Artemis
The female gorilla had slowed down her pace and the dark haired astronaut was
grateful. She had previously caught all three of the fugitives but they escaped from her.
She wouldn't give up and in her determination she decided to capture only one of
them. Security Chief Urko, who she despised, would at least give her some reward for
one of these fugitives. He was determined to capture them, although he had been less
successful than Artemis. At least she had one of them. She glanced occasionally at her
captive human and then quickly looked away. The humans she owned were part of her
family, she had nothing against humans. Burke could feel in his gut that his captor didn't
really want to do this. She finally stopped and motioned for him to rest.
The weary human wiped his forehead and gave out a slight cough. "You're not sick,
are you?" Pete's eyes widened. "Exhausted and hungry, sick no. Why are you doing
this? Urko will see my capture as your duty to ape civilization. I doubt he is going to
offer you any reward." The gorilla's brow frowned and she faced the tired human.
"He will have to give me something or I will sell you to the highest bidder instead!"
"Great! wonderful choices. Slavery or Urko. Slavery or Urko. Slavery or Urko."
" Shut up! Are you always this irritating!" The raising of her voice startled the
astronaut who almost fell over sideways. His face showed surprise and he stood up and
responded to her question. "Irritating? If I am irritating you so much, why don't you
just let me go. Don't let me ruin your day." Artemis moved closer to her captive and
waved her finger in his face. "Don't talk to me like that! It's bad enough I have to deal
with a teenage son who talks to me like that. Shut up for awhile. Come on, move." I've
been a bounty hunter for ten years and I have never had to put up with immature
humans." Pete couldn't believe his ears. She wouldn't stop insulting him. If she kept this
up, Urko's tortures might not be so bad after all. The bantering back and forth with this
female gorilla, in addition to the amount of walking he had to do was making him hot and
very tired. He saw a lake off in the distance. He waited until they arrived closer to the
water before he spoke again.
"Artemis, I'm tired and sweaty."
" I know, you stink!" Pete decided to ignore the remark, it wasn't worth
continuing to argue.
"Could I please go for a swim?" "Sure. "
They both stood looking at each other for a minute or so. Burke spoke first.
"I need the leash taken off." The female gorilla didn't change her tone of voice.
"Of course. Take your clothes off first, then the leash comes off, after you give your
clothes to me." Pete forced himself to close his mouth in surprise.
"Is this necessary?"
"You are not getting away unless you want to live on the run in the nude." He couldn't
believe how tough his captor was. The tired astronaut gave out a sigh. He started taking off his shirt.
"I am not very comfortable with this situation."
" Oh, just relax. You have nothing I haven't seen before and this is not a big thrill for
me." Again, the dark haired astronaut eyes widened and he faced his captor.
"Don't know how I should take that one. Don't know if I shouldbe relieved or not." He
removed his clothes in silence while Artemis removed the leash.
The cool water was refreshing and after a few minutes he actually started feeling better.
He swam for awhile, never going too far from his captor who sat on the edge of the
water. She looked like she was lost in thought but Pete didn't have any energy to try
for an escape. The water was too refreshing and he was actually starting to feel better.
He wrestled internally that he liked his captor. He wanted to know why she was doing
this. Usually she hunted down criminal apes that had a substantial reward on their
heads. Many were hardened criminals who needed to be caught and put away. She was
good and Pete couldn't understand why she didn't get more respect. She did ape civili-
zation a great service by bringing in these lowlifes.
The dark haired astronaut swam underwater and then came back up for air. He
swam to the edge of the lake and then got out of the water. He sat next to Artemis while
he dried off. The warmth of the sun also felt good. Artemis still appeared to be lost in
thought. Pete relaxed for a few minutes and then started talking to the female gorilla.
"You have a teenage son?" Artemis didn't answer right away. After a few
moments she finally spoke. "I have three children, My teenager is the oldest, my daughter
is twelve and my baby is five." Pete turned to look at her.
"You have a handful there. But you're lucky, I don't have any kids." The
female gave out a laugh.
"Ha, lucky. Some days I am lucky, others I wonder why I ever reproduced. They
all have minds of their own."
"Like their mother, no doubt." She scowled at the naked human. "Put your clothes
on, we have to get going!" Pete was grateful to get his clothes back on but he did feel
better. Artemis reapplied the leash and tugged the dark haired human along. Pete
mumbled here we go again and Artemis gave him a sharp look but said nothing.
