The Spirit Quest cotpl-2

by John H. Burkitt

“Anger is your only salvation,” the spirit muttered, gripping Taka by the fur of his cheek. “Arm yourself with cruel hate. Take what is yours, for it shall not be freely given.”

  Taka broke away and tried to hide behind Sarabi and Mufasa, crouching low and trembling. “No! It’s not so! Tell me it’s not so!”

  “Stop it!” Makedde shook him violently. “Stop it in the name of the gods!”

  Rafiki looked wild-eyed as if he’d seen a ghost. He could move--he could speak! It took him a few moments to fully come to himself. “Brother! Oh gods, what happened to me?? I could not control myself. I was a stick, and some hand was swinging me!”

  Mufasa’s jaw was slack with horror. "Is this going to happen for sure? Can’t we stop it?"

  Rafiki was as weak as a newborn kitten. He crawled behind Muffy and Sassie to look at the cringing Taka. “Don’t be afraid, my son. It’s gone! I didn’t say those things!” He stroked Taka and wept. “Oh gods, that was not me speaking. That was not me! I love you. I would never say such things. You must love, always love, the way I love you. Forgive me. Please forgive me!”

  "My brother did not know what he was saying," Makedde said. " Smell the reek of death in the air? If you forget to pray for protection, evil spirits come to speak, and they use a half-truth to work mischief. When I can see you alone, Taka, I'll tell your future and I will do it right."

  Taka wept. "Do they really hate me?"

  "No, Taka," Mufasa said. "We all love you, even if you do get in trouble all the time."

  "But what if it's right?" Sarabi asked. "I mean if its a half-truth, doesn’t that mean half of it is true?"

  "None of it’s true," Mufasa said. He touched Taka’s shoulder with his paw. "There--I'm the first one to touch you. I'm your bestest friend in the world, so you don't have to worry any more."

  "And I'm the one that loves you most," Sarabi said. "When we grow up, I'm going to marry you."

  Taka smiled. "I can see you! I can see you with both eyes!" He nuzzled her. "You would never hurt me, would you, Sassie?"

  "Never! Not in a million years."

  After the cubs had left, Rafiki crawled to the wall of the baobab where he rested his head and wept. “Poor little child! Don’t let them hurt him! Please don’t let them hurt him! I would give him the blood of mercy! I would die for him!”

  “Rafiki, are you all right?”

  “Who cares! Is Taka all right??”

  “Do you think so?”

  "Brother, I'm afraid there is more than half truth to this.”

  "I know," Makedde said. "But sometimes it is from the telling that the prophesy comes true. You did not pray for guidance first--you left yourself unprotected. Evil spirits just wait for chances like this. They speak their piece, filling innocent little heads with foul thoughts to stir up trouble. Sometimes silence is the wisest prophesy of all."

  Rafiki hung his head. "I am so ashamed. Can't I undo it, brother? Is there nothing I can do?"

  Makedde went back to the scrying pool. He looked deeply into the water, praying first to Mano and Minshasa for protection. Then there was a gentle breeze from the east and on the wind was wafted the comforting scent of wild honey. The wind stirred the surface of the water, and after it had passed, the power of the holy pair had dispelled the shadows.

  Makedde stared like one in a trance. “Rafiki, if you would hear the words of Aiheu, pay attention. For a little truth is like a little branch that will not reach to the choice fruit.”

  The young mandrill fell on his face. “Speak, Lord.”

  “A spirit has entered your world. The evil which you have set free, you must also bind. All the years of your life shall you toil to undo a careless moment. Milk and mud join quickly, but do they separate quickly? Your words have made the milk unfit to drink, yet I have not forsaken you. For if milk and mud are my creations, I can appoint whom I please to separate them, and it will be done.”

  Makedde gently helped Rafiki to his feet and helped him climb up a large branch to a fork near the top of the huge baobab. Here, the branches had interwoven tightly, forming a kind of nook in which he sat down.

  Cupping his chin in his hand reflectively, Rafiki sat silently, feeling the great tree sway beneath him, listening to the wind whisper past his ears, and watched the sun track its way across the great dome of the sky.

  Some hours later, the twinkling stars emerged from their daytime hiding places to find him still there, unmoving. The gentle breeze had turned cold with the passage of the sun, but the mandrill sat shivering, and made no move to go below.

