At the sound of their General addressing the traitor Galen, a dozen rifles
were raised throughout the crowd. Astride their horses, a dozen soldiers
trained their eyes upon their target. Urko slapped his leg in amusement
until a hard glance from Zaius wiped the smirk from his lips.
"Take Galen into custody. Don't shoot unless he tries to escape," Urko shouted. "We'll attend to Pergis and his rabble-rousers later." Gorilla soldiers cut through the crowd to complete their orders. In an aside to Zaius, Urko remarked, "It's a fine day, Zaius….wouldn't you agree?"
"No, Galen!" Pergis's voice shattered the fragile quiet. Again the soldiers' rifles bristled towards Galen. A few were now trained upon the ring of chimpanzees, as well.
Galen's anxiety notched higher, and he turned his head swiftly towards the dissidents. "Take Pergis away NOW! Before it's too late!" he shouted angrily.
The crowd of students chattered excitedly. Gathor burst from their midst, broad face filled with excitement. Pergis appeared next, pushing his fellow students aside in an effort to follow. "Stop him!" Galen yelled. Uncertain arms pulled his cousin back. Pergis easily yanked himself from their grasp, intent on Galen.
"Pergis… they have me now. Is it for nothing, after all?" Galen implored of him, and watched as his cousin's features become still.
Pergis reached towards Galen, uncertainty clear in his stricken gray eyes as he was pulled back into the group. The students began to withdraw in an unorganized fashion, oddly silent. Gathor, unaware of being cut off from his supporting fellows, struggled towards Galen, pulling his shirtsleeve from the grasp of a frustrated gorilla.
"Zaius! Urko!" a strong voice commanded attention from behind them on the far right reaches of the crowd. The two apes turned as the voice continued. "How 'bout two out of three?"
Urko's enraged growl rang over the crowd as he caught sight of the two. "Burke!"
Behind them, another soldier got a firm grip on Gathor's arm, whipping him violently back. Gathor slung his free arm forward in an effort to maintain balance, unwittingly grabbing the soldier's rifle.
A shot rang out.
The crowd screamed. Apes flung themselves to the ground.
Burke watched, horrified, as Galen slowly toppled. "Galen!" he shouted, and caught a glimpse of Virdon off to Galen's right, diving down to his friend before losing sight of them altogether.
Unthinking, Burke ran towards Galen, following the path of least resistance along the edges of the crowd. Over and over in his mind, he saw blood flowing from Galen's head as he fell. Just like another obscene nightmare.
Only this was real.
"GET HIM!" Urko bellowed, arm thrust out towards Burke. His horse danced uneasily beneath him, puffs of dust rising in the heat. In response, a gorilla in the crowd charged after Burke on foot. Other soldiers on horseback made their way slowly towards him.
Burke ran, ignoring the crowd cautiously regaining its feet. Trying to ignore the vision of Galen bleeding profusely...to ignore the certainty that he'd been a witness to Galen's death.
A powerful arm pulled his frantic run to a stop. Lips thinning with rage, Burke rebounded immediately, smashing his fist into the face of the gorilla who'd grabbed him. Burke's quick response stunned the gorilla, who grimaced in pain as bright blood flowed from his nose. Burke pulled easily away, eyeing the apes in the crowd to his left as they reached for him, dark faces burning with anger. He slung their arms aside, breathing in harsh gasps, feeling his chances of getting to Galen and Virdon grow ever more slim as more and more apes tried to stop him.
A tall, graying ape stepped out from the fringes of the crowd and grasped his rough blue shirt with a large fist. He pulled Burke close, staring contemptuously at him. "The sooner we kill you all, the better. Damnable, worthless filth," the chimp said. He let Burke go unexpectedly, wiping his hand with distaste upon his shirt. Burke stared at the surrounding hate- filled faces before stumbling away.
He was free, for the moment. And he knew he had to stay free, even if it meant abandoning his friends. He was the only chance they had left now.
With a despairing curse, he ran.
"Take Galen into custody. Don't shoot unless he tries to escape," Urko shouted. "We'll attend to Pergis and his rabble-rousers later." Gorilla soldiers cut through the crowd to complete their orders. In an aside to Zaius, Urko remarked, "It's a fine day, Zaius….wouldn't you agree?"
"No, Galen!" Pergis's voice shattered the fragile quiet. Again the soldiers' rifles bristled towards Galen. A few were now trained upon the ring of chimpanzees, as well.
Galen's anxiety notched higher, and he turned his head swiftly towards the dissidents. "Take Pergis away NOW! Before it's too late!" he shouted angrily.
The crowd of students chattered excitedly. Gathor burst from their midst, broad face filled with excitement. Pergis appeared next, pushing his fellow students aside in an effort to follow. "Stop him!" Galen yelled. Uncertain arms pulled his cousin back. Pergis easily yanked himself from their grasp, intent on Galen.
"Pergis… they have me now. Is it for nothing, after all?" Galen implored of him, and watched as his cousin's features become still.
Pergis reached towards Galen, uncertainty clear in his stricken gray eyes as he was pulled back into the group. The students began to withdraw in an unorganized fashion, oddly silent. Gathor, unaware of being cut off from his supporting fellows, struggled towards Galen, pulling his shirtsleeve from the grasp of a frustrated gorilla.
"Zaius! Urko!" a strong voice commanded attention from behind them on the far right reaches of the crowd. The two apes turned as the voice continued. "How 'bout two out of three?"
Urko's enraged growl rang over the crowd as he caught sight of the two. "Burke!"
Behind them, another soldier got a firm grip on Gathor's arm, whipping him violently back. Gathor slung his free arm forward in an effort to maintain balance, unwittingly grabbing the soldier's rifle.
A shot rang out.
The crowd screamed. Apes flung themselves to the ground.
Burke watched, horrified, as Galen slowly toppled. "Galen!" he shouted, and caught a glimpse of Virdon off to Galen's right, diving down to his friend before losing sight of them altogether.
Unthinking, Burke ran towards Galen, following the path of least resistance along the edges of the crowd. Over and over in his mind, he saw blood flowing from Galen's head as he fell. Just like another obscene nightmare.
Only this was real.
"GET HIM!" Urko bellowed, arm thrust out towards Burke. His horse danced uneasily beneath him, puffs of dust rising in the heat. In response, a gorilla in the crowd charged after Burke on foot. Other soldiers on horseback made their way slowly towards him.
Burke ran, ignoring the crowd cautiously regaining its feet. Trying to ignore the vision of Galen bleeding profusely...to ignore the certainty that he'd been a witness to Galen's death.
A powerful arm pulled his frantic run to a stop. Lips thinning with rage, Burke rebounded immediately, smashing his fist into the face of the gorilla who'd grabbed him. Burke's quick response stunned the gorilla, who grimaced in pain as bright blood flowed from his nose. Burke pulled easily away, eyeing the apes in the crowd to his left as they reached for him, dark faces burning with anger. He slung their arms aside, breathing in harsh gasps, feeling his chances of getting to Galen and Virdon grow ever more slim as more and more apes tried to stop him.
A tall, graying ape stepped out from the fringes of the crowd and grasped his rough blue shirt with a large fist. He pulled Burke close, staring contemptuously at him. "The sooner we kill you all, the better. Damnable, worthless filth," the chimp said. He let Burke go unexpectedly, wiping his hand with distaste upon his shirt. Burke stared at the surrounding hate- filled faces before stumbling away.
He was free, for the moment. And he knew he had to stay free, even if it meant abandoning his friends. He was the only chance they had left now.
With a despairing curse, he ran.
