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The first red rays of the predawn sun were just peeking past the horizon when Chiriki woke Leo up to take him back to the dungeon. Leo yawned as he walked behind her--unrestrained, which was probably against protocol. At this hour, the chill of the night still lingered in the air and soft paw steps echoed loudly. Once underground, you couldn't tell the time if not for the electric lights that had grown dim and orange.

"My morning shift starts soon. I'll see you again later," Chiriki said as she locked him in his cell.

Leo went to lie down on the bed. Although drowsy, he found it difficult to fall back asleep. He must have, however, for it seemed only an eye blink passed before the door opened again. It was Asim who entered this time, much to Leo's relief. The sudden opening had caught him off guard. Had it been Imara, he should have been kneeling.

"Good morning," Asim said. "Don't bother getting up, I need you right there."

Leo blanked out for a moment, then recalled what was expected of him. He placed his hands above his head, at the corners of his bed, and let the hyena shackle his wrists.

"How did your encounter with Chiriki go yesterday?" Asim asked, seemingly making smalltalk while he worked. Having secured his hands, he moved down to remove his chastity cage.

"Fine," Leo said. For some reason, he felt embarrassed. Back home, he had learned the hard way never to show vulnerability or submission to a pride-brother. Telling Asim about his experience with at Chiriki felt much too intimate, somehow more so than the mere physical vulnerability of letting him place him in restraints.

Asim pulled back his scrotum to give it a throughout inspection, poking and pinching the tender skin. Leo tried hard to ignore what was going on below his waist. "Good, good. I know some of our lionesses like to play rough. Don't hesitate to call on me if anything is ever amiss."

"Okay," Leo said flatly.

"You sound troubled," Asim said.

"It's nothing," Leo said, to himself as much as to Asim.

"Are you perhaps uncertain about your future here? You'll be seeing the Queen today. This is around the time when new recruits typically get cold feet. Fear of commitment--or rejection, perhaps."

"I don't know," Leo muttered. "It's... What's it like to be a real pride member here?"

"For obvious reasons, my personal experience is not typical, but despite our differences we may be more alike than not. Those who come here are willing to exchange physical freedom for the freedom to be themselves. To switch from a hierarchy they do not fit in to one where they do. Does this make sense?"

Leo took a moment to ponder. He suspected he understood what Asim meant but there was still so much to learn about this pride. He licked his lips, then asked. "What if I won't fit in here either?"

"Then I suggest you back out now while you still can. Do you still feel in your skin Imara's punishment for embarrassing her in front of a peer? Can you imagine her wrath if you cause her to lose face before the Queen?"

The fur on Leo's neck prickled. He couldn't imagine and that scared him. Back home, a harsh punishment typically involved a saber applied to the neck or tail, but such crudities were not allowed here. Instead, Imara and Mahiri had to be creative. Leo very much feared he'd rather face the saber.

"Do wish to back out?" Asim insisted. "Say it now and it can be arranged. Of course, what sort of welcome you will receive back at your old pride is out of our hands."

A part of Leo wanted to say yes. But it was the part that feared change, wanted to stay with what was familiar, even if it made him miserable. "No," he finally said.

"Good," Asim said. "Worry not, it will get easier from now on. The first weeks of training are the most difficult, by design. Soon, you will get to enjoy more liberties, playmates, as well as male companionship that I suspect will be much friendlier than where you came from."

Leo nodded thoughtfully. "Do... the lionesses ever claim you as a playmate?"

"My role here is a little different," Asim said. "I am not seen as one of the males."

"Do you ever wish you were?"

Asim shrugged and shook his head. "Not particularly. Beside the fact that I feel little desire to engage in sexual activity, our species are too different for me to find lions attractive in that way. The converse is also true, I think. Our concepts of masculinity and femininity are very different from yours."

"Oh..." This reminded Leo of an outrageous claim his brothers had sworn was a true fact. "I've heard that... Is it true that female hyenas have penises?"

"Ha!" Asim barked in that high pitched hyena way. "I'll to leave that to your imagination." He winked at Leo. "If Imara ever convinces the Queen to open trade with the Cities, perhaps someday you'll get a chance to find out for yourself."

Leo pursed his lips, not quite sure if he liked the prospect.

Asim finished up his morning ministrations by put Leo's chastity cage back on. He released his wrists and left him to wait for Imara to arrive.

