It was Pergis, standing upon the top step of the massive entryway of the
main plaza building. Immediately to his left stood Gathor, a young
chimpanzee student that Galen had met only that morning. Surrounding the
both of them was a tightly packed group of chimps - all young and solemn-
looking, most dressed in the standard black and gray that university
students found fashionable these days.
The next words out of Pergis's mouth made Galen wince and glance involuntarily back in the direction of his friends.
"My cousin is wanted by the leaders of this city. It is said he is a renegade. It is said that he murdered a gorilla soldier, and that he has helped two dangerous humans to remain outside the clutches of the law.
Some of you may know Galen. He was a fine student himself, and not so long ago… "
Galen glanced swiftly to his left, then right. If he tried to leave, he'd garner unwanted attention - the crowd was too tightly packed. The heat and the fright he was enduring left him feeling frantic, trapped, but there was nothing to be done. He lowered his head, trying to control his breathing, trying to escape notice.
"I have known Galen all my life. And I am here to tell you that the reasons our government give for hunting my cousin down are untrue." The spectators began to stir uneasily. Some craned their necks as gorilla soldiers from the crowd began to make their way to the stone steps. Pergis ignored them, staring down into the gathering.
"Our leaders are afraid of something Galen has. Knowledge. Galen knows the truth. A truth they don't trust you to understand. And now, all of us before you -" he swept his arms out, indicating the other students "- your brothers, your daughters… we have found the truth, too - in an ancient text. A book that our government considers so dangerous, so heretical that they will kill to keep it secret. A book written by… humans." A gasp arose from the crowd. Some apes snorted derisively, or glared. A few seemed intrigued.
"It's true….I've seen it. And so have the others," said Pergis, voice raised, gesturing to the students. "Humans developed buildings that touch the sky… technologies unparalleled in our world today. Medical and science advances….flight."
Hoots came from the audience. Two of the gorillas converging upon Pergis laughed. Another gorilla grabbed Gathor's arm, and he turned, startled. "Break it up, now," the gorilla growled.
"They don't want you to know the truth - they're afraid of what you'll do, or think." Pergis said loudly, in a commanding tone. Galen's head snapped up. In spite of the danger his cousin was in, he admired his audacity.
"Humans are capable of intelligent thought - and honor, and courage, and generosity," Pergis shouted over the increasing uproar. Gathor shoved the gorilla holding his arm, and the gorilla smiled ferociously, yanking him down from the top step.
Two gorillas reached Pergis at the same time, and seized both arms. "That's enough, now," one warned quietly, shoving his muzzle into Pergis's face. Hostility was clear in his dark countenance. "Or so help me, orders or no, I'll…"
Pergis ignored the gorilla, appealing to the crowd. "Why won't they let me speak freely? What are they afraid of? If I'm a lunatic, let me rant! Let those of you who would listen, listen! The Almighty created the ape in his own image, that he gave him a soul and a mind…."
The crowd began to quiet as Pergis described the First Article of Faith. The two gorillas holding him halted their struggle to pull him from the steps. "…that he set him apart from the beasts of the jungle and made him the lord of the planet. These sacred truths are self-evident…" Pergis paused, looking out at the silent, waiting crowd.
"LIES!" he screamed passionately.
Hoots and shouts arose as the crowd erupted. One of the gorillas holding Pergis back-handed him across the face. Gathor hissed at the gorilla gripping him and pulled away, jumping back to the top step, and took his place next to Pergis. The students surrounded Pergis and Gathor and tightened their ring around the two, sweeping them away from their gorilla captors and back into the center of the students, making a bodily barrier for the gorillas to cross. All around the edge of this ring, gorillas began to sling the chimps aside. The students hoisted Pergis aloft in their center, supporting him.
Silence again befell the crowd as Urko and Zaius rode up on their horses and pulled them to a stop, surveying the gathering. Urko snorted, disdain clear upon his features. The crowd parted as the two urged their horses up the dusty road before the stone steps.
