Her lips touched his for an instant, then withdrew. He opened his mouth to
protest, then closed it as she placed her finger to his lips. Blue eyes
looked humorously into brown as she smiled, lips teasingly curved. Again
her mouth lowered to his. He drew his breath in sharply and curled one
arm around her back while the other cupped the back of her neck, pulling
her closer.
He opened his eyes, startled. The hand at her back was touching something….something wet. He raised his hand and looked at it.
Blood. There was blood on his hand. He tried to pull himself from her, to see what had happened to her, but she held him fiercely. He grabbed her shoulders and yanked himself from her grasp. She moaned and he looked down. A gaping hole showed in the center of her chest, blood running from the wound, and she collapsed against him.
Pete sat up suddenly, gasping. Alan was already awake, and turned to look quizzically at his friend. "You okay?" he asked. Pete stared fixedly at Alan a moment, sweat beading his face. He rubbed his eyes, gathering his composure.
"Yeah, fine."
Alan looked at him a moment, then turned away.
Pete stared at the ground, fists clenched, then heaved himself up as Galen stirred close by, still sleeping.
At Galen's insistence, the three were headed back to Central City to check on Galen's cousin. Not that the astronauts needed persuading…it was obvious that Pergis was in over his head, to judge by the gorilla soldiers' conversation they'd overheard. But Pete and Alan were surprised at the apparent radical turn that Pergis had taken, after their last visit. Galen, on the other hand, was not at all surprised. He knew Pergis - knew he'd somehow become convinced that Galen had spoken the truth. And Pergis, however young and naïve, was an ape of conviction.
The three fugitives were up and on the road shortly after daybreak, taking advantage of the cooler morning temperatures to travel at a fast pace. Galen estimated they'd be back in Central City by nightfall. A strained silence settled uncomfortably amongst them - a silence that was becoming commonplace. Each of them was sharply aware of the differences of opinion that kept them silent. Add to that the fact that they were traveling in a more populated area, increasing the odds of their capture as each step brought them closer to Central City.
A lone gorilla soldier appeared on the dusty trail winding ahead of them, and the three dived quickly away towards the brush. He ambled along, seemingly in no hurry, horse's hooves kicking up little puffs of dust.
As the soldier drew alongside of them, Galen's nose tickled unbearably.
His sneeze, for all that he covered his mouth, was audible as a muffled if indiscernible noise. At once, the gorilla pulled hard on the reins of his horse, transformed quickly from a careless rider to an alert soldier. His nose wrinkled as he surveyed the ground around him, then made for a stand of bushes a couple of yards off the trail where Burke hid.
Burke waited a heart-beat before he was exposed to the gorilla, then launched himself straight at him. As Galen and Virdon rushed out from the bushes on the opposite side of the trail, the gorilla brought his rifle up quickly, slamming it into Burke's face. Burke's weight sent them both crashing to the ground, and the gorilla lost his grip on the rifle. Burke shook his head, blood streaming from his nose as he lunged for it, barely snatching the rifle out of the enraged gorilla's reach. Grabbing Burke at the waist, the gorilla slung him aside, but Burke held onto the rifle with a death grip, swiftly rolling over. He kicked out hard and his foot slammed into the soldier, knocking him back. Burke jumped onto the gorilla's chest and jammed the rifle crossways in under his chin, panting with exertion and anger. Roaring, the gorilla attempted to throw Burke off, but Burke jammed the rifle savagely into his throat. Making a gagging noise, the gorilla clawed at the rifle as Pete pressed harder. Drops of blood fell on the gorillas face.
Galen quickly knelt beside Burke. "I think you can let him go now. Before you kill him." he said, brows raised. Pete didn't respond, mouth taut with rage. Virdon grabbed Burke's arm.
"Pete! Let go! What are you doing?" he demanded.
Pete glared at him, slinging his arm away, then swiftly turned the rifle so that the end of the barrel pointed under the gorilla's chin. He squeezed the trigger slightly.
