Squinting defensively against the fierce glare of the sun, Galen, Alan and
Pete retraced their steps back to Chandar. Conversation between the three
had been non-existent since the discovery that the flight disk was missing.
Rounding the side of a grassy knoll, Galen's pace slowed, while behind him
Alan stopped abruptly. "Pete…" Alan started, and Pete met his questioning
gaze with a grim look as the smell of smoke grew stronger.
Galen sniffed the air, wide-eyed. "Chandar?" he asked.
"Liska…." Pete said softly, and broke into a run.
"Pete, wait!" Alan shouted, and putting on a burst on speed, grabbed him by the arm.
Burke stopped and jerked his arm back, glaring. "What are you doing, Alan? Those people need our help!"
"We don't know for sure what's going on - Pete, listen to me!" Alan urged as Pete turned away. "I know you're worried - we all are. But we can't afford to be reckless. Okay?" Pete stared at him, eyes stony. Alan stared back, determined. "Pete! Okay."
Burke's brown eyes gradually lost some of their anger. He nodded, saying impatiently, "Yeah, yeah, okay. But let's move!" Virdon put his hand on Burke's shoulder, reassuring him for an instant before pressing onward.
Galen's heart sank as each step brought them closer to the village. He sniffed the air, then glanced at his two swiftly moving companions. His every instinct screamed at him to turn back, away from Chandar. Of course, the villagers were friends, and he had every intention of helping - but he was certain whatever they were approaching was going to change all of their lives for the worse.
Smoke wafted up over the surrounding trees, and Burke's face grew tighter with every step. Galen, watching him, realized that despite his urgent pace, Pete was also afraid of what they would discover. As if reading his mind, Burke's hard gaze caught Galen's briefly, then returned to the path before him. Galen sighed, worried.
Suddenly they heard the sound of hooves pounding into the ground just ahead. As the three scrambled behind some bushes, two gorillas rode into view. The astronauts and Galen strained to hear the conversation.
"……I was deployed to the chimpanzee protest last week. They wouldn't listen to 'reason'," said one of the gorillas, a husky fellow showing large yellow teeth as he grinned. "But I and others in the garrison took matters in hand," he continued in a self-satisfied manner.
"What's their problem, anyway? At least once a week, we've been dealing with these chimps," commented the other gorilla, a shaggy ape with grayish fur.
"Some of the students at the university have apparently decided that Galen and his human 'pets' are being unjustly persecuted," sneered the first.
"Chimps. Their trouble is they think too much." The other gorilla snickered.
"They just need the truth beaten into their thick skulls. I had one of 'em at the protest, giving him 'a lesson' so to speak. Unfortunately, he turned out to have connections. Complained about the treatment he'd suffered," the first gorilla growled, continuing. "Council member Yalu's nephew, no less. The one that started all this, I'd bet - Galen's cousin."
"Pergis, right? A trouble-maker. I've heard about him and his protests," said the second gorilla.
The larger gorilla slammed his fist into his palm. "If I'd only known who he was! I had him right there in the palm of my hand! I'd have taught him a few things years at the university will never be able to show him. Of course, he might not have survived," the gorilla added, eyes narrowing. The other gorilla guffawed loudly as they rode away.
"Pergis!" Galen exclaimed as the two gorillas disappeared around the bend. "My cousin Pergis! Oh, what trouble has he gotten himself into now?"
"One thing at a time, Galen," said Alan, as the trio left the protection of the bushes and approached Chandar with caution. Shortly they emerged from behind the last hill blocking their view of the village. A terrible silence descended upon them as they gazed downward.
It was a ruin. An utter ruin. Smoke still rose from the village, but the fire had for the most part burned the homes to the ground and died out.
"My God," said Alan softly. The three ran into what used to be the center of the village. Pete turned in circles, searching, then ran to the smoldering debris of what had been Liska's home.
"Liska!" he shouted, breath coming in harsh bursts. "Liska! Kabon! Answer me!" He turned again, seeking some sign of life.
Galen followed Pete, touching his arm. "You're going to get us all killed! Do you want that?" he demanded, searching Pete's brown eyes with his own.
Burke focused on Galen impatiently. "I have to find them!"
"I understand, Pete. I do. But I've always counted on you to help keep us safe, no matter what. You're placing us in jeopardy. The gorillas may be near. Don't you understand that?" said Galen in a calmer tone.
They were interrupted by the sound of foliage rustling from just beyond the burned area. Kabon emerged from the blackened bushes. They were shocked by his appearance. He moved slowly and painfully, dragging one side of his body. A thin stream of blood ran out of his ear.
Pete grabbed Kabon, supporting him as he started to collapse. With an anguished cry, Kabon wrenched himself from Pete's grasp. "Don't come near me!" Kabon hissed, battered face glowering. Pete stood still, nonplused, as Alan approached Kabon and placed an arm around his waist.
