means to me.  Thank you!"
	Anasa put her arms around him and let him weep on her shoulder.  
"Husband, you really should thank Misha and Swala.  Uzuri only stayed 
here because they promised to take her away, and now they're going to 
have to drag her heavy body clear out to the eastern meadow.  All this 
so you and Rafiki could spend a few more moments with her."
	"You're right," he said, reaching up to dry his tears.  "Poor 
Misha and Swala!  I treated them very badly."  He sniffed back tears.  
"I'll give them some of the jerky that I was saving for the cubs.  They 
really are good friends."  He managed to regain some of his composure.  
"Oh, I've been such a fool.  I hope I didn't hurt their feelings."
	"They will understand."  Anasa put her arm around his shoulder and 
held him near.  "They love you, and so do I."
	He clung to Anasa and kissed her softly.  "My little Nisei.  What 
would I do without you?"
	"I hope you'll never know," she said, resting her head on his 
shoulder.  "We're in this to the end."

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