Again alone in the cell, time crawled. There was nothing to look at, nothing to do. He was alone with his thoughts. The meeting with the Queen he had been waiting for, that he had fantasized about for years, was just around the corner. Leo paced in a circle around the room, hoping it would dispel the moths in his stomach. Imara had assured everything would go well, but, well, who knows?

He laid back down on the bed, stretching out his arms and legs. He should have asked Asim to leave him shackled up. There was something soothing about being tied up. The restraints took his freedom to move, but also his anxiety. No point in stressing when there was nothing you could do. Leo breathed deep and tried to imagine himself sinking into the hard surface of the bed. He was still locked in a cell, stored away until Imara had need of him again. There wasn't anything to do but wait.

What felt like half-a-day passed before she came for him. Hearing the rustle of a key at the lock, Leo scrambled to a kneeling position in the middle of the room. Imara stepped in, wearing a two part dress that looked more formal than usual. Under her arm, she carried a piece of rolled up white cloth.

"Today is a big day," she said, placing the cloth bundle on the bed. "Your most important one yet. Today I will present you to the Queen and begin your official induction to the pride."

Leo tried to tamp down the suspenseful tickling in his stomach. "Thank you, Mistress."

She nodded. "The Queen's Court will soon be in session and I must prepare you. There is tradition and ritual involved. At the dawn of our Queendom, males wishing to join our pride were presented to Queen Ayubu for evaluation. Nearly all of them aspired to be kings, to supplant her. Careful screening was critical. These days, the ceremony is more... well, ceremonial." Imara's gaze hardened, she looked at him with piercing eyes that Leo made shrink back. "But only because it's my job to make sure no would-be usurper makes this far. Both Mahiri and I are staking our reputations on you. I have faith that you will not disappoint us so I do not need to scare you with threats."

"I'll do my best, Mistress," Leo said.

"I expect nothing less. Now, pay attention. There are formalities to be followed. As you should know, being a King or a Queen is all about looking the part, about ceremony and etiquette."

Leo nodded.

"First," Imara continued, "turn around and put your hands behind your back."

Leo stood and turned to face away from Imara. She unrolled the cloth and took a short length of rope, which she tied around his wrists. The knot wasn't very tight at all, it felt like he could wiggle his hands free with just a modicum effort. Touching his shoulder, she turned him around and guided him back to his knees.

"It's loose on purpose," Imara explained, as if guessing what he was thinking. "You surrender yourself to the pride but you do so willingly. You do not need to think what to do, just go where you're guided, kneel before the Queen, answer when asked a question and otherwise stay silent."

"Understood, Mistress."

There was one other item on the cloth: a brass chain. The links were very small and polished, it looked more decorative than practical. On one end was a larger spring loaded snap-link that Imara latched to the ring on his collar. "The leash should require no explanation," Imara noted.

Finally, she picked up the cloth itself, a square of white silk. "Make sure the veil doesn't fall off. I will remove it during your presentation. As you might have guessed, it too carries a meaning, aside from being a nice flourish. Back in the early years, lions were brought to face the Queen's judgement chained and hooded--unwilling. That you will not shake it off shows your sincere commitment to our pride and customs."

Imara draped the square cloth over Leo's head, covering it completely. The fabric was translucent enough that he could still see the shape of her through it.

"Follow me," she said taking hold of his chain. She led him out, walking slowly so Leo wouldn't trip in the now slightly less dim corridor. They went up the stairs and outside. Under the midday sun, Leo had no trouble seeing through the veil.

The Queen's palace was just like a typical King's palace: a smaller but more elegant building by the keep. Clad in white marble hauled from unimaginably far away, there was no mistaking it for anything else.

Leo followed Imara through the wide open front doors into the main hall. A line of lionesses stood in the middle of an aisle leading to a dais on which stood the throne, presently unoccupied. So far, not too different from what Leo was used to. On either side, lionesses stood in orderly rows. Although Leo could only make out its general shape through the veil, the throne appeared bigger and more impressive than the King's throne back home.

Imara led him to the hindmost row, where a spot appeared to be reserved from him between two lionesses. As he got closer, he recognized them, by scent before sight: Chiriki and Himaya. Putting a hand on his shoulder, she guided him to kneel between them, then took her own place at the first row.