The sky was getting darker, indicating that night was about to arrive soon.
Artemis was impatient to turn her human captive in but knew that with night approaching
they couldn't keep going in the dark. Against her better judgement, she had no choice
but to bring her captor home for the night and turn him in the morning. Not a pleasant
thought, but she didn't know what else to do at the moment. She pulled on the leash and
Pete moved closer to her. They were face to face, about five inches apart.
"You are coming home with me, tonight! You will be on your best behavior and
you will be restrained until I deposit you at Urko's office. Pete didn't know what to say.
He groaned slightly and gazed into the female gorilla's large black eyes. She was
uncomfortable and stepped back. "Okay, whatever you say, boss." His face showed
weariness and Artemis turned around and tugged on the leash again. They both walked in
silence for a few minutes when Pete spoke again. "Goddess of the hunt." "What did you
say?" "Goddess of the hunt. You are named after Artemis , the ancient Greek goddess of
the hunt." She pulled harder on the leash. "Come on! I don't have time for ancient history
lessons!" Pete grunted when she pulled on the leash. He couldn't believe his predicament
and part of him felt his companions would be laughing at him if they saw his situation
now. Artemis walked along at a fast pace then slowed down. She never brought fugitives
from justice to her home but she didn't know what else to do right now. And she was
fatigued also but didn't show it. She never showed her captors any weakness. The sky
became darker with an orange sun fading slowly away. The human and gorilla walked for
another forty five minutes and then came upon Artemis's home. Pete was impressed. She
owned a small farm with horses. A female human with shoulder length brown hair tied
back in a ponytail opened the door. Artemis gave her a hug and pulled Pete along, then
tied him to a post in the entranceway. The female human gave him a suspicious glance
and started towards the kitchen. "Supper is ready, you must be starved! Who's this ?"
"This is one of Urko's fugitives. We'll keep him here for the night and I'll turn him
in tomorrow." Artemis was weary and she sat down on a chair. The female human
studied Burke. She had a frown on her face. "So, what is your story?" "My story?" The
astronaut was taken aback by her sarcasm. " My friends and I are on the run from Urko.
He is frightened of us because my human friend and are from Earth's past when humans
ruled." The woman didn't flinch and appeared stone faced before she spoke. "You're
full of shit. Well, Artemis, he is different. At least his story is different and creative. "
Artemis drank a glass of water.
"Yes, there is none like him." She gazed up at Pete who returned her glance. Pete
couldn't believe this. Most humans had helped himself, Alan and Galen. This one was
hostile and unfriendly. She continued giving him a sharp look and then proceeded to the
kitchen to check on the supper. Meanwhile, a teenage gorilla male came through the
door. He went directly to Artemis and hugged her. She was happy to see him.
"Oh, Mommy, I am glad you are home. You were gone for so long. Who is
this?" "This is Burke, a fugitive I am turning into Urko tomorrow." The young adoles-
cent male who was almost the same height as the human astronaut, went over to him and
shook his hand. "Welcome, Burke. Usually my mother turns in apes for a price. You are
the first human she has ever captured." Pete couldn't believe his ears. This gorilla male
appeared friendly and he felt more relaxed around him than the female human servant.
Things were getting a little odd and his comfort level was at an all time low. The gorilla
kept talking. "My name is Caleb and I love to ride horses. What is your story? What did
you do to attract my mother's interest in you?" Pete thought the question was worded
strangely but refrained from commenting.
"It's a long story. I am too tired to go into it." After the response he got from
the servant he didn't want to discuss where he came from. Caleb appeared to be
fascinated.
"A mystery then! I know, I'll try to guess what your story is and if I do, my
mother lets you go." Artemis got up and lightly shook his arm.
"That's enough, we are not going to participate in any silliness tonight. We
need the money and it is time for supper." Caleb gave out a laugh and jumped up and
down. Pete could feel in his gut that the weirdness was only beginning. He almost
wished he could run out of the house and straight to Urko. At least, Urko was a just a
agitated angry gorilla. This household was weird so far.
