“You know this is necessary. Be calm--just relax....”

Her thought broke off abruptly. Her mind’s eye opened and she saw the struggling lioness crawling through the grass, her shattered jaw dripping blood and saliva on the ground. She saw Gur’mekh move forward, and heard the lioness’s dying shriek.

“Oh gods, nephew!” she thought. “Why?!”

“She was dying anyhow!” Gur’mekh said aloud. “In the name of the gods, there is no way she could have lived!” He fought frantically with teeth and paws, but was grabbed roughly by the throat and choked into submission.

Shimbekh stood over him, her face twisted in pain as she touched his mind again. “The deed is done. I will pray for you, nephew, for there will be a reckoning.”

Gur’mekh looked up at her, eyes pleading. “Please,” he thought frantically. “Lie, do something!! It was not my fault! Can’t you see it was Melmokh! Melmokh!”

“I can see that, but there is more to it than that. More that you’re not telling me. He couldn’t force you unless you had sinned.”

“They’ll kill me! Oh gods, I don't want to die! I was turning my life around! I tried exorcism! Tell Muti I was forced to do this! Tell her, Shimbekh! I can’t control myself anymore! Don’t you love me anymore? You said we’d always be friends--you PROMISED!!”

“I will pray for you,” she repeated, tears staining the dark gray fur of her cheeks to black. “Maybe death will set you free.”

“Please! Please no, I’ll do anything! Just let me talk with muti first! Please! Just five minutes!”

“I can’t. I’m sorry.” Shimbekh broke contact and turned, looking to the Roh’mach, who stood by, waiting. She shuddered to say the words. “Gur’mekh is guilty.”

Amarakh glared down at him. “You’ve been a thorn in my side long enough. This time you went too far, and you will pay for it.” She jerked her head. At the signal, three guards strode forward and seized Gur’mekh at various points with their powerful jaws, not breaking the skin, but firmly enough that he realized he could not escape. The guards pulled him firmly along.

“Look at him!” Ber shouted to the pups that huddled by him. “That’s the devil that murdered your father!”

Kambra fell on her back and began shrieking uncontrollably. Gur’bruk stared into space, a look of hopelessness on his face. “Not my son,” he stammered. “Why, God? Why my son? Why??”

Kambra tried to push through the crowd, but she was held back. “Gur’mekh! Oh gods! Let me pass--I must see him!”

“Mother!”

Shrill laughter echoed in his mind as he was led away. The Makei told him, “After all, it was your destiny to look off Pride Rock.”

CHAPTER 27: BEFORE THE JUDGEMENT SEAT

Ber jeered Gur’mekh on the way to judgment. "I hope the King rips you alive! Kill my son, will you?? May you rot in hell!"

Lenti was right behind him, crying, “Murderer! Murderer!”

Gur’mekh looked back at her and said plaintively, “I love you! How can you hate me, Lenti??”

Ahadi came to the promontory and looked out at the distant approaching band of hyenas. He was not sure what was on the wind, but he had a good idea what was about to happen. He sent out a delegation of lionesses headed by Uzuri to confirm his suspicions.

Gur’mekh whimpered. “Roh’mach, I was possessed by a demon spirit! Please, I didn’t want to hurt Avina! I swear!”

“And you are much better now? Is that it?”

“No! I’m not better! Please don’t kill me while I’m bound to this thing! It will steal my soul! Don’t let it steal my soul!”

“I’m not letting it do anything to you,” Amarakh said curtly. “Explain this to Ahadi. You’re at his mercy, not mine.”

Just then the lionesses fell in around the hyena guard, walking at a distance but still menacing with their strong, lithe bodies looming like giants around them. Gur’mekh began to shudder. “I didn’t want to hurt her! I swear!”

One of the lionesses glanced over at him and scowled, showing her fangs. “So, you’re the little wretch that killed her! You’ll pay for that meal, scum!”

“He killed my son,” Ber said bitterly. “He’ll pay for a lot of things today!”

“Silence!” Amarakh said. “The King alone will pass judgment on the prisoner. The King alone!”

Of course, ringed by so many powerful lionesses, Amarakh’s shouting was so much empty noise. She began to feel apprehensive herself.

Ahadi stood on the promontory. Gur’mekh caught sight of him and began to squeal and yelp, struggling against the hyenas that held him fast. “Oh gods! Don’t do this! I’m innocent! Let me go! Oh gods, he’s going to kill me!”

“Quit whining like a pup!” Amarakh said. “We have our dignity. Face him the way you faced Avina.”

“I was possessed!” Gur’mekh shrieked. “In God’s name, ask Shimbekh! Please, call for Shimbekh! She’ll explain everything!”

Ahadi watched the agony in Gur’mekh’s eyes. “There goes the most unfortunate of creatures,” he said to Akase. “I expected an arrogant buck and instead I got a terrified boy.”

At the base of Pride Rock, two more lionesses appeared, flanking Gur’mekh on either side as he scrabbled up the slope, babbling almost incoherently about the Makei.

Gur’mekh tried to hold himself steady as they reached the top of the path, but when he turned to see Ahadi sitting silently in the mouth of the cave waiting for him, he began to whimper again.

“This is Gur’mekh,” Amarakh said. “He called for Avina’s life. His jaws are stained red with her blood. We bring him to your justice.”

The hyena looked into the face of Ahadi. He could see death in his eyes. His knees began to buckle, and he urinated on the cave floor. “Roh’kash, help me! Help me!”

Ahadi came over to him. Quietly, without malice, he purred, “I do not want to kill your immortal Ka. Aiheu will decide. I give you a chance to admit your guilt.”

“Have mercy! Oh gods!” Gur’mekh fell on his back, soiling his fur in the urine as he began to paw at Ahadi. “I don’t want to die!”

“That is not an option at this point. You will have an opportunity to be right with your God. Now tell me Gur’mekh, they didn’t torture it out of you, did they? Are you guilty as they say?”

Gur’mekh knew there was nothing he could do to save himself. He decided to do the only decent thing. “Forgive the others. I talked them into it. All my fault. The Roh’mach didn’t know. All my fault. And I’m sorry. So sorry!”

“It’s good that you’re sorry. Your friends are glad as well, for I will not punish them. Now don’t you feel better telling the truth?”

“I thi-think so. Yes.”

“Now then, I want you to think really carefully. I can make it swift and nearly painless. But the gods may not think you have suffered enough. Or I can punish you now, and you will die forgiven.”

Gur’mekh knew he was not guilty of killing Avina. But he was guilty of killing Demrath. With the chance of eternal damnation looming over him, he tried to think clearly. “I don’t know,” he cried. “I don’t know!”

“But you must know, Gur’mekh. When you do something, be it good or bad, there are consequences. I would not want to face God after an easy death. I would take my punishment now, but it is your decision.”

Gur’mekh’s jaw began to tremble. “Help me decide,” he silently prayed. “Roh’kash, Great Mother, your will be done.” He gasped for air, his heart pounding. “Well then, I want to be sure. Hurt me bad. Hurt me very bad.”

Ahadi looked around. “Take the cubs outside. Far away. Wife, you may want to leave as well.”

Time dragged by as the young and fearful walked away. Gur’mekh kept silently repeating his prayer. “Roh’kash, Great Mother, rescue my spirit. Roh’kash, Great Mother, rescue my spirit....”

Finally, Ahadi nodded gravely. “You ripped her alive. If you would find peace, I will have to return in kind.” He looked upward. “Oh gods, look down on your child. Witness his suffering and accept his atonement.”