Lenny and Tumaini were both sitting on the outside of the circuit after the starting line. They were lined up in, what would usually be referred to as "ambush." However, that was the last of their plans right now. Peponi and Winda were now doing the same thing, as Tonka was still, while Eboni and Linda had gone on to run another lap.
"Sarafina," addressed Pumbaa in the crowd, "why is everyone lining up in ambush? I thought it was too early for them to use that strategy."
"It is," replied Sarafina, "but they're not all waiting in ambush for the antelope. They're all waiting for the zebra. They have to go for a decent period of time without a kill before they release it though."
"So they're just going to let the antelope walk on by?"
"Not this one," Sarafina replied, "I think Nala wants to get this one, but after that, then yes, they'll just stop killing the antelopes."
The crowd grew into a hush as Nala and Juveda slowed their pace down and began to size the antelope up.
"Shh," whispered Sarafina, "it's almost time now…"
Nala knew Juveda was behind her, so she knew she couldn't wait as long as she liked. She would have to make her move soon if she was going to get this antelope which, as of right now, was unaware that either of the two lionesses was stalking him.
Suddenly, Nala began to hear Juveda pick up the pace from behind her. She checked over her shoulder.
Surely she can't be starting this early?
Sure enough, as quickly as she had picked up the pace, Juveda had slowed back down. Nala knew what she was up to.
She's faking it. She's testing me. She's going to keep pretending to break out into a run. But how do I know when she's not faking anymore, and when she's actually started the chase?
Nala's concern was a legitimate one. Juveda knew that Nala, being in front of her and, from what she could tell, having better physical agility than her, probably had a better chance of catching this antelope than what she did. But if she continued to pretend to break out into a run, Nala might begin running after the antelope too early and thus she wouldn't get the ten points. Likewise, if she began her chase but Nala thought she was faking it, Nala would be behind Juveda by the time she realized that Juveda had begun the chase.
There's only one way out of this game, Nala told herself. She broke off into a run. Juveda followed.
Contrary to what either of them had expected, Juveda seemed to be the faster runner than Nala. They were closing in on the hind heels of the antelope, which had also broken out into a run. Nala was so focused on Juveda and the antelope that she was able to drown all the cheers from the hills out of her mind. She saw Juveda pull up alongside her.
Not today, you don't.
Nala put on an extra sprint and pulled in front. She could now worry about getting the antelope down. She jumped up on its back and bared her teeth above its neck. Then, suddenly, she was shoved off the antelope's back by Juveda, who was then able to reach its neck and kill it.
Nala sent up a dust cloud as she came to a halt rolling over on the dirt floor below. She looked up just in time to see the antelope collapse to the ground with Juveda on top.
Nala was mad, true, but she knew she couldn't let it get to her. Being shoved off an antelope or a zebra was not dangerous and, given that she had about twenty-three and a half hours of this left to go, she would most likely suffer defeat again. Still, she had no plans of inviting Juveda over for tea tomorrow.
Simba moaned. "Don't worry Nal'," he said to himself, "you'll get one."
Bilauri looked at him. She could read concern on his face.
"Must be tough, having your mate in this game," she said. "You know," she added, "you and her aren't the first."
"Really?" asked Simba. "You mean mates have competed in this game together before us?"
Bilauri nodded. "Baina and Asili, Siku Choka 18."
"Oh, how did they do?"
"They did well until the final hour when they both ended up killing each other in order to try and win."
Bilauri looked at Simba to see his reaction. Horror could be read in every line, in every expression, on his face.
Bilauri laughed. "Just kidding," she explained, "they finished fourth and fifth. Did pretty well, honestly."
Although Bilauri was continuing on nonchalantly, Simba still wasn't quite over Bilauri's first response.
"Th—that wasn't funny, Bilauri."
Bilauri chuckled. "That's because you didn't know it wasn't true."
Before Simba could argue back, Bilauri came to a sudden halt. Bewildered, Simba stopped too.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Bilauri turned around, but she didn't dare take a step backwards. She knew she'd be disqualified if she did that.
"Shairi," she muttered, looking back at the sleeping lioness they had just passed.
Simba looked at her too. "Yeah, what about her?" he asked. "She's asleep."
"No she's not."
"She looks pretty asleep to me," Simba replied. "See, that's her pride there on the hills. I recognize them. I had to tell them that she was dead two years ago."
"Shairi never falls asleep during the first hour. Not from history, anyways. She's waiting in ambush for the antelope."
Simba looked all the way back over at the frontstretch. Nala had decided to catnap in front of the Pridelands while Juveda had decided to join Eboni and Linda in trotting another lap around the circuit. Other than that, Peponi, Winda, Tonka, Tumaini and Lenny were all still waiting in ambush on the frontstretch.