The female servant returned from the kitchen and motioned for everyone to come
and eat dinner. Caleb untied Pete and guided him to the kitchen which was quite beauti-
ful with flower arrangements and decorative kitchen ware on counters. A fluffy, black
cat sat in the middle of the kitchen table like he was the centerpiece. "Galen, you're not
suppose to be there! What do you think you are? You're a kitty!" Artemis talked to the
cat like he was a baby. She picked him up in his arms and he purred loudly. Pete gave
out a laugh when he heard the cat being called Galen. "What's so funny?" Artemis
continued to stroke the cat.
"I have a friend named Galen."
"Yes, the fugitive chimp. Those chimps are something else. I bring in more
chimps than any other ape." Galen purred louder. Pete had to raise his voice to be heard.
"What do you mean? About chimps?"
"Oh, you know, they can't stay out of trouble." Pete felt slightly
offended. Galen was his friend and this chimp bashing bothered him.
"Gorillas are quite aggressive……….he didn't have time to finish the
sentence when Artemis' youngest son, ran into the kitchen and kicked Pete in the shin.
Pete bent over in agony. The five year old gorilla was strong and he felt he was protecting
his mother. Artemis became enraged. She grabbed him by the shoulders and held him
firmly.
"You are not suppose to do that! Now go apologize to him, right now! I
don't know what I am going to do with you!" The sharp pain subsided
in Pete's leg and he stopped hopping around on the other leg. Caleb had let the leash go
and was eating some fruit. Pete bent over and rubbed his shin. Artemis was still seeth-
ing with anger. "This is unacceptable! When are you going to stop this awful
impulsive behavior!" She still gripped her son's shoulders. Pete intervened. "Okay,
Artemis! He's very young," Next she stood up and was in Pete's face. "Don't tell me how
to raise my child! You're the prisoner here, so shut up!" Caleb was now holding Galen
and the female servant continued setting the table like nothing was going on. Galen was
still purring at a loud volume.
Pete gave out a sigh. He was exhausted and in no mood for this. Artemis turned her
son around so he faced Pete.
"Tell him you are sorry!" The little one looked up at Pete with big dark
eyes and Pete felt like melting. "I'm sorry." Pete gazed back at the young
gorilla and put his hand on his shoulder gently.
"That's okay, buddy. I would never do anything to hurt your mother."
Artemis gritted her teeth.
"This has nothing to do with me. He kicks apes and humans all the
time. The other day the prefect of the village dropped in and he kicked him. This has got
to stop!" Now Pete was getting giddy from fatigue and hunger. He forced himself to
suppress laughter over the child kicking the prefect.
"He must be doing this for a reason,Artemis. I think he is a good
kid." The young gorilla studied Pete and then leaned against his mother. She picked him
up. "Let's eat before I get really angry!" Oddly Pete was allowed to eat at the table with
Artemis and her family. The female servant also joined them and Galen the cat ate from
his dish while everyone was eating. Caleb occasionally gave the cat tidbits of cheese
which were gratefully accepted. It seemed like the cat never stopped purring.
Pete was so emotionally drained that he couldn't think of an escape plan. All he
could think about was sleep. He noticed that only two of Artemis' children were present.
He wanted to ask where the third one was but didn't want to start anymore arguments.
The female servant kept giving him dirty looks so he avoided her gaze. Caleb talked non
stop about nothing. Everyone ate their food while he chatted away and the cat purred at
high volume. A few minutes after everyone started eating, Nicole came through the
door. She was Artemis' daughter, about twelve in age. She hugged her mother and
then picked up the cat.
"Where have you been,honey?" "I have good news. I bought back some of the
horses. Artemis stood up from the table.
"You disobeyed me! I told you not to go back and retrieve the horses! We
need the money!" The young female gorilla continued talking in a calm voice. "You sold
one of my favorite horses and it is time you start allowing me to learn the trade, Mommy.
This was so easy, I caught that psychiatrist with the huge gambling debts. We even have
some money left over after I bought back the horses." Artemis put her head in her hands.
"I would just like you to wait until you are a little older before you begin
your bounty hunter career. " Pete was intrigued by the idea of a young female gorilla
following in her mother's footsteps as a bounty hunter. He could tell that Artemis'
daughter was a lot like her mother. He didn't say it, but he was silently cheering Nicole
on. Artemis kept her head in her hands for several minutes. Pete wanted to consol her
and cheer her up but refrained from doing so. He chewed a mouthful of food when
Nicole noticed his presence. The young gorilla"s eyes lit up, she walked over to him and
put her hand on his shoulder.
" Oh, Mommy, you bought another human! This is really turning out to be
a great day!" Artemis stood up.