Minutes passed in expectant silence, then a flicker of motion at the fore. He heard Imara announce, "Court is now in session! Supplicants may present their requests."

Leo tried to peek between the rows to get a look at the Queen. He couldn't see her very well, but he did the glimpse first supplicant, down on one knee before the throne. She appeared to be a cheetah--surprising, as your average king wouldn't deign to hear directly from a peasant.

"My Queen," the cheetah said. "The summer has been exceptionally dry. Watering holes have turned into pits of mud and our herds are suffering. We may soon have to resort to culling them or risk losing them all. We beseech you to release more water so that we all might not die of thirst and starvation."

"Zakia!" the Queen called out. Hearing her voice sent a chill down Leo's spine. It was a bit lower than he had imagined and not quite as melodious, but what a thrill to hear it at last. "What is the state of the well? Do we have the water to spare?"

A lioness stepped forward. "Yes, my Queen. The water level is low but not yet dangerously so. If we are to increase the flow to the outside, I must recommend we decrease our own consumption until the wet season arrives. Further, if the drought continues for much longer, we may have to resort to pumping. In this scenario, we won't have sufficient power to keep the lights on at night."

"Very well, it cannot be helped," the Queen said. "Security of our food supply takes precedence over luxuries. See to it."

"At once, my Queen!"

The cheetah bowed so deep the tip of her muzzle touched the ground. "Thank you, my Queen," she said and quickly left, letting the next supplicant take her place.

Leo had to admire the Queen. That she would immediately grant such a request was astonishing. His father would have--and had--prioritized his own comfort, even at the expense of the pride.

The remaining ones were merely reporting the news: the state of the treasury, noteworthy events within the pride, and updates on the relations between kingdoms. Where they were getting such detailed reports from, Leo did not know.

Finally, there were no more supplicants but Imara stepped out. "My Queen, before we end today, I would like to present for your appraisal a male who wishes to join our pride." She looked in Leo's direction and shouted, "Bring forth the applicant."

Chiriki and Himaya took Leo by his upper arms and pulled him to his feet. They walked him across the aisle, Chiriki holding his leash and Himaya following behind him. At the end, Himaya pushed him back down on his knees. Imara moved behind him, putting her hands on his shoulders.

"I present to you Leo, son of King Septimus, who has forsaken his birth-pride to pledge his loyalty to you." She pulled off the veil.

Leo could now see the Queen clearly, sitting on the throne before him. She was older than he had imagined but what age had taken from her, she more than made up in regality, in the force of her presence. She wore a dress similar to that of Imara, but made of fine silk with gilded details, as well as an elaborate gold and silver necklace and golden, gem encrusted armbands and bracelets.

Leo's eyes were drawn to throne next. It was every bit as ornate and masterfully crafted as his father's but the unusual, eye-catching part was that serving as the armrests were two lions. They were lying recumbent on wide, curved stands that took the place of the traditional armrests. Golden shackles secured them in place by their ankles, thighs, and presumably wrists. Stretched out on the floor before the throne, a third lion lay on his back, similarly shackled at his wrists and ankles, his belly providing a soft cushion for the Queen's paws.

Leo was captivated by the sight of the throne. The thought that he too might someday be called to offer his body for the Queen's comfort made him tingle with excitement.

The Queen had her elbow on the righthand side male's chest, leaning her head against her palm. "King Septimus, you say?" she said, eyes narrowed in an amused smile. "Not the first-born, surely?"

"Answer the question," Imara said, prodding Leo on the back. "What is your position on the line of succession?"

"I am true-born but I have eight older brothers, Your Majesty," Leo said.

"A pity," the Queen said, still smiling. "Your father wastes no opportunity to denounce me and our pride. It would have been deliciously ironic had a prince with a realistic claim to the throne decide to join us. But far be it from me to complain. That any of his sons has chosen to renounce him and serve me instead is still a most satisfying turn of fate. If he is sincere, that is."

"I have evaluated him for four days now," Imara told the Queen. "It is my professional opinion that his desire to serve our pride is genuine."

"Very good," the Queen said. "Do we have a second opinion?"

Mahiri stepped forward. "I have independently tested his resolve. He has submitted to punishment and humiliation that a would-be-king would balk at, yet displayed what I believe is sincere commitment to the pride. I second his admission."