"Let me help you, Kabon," he said gently. Alan sat him down carefully and went over his body, searching for injuries. Afterwards, he looked at Kabon's bleeding ear and shook his head, making the point that he could do nothing for him.
Pete reached for the water bottle, placing it in Kabon's hands. "Drink," he urged.
Kabon struck the bottle weakly from him. "I told you to stay away from me," he whispered, voice hoarse.
"Look, Kabon, I only want to help," Burke protested.
"You've done enough! Liska is dead because of you!" Kabon screamed, then grasped his head in his hands. Pete's face drained of color. "You left that thing here…that damn disk," Kabon continued, staring up at Burke, hatred evident in his eyes. "My daughter is dead because of it. You might as well have shot her yourself."
Burke flinched as if hit, and Galen moved protectively closer.
"It wasn't intentional, Kabon," Alan said firmly. "I'm so very sorry…we all are. How did she…how did Liska die? Can you tell us what happened here?"
"The gorillas…they came. Urko found the disk in my home. On the table, where he left it. He knew you'd been here, then. He took it with him. They beat me. Then Liska came, and…and those filthy bastard gorillas killed her. They burned the villagers out of their homes. Because of you…" he said, struggling to sit up, staring into Burke's eyes, "Do you understand what you've done to her? They shot her down in front of me!" Pete put a shaking hand up over his eyes for an instant. "Why…why did you ever have to come here? Both of you - with your ape friend, and your disk - you're responsible," Kabon stated flatly, looking at the others in turn. A multitude of emotions chased across Burke's expressive face as he listened to Kabon's diatribe, then turned away. Alan watched, his face reflecting Kabon's anguish.
--------------------------
The people of the village came trickling back in pairs, in threes, and in groups to view the remains of their homes with a mixture of despair and resignation. None of them would speak to the astronauts and their companion, who tried frantically to get help for Kabon, even while recognizing that he was in fact beyond help. But the people were frightened, reasoning that Virdon, Burke and Galen were to blame for the fury the gorillas had rained upon their village and their lives.
Kabon's condition steadily worsened throughout the day, until he collapsed and could no longer speak. His breath came in gasps. Burke stayed away in order to give the man some peace in his last moments. It left a bitter taste in his mouth and an ugly feeling of helplessness. Virdon and Galen tended to Kabon as best they could, and tried their best to comfort him. He died a little before dusk.
The three friends buried Kabon just outside of the village. They'd searched for Liska's remains, but found nothing recognizable in the fire- blackened ruins of what had been her home.
Galen sniffed the air, wide-eyed. "Chandar?" he asked.
"Liska…." Pete said softly, and broke into a run.
"Pete, wait!" Alan shouted, and putting on a burst on speed, grabbed him by the arm.
Burke stopped and jerked his arm back, glaring. "What are you doing, Alan? Those people need our help!"
"We don't know for sure what's going on - Pete, listen to me!" Alan urged as Pete turned away. "I know you're worried - we all are. But we can't afford to be reckless. Okay?" Pete stared at him, eyes stony. Alan stared back, determined. "Pete! Okay."
Burke's brown eyes gradually lost some of their anger. He nodded, saying impatiently, "Yeah, yeah, okay. But let's move!" Virdon put his hand on Burke's shoulder, reassuring him for an instant before pressing onward.
Galen's heart sank as each step brought them closer to the village. He sniffed the air, then glanced at his two swiftly moving companions. His every instinct screamed at him to turn back, away from Chandar. Of course, the villagers were friends, and he had every intention of helping - but he was certain whatever they were approaching was going to change all of their lives for the worse.
Smoke wafted up over the surrounding trees, and Burke's face grew tighter with every step. Galen, watching him, realized that despite his urgent pace, Pete was also afraid of what they would discover. As if reading his mind, Burke's hard gaze caught Galen's briefly, then returned to the path before him. Galen sighed, worried.
Suddenly they heard the sound of hooves pounding into the ground just ahead. As the three scrambled behind some bushes, two gorillas rode into view. The astronauts and Galen strained to hear the conversation.
"……I was deployed to the chimpanzee protest last week. They wouldn't listen to 'reason'," said one of the gorillas, a husky fellow showing large yellow teeth as he grinned. "But I and others in the garrison took matters in hand," he continued in a self-satisfied manner.
"What's their problem, anyway? At least once a week, we've been dealing with these chimps," commented the other gorilla, a shaggy ape with grayish fur.
"Some of the students at the university have apparently decided that Galen and his human 'pets' are being unjustly persecuted," sneered the first.
"Chimps. Their trouble is they think too much." The other gorilla snickered.
