Busara was terrified. “Metutu, I must gather my belongings and go. I will take Kima and Asumini far away.”
“Take me with you.”
Busara kissed his cheek. “In my heart, you are always with me. It would not help either of us if you ran away from home right now.”
“Where are you going? You can tell me.”
“I will send Asumini for you when it is safe. They can’t hurt her.” He took Metutu firmly by the shoulders. “I don’t have much time. There is so much I would say to you, my son. For now, you must hide the faith. Not in the way you treat others, but in the way you speak to others. Later it can shine, but something awful is about to happen. You must remember what I have taught you. You are our hope, Metutu. Don't let me down or my sacrifice would have been meaningless.”
He grabs Busara’s hand. “Aiheu give me the strength.”
Metutu put his arms around Busara. “May the gods see between us till we meet again.”
“In case things go wrong, bless me for my death.”
“Oh gods, don’t say that!”
“Bless me, Metutu! I would ask my eldest son, and you are he.”
With trembling fingers, Metutu drew a circle around Busara’s right eye and drew his fingertips under his chin. “May you see God. May you speak with Him.” Tears started down Metutu’s cheeks, and he hugged him again. “Father, friend, and teacher! Don’t you leave me! Don’t you dare die and leave me!”
“I’ll try not to.” Busara dried Metutu’s cheeks. “Go now. Tell no one you were here.”
Metutu hugged him one more time, then headed out by the long, winding path. He didn’t want to be seen.
Kima was gathering up some food, and Asumini--Busara’s daughter that is--was taking some herbs and talismans.
“Don’t leave until I come back,” Busara said. “I’ll scout out the trail and make sure we are not being watched.”
With the lioness Asumini, he left to run the first dangerous leg of the journey through the cane field and the scrub bushes. It would not do taking them on the well-worn paths. That route had served him well gathering Tiko root, and it would get them over to Maloki’s village. Maloki detested Kinara and would be only too glad to accept his wise Chief Scribe as a guest, knowing it would rankle his old adversary to no end.
Asumini stopped and looked around. Busara, who was a little hard of hearing, relied on her keen senses. “What is it, old girl? Behind me?”
He looked around. “Uwezo! Doya!”
Doya was holding a large rock.
“I used to tell you stories when you were kids! Please! Let me run and just say you killed me!”
Doya looked a little ashamed. “OK. But swear you won’t come back.”
“I swear!” Busara slowly turned around, his heart pounding. “I’ll never come back!”
Doya lifted the rock and brought it down on Busara’s head as hard as he could. Busara fell and moaned. Doya hit him again and the moaning stopped.
Asumini appeared, snarling. In fear and dread, Doya threw the stone at the crouched lioness, but it passed through her harmlessly. “Don’t kill me! Please don’t kill me! Oh gods!”
“Maybe I can let you run away and just say I killed you.”
“Oh gods! Have pity on me! I was following orders!” He fell to his knees and would have groveled on the ground, but right before him was the body of Busara smeared with his own blood. “For the gods’ sake!”
“For the god’s sake,” she snarled, springing forward.
The next morning Busara did not come to his breakfast meeting with Kinara. The chief acted impatient and made a token effort to have him searched for. But Metutu spotted some blood on the ground and signs of struggle in the grass. "Come look at this!"
“The trail is old,” Chango said. “He might have been taken by a leopard.”
The chief followed Chango, wondering why his own trusted bodyguards never came back. Then he found them horribly ripped with their heads nearly bitten off. It looked like a lion attack, but no meat was eaten.
“Oh gods!” Kinara wailed.
There are no lion tracks, but the cuts left no doubt what had happened. “Chango, I trust you. Right now I need you. Carry the bodies away and bury them, and swear to me that NOT ONE WORD gets out to ANYONE about this.”
“I swear.”
Sure he knew what had happened, Metutu headed back. He heard footsteps beside him, heavy footsteps.
“Asumini, is that you?”
She appeared at his side. “Metutu, have courage. I will be with you.”
“Asumini, did my father do this?”
She looked at him glumly. “Your heart knows the answer. Metutu, I am so sad, so very sad!”
“I know you loved him.”
“Not sad for him. Sad for you! Because you love your father no matter what he has done. Because hard times lie ahead for you. But take heart, for I will not leave you till my work is finished.”