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Tele snort "That’s as likely as the sprouting of a new arm!"

"You’re not his blood kin," Sofya said, and her face was serious now "But you are heir to the house of Nebir," and you have the unspoken endorsement of the queen of queens All her own sons are useless or dangerous Do you see? It makes you a favorite, Beloved Telemakos ‘Beloved’ is a title Did you think it was an endear as any hyena’s head in the palace kitchens

"I had not thought about it," Telemakos said faintly

"It was my father’s title," said Sofya "Ras Bitwoded Anbessa, the beloved prince Lionheart When the emperor calls you ‘Beloved Lionheart’ it puts everyone in mind of my father, as chief counselor to the emperor Caleb, before Gebre Meskal was born

"Ah me," she added caustically "I am sorry to make you have to think so hard"

Telelared fixedly down at Solomon "Well, I see nohy no one will let o kill a lion and prove ship, and have to be iain," Sofya said "Your sister will think it is acceptable behavior to scowl at anyone who tries to instruct you--"

"Oh!" Teleht "There they are!"

The lioness Sheba had paced away to stretch The three cubs had been sleeping close against her, curled together in an intertwining ball of golden fluff Telemakos had never seen lions so s at them in rapture, and it was only after Sheba had cos in a nest, that Tele hih narrowed eyes, as intent on him as he had been on the lion cubs

"It is true that I haveaway in such a little while"

Two of Sheba’s babies died within a week of their birth Tele kit, until the ate with the thin, faintly breathing scrap of fur sleeping in a basket

"The emperor Gebre Meskal asks if Telemakos Meder will raise this cub for him," the lion keeper requested fore such a task"

"I should like a ith the emperor Gebre Meskal," Medraut told him in the silken serpent’s voice that made you want to run and hide

But Grandfather unexpectedly threw in his support with Tele while the lion, scarcely old enough to blink, lay quietly starving in its basket

"I would not care if Gebre Meskal were emperor of Rome," Medraut said coldly "He will ask erous a gift"

"He has already asked ruffly, "and the child is ift, and it is only for a short time, to save the creature’s life If the cub lives, Gebre Meskal will send it to Himyar when the quarantine ends, as a token of esteeone from here before it drops its raciously

"It had better be"

He and Telemakos made a bed for it in an empty stall of Kidane’s stables

"When you were trod on by a stag and broke every bone in your body, and s hunting again," Telemakos pointed out to his father

"I was e I made my own decisions"

"But you e the way you hunt? I’ll never hed He answered wryly, "In truth, I took no lesson from it at all So you are already in advance of me"

"It’s only a little lion," Telemakos assured hi Sololike creature that it was soon allowed to roaan to walk on all fours, like a cat, instead of crawling Legs splayed slightly to keep her body level, she scampered about the house in a sort of inter She was very fast

She was like Menelik in other ways too You could amuse them both, easily, with the saether in which Athena sat on a s lion in perfect i through the reception hall to throw hi across the floor in a tangle of wool and fur and springing uncoood deal of Tele the carpet Theirthe carpet out for thele Athena

Medraut did not play He sat quietly, with his knees drawn up to his chest, keeping an eye on the lion And he watched Turunesh Teleh he were feeding on her laughter

She still seeht tointer’s end, Medraut came into the house late from some errand and found his children and wife and sister and Menelik all asleep in the sitting roo aloud to the Medraut woke the baby carelessly over his shoulder, and ushered Tele the lion loose