  “I deserve it,” he thought. “I have destroyed the very thing I love!” Aloud he whispered, "Oh God, what am I doing out here?"

  "I was about to ask you the same question."

  He turned to see Asumini behind him. "What?"

  "Your dinner is ready."

  He shook his head. "I don't think I could stomach anything right now."

  The night breeze ruffled her hair gently as she sat next to him and hugged him close. "What's wrong?"

  "I ruined young Taka's life, today. Gods, how could I have been so stupid?!" He clutched his head in his hands. "Am I really the one Minshasa chose to serve the King? God rest his soul, but maybe your father’s dreams were bigger than his hold on reality." He raised his head and looked at her glumly. "You always did like the forest better than the savanna anyway, didn't you?"

  Her forehead furrowed in confusion. "What are you getting at?"

  "I'm talking about quitting." He looked back at the dark skyline, avoiding her questioning gaze. "I'd be better off foraging for a living than dabbling in things I have no talent for."

  "What?" Asumini drew back in disbelief. "Metutu, you can't! You are a wonderful healer, and a fine shaman."

  "Pfah. I should have stuck with being a scribe. When Mother died, I hurt so badly. Gods, Asumini, I just wanted to DO something, to make a difference!" he shook his head and laughed bitterly. "Oh, I made a difference, all right! In a matter of seconds I took everything Taka held dear and ripped it to shreds. He would have been better off had I never shown my face here."

  Asumini moved around and looked him in the eyes. "He would have been dead had you never shown your face here. Along with his brother and mother. You made a difference then, love. You will do it again."

  "So I saved his life only to ruin it three moons later. I've accomplished something indeed." He reached out and broke a stem from a nearby branch, twisting it between his fingers slowly. "Asumini, your father showed me his dream. I was supposed to be the chief that would save mandrill society from itself. I was SUPPOSED to be the voice of Aiheu to my people." Angrily, he cast the twig away. "I reward his trust by dragging you out in the middle of nowhere and playing God."

  Asumini sat silently for a moment, then rose. She carefully made her way over to the branch and began to climb down, but paused. "Rafiki?"

  Rafiki half turned. "Yes?"

  "I love you dearly, and will stay with you no matter what you decide. But think on this. If you had the choice to make all over again, if you could choose between becoming the great chief and leader of our people, or saving the life of that one little cub: which would it be?" Without waiting for an answer, she turned and left.

  It was well into the night before he followed her. He slept only lightly, and his dreams were fraught with nightmares, in which the scene with Taka was repeated over and over. Finally he gave up, rising long before the sun made an appearance, and climbing quietly up to his perch where he had sat the previous night. Crossing his legs, he gazed into the expectant eastern sky, looking like a stone sentinel set to guard over some priceless treasure.

  Feeling the tree shake, he looked about and saw Makedde ascending behind him. “Good morning, brother.”

  “Good morning, Rafiki. Up early, I see.” Makedde froze in the midst of reaching for a handhold, shock widening his eyes as he stared at his brother. “My God, what has happened to you?!”

  “What are you talking about?”
>
  “Go look at yourself!”

  Rafiki climbed down, grumbling irritably. “Honestly. I just haven’t had much sleep, brother.” Reaching the naos of the baobab, he meandered over to the scrying bowl which still stood full of water. “From the look on your face, I’d have thought you had seen a monster.”

  Suddenly he caught sight of his reflection. An old mandrill, wizened and white-haired with age, stared back at him.

  “Oh my gods, what has happened to me?” Rafiki moaned, clutching at his cheeks with his fingers, feeling the irrefutable evidence of the lines etched within. He turned to Makedde, who stood next to him, the horror in Rafiki’s eyes reflected in his own. “Brother? What’s wrong with me?”

  “It was the Makei.” Makedde sat down heavily. “The spirit has drained much of your youth.”

  “And left this empty husk behind,” Rafiki added bitterly, staring at his withered hands. “Why didn’t it finish the job?? Why didn’t it go ahead and kill me!”

  “Do not speak such nonsense!” Makedde grabbed Rafiki by the shoulders roughly. “Your body may be weakened, but your mind is untouched. Use it! Think, brother!”

  “I am.” Rafiki shook him off and snatched up an empty basket Makedde used to store dried herbs. Picking up his digging stick, he chucked it inside, and reached for a small pouch of medicines.