"He is not staying! Tomorrow He goes straight to Urko!. Eat something
and then it's time for bed!" Nicole stared at the angry gorilla. "You're kidding, aren't
you? Urko won't give you anything for a human. You're not making any sense. You say
we need money and then you go and capture a human? Are you alright,Mommy?"
Artemis was furious.
"Conversation over! I don't want another word out of anyone!" The
young gorilla patted Pete on the head and then rubbed his shoulder. "He's cute." Pete
looked nervous and now was very uncomfortable. This was so different than being
caught by a male gorilla soldier. His exposure to gorillas was only Urko and being
chased by his soldiers. He never thought much about them otherwise. The female human
still gave him dirty looks and Pete wished she would stop but again, didn't dare say
anything.
Silence hung in the air as humans and gorillas finished eating the supper of
vegetables, soup and cheese. Except for Galen's continuous purring, no one else
spoke for awhile. Pete couldn't even get his thoughts together due to his fatigue.
Artemis got up from the table. She picked up her youngest son. "You're going to bed.
She tapped the female servant on the shoulder and pointed towards Burke. "Keep an
eye on him." The female servant nodded in agreement and gazed an angry stare at Burke
who refrained from sticking his tongue out at her. Nicole started cleaning up the kitchen
and gave Pete loving glances. After she put some dishes in the sink, she went over to
Pete and started giving him a backrub.
"I don't know what has gotten into Mommy, but humans are usually too
cheap for her to capture and turn in. Hardcore criminals are usually what she goes after.
That's where the money is. You're too cute to turn in. Iam going to try to convince her to
keep you. We only have two humans. Alicia and her husband, Simon, who is not here at
the moment." Pete enjoyed having his back rubbed. He was achy in his bones from the
long day of travel. "Your mother is a determined lady. She seems to think Urko is going
to give her this huge reward for me. He won't give her anything, he will see it as her civic
duty to turn me in." Nicole giggled.
"And what did you do to ignite the wrath of the great Urko." Pete felt like he
was conversing with an adult, not a child. She certainly was a very mature twelve year
old. He didn't know how he should respond to her question. He didn't have to, Alicia
responded for him. "Oh, Urko is desperate to put him to death because he is from another
world."
There was a snarl in her voice. Pete raised his eyes. " Urko sees me as a
threat against simian civilization because I am not from here." Silently, he wished Alicia
would leave the room. Nicole continued rubbing his back.
"Urko is a fool. A bad security chief, he stinks at what he does. He
wastes his time chasing humans while the real criminals create havoc for simian society. I
hope someday to have his job." Alicia's face grew serious and then she laughed. "Oh,
that will be the day! I hope I am alive if that ever happens."
Pete glanced from Nicole to Alicia. Part of him couldn't believe what he was hearing. Caleb was cleaning out a cabinet and said nothing. Pete didn't know
how much longer he could tolerate this nutty household.
Artemis returned and motioned for Nicole to stop giving Pete the backrub. "Come,
you are going to sleep in the barn tonight under my watch." Pete got up and followed
the female gorilla outside. Alicia came as well. The night air was cool and Artemis
directed Alicia to lead the way to the barn. She followed from behind. A few steps away
from the house and Pete couldn't believe what he saw.
"You have a jacuzzi!"
"A what?" Artemis had no idea what he was talking about. Between the
barn and the house was an elegant marble jacuzzi. The water bubbled slightly and
appeared to be crystal clear, even by the light of the moon. All Pete could think of was
getting into it. "I mean, a hot tub…. A hot bath ….." Pete's voice trailed off.
"Oh, yes, the warm outside bath tub. My late husband and I discovered
there was a small hot spring on our land when we purchased it. Alicia's husband actually
contructed it, putting in the marble steps. My husband and I never cared for it but my
humans love it. Can't keep you humans out of the water. I swear, humans are part fish."
Pete studied the hot tub and was fascinated by it, refraining from jumping in. Artemis
realized his interest in it.
"Since you are going to your fate tomorrow, I suppose tonight you can sit in it for awhile." Alicia spoke up. "Yes, you are smelly anyways. Take your clothes off and
get in. "I'll watch him, Artemis. You can get some rest." Artemis sighed and lectured her
female servant.
