by Titan Books
“Good day, Kira,” said Leander. “I hope I’m not intruding. You will forgive me for not knocking, but I thought that you were scheduled to give a lecture to the staff this morning.” His tone was abrupt and businesslike, although his thoughts were still partially on their interrupted dinner of the night before.
Kira answered Shakily. “I postponed it until tomorrow,” she said. “I… I wanted to show Dr. Adrian our facilities.”
Leander turned to Galen. “And what is your impression, Doctor?” he asked.
Galen smiled and nodded. “Fantastic!” he said. “Certainly far beyond anything I’ve seen. Of course, I’m not sure I would agree with all your procedures.”
Kira stared in mute horror at Galen’s acting. Was he, after all, crazy? It certainly seemed that he had little connection with reality. Leander took up the challenge. “Oh?” said the director of the medical center. “And what quarrel do you have with our procedures, Doctor?”
“I don’t wish to cause any offense—” said Galen.
“Come, come, Doctor,” said Leander, interrupting. “I’d be glad to hear your learned opinions. Wouldn’t you, Kira?”
The female chimpanzee was almost ready to collapse. “Yes,” she said. “Yes, of course. Dr. Adrian is quite renowned in his field.”
“Well,” said Galen pompously, playing his part well beyond the call of duty, “as I see it, there’s altogether too much emphasis these days on surgery, for everything from a broken leg to the vapors. While surgery is necessary in some cases, I myself prefer a more conservative approach.”
Leander laughed softly. “I have heard the same thing before, generally from provincial doctors,” he said. “You mean some kind of herbal remedy for every ailment?”
Galen kept a deadpan expression. “Except colds, of course. That illness still has our best minds stumped, and the wisdom of our elders has this peculiar gap in it.”
Behind Leander’s back Kira was signalling to Galen to stop. Galen acknowledged her motion and quit his small evaluation. Kira waited for Leander’s outraged reaction, but to her surprise the director laughed. “I like our visitor,” he said. “I hope you’ll do your best to keep him here.”
“And I look forward to working with you, Doctor,” said Galen.
“Good, good,” said Leander. He slapped Galen’s shoulder, made a short bow to Kira, and, still smiling, turned and left the room. Galen looked at Kira, who was almost hysterical.
“‘I look forward to working with you’!” she mimicked. “Do you think he’s a fool? This whole thing is impossible. This crazy imposture, that non-existent book in Zaius’ library—”
“Kira,” said Galen, suddenly sober, “I’ll find the book. And you’ll have in your hands the power to advance our medicine. That book means life!”
Kira shook her head. “It means death, if we’re caught.”
“If we’re caught,” said Galen, “I’ll confess that I forced you into this by threatening your life.”
Kira’s shoulders sagged in despair. “Do you think that I want you to die?”
“No one wants to die,” said Galen. “Ape or human. But we can’t turn back now.”
Kira was silent; Galen took that for a sign that her resistance to his scheme was diminishing. That, at least, was something. Feeling hopefully, he turned and left Kira alone in her office.
The young ape looked in on Virdon briefly. The blond man was lying on his cot, feverish and only semiconscious. With Galen was Pete Burke. They spoke together in quiet, urgent tones.
“He’s still running a fever,” said Galen.
Burke stared down at his friend, who was now so helpless. Galen was doing everything he could, but Burke felt useless in the situation. He wanted to do something for Virdon, something constructive. “I think that the bullet might be causing some kind of toxic reaction,” he said. “That medicine that Kira gave us should start to work soon. If it doesn’t…”
“Shhh,” whispered Galen.
Burke looked up to see Travin come in with some ice packs, which he handed to Burke. The astronaut took them, thanking Travin. Burke put the ice packs on Virdon’s forehead. Suddenly, Virdon began to rave, deliriously.
“Oh, no!” he cried out in his fevered nightmare. “The instruments! What does it mean? It can’t be… it doesn’t look like… This isn’t Earth! What is it?” Then, even more terrified, he said, “They’re apes, Pete! Oh, no, this world is run by apes!”
Travin edged closer, listening to Virdon’s ravings. “What is he saying? Everyone knows the world is run by apes. And what did he mean, ‘This isn’t Earth’?”
Galen looked at Travin coldly. He put out a hand to prevent the man from approaching any nearer. “I didn’t realize the orderlies here did psychological studies of the patients,” he said.
Travin was obviously chastened. “I only meant—”
Galen cut in sharply. “He’s having a fever hallucination. It’s your job to take care of him. If he dies and I have to break in a new orderly, I’ll hold you responsible.”
Travin was suddenly submissive before Galen’s hollow show of authority. “Yes, Doctor,” he said. The man turned and walked out of the small room. Galen and Burke watched him go. Then Burke turned to Galen. His expression was twisted with a strong emotion that the chimpanzee was unable to identify immediately. Galen wondered what had happened in the humans’ quarters in all the time he had spent in relative luxury with Kira and Leander. Evidently this man Travin was one to avoid. It seemed that there always was at least one, whether human or ape.
“That guy worries me,” said Burke simply.
“That’s obvious,” said Galen. “I don’t like him, either, and I don’t even know him. Is there any particular reason for your distrust?”
“No, nothing definite,” said Burke. “But the situation here is really strange.”
“Strange to you, perhaps, but if it were explained, I think that you might be better able to understand it. In any event, he wouldn’t think of challenging my authority.”
Burke laughed softly. Sometimes Galen, despite his experience and the new things he had learned from the astronauts, could be astoundingly naive. “That’s exactly what many human governments said about their neighbors, just the day before the neighbors marched across the borders. Sure, you’re an ape, he’ll obey you as long as he thinks you’re a real doctor. But if Virdon keeps on raving like this, he’s bound to give us away sooner or later.”
Galen nodded thoughtfully. “You know, that’s a new concept to me. Borders. Here, we have one community, the ape community, that spreads out in a circle around Central City. There are no other communities, no borders. That’s just another example of how we’ve improved on the old human ways. Just think of the time and resources that were thrown away, nervously watching those borders.”
“Galen,” said Burke, “I have to admit it. I think you’re right. It’s really tough for me to say it, though.”
“You’re coming along fine,” said Galen.
“Sure,” said Burke, laughing, “you’ll make an ape out of me yet.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” said Galen. They both laughed. Then Galen spoke seriously. “We’ll have to get that book from Zaius’ house. I’ll tell Kira to prepare for the surgery.” The two friends parted company, and Burke started off across the courtyard adjacent to the humans’ quarter. He had walked a few yards when he was stopped by a woman’s scream behind him. The noise was so shrill and so full of pain that he stopped and looked back. What he saw made his short temper flare uncontrollably. The girl, Travin’s daughter, was lying in the dry dust of the courtyard, writhing and twisting in pain. Her cries were enough to make Burke sick to his stomach. Standing over her was a man Burke knew to be called Lafer; the man was beating the girl with a heavy rod. The poor girl could do nothing to avoid the man’s blows. Blood ran from her nose and her eyes were both blackened. Large bruises had appeared on her arms and legs. Burke realized that Lafer could easily kill the girl. Oth
er humans in the area were going about their business as though nothing at all unusual were happening. The whole scene was incredible to Burke; these were not people. Perhaps the apes were right, after all. Perhaps the human beings were only animals, fit only for slavish duties. Burke felt a kind of revulsion at being one of their number.
Lafer prepared to give the girl another clout with his rod. Burke ran toward them, shouting at Lafer to stop. He knocked the man’s arm away and pulled the stick out of his grasp. Lafer, infuriated, turned on Burke and threw a punch at the astronaut’s head. Burke easily avoided the blow, and replied with a sharp kick to the man’s solar plexus. Lafer doubled up, but before Burke could follow up his attack, the man recovered. They struggled in the courtyard, Burke’s skill matched by Lafer’s superior strength.
Meanwhile, summoned by the commotion in the courtyard, Travin emerged from the humans’ building. He stopped when he saw what was happening. For a moment he watched, hoping that Lafer would beat Burke senseless. But after a short while, Travin realized that Burke was holding his own, and that he apparently could do so indefinitely.
Then an accident occurred which changed the picture. Lafer grabbed Burke, and in the astronaut’s attempts to free himself, his shirt was ripped, exposing the knife that he carried beneath it. Travin and the other humans saw it and reacted with a fear more extreme than the situation seemed to warrant. One of the humans, a woman named Brigid, her voice trembling, could only stand and point at Burke. “He has a weapon,” she said shrilly.
Burke heard the woman’s words while he grappled with Lafer. Her tone told him that having a weapon here was a dangerous thing. He filed that away in his memory, in order to be more careful around the apes: He hoped that Virdon’s knife had not yet been discovered; if either weapon were reported to the gorilla guards, it could mean the end of their history.
Travin finally ran to the scene of the fight across the courtyard, just as Burke delivered a solid blow to Lafer’s jaw. Before the struggle could continue, however, Travin stepped between, the two men:
“All right, all right, that’s enough,” he said, holding back Lafer, who did not want to stop. His pride was wounded more than his body, and that was motivation enough to continue, even after his leader commanded a halt. Burke, for his part, was perfectly willing to stop. His hands were cut and bleeding, and he was out of breath. He knew that Lafer would begin to get an insurmountable edge on him very soon. Lafer cooled down after his leader’s repeated order. In a few seconds, only Travin was still angry. “What do you think you’re doing?” he cried. “You could have had the entire gorilla garrison here in another couple of minutes. That would have been just fine, you dumb clods. Every one of us, the whole human population, could have been confined to quarters for a month. You’ve had that happen before—staring at those filthy walls for a month. Do you like it, or something? Do you enjoy a month of dull conversation?”
Lafer just pointed at the girl, who was still rolling back and forth on the ground in pain. “She spilled the water,” said the man.
Burke was incredulous. “And that’s why you were beating the daylights out of her?” he asked furiously.
Travin put a restraining hand on Burke’s chest. “All of us are required to discipline the girl,” he said calmly. “It’s our duty, to keep us safe from her curse.”
“She’s your own daughter,” insisted Burke.
Travin just stared back. “I have no daughter,” he said in a flat voice.
Burke looked back at Travin, the astronaut’s mind a bewildering mixture of thoughts and feelings. Travin just stared blankly. Burke turned his attention to the girl, whom no one yet had come to aid. The girl sat up, holding her arms around her knees and rocking back and forth. She did not return Burke’s gaze. Frustrated, still angry, and not quite comprehending the circumstances, Burke kicked at a pebble, sending it several yards across the courtyard, in the direction of the other humans. He looked at them disgustedly.
Travin turned to Lafer. “I believe she’s been punished enough for now,” he said.
Lafer nodded glumly, still looking hatefully at Burke. Finally, though, he turned and left. Travin stared after him and gave the girl a meaningful look. She whimpered slightly, then stopped, the effects of years of discipline dictating her actions. She picked up her water pail and hurried back toward the building. The other humans dispersed, leaving Travin alone in the courtyard with Burke. Travin took a deep breath. He did not like this man, but he knew that he had to establish some kind of control over him, or risk bringing down the wrath of the apes on the rest of the human crew. “I saw your knife,” he said, expecting that to be enough of a warning for Burke.
“So?” said Burke, without interest.
“Humans are forbidden to carry weapons,” said Travin. There was a short pause. “Who are you?” asked Travin.
Burke sighed. This man Travin was really too stupid to be believed. If Burke was who he said he was, the matter was settled. If he wasn’t, did Travin really think that Burke would reveal the truth? Human beings couldn’t have become that stupid. Burke looked at Travin’s cruel face again and decided that the last statement might well be an unwarranted assumption. “I’m Dr. Adrian’s servant,” he said. It was the same story that Travin had heard upon their arrival, and the only story he was likely, hopefully, to hear. Travin could take it or leave it.
The invocation of Dr. Adrian’s name stopped Travin again; his fear of all apes and their total power over human beings prevented him from saying anything further. Burke waited a moment, then turned around and walked, away. Travin watched him go, then reached into his pocket and took out the compass that he had stolen from Virdon’s pocket. He looked at it again, then, with a gesture of finality, closed his fists on it, a hard glint of suspicion in his eyes.
* * *
The Central City of the apes was just that: the metropolitan and cultural nexus of the entire society. There was nothing else like it anywhere in the ape world. All administrative and social functions were located in Central City; smaller communities, mere satellite stations and agricultural towns, were grouped in an almost circular band around the city. Beyond these was an uncharted wilderness, a strange and deadly area that was forbidden to apes and human beings alike.
One of the busiest addresses in Central City was the office building of General Urko, the gorilla chief of all police and military forces in the ape empire. Urko was a fierce, huge gorilla, dedicated to keeping an iron grasp on the daily lives of all citizens and slaves. He desired above all things an orderly world, and the only way that he could see to maintain it was by force and fear. That he also greatly enjoyed the privileges and swaggering power was another forceful reason for keeping things as they were.
On this particular day, Urko was interrogating a human being, something that he generally delegated to his junior officers. But General Urko had a suspicion that this human being might be able to give him information about the location of two human astronauts—whatever that word meant—and a chimpanzee traitor named Galen. Urko hated these three with a passion that far transcended rationality; he would stop at nothing to get them back in his power, and so demonstrate in front of the entire ape world that no one could evade his might for long. The two humans were an embarrassment to him; of course, they had the mind of a chimpanzee to aid them, but Galen was known publicly as a rash, impulsive youth, and an ape not especially given to planning stratagems. That Urko had not yet recaptured the three was a fact that nagged at him day and night.
The human being whom the general was questioning was the same driver that Burke and Galen had overpowered on the road to the medical center. The gorilla guard who had been with him was also present.
“The one who attacked you, Asher,” said Urko quietly, “what did he look like?”
Asher, the human, was frightened to be in the offices of the notorious General Urko. His answer was given in a voice that fairly wobbled with terror. “I don’t know,” he said. “I couldn’t tell. It
was dark.” He was almost whining with fear.
Urko pretended that the matter was of little consequence, ignoring the fact that if it were so unimportant, Urko would not be pursuing it himself. “Was it a gorilla or a chimpanzee? You certainly could tell that much.”
There was a long silence. Urko played with a letter opener shaped like a sword, that lay on his desk. He looked up again, waiting patiently for an answer from this typically ignorant creature. Then Asher, trembling with fear, said in a low voice, “There were two of them. I already told you. A chimpanzee and…” Asher paused, “and a human.”
The gorilla that had been with Asher, who had not seen Galen, reacted with fury. “You’re saying that an ape helped a human to commit a crime?” he cried.
Urko interrupted coldly. “I’m handling this, Officer Haman,” he said. Haman nodded dutifully and said nothing more. Urko turned again to Asher, and spoke in a friendly, reassuring voice. “You are aware that you could be flogged for spreading such dangerous fantasies, aren’t you? Oh, I’m not trying to frighten you. Quite the contrary. I’m trying to apprise you of the legal precedents here. I could have one of my secretaries look it up for you, if you didn’t want to take my word for it.”
“I believe you,” said Asher hoarsely.
“Fine, fine,” said Urko absently. “But I’m not going to have you flogged. I just mentioned it so that you’d understand how lenient I’m being.”
“Thank you,” said Asher, his voice almost disgustingly obsequious. “Thank you, General.”
Urko waved Asher’s gratitude away. “What you’re trying to say is, you were frightened, it was dark; you couldn’t tell who attacked you, isn’t that so?”
By this time, Asher would have agreed with anything that General Urko said. “Yes, sir,” he said, his eyes directed to the floor.
Urko studied the abject human being before him; the general’s lip curled in a sneer of hatred and loathing. He wished that he didn’t have to deal with such filth. What he really desired was to rid the entire ape world of all human beings, but he realized what a devastating blow that would be to the economy, which depended on the slave labor force. Still, things would be much simpler without such creatures as Asher. And those blasted astronauts! “Good,” said Urko wearily. “You’ve done your duty. You can go now.”