  “What are you doing?” Makedde said, watching him toss item after item into the basket.

  “Thinking.” Rafiki continued to pack the basket without looking up. “I think it would be best if I left this place for good.”

  Makedde looked alarmed. "Brother, these are hasty thoughts, borne of the heart, and not the head. Reconsider."

  Rafiki shook his head. "This is for the best. I will best serve the house of Ahadi by staying as far away from it as possible, now. I have caused enough damage by my folly." He picked up his medicine pouch and tossed it into the basket. To his irritation, a small packet slipped out and landed with a slap on the ground. Grumbling, he walked over and picked it up.

  The old, brittle covering of leaves fell away, and he found himself staring at a small remnant of Maraliscus. The soft fronds tickled his palm as he ran them through his fingers gently.

  Makedde cocked his head curiously. "What's that you've got there?"

  "Huh? Oh, nothing. Just some Maraliscus leaf." He crammed it unceremoniously into the basket. "Leftover herbs; you know."

  "Indeed I do." Makedde frowned sternly. "I know you are making a big mistake in going."

  "Brother, please! You know this is for the best."

  "I know nothing of the sort. What I DO know is that-" he broke off, staring over Rafiki's shoulder. Turning to look, the mandrill saw a questing paw appear at the edge of the baobab's lobby-like center. Small claws which had been only partway retracted now flicked out to their full extent, and a very weary looking lion cub hauled himself up into the tree.

  "Taka?? What are you doing here??"

  The little cub looked at him curiously. "Uncle Fiki asked me to come back this morning so he could check my eye. Is he still asleep?"

  Rafiki felt a thorn pierce his heart. "No! No, Taka. It’s me!" Rafiki walked over and knelt in front of the cub, holding his hand out. Taka sniffed it curiously, then looked up at him, bewildered. “Uncle Fiki?! What’s wrong with your face?”

  Rafiki ran a hand over his features tremblingly, then forced a smile to his face. “I’m just getting older. Now, be a big boy and hold still while I look at the cut, okay?”

  “Okay.” Taka cocked his head obligingly, but squinted the other eye shut, anticipating pain.

  With the lightest of touches, Rafiki gently moved the fur away from the torn eye. The mandrill nodded approvingly, seeing the clean area where Akase's careful tongue had done its job. "Good. No infection in the cut. But I'm afraid my brother was right, it will leave a scar." He clucked sympathetically. "You poor child. This should never have happened to one so young."

  Taka smiled up at him, his swollen eyelid making his grin lopsided, and all the more endearing. "It’s OK. It doesn't hurt that bad."

  "Oh, now aren't we the big brave lion!" Rafiki again forced a smile to his face. He fought to hold his emotions in check, wondering how Taka couldn’t see the turmoil inside.

  Taka peered over his shoulder at the half open basket. "Ooh! Whatcha got? Any jerky?" Without waiting for an answer, he darted past Rafiki and was nosing in the basket before the mandrill could stop him.

  "Taka, no! Please don't touch that."

  The cub looked at him slowly. "All your stuff's in here, Rafiki. Are you going away?"

  Rafiki looked at his brother helplessly. "Yes I am, Taka."

  Taka's jaw began to tremble, his eyes growing large and bright. "But you love me! You can't go!"

  "Taka, I have to go. It was my fault you heard that stupid prophecy. I must leave before I cause you more pain." He move towards the cub, intending to comfort him, but Taka drew back.

  "So you're not going to stay? Even if I want you to?" The tears began to roll down Taka's face in earnest. "Is it happening already? Don't you want to be friends anymore?" He buried his face in his paws, sobbing. "It’s my fault, isn’t it? I made you look old. I didn’t mean, it, Uncle Fiki, I SWEAR!” Taka collapsed to the floor of the baobab, crying hoarsely. “I won’t ask you to tell the future again! I’m SORRY!”

  "Oh gods, what am I doing?" Rafiki went to the shaking cub and held him close, stroking his soft fur. "I didn't think you'd want me around after that. Yes, I want to be friends! Oh Taka, you know how much I love you!"

  Taka looked up at him, sniffling, both eyes now equally reddened. "R-Really? You really do love me?"