"You want to commit murder, now? Just like they did, is that right!" Alan yelled at him, exasperated.
Burke's eyes narrowed. "Are you crazy? He tried to kill me!" Burke said heatedly. He looked to Galen.
"I can't help you. Put the rifle down…now. Please." Galen said evenly.
Burke looked down at the soldier, debating. With a swift motion, he clubbed the gorilla's head with the butt of the rifle.
"Satisfied?" he asked them both flatly, suppressing his rage.
"No, I'm not!" Galen said angrily, staring at Burke. "Since when do you believe in killing? Or is it a sport now?" he continued, almost immediately regretting his words.
"Why don't you ask your pal, there, on the ground? Ask him about it when he wakes up. I'll bet he and every other gorilla on this planet could tell you some good ones about killing for sport," Burke retorted.
"Maybe so. But when did that become an excuse for you to act like them?" Galen asked.
"Pete. You've got to get a handle on this. As it is, you're a danger to all of us," Alan added firmly.
Quickly, Burke turned to him. "Me. I'm a danger. That's great, Alan, just great! I suppose I should let them kill me next time!" Burke spat.
"You don't need to kill him - we all know that, including you. Get yourself under control!" Galen said, glaring at Pete.
"Or what?" Burke stared at Galen for a long moment. The fury left his eyes and he wiped his nose tiredly, smearing blood. "Or what, Galen?"
Galen's anger vanished. After a pause, he spoke slowly. "I'm not the enemy, Pete. I'm beginning to wonder if you know who is." The trio stood silently a long moment before Galen sighed and gestured at Burke. "Pete…you've got blood everywhere." He pulled off his backpack and rummaged inside.
"Let me have a look at you," Alan said. "Come on, sit down." Galen handed him a rag he'd torn off from a larger cloth and moistened from the water canteen.
Pete winced and grabbed the rag irritably as Alan attempted to clean the area and examine his injury. "I'll do it, okay," he said, and patted his nose gingerly.
"Oh, really, Pete," Galen scolded, snatching the cloth and holding a startled Burke by the hair, "if I didn't know better, I'd never have believed that you'd been through torture before. At worst, your nose is broken - it's not like it's cut off," he continued, bending to wipe the area clean over Pete's muffled protests.
"Broken?" yelped Burke, raising his brows.
"'Fraid so, Pete. It looks like a clean break, far as I can tell. I was going to tell you once you'd…" Alan trailed off.
Burke grabbed the square of rough cloth from Galen. "Just say it, Alan."
"Calmed down. That was what I was going to say. Not that I'm saying it now," amended Virdon, a glint of humor in his blue eyes. Burke shot him a dirty look.
"Well, I am. Calm down," added Galen.
"Galen, haven't you already thrown in your two cents?" Burke retorted wryly, squinting up at him. "And I am calm... but let me tell you, this rag sure ain't no Charmin. Feels more like sandpaper," he groused.
Galen sighed. "Alan, I don't suppose you'd care to explain?"
"'Throwing in two cents' is slang for betting money," Virdon explained.
"Hmm…I'm still not sure…" said Galen, considering. "What is 'Charmin'?"
Virdon looked taken aback. "Well, er…it's a paper, Galen. Humans used it. Or used to. It was made especially…especially for…" Alan looked at Pete, reclining on the ground, head tipped back.
Pete brought his head back level until his eyes met Virdon's and stared at him a moment, still holding the rag in under his nose. He smirked, wincing, then chuckled faintly. Virdon grinned. Pete laughed out loud, then yelled "Oh shit," as his nose began to bleed once more.
"You took the words right out of my mouth," said Virdon, still smiling. Pete laughed again before cursing the subsequent pain.
Galen shook his head. "Why, oh why do I bother?" he muttered to himself, then said louder, "We'd better get going before that gorilla wakes up."
"Want me to…" began Burke helpfully, then hastily shut his mouth as Virdon and Galen turned to face him. "Hey, just trying to do my part…" he said, heaving himself off the ground. He stood and tilted his face upwards, trying to stop the flow of blood.