"Excellent. What of the border guards who apprehended him? What say you?"

Himaya spoke next, "During our first encounter, I remained skeptical of his true intentions, but since then he has given me no reason to suspect he has ill intent."

Chiriki said, "I too believe he is a perfect fit for us."

"We have heard four voices speak on behalf of him. Is there anyone who opposes?"

A hush fell.

"Very well. Son of Septimus, stand up and come closer, let me have a look at you."

Leo stood at Imara's encouraging nudge and took a few steps forward until he stood at the edge of the dais.

"Turn around for me," the Queen ordered, making a spinning gesture with a finger.

He turned slowly, letting her see all of him. Facing her again, he knelt back down.

"They do keep getting younger by the year, don't they?" the Queen said, shaking her head. "Or is it me who is getting older? Nevertheless, I no longer have patience for these kittens whose muzzles are barely dry of their mother's milk, but our younger lionesses will surely appreciate this injection of new blood."

She looked past him. "Imara, I put him in your charge. Train him up in the ways of our pride and present him again once he is ready for the collar." Bracing herself on her living armrests, the Queen pushed herself up. "That shall be all for today," she said and walked off towards the door in the rear of the room, leaving Leo kneeling, feeling numb.

* * *

"That went very well," Imara said. She had led him back to her apartment by his leash before taking the chain and the ropes off. She now sat on the couch opposite to him. "Why do you look so glum?"

"It's nothing, Mistress," Leo said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion, his shoulders slouched.

"Your disappointment couldn't be more obvious if it was written on your face."

"No, Mistress. I am happy."

Imara stared at him for an uncomfortable minute, then, widening her eyes, said, "Don't think I haven't seen this before. You had built up an image of the Queen in your head based on stories and hearsay. Dreamed of serving her personally and being showered with her affections. After all, you abandoned your old pride for her sake, you deserve nothing less. Then you face the harsh truth, that here you are just of one many, nothing special. Your relationship with the Queen was ever only a childish fantasy."

Leo turned his gaze to the floor, unable to look Imara in the eye.

"This is just another lesson you must learn before you can take you place with us in the pride."

"Yes, Mistress," Leo said in a low voice.

"You're becoming disillusioned. A necessary step, but one that can lead down a wrong path. It is my job to guide you to the right one. I can't punish you for feeling how you feel, that would be counterproductive. A different kind of lesson, then."

She stood abruptly and walked around the tea table. She looked down at Leo, making him retreat into the soft cushion behind his back just by the force of her presence. She undid the shoulders of her top and let it fall off her. She next pushed down her skirt, revealing nothing beneath. Leo couldn't help to stare, his mouth hanging half open, a hot pressure growing in his crotch.

"Do you find me beautiful?" Imara asked.

"You're the most beautiful lioness in the world, Mistress," Leo said.

"Truly? Even more beautiful than the Queen?"

"Yes, Mistress, even the Queen."

Imara chuckled. "What a seditious compliment, but I'll allow it." She climbed onto the couch, sat in Leo's lap, straddling his legs. She took his hands and placed them over her hips. "Touch me. Feel my body."

Leo squeezed softly, let her hands sink into Imara's soft fur, her skin hot against his fingers. He ran his hands down her thighs, letting his fingers brush over her toned hard muscles. Imara stretched her arms and arched her back, let out a low purring exhale. She crossed her hands behind her head and looked at Leo with a slight tilt of her head, inviting him to continue his exploration. He reached up to fondle her breasts. He held them in his hands and squeezed them softly. The sight of her erect nipples sticking out through through the thin fur captivated him. He leaned in, circled a nipple with the tip of his tongue. He let his hands roam down, over her muscular abdomen and sides. Imara's body felt so powerful, like she could run down a wild gazelle by herself with nothing but her teeth and claws for weapons.

He inched his hand downwards, towards her sex. Imara reached down, took hold of his hand in hers and guided his fingers where she wanted them. Leo did as a concubine had once taught him, rubbed with the pad of his finger, keeping his claws carefully retracted. Imara closed her eyes and gave a low sigh. Her breathing deepened and with her other hand grabbed the scruff of Leo's neck, pushing his muzzle between her breasts. "Keep going."