  "More than life! Just like you love me!" Rafiki reached up and drew a hand down his seamed features. “This is a mark of my love for you. Never forget that. If I hadn’t fought the evil spirit so hard, I’d still be young. But I did--I fought it tooth and claw! I’d fight a whole pride of evil spirits for my precious little boy!”

  The little cub peered into his eyes searchingly for a moment longer, then nodded. Reaching up with a forepaw, he drew it down Rafiki’s face lightly, feeling the wrinkles give under his gentle paws. “It’s not so bad,” he said at length. “You look better than I do, anyway.”

  Unable to speak, Rafiki clutched Taka to his chest, rocking him back and forth as he stroked his dark fur.

  Makedde paced quietly over and emptied the basket onto the floor. Bending down, he picked up Rafiki's medicine pouch and hung it up on the bole of the tree again. Satisfied, he picked up the basket and tossed it into a corner. "You shouldn't need this anymore."

  CHAPTER 34: MODUS OPERANDI

  Of all the animals in the Pride Lands, only the lions surpassed the hyenas in their perception of time. The clan watched eagerly as Sister Moon grew pregnant again. This was her sixth litter since the birth of Mufasa and Taka, and they looked forward eagerly to the migrating herds that would soon begin passing through the Pride Lands. One day the scouts returned with a report of Hartebeest grazing only a few minutes away! The hunters chuckled as they sortied forth to the hunt; Great Roh’kash smiled upon them today indeed. Only a few hours later, at highsun, the lookouts spotted the hunting party returning as fast as their legs could carry them. Bolting into the graveyard proper, they were quick to mingle with the large group and lose themselves.

  Several guards crowded around curiously. “What happened?”

  “Hsssh! Nothing!”

  “What is that smell?” One of the lookouts sniffed warily, then recoiled. “My gods, have you been eating lion?”

  “None of your business!”

  One of the hyenas, Jalkort, had been a little slower than the rest. He skidded down the hill at the entrance to the graveyard and stumbled over a pile of bones. Right behind him came Shaka, the Prince Consort.

  “Cripes, you HAVE been eating lion! We’re all going to die!”

  In moments, Shaka was on top of him. Jalkort’s ribs creaked as the huge lion rested h
is weight on the small body. “You killed my wife! You ripped out my heart, and I will rip out yours! I give you a moment to pray to your god.”

  Hyenas quickly crowded around, some indignant, all curious. One of them was Amarakh, the ruling Roh’mach.

  “You are trespassing on our lands!” she said. “You are holding one of my people!”

  “He’s a murderer!” Shaka glared at her, his eyes burning with terrible fury. “He killed my wife in cold blood, and he was on my land! She had two cubs, Amarakh. Two cubs that won’t have a mother coming home tonight! She was alive when they ripped her! Alive!”

  She looked at the trembling hyena trapped under the large forepaws. It was a face she knew all too well. “I will investigate it. I know him. He’s a trouble maker anyhow, and you can be sure I will punish him if he’s guilty.”

  “IF??” Shaka glared down at his prisoner. “I saw him over her body. Zazu saw the kill.” He drew very close to the anguished face. “You tell her!” he bellowed at Jalkort, the force of his voice flattening the hyena’s ears back against his head. “TELL HER, VERMIN!”

  The trapped hyena squealed, “Somebody help me!” He looked into the crowd. His eyes met Fabana’s and fixed pleadingly on her. Her mouth silently formed the words, “Husband! Why??”

  Amarakh stared right into Shaka’s eyes, trying to appear as fearless as she could. “You can’t extract a confession to a murder by death threats.” She looked around at the hyena faces and saw agreement in their eyes. It emboldened her. “This is my land, and I give you my word we will investigate within the customs of our law. But you must let him go. Leave--now!”

  Shaka spat. “I do not believe you.”

  “You are not in a position to negotiate,” Amarakh said. “Leave at once. I will see your brother the King tonight. We will talk.”

  Tears began to roll down Shaka’s cheeks. “You are right,” he said. He stared at her, his eyes as empty as the summer sky. “You are absolutely right. I am NOT in a position to negotiate!” Looking heavenward, the lion took a deep breath. “Aiheu abamami!!” He swung down and taking the hyena’s throat in his jaws bit down and twisted, nearly severing the head. Blood shot out and spattered some of the onlookers and the body twitched in spasms before collapsing in a final sightless stare.