Galen was fixated on Pergis. He felt helpless, and enraged, and sorrowful. The time for Pergis to change his path was over. He had chosen, and there was no turning back. With a nod to himself, Galen made his way to the edge of the crowd on his right, facing the steps, and from there worked his way to the front. The heat and the dust were appalling, and he panted, imagining a long cold drink of water.
In the silence, Zaius spoke. "All apes are created equal, Pergis. Men have no souls. The divine spark exists solely in the simian brain," said Zaius.
Pergis stared down upon the old orangutan. "Before the true God and the Lawgiver came to us, there were the gods… the gods of the sea, and the forests, and the crops…. who demanded our devotion. Fortunately, the Lawgiver and the gods are of a like mind as to the beast man. Or we would not know which to believe... would we?"
Urko scowled, directing an angry glare at the young chimp. "Get him. Seize the rebel! Now!" he shouted at his soldiers, and shrieks arose from Pergis's protectors as the gorillas redoubled their efforts.
"Urko, you destroyed an entire human village!" shouted Pergis. The crowd roared again. "You are without conscience! You brutalize defenseless humans, and we students are next - yet you and Zaius, and your Council control ape civilization!" He gestured for the crowd to quiet, and directed his gaze at Zaius. "We can think for ourselves. We can know the true history of our world… we can make the right decisions about the fate of apes and man, together…without your fear or coercion to assist us," said Pergis.
Galen looked upon the face of Zaius, and an arrow of fear slammed into his heart. Pergis had very little time left. For anything.
Beside him, a gorilla shouted into the near silence, "What are you waiting for? Shoot the chimp and be done with it!"
Galen stepped forward and looked at the ring of students on the stone steps. "Take Pergis from here! You will fight again!" he said in a clear, firm voice. He turned to look at Zaius. Zaius stared at him, watery eyes stony and unreadable.
The sun's glare cast a blinding reflection from Urko's helmet. Galen squinted as Urko met his gaze. Urko laughed. His massive shoulders shook.
"Galen!" he exclaimed, almost conversationally. He laughed again. "You sentimental fool."
The next words out of Pergis's mouth made Galen wince and glance involuntarily back in the direction of his friends.
"My cousin is wanted by the leaders of this city. It is said he is a renegade. It is said that he murdered a gorilla soldier, and that he has helped two dangerous humans to remain outside the clutches of the law.
Some of you may know Galen. He was a fine student himself, and not so long ago… "
Galen glanced swiftly to his left, then right. If he tried to leave, he'd garner unwanted attention - the crowd was too tightly packed. The heat and the fright he was enduring left him feeling frantic, trapped, but there was nothing to be done. He lowered his head, trying to control his breathing, trying to escape notice.
"I have known Galen all my life. And I am here to tell you that the reasons our government give for hunting my cousin down are untrue." The spectators began to stir uneasily. Some craned their necks as gorilla soldiers from the crowd began to make their way to the stone steps. Pergis ignored them, staring down into the gathering.
"Our leaders are afraid of something Galen has. Knowledge. Galen knows the truth. A truth they don't trust you to understand. And now, all of us before you -" he swept his arms out, indicating the other students "- your brothers, your daughters… we have found the truth, too - in an ancient text. A book that our government considers so dangerous, so heretical that they will kill to keep it secret. A book written by… humans." A gasp arose from the crowd. Some apes snorted derisively, or glared. A few seemed intrigued.
"It's true….I've seen it. And so have the others," said Pergis, voice raised, gesturing to the students. "Humans developed buildings that touch the sky… technologies unparalleled in our world today. Medical and science advances….flight."
Hoots came from the audience. Two of the gorillas converging upon Pergis laughed. Another gorilla grabbed Gathor's arm, and he turned, startled. "Break it up, now," the gorilla growled.
"They don't want you to know the truth - they're afraid of what you'll do, or think." Pergis said loudly, in a commanding tone. Galen's head snapped up. In spite of the danger his cousin was in, he admired his audacity.
