Chapter 37: Chimp Sign Language
They approached the chimp's habitat, and Julien called out, "'Ey, 'panzees!"
"Hmm?" Phil stopped sipping his tea to look. "Oh, it's you. Phil, wake up. King Julien is here."
Phil sat up sleepily and rubbed his eyes. He used sign language with Mason.
"No, I don't know why he's here." Mason told him. "But there's no need to be so rude about it." He then turned to Julien. "Why are you here so early?"
"Why cannot neighbors just be neighborly?" Julien replied.
"Good morning." Isobel waved to them.
"Oh, I see. You have a friend." Mason nodded. "What's your name, m'lady?"
Isobel told him. "And yours…sir?"
"I am Mason." Mason placed his hand on his chest, and then gestured towards Phil. "And that it Phil. He only speaks through sign language."
"I know a few words." Isobel said quietly. "We once had a deaf mongoose come through our city. She taught me some sign language before I scared the daylights out of her." She smiled a bit at her own joke; Mongooses and cobras do not mix.
"Phil won't mind a few mistakes. Go ahead and try." Mason suggested.
Isobel looked at Phil and began signing. Haltingly at first, looking about in the air as though she could see her memories floating there, but then the right motions came to her and her hands moved more fluidly.
Phil watched every motion carefully, and then nodded happily when she finished. He signed back quickly.
"Jolly good apparently." Mason had been watching them.
"What? What did they say?" Julien asked.
"Oh, just the usual greetings and such." Mason explained. "As is polite in CSL."
"CSL?"
"Chimp Sign Language."
They soon parted ways.
"Where to now?" Isobel asked.
"There are no more nice-ish people." Julien said. "Just the 'panzees, the penguins, and Marlene. But Marlene is gone away on some vacation. Some place called Calee-for-neea."
"Who's Marlene?" Isobel was interested that there was another female at the zoo.
"She's an otter or whatever. But she cannot be going into the park or else she turns into a crazy devil." Julien shuddered at the memory. "I do not want to relive that."
Isobel laughed. "I would still like to meet her. When does she return?"
"Yes, I suppose she can be nice. Oh, and in a few weeks or something." Julien told her.
Isobel nodded. "Is there anyone else to meet in the mean time? Truly, I want to know as many people as I can."
Julien wished he knew her accent. It was strange and lovely and like a song. He came back from his mind to Isobel's question. He tapped his chin. "Well then you can be meeting Joey. He is a very bouncy guy. The kangaroo kind."
"A kangaroo?" Isobel had never seen a kangaroo. She had heard of them from stories. And she had also never heard an Australian accent. Maybe once a long while ago when Jack had just gone out to sea there had been an Aussie sailor with him.
Julien nodded. "He is not very nice at all. But since you insisted…"
They stopped in front of Joey's habitat. Peeking their heads over the top of the wall, they could see Joey scratching flies away from his ears, feeling lazy in the mild weather.
"Joeyyy!" Julien lowered his head and yell-whispered.
"Why are you whispering?" Isobel raised an eyebrow at him.
"He gets very testy." Julien warned her.
Isobel cupped her hands over her mouth. "Oi!" She heard Jack yell that to his crew all the time. Maybe Joey would respond to it too.
"Mmm?" Joey looked up to where they were. He saw Julien first and narrowed his eyes, hopping over to the wall. "You again? What is it that you want?"