The crowd roared in approval as the lion fell silent. They chanted, “Turn them loose! Turn them loose!” but Uruku only stood straighter, arms folded tightly, puckering his mouth. He waved them off as if swatting away flies.

“Dagan! Over here!”

Marduk and Qishti were trying to push past the guards to throw a rope down into the Pit in some reckless attempt to rescue their brother, but Gala was in the mix this time, trying to keep them away.

Qishti managed to squeeze between two of the guards while they were busy with his older brother. Gala tried to wrench him back, but was knocked by a guardsman’s elbow, end over end into the Pit.

Directly in front of the male lion.

Gala screamed as the lion roared. He tried to scramble away through the sand, half crawling, half running, but the lion leapt on him at once. Yellow teeth flashing, it tore into his leg and shook him violently from side to side. Gala wailed and unsheathed his sword, swinging with all his might as the lion mauled him, but swung wide.

Dear Selu, he missed!

I covered my ears. Shrank away as the shriek of the Boatman filled my head. But Gala’s screams echoing off the walls pierced through anyway.

Iltani stood stock-still, staring at the carnage below. Her face was white.

“It’s eating his leg.”

“Stop it, Iltani. Turn away. Please!”

“Dagan and Nasu rushed over and are trying to kill the lion. Nasu is beating it with his mace!”

“Stop looking!” I screamed, shaking her violently, but she stared on, eyes unblinking. Mouth open in horror.

But after a moment, the crowd stilled and I chanced a look at the Pit. Dagan and Nasu took a step back, chests heaving as the lion slowly sank to its bloodied side. They stood next to it, wiping their faces of gore. Finally, the beast stilled, its tongue lolling out of its mouth. I dropped my hands to my sides.

The crowd grew silent as Gala writhed on the ground. He moaned, ashen-faced, holding his right leg, which was mangled to the thigh, blood pouring from the main bloodline.

No one spoke. No one moved. We stared, horrified at the scene below us. The wreckage of Gala’s leg. The entrails of a lion. Two blood-spattered brothers-in-arms who’d fought to bring down a wild beast. Guardsmen tensed and ready inside the gate, waiting for instructions on their next move.

It was probably too late for Gala with an injury like that. But I could try to do something.

“Bind his wound!” I yelled, my voice echoing in the stillness. I had to try to save him. I was a healer.

But a hand on my arm brought my eyes to Iltani’s face. Her eyes were shining with malice.

“Let him die.”

“Iltani—”

“No. Do not give them any more instructions. Gala tried to lie with me without my permission, no matter what he promised Dagan. He laughed at me, Kammani when I told him to stop, and told him I’d kill him if he succeeded. He said he’d make me love him.”