"You are not capable of watching him,Alicia. This is only an opportunity
for you to get your jollies. Go inside and get my notebook for me." The female servant
frowned and walked back into the house. She turned towards Pete. "If you want to get
into the hot tub, take off your clothes and get in." Pete couldn't resist the opportunity to
sit in a jacuzzi for awhile. It would do his aching bones some good and he would feel
much better. He removed his clothes and handed them to Artemis.
"You know, you are the only female I have ever known that got my
clothes off twice in one day."
"Shut up and get in before I change my mind!"
The water felt soothing to the dark haired astronaut's skin and tired muscles.
He sat in the warm water for several minutes and felt himself starting to doze. He was
jolted awake when Alicia returned and handed the thick notebook to Artemis. Artemis
ordered her back into the house and started reading through the notebook. Pete ducked
into the water up to his neck and swam over to the edge of the jacuzzi. He peered over at
Artemis.
"Must be an important notebook." Artemis didn't respond so he tried again to
get her attention. "Is that all the criminals you are hunting down?" "Yes, it is." It's
a very thick notebook. You are one busy,lady." Artemis finally looked away from her
list and acknowledged him.
"Simian society has too many deviant apes who go against the law. I
provide a great service like my father and his father." Pete listened to her in-
intently.
"You are good, Artemis. I give you credit, I have escaped Urko and his soldiers but not you." She gave him a soft glance but said nothing. "You know what Urko
will do to me when you turn me in."
"I try not to think about it." The female gorilla continued reading the
notebook. "He is going to torture me and then execute me. I haven't done
anything to deserve that." Pete's voice cracked. Artemis felt a chill go up and down her
spine.
"You're a fugitive, he wants you for something." Pete's eyes grew sad and
he realized he had to start pleading with his captor. " Look, Artemis, don't turn me in. I'll
help you capture some of the criminals in your notebook." Artemis got up and moved
further to the edge of the hot tub.
"Really! You would do that for me and my family? "
"Yes, I help you and you let me go." Artemis was intrigued with the
idea. She would temporarily have a partner who worked for nothing except his freedom.
Not bad she thought to herself.
The female gorilla sat under the moonlight and pondered the idea before she gave a
response. She then leaned over the edge of the hot tub and put her hand under Pete's
chin so he would be looking into her eyes. "No funny business. I run the show, you do
what I say. Sometimes I capture as many as twenty fugitives in a day. But tomorrow
will be an easy day. If we bring in five, you can go. Any less and off to Urko's head-
quarters. Any attempts to escape and we will stop and it's directly to Urko. Do you un-
derstand?" Pete's face was serious. His eyes revealed sadness and he was starting to
get dark circles under his eyes from fatigue. Artemis could see this but she didn't change
her tone of voice. "Get out of that thing, we start at dawn!"
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
Pete could feel in his sleep, someone poking him. In a dreamlike state, Alan and
Galen were talking to him, telling him how worried they were about him. He missed his
friends and when he finally woke up, he surveyed the barn for them. Then he re-
membered where he was. It was still dark. Pete forced himself up. Caleb was the one
attempting to wake him. "You were so tired last night, no one had to watch you. My
Mommy stayed for a short time but you were in a coma. Pete stood up and stretched.
"That jacuzzi did me in, better than a sleeping pill." He yawned and followed the
young gorilla into the house where a bowl of porridge was waiting for him. It
tasted wonderful and he ate two bowls of it before starting in on some fruit. Through
the window he could see Artemis arrive on horseback. Apparently she had been out
riding. She came through the door and was ready to get going. "We are already late.
come on, if you want your freedom." Pete couldn't believe it. The sun was justing
starting to come up. He swallowed some grapes and then got up from the table.
"Okay boss. Just tell me where to go and what to do." She placed a map of
the city in front of him. Marks were made at certain spots to indicate where the fugitives
were. She handed it to him. "This is your copy, I assume you are smart enough to read
this."Pete nodded. She continued talking. "This should be fairly easy today, except for
the last chimp. He is part of a gang and it could get ugly. I may allow you to carry a knife
at that point, depending on how I feel." Pete felt nervous, pains started in his stomach.
"All chimps? Today, we are picking up all chimps!" Artemis scowled at
him. "You have a problem with that?" Pete felt weak and wanted to sit down. "No
problem, Artemis." Her anger started to rise.
"You are the only human I know who likes chimps. Get over it.