Leo did. Imara's exhales turned to moans. "Faster," she said, eyes still squeezed shut. As Leo increased the intensity of his rubbing, she tightened her hold on the skin of his neck and opened her mouth in a silent roar. Her body convulsed, she thrust her hips into his hand and her claws pricked into the back of his neck. She cried out, then quickly rolled off him onto the couch, kicking him away in the process.

"Did... Did I displease you, Mistress?" Leo asked.

"You did good," Imara said. She took a moment to steady her breathing then got to her feet. "Come with me," she said, looking behind her and making a beckoning motion with her hand.

Leo eagerly followed her to the bedroom, eyes on her round, swaying hips and swishing tail, his cock aching for release from its cage.

She headed for the bed but rather than getting on it, pointed to a pair of manacles hanging from the ceiling in front of it. "Lock yourself up," she ordered.

Leo wasn't exactly sure what to expect but did so. He raised his arms straight and clicked the shackles closed around his wrists.

Imara moved up close, pressed herself against his back. Reaching around, she stroked his chest with one hand, the other making its way lower. "Did you know that before Madini's inauguration, she used to have my job?"

Leo shook his head. "No, Mistress."

"And that I'm favored to succeed her when she abdicates? Although premature, you may think of me as your Queen tonight."

"Yes, Mistress--I mean, my Queen," Leo said, closing his eyes, letting himself melt into Imara's embrace. Her right hand reached his testicles, grabbed them in such a tight hold Leo couldn't help but to open his mouth in soundless groan. Her left hand closed around his throat, not squeezing, merely holding him possessively.

"Do you like it when I treat you like this?" Imara whispered in his ear.

"I do, my Queen."

"I can tell. Those who come here usually do." She let go. She walked somewhere behind him, returning with a flogger in hand. She dragged it across his lower chest, letting its thin leather strips tickle his belly fur. "This is not just for punishment. There is a kind of pleasure in pain as well. Would you like me to use this on you?"

Leo hesitated. He looked down at the flogger Imara was holding. It was a dainty one with short, plain thongs, not even knotted or barbed. "Y--Yes, Mistress," he said.

Imara smiled. "Good. Spread your legs."

Leo widened his stance, intensely aware of how exposed his testicles were. He trembled in anticipation of the first strike as Imara moved beside him. She lifted up the flogger and gave it a swift flick, the tips of the thongs impacting his left buttock with a loud snap. Leo flinched. It was a sharp pain but nothing like the cane had been. A warm spot remained as the sting faded.

"Does that feel bad?" Imara asked.

"No, Mistress."

"Do you want more?"

"Yes, please."

She hit him again, right on the same spot. Again Leo flinched. Spinning the flogger, she landed a rapid series of hits on both buttocks. Leo arched his back, trying to keep still while his body was telling him to flee. Imara stopped. Standing behind him, his tail between her legs, she wrapped her arms around him, one hand once again at his throat, the other cupping and rubbing his aching buttock. "Was that too much?" she asked.

"N--No, Mistress," Leo said. The ache was fading away, leaving behind a pleasant warm tingle.

"Good. Keep your legs spread."

She moved in front of him and looked him in the eyes, a sly smile on her lips. She gave the flogger a light swish, snapping its thongs against his balls. Leo's knees buckled but he managed to recover and keep his position. Imara hadn't hit him very hard at all, he had lost balance mostly out of reflex. After a few seconds, she lashed him again. It was stronger now, the impact making itself felt all the way up in his abdomen. Leo twisted around and brought his knees together.

"Stay in position," Imara commanded. Sucking in air through his teeth, Leo turned back to face her and forced his protesting legs apart.

Imara raised the flogger once more. She gave it sharp swish through the air. Leo flinched and turned his hips, he couldn't help it.

Imara bared her teeth and made a tsk sound. "Control yourself."

Leo, breathing fast through his nose, widened his stance again.

Imara took a step back and raised the flogger. She swung her arm, let the thongs land on his testicles with a loud smack. Leo let out an involuntary yowl. He could tell she was still holding back, but his body was screaming in protest nevertheless.

Imara put her hands on his cheeks and leaned in almost nose to nose. "Three more. Can you handle that for me?"

Leo nodded weakly. She smiled and stepped back, raising up the flogger in preparation.