"Humans are capable of intelligent thought - and honor, and courage, and generosity," Pergis shouted over the increasing uproar. Gathor shoved the gorilla holding his arm, and the gorilla smiled ferociously, yanking him down from the top step.
Two gorillas reached Pergis at the same time, and seized both arms. "That's enough, now," one warned quietly, shoving his muzzle into Pergis's face. Hostility was clear in his dark countenance. "Or so help me, orders or no, I'll…"
Pergis ignored the gorilla, appealing to the crowd. "Why won't they let me speak freely? What are they afraid of? If I'm a lunatic, let me rant! Let those of you who would listen, listen! The Almighty created the ape in his own image, that he gave him a soul and a mind…."
The crowd began to quiet as Pergis described the First Article of Faith. The two gorillas holding him halted their struggle to pull him from the steps. "…that he set him apart from the beasts of the jungle and made him the lord of the planet. These sacred truths are self-evident…" Pergis paused, looking out at the silent, waiting crowd.
"LIES!" he screamed passionately.
Hoots and shouts arose as the crowd erupted. One of the gorillas holding Pergis back-handed him across the face. Gathor hissed at the gorilla gripping him and pulled away, jumping back to the top step, and took his place next to Pergis. The students surrounded Pergis and Gathor and tightened their ring around the two, sweeping them away from their gorilla captors and back into the center of the students, making a bodily barrier for the gorillas to cross. All around the edge of this ring, gorillas began to sling the chimps aside. The students hoisted Pergis aloft in their center, supporting him.
Silence again befell the crowd as Urko and Zaius rode up on their horses and pulled them to a stop, surveying the gathering. Urko snorted, disdain clear upon his features. The crowd parted as the two urged their horses up the dusty road before the stone steps.
Galen was fixated on Pergis. He felt helpless, and enraged, and sorrowful. The time for Pergis to change his path was over. He had chosen, and there was no turning back. With a nod to himself, Galen made his way to the edge of the crowd on his right, facing the steps, and from there worked his way to the front. The heat and the dust were appalling, and he panted, imagining a long cold drink of water.
In the silence, Zaius spoke. "All apes are created equal, Pergis. Men have no souls. The divine spark exists solely in the simian brain," said Zaius.
Pergis stared down upon the old orangutan. "Before the true God and the Lawgiver came to us, there were the gods… the gods of the sea, and the forests, and the crops…. who demanded our devotion. Fortunately, the Lawgiver and the gods are of a like mind as to the beast man. Or we would not know which to believe... would we?"
Urko scowled, directing an angry glare at the young chimp. "Get him. Seize the rebel! Now!" he shouted at his soldiers, and shrieks arose from Pergis's protectors as the gorillas redoubled their efforts.
"Urko, you destroyed an entire human village!" shouted Pergis. The crowd roared again. "You are without conscience! You brutalize defenseless humans, and we students are next - yet you and Zaius, and your Council control ape civilization!" He gestured for the crowd to quiet, and directed his gaze at Zaius. "We can think for ourselves. We can know the true history of our world… we can make the right decisions about the fate of apes and man, together…without your fear or coercion to assist us," said Pergis.
Galen looked upon the face of Zaius, and an arrow of fear slammed into his heart. Pergis had very little time left. For anything.
Beside him, a gorilla shouted into the near silence, "What are you waiting for? Shoot the chimp and be done with it!"
Galen stepped forward and looked at the ring of students on the stone steps. "Take Pergis from here! You will fight again!" he said in a clear, firm voice. He turned to look at Zaius. Zaius stared at him, watery eyes stony and unreadable.
The sun's glare cast a blinding reflection from Urko's helmet. Galen squinted as Urko met his gaze. Urko laughed. His massive shoulders shook.
"Galen!" he exclaimed, almost conversationally. He laughed again. "You sentimental fool."