"Aren't there several other lions lined up in ambush before Shairi?" reasoned Simba.
"They're not going to go after the antelope," Bilauri replied. "They don't want that antelope to be killed – they want that antelope to go about his business until the officials let the zebra out."
"So they're lined up first in ambush for the zebra?"
"Exactly! And the zebra's so much easier to catch. But Shairi doesn't care about that…she's not lined up first in ambush, so, why not wait for the antelope to walk all his way around the circuit then, once the officials are about to let a zebra out, Shairi kills the antelope and the officials have to let an antelope out instead. The strategies of everyone on the frontstretch would be ruined."
"Aha," Simba replied blankly. "Look, no offense, but…I'm not buying this. So much would have to go right in order for what you said to work so I'm just going to keep walking and find my own pride on the frontstretch, okay?"
Bilauri shrugged. "More points for me," she replied. "I've got to go too," she added, "we've already walked on by Shairi. I need to run on around the circuit and line up in ambush before her."
Bilauri began to run off while Simba shook his head.
She's overanalyzing this, he told himself.
For a long period of time, nothing happened. Nothing changed, at the least. Eboni, Linda and Juveda continued to run laps while Bilauri ran a whole lap around the circuit until she was lined up in ambush in front of Shairi.
Nala felt a sudden thud to her left. She lifted her eyelids to see her mate lying next to her.
"So this is why you entered the Siku Choka?" Nala asked. "So you could sleep with me?"
"Everyone sleeps better with a pillow," Simba replied, "isn't that what my mane's for?"
"Hmm," replied Nala, "you have a point."
"Besides," added Simba, pausing for a yawn, "everyone's waiting for the zebra. What else is there to do?"
Nala yawned too. "Good grief, it feels that I've been asleep forever. How much longer until the zebra comes out?"
"Not too long," Simba answered. "Although Bilauri thinks that Shairi is waiting in ambush on the back side of the track."
"Why would she think that?"
"Because Shairi already has ten points so she's got nothing to lose if she gets another antelope and nobody gets a zebra."
Nala's eyes grew wide. She shot up off of the ground. Simba lifted his head up.
"What?" he asked.
"Oh no, she's right!" Nala exclaimed, looking across at the backstretch. Simba got up too.
"She's not going after it yet," Simba replied, "trust me, Shairi's still asleep."
"No she's not," retorted Nala, "Shairi never falls asleep during the first hour of the event." Nala caught sight of a lioness standing not too far from Shairi. "Who's she?" she asked.
"That's Bilauri," Simba replied, "she's the one who told me what Shairi was doing."
Nala looked back over at the track entrance: the place where the prey was released from the infield.
"They're getting a zebra ready," Nala noted, "we can only hope that this antelope stays alive as long as possible…"
"That's it," whispered Bilauri, "just a bit further…"
The antelope walked on by Bilauri.
"…and now chase!" exclaimed Bilauri, sprinting off into a run. As she had anticipated, Shairi shot up off of the ground and began running after the antelope too. Bilauri slowed down a bit and let Shairi pull in front of her. It was all going to plan…
Shairi got on the antelope's back. Bilauri jumped up on it too and knocked Shairi off. Then, she let herself drop off of the antelope.
Bilauri rolled down onto the floor laughing.
Ha! What a play! I never wanted to get that antelope, I just needed to make sure Shairi didn't get it! Now I can go and chase the zebra!
Both of the lionesses rolled to a halt on the ground. Shairi stood up and shook the dirt out of her fur. She looked over at Bilauri, who was still chortling as she lied down on the ground next to her.
Bilauri made her way up onto her feet too. "Ah, you didn't expect that one, did you Shairi? I figured out your strategy and now they're letting the zebra out! Woohoo!"
Bilauri was still laughing as she ran off towards the frontstretch.
"Okay," Shairi murmured to herself, "but you don't have to brag about it."
"Why didn't Bilauri just kill the antelope?" Timon asked Sarafina.
"Because if she had, it would've been pointless," Sarafina replied. "They wouldn't have been able to release the zebra still because they would have to reset the clock since the last kill. The only way they can let the first zebra out is if a certain amount of time had passed without any prey being killed. Bilauri stopped the antelope from being killed, and now they can release the zebra. Does that make sense?"
Timon and Pumbaa blinked. Crickets chirped.
Sarafina sighed. "How about this, whatever happened, the point is that now an antelope and a zebra are out on the circuit," she said, "which is great news – because look at who's lined up first and second in ambush…"
(A/N: No prizes for guessing who's lined up first and second in ambush! Reviews appreciated though.)