Virdon clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks, buddy. I think you've done enough for one day."
He opened his eyes, startled. The hand at her back was touching something….something wet. He raised his hand and looked at it.
Blood. There was blood on his hand. He tried to pull himself from her, to see what had happened to her, but she held him fiercely. He grabbed her shoulders and yanked himself from her grasp. She moaned and he looked down. A gaping hole showed in the center of her chest, blood running from the wound, and she collapsed against him.
Pete sat up suddenly, gasping. Alan was already awake, and turned to look quizzically at his friend. "You okay?" he asked. Pete stared fixedly at Alan a moment, sweat beading his face. He rubbed his eyes, gathering his composure.
"Yeah, fine."
Alan looked at him a moment, then turned away.
Pete stared at the ground, fists clenched, then heaved himself up as Galen stirred close by, still sleeping.
At Galen's insistence, the three were headed back to Central City to check on Galen's cousin. Not that the astronauts needed persuading…it was obvious that Pergis was in over his head, to judge by the gorilla soldiers' conversation they'd overheard. But Pete and Alan were surprised at the apparent radical turn that Pergis had taken, after their last visit. Galen, on the other hand, was not at all surprised. He knew Pergis - knew he'd somehow become convinced that Galen had spoken the truth. And Pergis, however young and naïve, was an ape of conviction.
The three fugitives were up and on the road shortly after daybreak, taking advantage of the cooler morning temperatures to travel at a fast pace. Galen estimated they'd be back in Central City by nightfall. A strained silence settled uncomfortably amongst them - a silence that was becoming commonplace. Each of them was sharply aware of the differences of opinion that kept them silent. Add to that the fact that they were traveling in a more populated area, increasing the odds of their capture as each step brought them closer to Central City.
A lone gorilla soldier appeared on the dusty trail winding ahead of them, and the three dived quickly away towards the brush. He ambled along, seemingly in no hurry, horse's hooves kicking up little puffs of dust.
As the soldier drew alongside of them, Galen's nose tickled unbearably.
His sneeze, for all that he covered his mouth, was audible as a muffled if indiscernible noise. At once, the gorilla pulled hard on the reins of his horse, transformed quickly from a careless rider to an alert soldier. His nose wrinkled as he surveyed the ground around him, then made for a stand of bushes a couple of yards off the trail where Burke hid.
Burke waited a heart-beat before he was exposed to the gorilla, then launched himself straight at him. As Galen and Virdon rushed out from the bushes on the opposite side of the trail, the gorilla brought his rifle up quickly, slamming it into Burke's face. Burke's weight sent them both crashing to the ground, and the gorilla lost his grip on the rifle. Burke shook his head, blood streaming from his nose as he lunged for it, barely snatching the rifle out of the enraged gorilla's reach. Grabbing Burke at the waist, the gorilla slung him aside, but Burke held onto the rifle with a death grip, swiftly rolling over. He kicked out hard and his foot slammed into the soldier, knocking him back. Burke jumped onto the gorilla's chest and jammed the rifle crossways in under his chin, panting with exertion and anger. Roaring, the gorilla attempted to throw Burke off, but Burke jammed the rifle savagely into his throat. Making a gagging noise, the gorilla clawed at the rifle as Pete pressed harder. Drops of blood fell on the gorillas face.
Galen quickly knelt beside Burke. "I think you can let him go now. Before you kill him." he said, brows raised. Pete didn't respond, mouth taut with rage. Virdon grabbed Burke's arm.
"Pete! Let go! What are you doing?" he demanded.
Pete glared at him, slinging his arm away, then swiftly turned the rifle so that the end of the barrel pointed under the gorilla's chin. He squeezed the trigger slightly.
"You want to commit murder, now? Just like they did, is that right!" Alan yelled at him, exasperated.
Burke's eyes narrowed. "Are you crazy? He tried to kill me!" Burke said heatedly. He looked to Galen.