Smack. A clipped yelp escaped Leo's lips as the pain twisted his guts. Smack. His knees bent but he managed to stay on his feet. Imara waited, drawing out the final strike. Leo panted, closed his eyes and braced for the impact. Smack! He yowled in a mixture of agony and relief.

Imara tossed the flogger aside and wrapped Leo in her embrace. Her body, pressed full length against his, was as hot as a furnace. She petted the back of his head in a tender, almost motherly fashion. "There, there," she cooed. "You took that very well." Stepping back, she stroked his chin, lifting up his head to meet her gaze. "Do you feel like you've earned a reward?"

"Y--Yes, my Queen."

She swiped with her fingers, giving his muzzle a light, playful slap. "That's not how this works. You're here to serve your Queen, not the other way around. I will give you that orgasm you so crave when it pleases me to do so, and only then."

She reached down to cup and fondle Leo's aching balls, making Leo draw in a sharp breath. "Now, I'm in the mood for some fucking but your training regimen has slipped enough as it is."

She let go of him and walked somewhere behind him. Straining his ears, Leo heard the rattle of a drawer being opened. She moved back behind him and reached over to place something on his crotch. It was a stap-on dildo, made of the same shiny white ivory as the one Chiriki had used. This one, however, sprouted from a leather cod piece that fit perfectly over his caged sheath. Imara fastened its straps around his waist and between his legs. What a strange sensation it was to see an erection jutting up from between his legs while still locked up. It almost felt like the numb artificial member was his own.

"There you go," Imara said, giving the dildo a flick. Leo felt only a little nudge against his sheath. "Trainees get a practice dick."

Standing up, she moved in front of him, leaning her back against him. Leo breathed deep, taking in her scent. Imara reached down with one hand to guide the phallus into her sex, letting out a soft pleased sigh as it slid in. Leo thrust his hips, unthinkingly.

"Stop that," Imara snapped. "I will show you how to move."

She arched her back and ground her hips into his, reaching down to between her legs with one hand while holding on to Leo's leash for support with the other. The feel of her against his loins, penetrating her while his actual cock was locked away was maddening. Imara moaned and quickened her pace. She pulled harder on Leo's leash, while he steadied himself, allowing her to use him how she wanted.

It was the most erotic moment Leo had ever experienced. While his affair with a concubine had been more physically pleasing, it had felt awkwardly hollow as it was clear the pleasure hadn't been mutual. But Imara's moans and sighs were genuine as she guided his thrusts with light yanks of the leash. They filled him with warm confidence and a deep satisfaction that almost made up for the frustrated desires of his body.

Imara was grinding faster now, her moans louder. Her body stiffened and she let out a low roar, yanking hard on the leash. She panted for a moment, then stepped forward, the dildo sliding out of her with a wet slurping noise. Turning around, she wrapped an arm around him and stroked his chest a stroke with her other hand while she caught her breath. "We'll make a proper Pride member out of you yet," she purred.

"Thank you, my Queen," Leo whispered. He felt wet and sticky beneath the leather codpiece. His body burned for relief but he knew his release was yet to come.

Imara reached down to remove the strap-on, then released his hands from the manacles. "Come," she said, "lay down at the foot of the bed."

Leo first sat down onto the bed, then turned sideways to lay down. Imara took his hands once again and this time bound them to the bed post with a set of cuffs conveniently awaiting there. Moving to his feet, she bound them likewise, then went to lay on the bed so that her paws rested on his belly.

"A little taste of the future," she said teasingly. "Once I'm Queen, I'll surely have you serve as my cushion from time to time. Would you like that?"

"Yes, Mistress," Leo said eagerly.

"Very good," Imara said with a chuckle. "Some call the throne a tacky relic and say we ought to replace it with something more dignified, but not on my watch. Call me tasteless, but it's the best part of Queen's Court. Whenever we receive foreign envoys, their reactions to it are so delightful to behold. If we ever receive a visitor from your old pride, I'll make sure you'll be there at the Queen's feet."

"Y--yes, Mistress," Leo said, his mouth suddenly dry. That was a scary though, but at the same time strangely exciting. His old pride-brothers would take it as an insult, a humiliation, but for him... he'd be flaunting his position and acceptance in the Queendom. Even while literally beneath the Queen's paws, he'd be in a position they could only envy.

"Rest well," Imara said. "We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow."