by Titan Books
“Yes, sir!” cried Daku. “Just as you say. A very neat turning of words.”
“What do you mean?” asked Augustus.
Aboro walked up to Augustus’ desk and reached inside his leather uniform. He came out with a brown parchment document which he slapped down on the desk, spilling several other papers to the floor. “Read it,” said Aboro in a commanding voice. “Even you should be able to understand it.”
Augustus was beginning to shake with suppressed rage; this was no way for a mere chief of police to speak to the prefect of a district. Augustus picked up the official-looking paper, unrolled it, and began to read. “It is from the Supreme Council itself,” he murmured to no one in particular.
“Read further, Augustus,” said Aboro languidly.
Augustus looked up at Aboro, for the first time feeling a sense of trepidation. He gazed back at the parchment. “‘To Prefect Augustus, Greetings’,” he read. “‘Know all apes, by these present, that reposing special trust in our loyal servant, Police Chief Aboro, you are herewith recalled to Central City. After reporting to the Supreme Council, you will be reassigned to the province of Dorvado. Also, in accordance with this change of status, we herewith appoint the aforesaid Aboro new Prefect of your District, with all rights and privileges which appertain to such a promotion, all to be effective as soon as possible, with a minimum of delay.’” Augustus finished reading the paper, but he stared at it in mute fury for several seconds. Aboro stared, waiting for some kind of reaction. Finally, Augustus looked up, evidently shaken to his core. “This cannot be!” he said. “I have done an exemplary job here. I have not been given one inkling that they were displeased with me.”
Aboro laughed again. “That is not the point at all, friend Augustus. As far as your, work here, it has not proven so difficult, has it? I mean, I don’t doubt that even a human could be trained to fill your functions. Any mouse can shuffle papers. It takes strength, however, to govern a district. Govern. That is the key word, and that is where the Supreme Council may feel you have fallen down.”
Augustus was still stunned by the implications of the order. “But Dorvado!” he said plaintively. “That is a wild, mountainous place—”
Aboro sighed, wishing that he could be far from this tedious, boring chimpanzee. He much preferred the simple, brutal ways of his fellow gorillas. “The Council probably feels that you can do less harm out there,” he said cruelly. Then he swaggered to the door. He put one hand on the latch, then turned back to face the prefect. “I am in no hurry to move into this office, Augustus. I am trying to be reasonable. Still, the situation demands an orderly transfer of authority. Anytime within the next two hours or so will suffice.” Then Aboro was gone, and the smirking Lieutenant Daku followed. The door slammed behind them.
“That’s pretty incredible,” said Virdon, emerging from his hiding place.
“I’m sorry, Augustus,” said Galen.
“I can do nothing for you, now, cousin. You heard,” said Augustus. Galen nodded.
“Dorvado,” mused Virdon. “That’s like Siberia.”
“Where?” asked Galen. Virdon didn’t reply.
“I can only offer advice now,” said Augustus. “You and your human friends get out of this district as fast as you can. Aboro is vicious.”
Virdon was giving thought to another aspect of the matter. “Isn’t this a little unusual?” he asked. “I mean, I thought that gorillas were pretty much reserved for military and police duties. That has been our experience.”
Galen nodded. “Administrative positions have always been filled by our kind.”
Augustus stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I must give Aboro credit,” he said regretfully. “It must be that he has powerful friends on the Council.”
Galen stepped forward and grasped his cousin’s shoulder in a solicitous gesture. “I am truly sorry, cousin, not only for the failure of our plans, but for what this means to you. My good wishes will be with you.” Augustus couldn’t answer. He was still too shocked.
Pete Burke entered from the rear of the building; it was evident that he had heard everything that had transpired in the previous few minutes. “Well,” he said, “it was a good idea. Even if it didn’t work.” Burke’s attempt at lighthearted humor fell dismally flat.
* * *
The day passed slowly. It was warmer, and the weather was still pleasant as they traveled through the woods toward a forest clearing. Burke led the way this time, followed by Virdon, and finally by a weary and panting Galen. They were all deep in conversation, trying somehow to loosen the knot of trouble which seemed to bind them.
“That’s got to be why Aboro’s been trading grain for gold,” said Burke. “He bought the job of prefect. He bribed someone or some group on the Supreme Council. They just don’t go handing out administrative posts to obvious crooks like Aboro. The Supreme Council has some pretty good minds on it, after all.”
“Bribable minds, if you’re right,” said Virdon.
“Anyone can be bribed, if the price is right,” said Galen.
“Not that any of this information helps our situation, any,” said Burke, vaulting over a large fallen tree trunk. Virdon hurdled the massive obstacle, and Galen climbed slowly and painfully over it.
“Maybe it does,” said Virdon. “Galen, aren’t there laws against corruption, bribery of officials, things like that? There must be. This can’t be the first time this has happened.”
“There are very strict ones,” said Galen, wheezing and trying to get his breath back. “If we could find out who Aboro’s been in touch with in Central City.”
“Nothing to it,” said Burke with his accustomed cynicism. “All we have to do is walk back to Central City, ask Zaius for an appointment, and then ask everybody to take a lie-detector test. Who knows? It might be Zaius himself who was taking the bribes.”
Galen made a frown of concentration. “I would stake my reputation on Dr. Zaius’ integrity.”
“Right now, pal,” said Burke with a short laugh, “in Central City, your reputation is about as good as ours.”
“Must you remind me?” said Galen, with mock displeasure. “By the way, what is a ‘lie-detector test’?”
“That’s where a lot of police like General Urko stand around and ask questions,” said Burke. “If you sweat a little, it means you’re lying.”
“I don’t even need the questions,” said Galen. “Just thinking about Urko makes me nervous.”
“Janor’s only given us a little time,” said Virdon, breaking into the light banter of his friends. “I’m glad that he understood how the situation has changed, and I’m glad that he gave us another day. But that still leaves us only until tomorrow night to finish this entire business.”
There was silence as the three companions considered what those few hours would bring to each of them, separately, to Janor, and to the humans of the district. It was a heavy responsibility and there were no easy answers.
* * *
A small procession was wending its way through the quiet country lanes of the’ district surrounding Hathor toward the center of the town. Leading the parade were two mounted gorilla troopers, uniformed as usual, with special shiny metal decorations to mark their important assignment. They were heavily armed with rifles more sophisticated than the ones used by the local police officers. Behind these troopers rode General Urko, the mighty, almost all-powerful military ruler of the ape empire. His horse was a gigantic black stallion, the most impressive beast that Urko’s staff had been able to find in all the realm. Bringing up the rear were two more gorilla troopers. They wore the expression of disdainful superiority that naturally attached itself to all who spent too many hours in the presence of General Urko. The lead troopers stopped in the road, on the edge of the village of Hathor, and, turning their horses slightly, waited for Urko to canter toward them.
“Yes?” demanded General Urko.
“District Headquarters, sir,” said one of the troopers respectfully.
&n
bsp; Urko looked in the direction that the gorilla was pointing; he saw only the typical dry, dusty main street of a dry, uninteresting, rural farming village. There was normally nothing in such a place to interest a personage of General Urko’s magnitude. He didn’t even make out which building the trooper was indicating. But that didn’t matter. Urko had other thoughts on his mind. “Ah!” he said in his deep, rumbling voice. “Aboro will be surprised and delighted to see me.”
The two troopers turned their horses to lead the way into town but, after a grunt from their commanding officer, they gave way. Urko himself would lead his triumphal entry into Hathor.
A few minutes later, one of Aboro’s troopers, who was seated in a crude chair in the office of the prefect, sprang to his feet as the outer door was thrown open with a horrendous crash. Urko’s troopers entered quickly, their rifles drawn unnecessarily, producing the desired effect. Aboro’s man was shaken and stood quaking in the center of the room. The general’s troopers flanked the door; a moment later Urko himself entered. Without looking from one side to the other, Urko spoke. “Announce me to the prefect!” he cried.
“Yes, sir!” said Aboro’s trooper in a broken voice. The trooper fan into the back private office, from which all the noise of the general’s entrance must clearly have been heard. There were murmured voices, but no distinct words were audible to Urko. The general didn’t care; he knew what was happening back there. The thought of it made him smile slightly.
The trooper reappeared a few seconds later. “Please come in, Commander Urko,” he said. His voice was even less under control.
Urko stepped through the curtain, tossing it aside as if it irritated him. If it irritated him enough, it was clear that the general would merely rip it down. Aboro rose and came forward to meet his superior officer.
“Urko!” he said in a less-than-pleased voice. “What a pleasant surprise! What brings you to Hathor?” In the back of Aboro’s mind was the unpleasant suggestion of just how similar this situation was to the scene he had enacted with Augustus not so long before.
Urko, Aboro, and the ever-present Daku were alone in the private office, shut off from the eyes and ears of the gorilla troopers in the outer chamber. Urko needed no great audience, however. Aboro would be enough. “Well, Prefect,” he said, giving the word the same contemptuous underlining that Aboro had used with the dispatched Augustus. “Since I was in the district on a tour of inspection, what better time to come by to offer my congratulations on your appointment! I was amazed and delighted to hear of it.”
“I am honored, Urko,” said Aboro nervously. “Honored, indeed! Oh, this is my aide, Lieutenant Daku.” Urko merely threw the subordinate officer a glance, nodding once. ‘
“A great honor, sir,” said Daku.
“To think that my old friend is both Prefect and Police Chief of this important district!” said Urko, pacing the narrow office area. “I don’t recall that you were ever noted in the Police Academy for your administrative skills.”
“Anyone can learn to shuffle papers, Commander,” said Aboro, trying to regain his composure and his easy, seemingly bored attitude. He was failing at that. “We can always hire chimps for that, can’t we?”
Urko let out a booming laugh. “True enough,” he cried, “true enough.”
“Would you care for something to drink?” asked Aboro.
Urko nodded that he would, indeed, care for something to drink. Aboro went to a small cabinet and took out a wooden decanter. He poured two cups of purplish liquid, quite evidently leaving out the inferior Daku. He handed one of the cups to Urko, and raised the other in salute to the general. “To your health, old friend,” said Aboro.
“And to yours,” said Urko.
After the toasting was completed, Aboro returned the cups and the decanter to the cabinet. “And now,” he said, turning back to the general, “is there any way I can help you?”
“Well,” said Urko, removing one of his leather gauntlets and slapping it against one of his leather-clad legs, “there is always the matter of the human astronauts and the traitor, Galen.”
“Yes,” said Aboro, “I have been receiving reports about their movements from your office for some time now.”
“Any sign of them?”
“None,” said Aboro. “You’ll find them somewhere else. My district is under the strictest control.”
“I know that,” said Urko, and both gorillas understood that the general’s words were less a compliment than they sounded. Urko shook hands with Aboro again. “If we don’t meet soon, before I return to Central City, again my congratulations on your appointment,” he said.
“I appreciate this, Urko,” said Aboro, still somewhat confused by the general’s meaning and intentions. “It is a great honor for me.”
Aboro and Daku stood at attention as Urko nodded absently, turned, and sauntered through the curtain into the outer office. Aboro then gestured to Daku, who went and peered out, making sure that Urko and his troopers had left the headquarters building. Daku turned and gave a quick nod. Aboro took a deep breath and moved past his lieutenant into the main room and his official desk. Aboro collapsed in his chair. Slowly he let out his breath. “I’m just as glad to see the last of him,” he said softly. “Even back at the Academy you felt like he was seeing right through you.” He put his feet on the desk, disturbing piles of Augustus’ unfinished work.
“You realize that his visit has… confirmed your appointment,” said Daku slowly.
“How do you mean?” asked Aboro suspiciously.
“Well,” said Daku thoughtfully, “first and last, Urko is a policeman, a good one. He was sniffing around here. I know him that well. If he had any idea you’d ‘bribed’ your way into this post, he wouldn’t have left so quickly. No, he’s satisfied and that means we’re—I mean, you’re in total control of the entire district.”
Aboro nodded, slightly more satisfied. “You’re probably right as usual, Daku. As long as I continue to make my payments to Central City, I’ll be left alone to amass my own personal fortune!”
* * *
The two human astronauts and their chimpanzee friend had made a temporary campsite, a place to rest and formulate their plans. Things had happened so quickly that their schemes and ideas had to be scrapped and rethought almost hourly. Virdon leaned against a rock, carving a kind of long swagger stick from a short branch with a penknife. Burke squatted nearby, tacking together two strips of red cloth. Galen paced before them, somewhat nervous, adding little to the constructive activity of the other two, showing his apprehension.
“It’ll work,” said Virdon. “I’m convinced of that. If everybody does his job.”
Burke turned to Galen with a grin, indicating the material he had been working on. “Your disguise,” he said. He got up and placed the red collar around Galen’s neck. Galen took a deep breath.
“Are you scared?” asked Burke.
“I can’t believe how often the two of you come up with the most’ insane plans. Every scrape we get into involves the most complicated, ridiculous bit of playacting to get us out alive. And it’s usually me that has to perform. But this is the absolute limit.”
“Are you scared?” repeated Burke.
“Chimpanzees are never afraid,” said Galen. “We sometimes feel anxious… apprehensive…”
“That’s what I mean,” said Burke. “You’re scared. Well, so am I. Good luck.”
Virdon handed Galen the swagger stick. Galen accepted it gravely and nodded, then started to turn away. “Galen,” called Virdon. The blond man understood that the chimpanzee was walking into a desperate situation, and that, although as courageous and loyal as anyone the astronauts had ever known in either of their worlds, Galen could still be filled with doubt.
Galen turned back to look. “Fingers crossed,” said Virdon. He held up his crossed fingers; Galen stared curiously. After a moment, he did the same.
“I’ll never understand,” said Galen to himself. “Sometimes I learn so much
from these humans. Sometimes I have to pretend that they know what they’re doing.”
Virdon and Burke watched Galen walk slowly away. They looked at each other and nodded.
In Hathor, little more had been done in the District Headquarters office since Aboro’s visit from General Urko. The general had been correct in his estimation of Aboro’s administrative abilities. It was clear, though unimportant, to Lieutenant Daku that the day-to-day affairs of the district would soon begin to suffer. It was just as clear, and more important, that these affairs would pass into his control. Lieutenant Daku was looking forward to the increase in his own power.
Once again, the front door of the building flung open. Daku looked up, startled. Was this Aboro’s unlucky day? Was this General Urko again, checking up, as Daku had hinted before? No, no, it wasn’t Urko; Daku saw that in an instant. Still, he wondered who beside that powerful leader would have the effrontery to burst into the office in such a fashion.
One of the gorilla troopers was resting in one of the chairs. When the front door banged open, the trooper jumped to his feet, fumbling with his rifle, which was tangled among the legs of the chair. The trooper’s frantic movements and Daku’s angry words were both halted by an imperious gesture from Galen. Yes, this was Galen, but a chimpanzee few would recognize. This was not the somewhat timid, curious, friendly ape whom the astronauts had grown to admire and respect. This was a new role for Galen—and Galen secretly loved playing roles, as much as he complained to Virdon and Burke about the necessity to do so.
Galen marched into the center of the room, arrogant, swaggering, a natural bully with natural authority. “Inform the Prefect that Octavio is here to see him,” he said in a voice as loaded with disgust as he could make it. He looked at neither the trooper nor the lieutenant. His attention was on his swagger stick, which seemed in almost certainty to be used against the skulls of both gorillas unless they did as he said, immediately.
The gorilla trooper moved up behind Galen and spoke diffidently. “You have an appointment?”