Crickets celebrated the night constant chirruping which carried 
clear across the savanna.  Avina shifted slightly on her perch amid the 
rocks of Pride Rock, twitching out of the way of a protruding stone 
which was irritating her back.  Flicking her tail in satisfaction, she 
closed her eyes.
	Warm breath puffed in her face and a wet tongue caressed her 
cheek.  "Hi, Mama."
	Avina blinked and turned her head.  "Hello, Sassie."  Her jaws 
opened in a wide yawn.  "You girls were out late  You know I worry about 
you when you do that."
	"I'm sorry, Mama," Elanna said, rubbing against her mother and 
clambered atop her and settling next to her sister Sarabi.
	Avina purred in her chest as she pulled her daughters close.  
"Mama?  What happened to `Mom?'  You two haven't called me Mama for a 
long time."  The lioness wrapped her paws about her children, sharing 
her warmth with them as they lay together.  Suddenly an arc of light 
sparked across the heavens, a claw mark of light against the velvet sky.
	"What was that?" the girls asked.
	Avina tracked the light intently.  "Bow your heads, quick!  Give 
thanks to Aiheu for his love."
	Obediently, they touched muzzle to paw in prayer until Avina 
raised her own head.  "What was it, Mama?  Why were we praying?"
	Avina nuzzled Elanna softly.  "That light was one of the lost 
souls, the Makei, still searching for his home."
	"Why are they lost?"
	"They are polluted, and it makes it difficult for them to find 
guidance from Aiheu.  Still he holds out a paw to them.  He told them, 
`Cleansing comes from within, in a clean heart and truthful witness.  
You will be sorely tempted by the mud, but you are also full of my milk, 
and it will overcome all else if you let it.  Remember in your darkness 
that my light is with you, shining on the true path.'"
	Sarabi shivered.  "That's so sad.  I feel sorry for them."
	"That's good, Honey Tree.  They don't mean to be bad."
	"But how come that Makei fell out of the sky?  Wasn't he with the 
old kings?"
	Avina sighed.  "The Makei may call upon Aiheu to judge them.  If 
he deems their heart is good, Aiheu cleanses their Ka of the mud and 
gives them life, true life on Ma'at.
	"However, if they are decieving him, he sees this too.  They are 
cast back to earth without their form to continue their search."  Avina 
scratched idly and groomed her paw.  "Legend has it that a Makei fell to 
earth right here and created Pride Rock."
	"Really??"
	"Yes.  You see, long ago a lion pride lived here when there was 
nothing but grassy plain.  It was a strong pride with a fine king.  One 
season the drought struck them particularly hard, however, and they 
began to starve.  The king decreed that large portions of kills would go 
to the lionesses who participated in the hunt, with the largest going to 
the one who made the kill itself.
	"Now the king's son, Mashlaika, was still an adolescent.  He 
couldn't hunt very well, and since he contributed the least amount to 
the pride itself, he got the smallest portion of food...which, all too 
often, was nothing.  In desperation, he pleaded with his father for 
something more.  `Even you take more from the kill than I, and you hunt 
not at all!'
	"The king looked at his son sadly.  `I must take more to keep my 
strength, for it is I who guards your family from the jealous eyes of 
night, and gives you safe haven.'  Yet tears came to the old king's eyes 
at the sight of his son, whose ribs stood out clearly.  `Still, I cannot 
bear the pain of your suffering; you may have a portion of my meal, when 
the others have slept and do not see.'
	"Mashlaika could not stand to take his father's food, though, and 
continued to suffer.  Finally, he was alone one day with one of the 
lionesses of the pride, who was babysitting the cubs while the others 
wwent on the hunt.  His eyes burned as he watched the cubs draw 
sustenance from the lioness.  `Even THEY eat better than I, and yet give 
us nothing.'  he thought.  A fierce anger swept him, and in a rage he 
approached the cubs.  The lioness rose to stop him, but he struck her 
and knocked her senseless.  Mashlaika settled among the cubs and began 
an unholy feast, gorging himself on their flesh until he was sated."
	Sarabi and Elanna gasped and shuddered, staring at their mother in 
shock.  "He ATE them?  The little cubs??"
	"Yes."  Avina nodded sadly.
	"What happened??"
	"Aiheu seized him, and he felt the terrible wrath of God.  `What 
is this that you have done??'
	"Mashlaika cowered before him.  `My Lord, I was starving!  And 
they gave nothing to our family, only stealing life from their own 
mothers!'