Now, come on. Before I change my mind about this!" She grabbed Pete's arm and
guided him outside. A wagon with a horse was waiting. She motioned for Pete to get
in and she told the horse to get moving. Pete sat in the wagon and felt so nervous he
didn't know if he could do this. Being handed over to Urko looked better all the time.
He hoped the ride into the ape city would be long so he could try to calm his nerves.
No such luck. It was fairly short. Artemis stopped the wagon and left it just outside the
city in a secluded area. She ordered Pete out of the wagon which he did despite his
shaking knees. He also noticed she had a gun with her. Great. This was going to be a fun
day.
Artemis led Pete to an alley behind some buildings where a tough young orangutan
met them. He had a scar under his right eye and Pete noticed that the eye itself looked
damaged. Pete could tell that the orangutan was relaxed around the female gorilla. He
spoke first.
"You are going to have a hard time with the leader of the gang. He is in
hiding. I don't recommend you go after him." The orangutan looked Pete all over but
did not acknowledge him. Artemis put her hand on his shoulder.
"Oh, today is the day, it's jail or his death. But he is last on my list. The
others we discussed come in first. I want to start with Louis." The orangutan took a step
back from her. "That's the easy one. He is at his usual hangout at this hour. On the
market street, go to the end. There is a sellar who specializes in bananas. He'll be there
stuffing his face. You better get going, he'll only be there until his favorite bar opens."
Pete couldn't believe his ears. A drunken chimp who gorged on bananas. Apparently, this
was the day he got to see the lower element of simian society. The pains in his stomach
came and went. He longed for this day to be over with.
Artemis was anxious to get going. She worked fast.
"You know where to meet me later." Pete had to run to keep up with
her. "Get a move on, the market street is across town."
"Who is that?" "My informant. He helps me and he doesn't go to jail,
unless I change my mind of course." Pete was already feeling fatigued again. By the time
they reached the market street, Artemis stopped suddenly. Pete crashed into her. She
didn't mind and grabbed him around his waist. She pointed to the fugitive chimp. He was
talking to a female chimp next to a stall of bananas.
"There he is. Go get him!" Pete swallowed hard. " Okay. Just go get
him? Is he going to put up a fight?"
"Kick him in the leg. His left leg. It's weak and he'll be in pain. I'll be
right there with the handcuffs." Pete started pinching himself to see if this was actually all
real and not a bad dream. He walked down the street at a fast pace, wanting to get this
over with. The two chimps were deep in conversation and never noticed him until he
walked up to the male and kicked his left leg. The male chimp didn't flinch and turned to
look at him while the female attempted to hit Pete who managed to step back. The
female was irate. "What the hell are you doing, you stinkin human!" She became angry
and lunged towards Pete. She was too late. Artemis knocked her to the ground and
already had the male in handcuffs.
The female got up and attempted to leave when Pete tripped her and sat
on her. Artemis handed him another pair of handcuffs which he managed to get on her.
The male chimp babbled nonstop. "Here we go again, Artemis! Nothing else to do but
chase me around and turn me in. A gorilla with no husband and no life. You should be
home with your wayward children." Artemis hit him, knocking him out. She then lifted
the female to her feet. "It's such a good day. Two instead of one. She hit the female
chimp in the face and she fell over except Pete caught her before she hit the ground. The
female chimp groaned in pain and then her eyes connected with Pete's. Pete was shaking
but held on to her.
A gorilla soldier on horseback arrived. "Good work, Artemis. I'll take them both in
and your pay will be at the prefect's office. Pete felt weak when he saw the gorilla
soldier but didn't have anything to worry about. He seemed more interested in the two
chimps. He ordered them to start walking. When they were out of sight, Pete felt re-
lieved. The apes who were in the market area watching the commotion returned back to
what they were doing.
"I thought you were only after the male?" He was slightly out of breath.
"She interferred with Louis' capture. That is against the law. She'll go to jail too."
Pete noticed that Artemis appeared to be full of energy and was just getting started.
"This is good, we caught two instead of one. Hopefully the day will continue to
be this good."
Pete silently prayed that this day would come to an end. Maybe an
earthquake, hurricane or tornado would be a stop to his bounty hunting career. He didn't
know if he could survive the day. That female chimp was very strong and he felt like he
had had enough.
