The first cooperative hunt was a disaster. Now Taka did not ask her but TOLD her to give the hyenas another chance. To make it worse, Uzuri’s plea for Ber to lead the hyenas fell on deaf ears. Taka deferred to Shenzi in the matter, and she wanted Pipkah to remain in charge.
Apparently the little creep was a better liar than he was a hunter.
Uzuri had little choice but to accept Taka’s decision, but she was going to make it quite clear to Pipkah that THIS time he would wait for her signal to close in.
Just as she was thinking of a diplomatic way to make her point, Pipkah swaggered up to her with a couple of large hyena guards. “Your advice got us into this mess, and it’s up to me to get us out. This time I plan the strategy, Toots.”
Uzuri looked at him speechlessly.
He continued. “Shenzi and Taka have the utmost of confidence in my abilities when I’m allowed to do what I do best.”
“If that’s irritating me, you have succeeded beautifully....”
“This is an outrage!”
“....and NEVER call me Toots!”
Uzuri was ready to explode. She looked over at her sister Sarafina, searching for the right words to vent her feelings. Frustrated and inarticulate, she struck the ground with a paw. “Look, Sis. You deal with this--PERSON--while I take a walk to clear my head.” She turned and started off.
“You’d better take a mighty long walk,” Pipkah called after her.
She whipped about and snarled. “I warn you, Pip Squeak--you don’t have enough friends to keep me from ripping your leg off and jamming it down your throat!”
“Now Sis,” Sarafina purred soothingly. “Don’t threaten him like that.” She patted Pipkah on the head with a paw, none too gently. “He might lose his concentration in the hunt and have an unfortunate accident.” She winked in clear view of Pipkah and Uzuri winked back.
Pipkah’s ears went back and his jaw trembled. “Holy Roh’kash, you can do without me or my plan! I always said it was a mistake to trust your kind! Didn’t I, boys?? Accident indeed!” He slinked away, looking over his shoulder uneasily. “The Roh’mach will hear about this!”