	"`One cannot `steal' what is freely given, Mashlaika, and one's 
value is not measured by contribution or ability.  If it was, I would 
have killed you the day you were born, for you are greedy and 
heartless.'  Aiheu seized Mashlaika by the scruff of his neck, lifted 
him high and tore the Ka from his body.  Then he tossed the soul of 
Mashlaika to the earth.  And he placed this large rock over him to 
prevent him from harming anyone else.
	"Here?!"  Elanna looked startled.  "You mean Mashlaika landed 
here?"
	Avina nodded.  "It is said that his Ka still sleeps deep within 
the earth in the caves behind Pride Rock, where he still waits for 
little cubs to come wandering in...and sometimes, those cubs are never 
seen again."  Avina's voice dropped to an awed whisper.
	Sarabi clutched her mother fearfully.  "Wh-what happens to them?"
	"Why, if they disturb his rest, Mashlaika awakes, and he goes 
YUMMY IN THE TUMMY!"  Avina lunged and nuzzled Sarabi's belly, eliciting 
a shriek of terrified delight from the cub.
	Elanna laughed and pounced on her mother.  "You teaser!"
	Sarabi pawed Avina's face, still giggling slightly.  "Oh Mom!  Do 
you really believe that story about the caves?"
	"Well, my mother told it to me."  Avina shrugged with a shake of 
her tail.  "Who knows?  One thing IS for certain; I don't want you going 
in there, okay?"
	"Okay."
	"You too, Lannie."
	"Yes ma'am."
	"Now you two come here and lie down; you've been up far too long 
as it is."
	The cubs complied agreeably enough, and soon were drifting off to 
sleep.  As she dozed herself, Avina idly wondered at the odd note in 
Lannie's voice as she had finished the tale.
	Shrugging again, she closed her eyes and rode the chirping of the 
crickets into the peace of sleep.


EPILOGUE:

Makaka sat huddled next to Anasa, quiet and depressed.  The plague had  
taken his mother Uzuri first because she was old and weak, but there 
were many others near death.  All around him were sick lions.  Unable to 
catch much food, there loomed a very real threat that hunger might 
destroy them if the plague did not.
	"I feel sick inside," Makaka said.
	Anasa touched his forehead.  "Honey Tree, surely not!"  It was dry 
and cool, and she sighed with relief.  "It must be fatigue, dear.  You 
shouldn't scare me like that."
	"I never meant I had the plague."  He sighed.  "Once everything 
was going my way.  I thought I knew where I would be a year from now, 
five years from now, even where I would die.  I planned to lie on the 
promontory and look into the east and slip away quietly."
	"And what about me?"
	Tears came to his eyes.  "You're all I have left, you and my pride 
family.  The only mother I've ever known is dead, and the only father 
that cared for me."
	"Are you sure?  Are you sure your real father didn't care for 
you?"
	"My mother died giving me life.  He only tolerated me.  I have an 
older brother that loved me--at least I'd like to think so."
	Anasa put her arms around him and held on to him as if to keep him 
from going away.  "I should not be jealous, really.  But I have loved 
you with my whole heart.  Makaka, I will help you any way I can, but you 
must let me."
	He hugged her tightly and kissed her.  "I've put you through a lot 
lately and I'm sorry.  Someday I'll make it up to you.  You and I and 
one day our children."
	"Our children," she said.  "That's the secret, my husband.  You 
must see beyond this grief and recognize hope in the future.  Don't push 
me away, beloved!  I may have come along late in your life, but I can't 
imagine someone loving you more than I do right now."
	"I know.  You're a very important part of my life.  Right now, 
you're what keeps me from falling apart."  He rested his head on her 
shoulder and swayed slightly back and forth in the shelter of her arms.
	A lioness came up begging for help.  "Please, Makaka, come quick!  
My cubs are near death!  They are burning hot to the touch and wet with 
perspiration."
	"Are they resting?"
	"They are mumbling things, but I can't understand what they're 
saying."  She fell before him.  "I'd do anything!  Anything!  I can't 
stand it anymore!"
	"If I had a quick answer, I would have saved my mother.  Pray and 
I will pray as well.  Aiheu is merciful and he will not abandon us."
	The lioness looked at him with despair in her eyes.  "Let us hope 
so."
	After she went, he turned to Anasa.  "What CAN I do?  I've tried 
everything I know.  Only Aiheu can help us now."  And so he got on his 
knees and prayed.  Then in the midst of his prayer, it occurred to him.  
He had used everything HE knew about.  Perhaps there was another.
	"Mano!  Minshasa!  I call upon you!  My old friends, I am at a 
total loss!  Help me!  Do with me what you will, and I will accept it!"
	He fell in despair and wept again.  