"I can't help you. Put the rifle down…now. Please." Galen said evenly.
Burke looked down at the soldier, debating. With a swift motion, he clubbed the gorilla's head with the butt of the rifle.
"Satisfied?" he asked them both flatly, suppressing his rage.
"No, I'm not!" Galen said angrily, staring at Burke. "Since when do you believe in killing? Or is it a sport now?" he continued, almost immediately regretting his words.
"Why don't you ask your pal, there, on the ground? Ask him about it when he wakes up. I'll bet he and every other gorilla on this planet could tell you some good ones about killing for sport," Burke retorted.
"Maybe so. But when did that become an excuse for you to act like them?" Galen asked.
"Pete. You've got to get a handle on this. As it is, you're a danger to all of us," Alan added firmly.
Quickly, Burke turned to him. "Me. I'm a danger. That's great, Alan, just great! I suppose I should let them kill me next time!" Burke spat.
"You don't need to kill him - we all know that, including you. Get yourself under control!" Galen said, glaring at Pete.
"Or what?" Burke stared at Galen for a long moment. The fury left his eyes and he wiped his nose tiredly, smearing blood. "Or what, Galen?"
Galen's anger vanished. After a pause, he spoke slowly. "I'm not the enemy, Pete. I'm beginning to wonder if you know who is." The trio stood silently a long moment before Galen sighed and gestured at Burke. "Pete…you've got blood everywhere." He pulled off his backpack and rummaged inside.
"Let me have a look at you," Alan said. "Come on, sit down." Galen handed him a rag he'd torn off from a larger cloth and moistened from the water canteen.
Pete winced and grabbed the rag irritably as Alan attempted to clean the area and examine his injury. "I'll do it, okay," he said, and patted his nose gingerly.
"Oh, really, Pete," Galen scolded, snatching the cloth and holding a startled Burke by the hair, "if I didn't know better, I'd never have believed that you'd been through torture before. At worst, your nose is broken - it's not like it's cut off," he continued, bending to wipe the area clean over Pete's muffled protests.
"Broken?" yelped Burke, raising his brows.
"'Fraid so, Pete. It looks like a clean break, far as I can tell. I was going to tell you once you'd…" Alan trailed off.
Burke grabbed the square of rough cloth from Galen. "Just say it, Alan."
"Calmed down. That was what I was going to say. Not that I'm saying it now," amended Virdon, a glint of humor in his blue eyes. Burke shot him a dirty look.
"Well, I am. Calm down," added Galen.
"Galen, haven't you already thrown in your two cents?" Burke retorted wryly, squinting up at him. "And I am calm... but let me tell you, this rag sure ain't no Charmin. Feels more like sandpaper," he groused.
Galen sighed. "Alan, I don't suppose you'd care to explain?"
"'Throwing in two cents' is slang for betting money," Virdon explained.
"Hmm…I'm still not sure…" said Galen, considering. "What is 'Charmin'?"
Virdon looked taken aback. "Well, er…it's a paper, Galen. Humans used it. Or used to. It was made especially…especially for…" Alan looked at Pete, reclining on the ground, head tipped back.
Pete brought his head back level until his eyes met Virdon's and stared at him a moment, still holding the rag in under his nose. He smirked, wincing, then chuckled faintly. Virdon grinned. Pete laughed out loud, then yelled "Oh shit," as his nose began to bleed once more.
"You took the words right out of my mouth," said Virdon, still smiling. Pete laughed again before cursing the subsequent pain.
Galen shook his head. "Why, oh why do I bother?" he muttered to himself, then said louder, "We'd better get going before that gorilla wakes up."
"Want me to…" began Burke helpfully, then hastily shut his mouth as Virdon and Galen turned to face him. "Hey, just trying to do my part…" he said, heaving himself off the ground. He stood and tilted his face upwards, trying to stop the flow of blood.
Virdon clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks, buddy. I think you've done enough for one day."
