The man who liked lions

In Short

This story follows Kjem, a nobleman from a technologically advanced, prehistoric civilization who has fled into the future to escape justice for a murder. Posing as a man named Kemper, he spends his final hours at a zoo, mocking the "ape-people" who surround him while waiting for his former peers to track him down. It is a chilling exploration of alienation and superiority, remembered primarily for its sharp, cynical voice and a grim, pyrotechnic climax that turns a suburban afternoon into a primal hunting ground.

The Story

Mr. Kemper stands at the lion cage of a crowded, sweltering zoo, observing the patrons with open disgust. He is a man out of time, a noble from the Pliocene era who possesses a "mind-matrix" capable of manipulating reality, having escaped his own world through a self-created time rift. As he watches a mother terrify her child with lies about lions, he is spotted by Ulbasar, a member of his own people sent by the Science Council to arrest him. Kemper, knowing that the Council intends to drag him back to face judgment, decides to spend his remaining time sowing chaos among the unsuspecting public.

He wanders the grounds, finding sport in the cruelty of the people he encounters—boys torturing beavers, a man mimicking chimpanzees to provoke a violent reaction, and families laughing at caged predators. He deliberately orchestrates a confrontation at the lion cages for three o’clock, whispering promises of "action" to the more aggressive visitors. When his pursuers, Ulbasar and eventually the powerful Lord Gteris, finally corner him on a hill overlooking the lion court, Kemper is briefly held in a mental vice. However, he exploits the politics of his pursuers and the encroaching mob to shatter their concentration.

Freed from their mental control, Kemper unleashes his full power. He mentally pries open the cages, allowing the lions to escape into the panicked crowd. He directs the animals with sadistic precision, ensuring that the "ape-people" suffer while forcing Gteris to confront his own cowardice before being mauled. In his final act of defiance, Kemper attempts to command the lions to defend him, but he has underestimated the reach of his people. Before he can escape back through his time rift, his pursuers deploy the aviary’s massive, lethal birds of prey. The story ends with Kemper dying in the cold sun, the scent of the lions he worshipped still filling his nostrils, as he is brought down by the very creatures he had once hunted.

How It Unfolds

A casual meeting Kemper stands by the lion enclosure, where his aloof behavior and knowledge of animal biology mark him as an outsider to the loud, sweating crowd. He suddenly feels a mental probe, signaling that he has been found by a peer from his own timeline.

The game begins Kemper wanders the zoo, finding the human visitors to be "scavenging little apes." He begins whispering to various men, inviting them to the lion cages at three o'clock to witness a spectacle he is already planning.

The confrontation Ulbasar and Gteris corner Kemper by the aviary, attempting to arrest him and seal his time rift. Kemper mocks their politics and reveals he has no intention of returning quietly to face his people’s tribunal.

The chaos erupts At three o'clock, the crowd gathers at the lion cages just as Kemper triggers a massive, violent breach of the enclosures. He directs the lions to attack the public, effectively turning the zoo into a slaughterhouse.

The final hunt As Kemper revels in the carnage, his pursuers retaliate by unleashing the predatory birds of prey from the aviary. Kemper is mortally wounded by the condors, dying while realizing his time as a predator has finally reached its end.

The People

Mr. Kemper (Lord Kjem) A fugitive noble from the Pliocene, he is defined by his profound arrogance and his refined, lethal intelligence. He wants to escape the judgment of his people but ultimately desires a dramatic, violent end that affirms his status as a hunter. He views humanity as mere animals, and this dehumanization is both his motive and his undoing.

Ulbasar A member of the First Science Council, Ulbasar is the initial tracker sent to capture Kemper. He represents the clinical, bureaucratic side of their advanced society. He is easily manipulated by Kemper’s psychological games and is ultimately killed when he is caught off-guard by the very crowd he was sent to navigate.

Lord Gteris A peer and former hunting companion of Kemper, Gteris is sent to finish the job. He is more competent than Ulbasar but suffers from a lack of moral resolve. His failure to stand and fight the lion sent to kill him confirms Kemper's assessment that his people have grown soft and overly political.

The Ape-People The zoo visitors serve as a collective antagonist. They are depicted as loud, sweaty, and cruel, often goading the animals for amusement. To Kemper, they represent the base, unrefined nature of the future world. They provide the chaotic backdrop that allows Kemper to orchestrate his final, bloody performance.

In Its Own Voice

A zoo is a place where some people make sport of lower animals. That included Kemper, but for him people were the lower animals!

(The narrator introduces the protagonist's central, misanthropic worldview as he watches the crowds.)

"Lions seldom eat people," said Mr. Kemper.

(Kemper asserts his superior knowledge to a woman at the zoo, immediately establishing his role as a cynical, detached observer.)

"Apes, your fathers were not arrogant when they died screaming on our spears. They were not bold when our hunting cats ripped their bellies."

(Kemper internally addresses the two boys he encounters, revealing the historical violence that defines his perception of humanity.)

What It's Really About

The book is a dark meditation on the nature of civilization and the cycle of violence. Kemper’s contempt for humanity is rooted in his belief that history is defined only by the relationship between the hunter and the hunted. The book asks whether humanity has truly progressed or if we are merely "apes" who have traded spears for cameras and cages. There is a palpable argument that those who view the world purely through the lens of power and predation will eventually be consumed by the same forces they seek to dominate. It is a cynical, pessimistic look at the "ape-people" of the future, suggesting that without the nobility of the hunt, civilization is nothing more than a noisy, sweaty cage.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate mid-century science fiction—the kind that prioritizes sharp, biting prose over technical jargon—will find this a compelling, if unsettling, read. It is short, punchy, and moves with the efficiency of a predator. The story’s power lies in its unrelenting atmosphere; the heat of the summer day, the smell of popcorn mixing with the "sweat stink of people," and the visceral descriptions of the animals all create a claustrophobic, intense experience.

New readers should be prepared for the protagonist’s unapologetic misanthropy. Kemper is not a hero, and the book makes no attempt to redeem his cruel worldview. The period attitudes toward "the masses" are stark and occasionally harsh, reflecting the author’s intent to portray a character who genuinely views himself as a god among mortals. The ending is abrupt and brutal, staying true to the story’s themes of hunting and being hunted. It is not a pleasant story, but it is a remarkably focused one. If you enjoy character studies that dare to be deeply unlikable and narratives that explore the thin veneer between humanity and the primal, this story will stay with you long after the final page.