Anasa went to prepare dinner for him, but he was not very hungry.  
He was near panic.  "Try this.  It's your favorite."
"I can't eat now."
	"You really should eat to keep your strength up," Uzuri said.
	"Yes, mother."
	He looked about in shock.  "Mom??"
	She came forward and kissed him.  "Uzuri pleads that you should 
remember the admonition.  Daima pendana-love one another."  Before he 
could answer, she put her paw to her mouth for silence and pointed him 
toward a large bush.
	When Makaka reached the bush, an elderly mandrill tapped him on 
the shoulder.  He looked around, surprised.  "Busara reminds you that 
the stranger you help is a friend you haven't met."  He put a finger to 
his lips and pointed ahead.
	A lioness came from the bush as he approached. "Asumini advises 
you that friends come from unexpected places in your hour of need."
	Quietly, he went on in the direction she pointed him.  A white 
lion came and kissed him.  "Mano tells you that in serving Aiheu, you 
find your true freedom."
	A young, strong mandrill whose powers of life had been restored 
reached out and hugged him.  "Rafiki says listen to the prompting of the 
Nisei and follow your heart."
	A white lioness came and pawed his cheek.  "Minshasa asks you a 
question.  Will you practice what you have been taught faithfully and 
unselfishly?"
	"I will."  He put his arms around Minshasa's neck.  "Help us 
please.  Help me, dearest friend!"
	Minshasa purred.  "You will help yourself, and many besides.  Look 
at your mate."
	Makaka looked at Anasa and gasped.  She was pure white.  She 
regarded him strangely as well, and he held up his hands which were 
startlingly white.
	"Welcome, Nisei!  Hail Lord Makaka!  Hail Lady Anasa!  All hail!"
	Mano said, "From your birth you were chosen to be a healer.  Time 
and time again you have rewarded our faith in you.  Now there is a 
plague in the land.  Make whole the sick!"
	"How??"
	Rafiki said, "Did I not tell you to listen to the promptings of 
the Nisei and follow your heart?"
	Asumini said, "Did I not tell you to look for friends in 
unexpected places?"
	Makaka thought for a moment, then he held up his arms.  The words 
came to him in the spirit.  "Out of the east I call the winds!"
	A strong breeze swept through the Pride Lands, bringing the 
fragrance of wild honey with it.  It was intoxicating, and it made all 
who breathed it strong and healthy.  Within moments, cub laughter began 
to ring again, and prayers to Aiheu were heard round about as the 
miracle of healing made whole every illness and wiped every tear.
	Makaka came to his mother and hugged her neck.  "I'm so sorry I 
didn't do this before!  I'm so sorry!"
	"Don't be.  I died the best way a lioness could go.  Full of 
years, surrounded by love, and free from pain and fear."  She kissed 
him, then looked over and kissed Rafiki.  "I am so proud of you, my son!  
We both are."
	Makaka looked at Mano and Minshasa.  "Will I have to wander all 
the time like you?  Will I have no home of my own?"
	Mano smiled.  "Now every place is your home, this as much as 
anywhere else.  Time and space will not bind you.  Whom you will see, 
you will see.  Whom you will love, you will love.  Where you will go, 
you will go.  I have not taken your home.  I have given you your home."
	Makaka smiled.  As the realization dawned on him, he trembled.  
"Uzuri, you will always be my mother.  But there is someone I have 
always wondered about."
	Uzuri smiled.  "I have always wondered about her too.  She came 
with us.  Healing must come to everyone, including the physician."
	The final guest stepped out, a female mandrill.  "When I look at 
you in your glory, I feel honored to have given my life to bring you 
yours."
	Makaka bit his lip and tears streamed down his face.  "Mother."  
Quickly, he looked at Uzuri and ran to her, hugging her tightly.  "Don't 
feel bad, Mom!  I'll always love you as much as I ever have-more even!"
	The old mandrill came and also put her arms around Uzuri, stroking 
her face and neck.  "You are among friends.  There is no jealousy among 
the Nisei.  We are both your mother, and we always will be."
	Busara put his arm around Rafiki's shoulder, and Mano nuzzled 
Minshasa.  Ugas came and rubbed full length against Uzuri, and Anasa 
slipped her hand into Makaka's, giving it a little squeeze.  Kinara and 
Neema embraced and smiled.  Now Makaka stood at the boundary of the 
Gentle Kingdom, and in the distance, the soft, kind voice of Aiheu 
called to him.  "Dwell in my lands, child.  Come to know me better."
	"Even so, Lord.  I come!"

THE END:  THE LEONID SAGA

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