"They just need the truth beaten into their thick skulls. I had one of 'em at the protest, giving him 'a lesson' so to speak. Unfortunately, he turned out to have connections. Complained about the treatment he'd suffered," the first gorilla growled, continuing. "Council member Yalu's nephew, no less. The one that started all this, I'd bet - Galen's cousin."
"Pergis, right? A trouble-maker. I've heard about him and his protests," said the second gorilla.
The larger gorilla slammed his fist into his palm. "If I'd only known who he was! I had him right there in the palm of my hand! I'd have taught him a few things years at the university will never be able to show him. Of course, he might not have survived," the gorilla added, eyes narrowing. The other gorilla guffawed loudly as they rode away.
"Pergis!" Galen exclaimed as the two gorillas disappeared around the bend. "My cousin Pergis! Oh, what trouble has he gotten himself into now?"
"One thing at a time, Galen," said Alan, as the trio left the protection of the bushes and approached Chandar with caution. Shortly they emerged from behind the last hill blocking their view of the village. A terrible silence descended upon them as they gazed downward.
It was a ruin. An utter ruin. Smoke still rose from the village, but the fire had for the most part burned the homes to the ground and died out.
"My God," said Alan softly. The three ran into what used to be the center of the village. Pete turned in circles, searching, then ran to the smoldering debris of what had been Liska's home.
"Liska!" he shouted, breath coming in harsh bursts. "Liska! Kabon! Answer me!" He turned again, seeking some sign of life.
Galen followed Pete, touching his arm. "You're going to get us all killed! Do you want that?" he demanded, searching Pete's brown eyes with his own.
Burke focused on Galen impatiently. "I have to find them!"
"I understand, Pete. I do. But I've always counted on you to help keep us safe, no matter what. You're placing us in jeopardy. The gorillas may be near. Don't you understand that?" said Galen in a calmer tone.
They were interrupted by the sound of foliage rustling from just beyond the burned area. Kabon emerged from the blackened bushes. They were shocked by his appearance. He moved slowly and painfully, dragging one side of his body. A thin stream of blood ran out of his ear.
Pete grabbed Kabon, supporting him as he started to collapse. With an anguished cry, Kabon wrenched himself from Pete's grasp. "Don't come near me!" Kabon hissed, battered face glowering. Pete stood still, nonplused, as Alan approached Kabon and placed an arm around his waist.
"Let me help you, Kabon," he said gently. Alan sat him down carefully and went over his body, searching for injuries. Afterwards, he looked at Kabon's bleeding ear and shook his head, making the point that he could do nothing for him.
Pete reached for the water bottle, placing it in Kabon's hands. "Drink," he urged.
Kabon struck the bottle weakly from him. "I told you to stay away from me," he whispered, voice hoarse.
"Look, Kabon, I only want to help," Burke protested.
"You've done enough! Liska is dead because of you!" Kabon screamed, then grasped his head in his hands. Pete's face drained of color. "You left that thing here…that damn disk," Kabon continued, staring up at Burke, hatred evident in his eyes. "My daughter is dead because of it. You might as well have shot her yourself."
Burke flinched as if hit, and Galen moved protectively closer.
"It wasn't intentional, Kabon," Alan said firmly. "I'm so very sorry…we all are. How did she…how did Liska die? Can you tell us what happened here?"
"The gorillas…they came. Urko found the disk in my home. On the table, where he left it. He knew you'd been here, then. He took it with him. They beat me. Then Liska came, and…and those filthy bastard gorillas killed her. They burned the villagers out of their homes. Because of you…" he said, struggling to sit up, staring into Burke's eyes, "Do you understand what you've done to her? They shot her down in front of me!" Pete put a shaking hand up over his eyes for an instant. "Why…why did you ever have to come here? Both of you - with your ape friend, and your disk - you're responsible," Kabon stated flatly, looking at the others in turn. A multitude of emotions chased across Burke's expressive face as he listened to Kabon's diatribe, then turned away. Alan watched, his face reflecting Kabon's anguish.
--------------------------
The people of the village came trickling back in pairs, in threes, and in groups to view the remains of their homes with a mixture of despair and resignation. None of them would speak to the astronauts and their companion, who tried frantically to get help for Kabon, even while recognizing that he was in fact beyond help. But the people were frightened, reasoning that Virdon, Burke and Galen were to blame for the fury the gorillas had rained upon their village and their lives.
Kabon's condition steadily worsened throughout the day, until he collapsed and could no longer speak. His breath came in gasps. Burke stayed away in order to give the man some peace in his last moments. It left a bitter taste in his mouth and an ugly feeling of helplessness. Virdon and Galen tended to Kabon as best they could, and tried their best to comfort him. He died a little before dusk.
The three friends buried Kabon just outside of the village. They'd searched for Liska's remains, but found nothing recognizable in the fire- blackened ruins of what had been her home.
