"You are good, Uzuri. So good to me. If it's the two of us, I will give it a try. It can't hurt."

"The three of us," Makaka said.

"The four of us," Rafiki said. Rafiki threw his arms around Elanna's strong neck. "First Simba came back from death. Now my Lannie. God has been generous."

Bravely, hopefully, the four friends headed for Pride Rock.

THE EPILOGUE

Makaka looked anxiously toward the mouth of the cave. He was not used to being excluded from Uzuri’s presence, but Uzuri had a few words for Rafiki alone. And since she was so old and in such pain, Makaka was used to granting her every whim whenever possible. Later he planned to pour out many things from his heart--that is, if he could figure out where to begin.

Her last bout with fever had not been going well, and he resented every moment he could not spend by her side. Anasa tried to comfort her husband as well as she could, but though she was an accomplished shaman in her own right, she could not work miracles. And she thought it would take a miracle to bring the smile back to his face.

Gur’bruk and Kambra came to the cave, and they were allowed in at once. Rafiki ushered them in as if they were expected, but asked Makaka to be patient a while longer. Makaka went back to Anasa with a light flush of anger clouding his eyes.

Inside the cave, Rafiki sat bent over with age. In his lap was Uzuri’s head. She was too old and sick to pretend anymore, and when Rafiki put his hand down to stroke her cheek, she took his fingertips in her mouth and gave them a gentle squeeze between her teeth. Tears welled up in Rafiki’s eyes.

“Gur’bruk, Kambra, would you stand over there for a while?” Uzuri said hoarsely. “Be polite and don’t listen in, OK?”

The hyenas nodded respectfully and went to sit in the corner. Uzuri looked at Rafiki. “Honey Tree?”

“Yes, my dear?”

A tear began to roll down her cheek. “It must be hard to love someone the way you loved me and feel so helpless.”

“What?”

“Don’t pretend with me. A female knows these things, whether she’s a mandrill or a lioness.” A smile came to her face. “I thought you were such a fool, wanting to die with me. I didn’t understand then. You weren’t foolish at all. You were just in love.”

“You can’t die, Honey Tree. You mustn’t think of dying.”

“Now you ARE being a fool.” She coughed so hard that her whole body shook. “Don’t worry, my dear friend. Death is but a doorway to the world of Ka, and we will go through the door together. I’ll wait for you in the east. Then we’ll be together forever.”

“Forever,” Rafiki said, his tears splashing on her soft cheek. “That’s a long time to put up with me.”

“I’ve had practice.” She coughed again, this time weaker. “Maybe we won’t be so different on the other side.”

“How are you feeling, old girl? Did the herbs help you any?”

“I can’t tell,” she gasped. Her face clouded with pain. “No, they didn’t! Do you have anything stronger?”

Rafiki looked up helplessly. “Kambra? Gur’bruk?”

Old Gur'bruk came and looked deeply into her eyes. “What color are my eyes?”

“Don’t you know?”

“Come on, Uzuri. What color are they?”

“Well...hazel. No, brownish green...or green. Yes, green. Or is it the light in here? Now they look blue.”

“Blue?”

“Yes. Sky blue. No, there are clouds and...it's the sky!”

Rafiki stroked her head lovingly. “The sky?”

“Yes! I can see the clouds move!”

Gur’bruk smiled. “Are there birds in the sky, dear?”

“A red bird. Can you see him, Rafiki?”

“Yes.” He wiped away his tears quickly and began to fondle her shoulder and arm while there was still time.

“That red bird is your pain,” Gur’bruk. “It’s flying away. Can you feel it flying away? Getting less and less?”

“Yes.” Her jaw trembled. "Yes, it's going. Thank the gods, it's finally going. It's finally....oh look, it’s Ugas! Ugas! My beloved has come back for me! He’s come back for...." Her breath went out.

Gur’bruk looks up, heartbroken. “Rafiki....”

“I know.” The mandrill touched Gur’bruk’s cheek and fondled Kambra’s neck. “I need a moment alone with her. Please give me that, but don’t tell Makaka she’s dead. I want to tell him myself.”

Gur’bruk found Makaka still sitting anxiously at the mouth of the cave waiting for some word on her condition.

“How is she?”

“Resting peacefully,” Gur’bruk said.

“Well, is she going to be all right?”

Kambra nuzzled Makaka. “Ask Rafiki. But I wouldn’t go in there just yet--he’s very busy.” She slinked off with Gur’bruk, anxious to be clear of the cave before the tears started.

Makaka turned to Anasa. “I know Rafiki was close to her, but so was I. Tell me if I’m wrong, but I think I ought to be in there. I mean, those two got in.”

“They came to help,” Anasa said firmly. “You should show them respect.”

“I’m sorry.” He hugged her. “I don’t know what I’d do if she died. Really, I don’t.”

Meanwhile, Rafiki swept Uzuri’s eyes closed and gently sealed them with a small drop of Dwe’dwe resin. “You must look good, old girl. Your son is coming for a last look-see.”

He pushed her claws back in and smoothed her ears back. He gently put her tongue back between her teeth and lifted her jaw, bracing it up with an arm so that she looked asleep. Then from the locket around his neck he took some silverleaf and rubbed it between his hands, stroking it lovingly into her fur along with his tears. “I want you to smell nice, old girl. I wish I’d had jasmine--it was Penda’s favorite. There now, you look presentable.”

Suddenly he began to sob. “Oh gods, you were always beautiful to me!” He grabbed her paw, giving it a squeeze, kissing it and holding it to his cheek. “Uzuri, my beautiful Uzuri! Remember when we first met? How young we were? Soon we’ll both be fresh and new, my beloved. Your shoulder won’t be stiff anymore.” He laid her paw down and gently ran his fingertips over her bad shoulder. “I bet half the time it wasn’t even hurting, you little trickster. You just wanted my attention.” Tears coursed down his cheeks. “I didn’t mind it one bit. Not one bit. We had an understanding, you and I.”

Makaka sat in anticipation for several more minutes, but loyally he had not moved a single inch. Nor would he if it took days.

“Rafiki?” he called. “Can I come in now? Will she see me?”

The old mandrill came out of the cave. He had a relieved look on his face, and Makaka breathed a sigh. “Good news?”

Rafiki said, “Yes. No more pain. It’s over.”

“Over so soon? You’re a genius, Rafiki! How did you do it?”

Seeing that Makaka did not understand, Rafiki said, “It’s over. Over for good.”

“Over?” Makaka pushed past him and ran into the cave. “Mother? Mother??”

In the dark, he encountered Uzuri’s still warm body. Instinctively he knew the truth. “Oh Gods!” He fell on her body, stroking her neck and kissing her still face. “Mother! Oh Gods! Don’t leave me! Come back, Mother! Don’t leave me!”

Makaka felt the familiar hand of Rafiki on his shoulder. “Son, it was her time. She lived a long life. She was happy. She was loved. You should remember the good she did and be glad.”

Makaka looked around at him in the dark. “How can you say that like it was nothing? I thought you loved her as much as I did! I thought she was your friend!”

Rafiki looked at him, a soft smile on his face and a light in his eyes that made his plain face absolutely beautiful. “Maybe I know something that you don’t. Maybe your mother isn’t out there somewhere.” He patted his chest. “Maybe she’s right in here.”

Tears flooded Makaka’s eyes and he took the frail mandrill in his arms. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

“I know.”

“I have a father too. I love him and I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings.”