Dikeledi was not in a good mood. She usually wasn't, but this one was exceptional. She was pregnant at last, and that was a good thing ... but being so big and swollen up irritated her to no end. Would she have the same mountain of pups that her sister Bahari had? The prospect was worrisome. Worse if they were all male ... what a nightmare that would be! A couple of girls would be perfect.
The pink-maned hyena wasn't comfortable with too much wondering. She didn't like to wonder, she liked to act. Even if it was a solid litter of males, fretting about it wouldn't do anything. Shaking off her foolish thoughts, she marched towards where the grey lioness sat. Lazing about, as usual. "Manyara!" She bellowed.
Manyara was tired. The adult hyenas were bad enough, demanding that she do this and that and hollering at her when she didn't do things right. Now she had the pups to deal with. They were infinitely energetic and infinitely irritating. The only bright spot was Igola, and he worried her. What if he grew up still thinking of her as his mother? The other hyenas surely wouldn't be pleased.
Igola wasn't her worry now, though. No, that was Dikeledi, shouting and roaring as usual. Poo. She'd hoped the bossy hyena would be resting. Manyara could use a rest herself. When the rest of the hyena pups came she was sure she would be tired out. Rising to her feet, the grey lioness turned to face the big boss hyena. "Hello, Dikeledi," she said cautiously.
"Hunh!" Dikeledi snorted as she neared the grey lioness. Hello, indeed. "Show some respect," she snarled, moving as if to bite the lioness. She was only slightly mollified when the lioness immediately bowed her head. Still eyeing her suspiciously, Dikeledi pulled back. Stupid thing. Manyara's meekness was pleasing, but her idiocy was endlessly frustrating. She was even stupider than Bekeli, and that was saying something.
"I've got a job for you," Dikeledi said.
Manyara raised her head, watching the pink-maned hyena warily. Dikeledi was grumpy, as usual. No surprise there. "What d'you want me to do?" She asked, keeping her tone as polite as possible. Something unpleasant, probably. Maybe cleaning up scraggly Bekeli. Manyara fought back the rising urge to giggle. No, she mustn't get in trouble. "I'll do whatever," she added, hoping Dikeledi didn't notice the bitten-back laugh.
"Of course you will," Dikeledi said coldly, her voice dripping with infinite scorn for the pathetic wimpy lioness. If the lioness had laughed, Dikeledi would have smacked her. As for Manyara's various facial convulsions, she had no interest in the already-hideous lioness's grimacing. "You're older now, an adult lioness. And when my pups are born, we'll have a lot of hyenas for you to take care of."
Manyara had nodded slowly as Dikeledi spoke, taking it all in, her gaze somewhat blank as she tried to concentrate. "Yeah," she agreed amiably. "On account of there's only one me and lots of you."
Dikeledi fought down the urge to bite Manyara right in her stupid face. On a day when she was already irritated, the lioness's dull, endless blather got on her last nerve. But then Manyara would start squealing and groveling and Dikeledi would get even LESS sense out of her, if that was possible. Ugh. Dikeledi should have left this to Bahari. The grey hyena had more patience with this fool. But Dikeledi hadn't wanted to enter Bahari's den and be mobbed with uppity pups. Especially that horrible little male, Kepo.
"Yes, Manyara, there's only one you and many hyenas," Dikeledi said, her voice silky with menace. Her eyes glittered with suppressed anger. "We'll need more lions. My pups and Bahari's will need to learn how to deal with lions like you."
"They can deal with me anytime they like," Manyara said placidly. " 'm right here, ain't I?" She did giggle now, heedless of the pink-maned hyena's growing fury. "I knows how to deal with hyenas too."
Instead of hitting Manyara like she so desperately wanted to, Dikeledi blew out the breath she had been holding in a long hiss of rage. Argh. It was infuriating trying to explain this to this horrible wretch of a lion. She gave up, getting straight to the point. "We need you to go out and get pregnant," Dikeledi said flatly. "Then come back here and have your cubs."
Oh ... Manyara was a little surprised, but she nodded her head, automatically agreeing to the hyena's request. "I already got lots of babies to take care of, miss Dikeledi," she said, as politely as possible. She didn't want the hyena to think she was getting uppity. "Maybe I sh'd go out when your babies are all growned up...?" That seemed like a better idea to her. Whew! Three litters of babies to take care of all at once? That would be alarming.
Dikeledi shook her head. "No. Our pups need slaves ... servants. Lions to help them, like you help us." Without waiting for the lioness's agreement, she continued. Manyara would do as she said whether she thought it was a good idea or not. Ha! As if the wretch could even think! "You'll go out and find a male. Try to find a rogue, not one that wants a mate. Once you're pregnant, leave. Alone. We don't want any fool lions following you back."
Well, okay. That made sense. "Right, I don't want to have to take care of no lions," Manyara said, nodding her head. "I got enough people to take care of." Her voice was cheerful. The thought that her cubs would be slaves to hyenas just as she was didn't alarm her at all. She had an okay life. Mostly the hyenas were mean, but as long as she did what they said they were okay. Some of them were nice, or at least not jerks, and she had learned much more from them than she had from her mother. "How do I get 'em to make babies with me?"
Dikeledi rolled her eyes. Finally. She had some doubts as to the stupid lioness's odds of success in this mission, but if Manyara vanished forever, it was no great loss. "Just tell them you want them to make babies with you. They'll probably think it's their lucky day. Now go. Shoo!"
"Okay," Manyara said cheerfully. "I'll be back soon's I can so I can take care of your babies." She bowed her head again and turned to leave. First she would have to say good-bye to Igola ... it would be hard leaving the little hyena for any amount of time, but when she came back she would have some brothers and sisters for him!