"I thought you said that his left leg was weak? He didn't move when I kicked
him." "Oh, I just told you that so you would have something to do. That was probably
the easiest time we are going to have today." "Great, just wonderful." Pete ran to catch
up with Artemis. "Who's the next lucky chimp?" "We are going to bring in Chester the
cheating chimp. His wife never will divorce him so she sends me out to retrieve him
from his love excursions. Be careful, this could be ugly. I have been shot at by a few of
his angry girlfriends." Pete looked up at the sky. If Galen and Alan were here they
would be laughing.
Artemis led Pete to a house outside of the city. It was somewhat secluded. She
motioned for Pete to remain silent while they waited outside. Pete refrained from talking
or trying to pace back and forth. His nerves were not very good and he was still contem-
plating turning himself into Urko. "How long are we going to wait?"
"Not very long. If he doesn't show up we'll move on to someone else." As
Artemis was speaking two chimps arrived on horses and went around to the back of the
house. Pete swallowed hard and hoped this would all be over soon. Both chimps led their
horses into a barn and entered the house. Artemis motioned to Pete that they were going
to wait.
"Why are we waiting?" "Shhh….just a few more minutes, then we go in the house."
Pete shook his head and remained silent. After about twenty minutes, Artemis grabbed
his arm and led him into the house. No one was in the front room so Artemis led the
weary astronaut into a bedroom at the end of a long hallway. Screams could be heard as
both chimps who were in bed together were startled by the presence of the gorilla and a
human. Pete's eyes almost popped out of his head. "Oh…..myyyy!" The embaressed
astronaut averted his eyes but his gorilla captor just acted like this was another day of
work. The female chimp dashed out of the bed and into a closet, she was still yelling.
The male chimp sat up and gave out a big sigh.
"Artemis, can't you ever take a day off? How much is my wife
paying you this time? Last time she gave you my favorite horse. And now you have a
human for an assistant? What's gotten into you?" The chimp put his head in his hands.
"Shut up, dear!" He shouted towards the closet. Artemis was not amused.
" You never learn, Chester. I still don't understand why your wife does not
divorce you!"
"It's because she prefers to torture me." The chimp started to get out of
the bed. The sheet covered very little of him and Pete was so nervous, he stood behind
Artemis. "Both of you are coming with me. Tell your new honey to get out of the
closet!"
Whimpering could be heard in the closet and Artemis was getting impatient.
"Let's go! I don't have all day!" The female chimp burst out of the closet pointing a gun
at Artemis. Pete tried to control his nerves but "uh oh" came out of him. The male chimp
diffused his partner. "Calm down. After my wife pays Artemis, we'll get together again."
The female chimp still pointed the gun.
"You told me you were never married!" Artemis began laughing.
'So you are back to your original line. Let's see, we have "I am a
widower, I am divorced and of course I have never been married. You ought to come
up with some new material. This is so old." The angry female chimp then pointed the
gun at Chester who still remained very calm. Artemis managed to leap across the room
and get the gun away from her. Pete was at a loss over what to do so he remained still.
Artemis ordered both chimps to get dressed. She tied both of them up and then instructed
Pete to watch them while she retrieved the wagon. Pete was still nervous and prayed that
Artemis would return soon. Both chimps surveyed Pete who felt uncomfortable and
didn't know if he should converse with the two prisoners or not. Chester spoke first. "I
assume you belong to Artemis." Pete just nodded his head.
"It's kind of odd she would bring her slave with her. Artemis works alone. "
Pete didn't know how to respond. He wished Artemis would return. It seemed like she
had been gone forever. The female chimp was still angry. "A human shouldn't be
attacking chimps! Pete was startled. "I didn't attack you."
"My father's aunt has a gardener who works for the prefect. This
won't go unnoticed!" Chester nudged her with his elbow. "Calm down, honey." "Don't
call me honey. You are going to sit in jail with this stinkin human!" Pete felt the pains
returning to his stomach and wiped his forehead with his hand. He couldn't believe
this situation.
Artemis returned after forty-five minutes which seemed like an eternity to the
weary astronaut. She pulled both chimps to their feet and led them to the wagon. She
ordered Pete to watch them while she drove the wagon to a fairly large house. After she
went inside she returned with a large sum of money and ordered both chimps to go into
the house. She quickly returned to the wagon and as she drove away, Pete could hear
yelling and screaming going on inside. Relief flooded his body as the wagon became
further and further away from the arguing.
"That was fun. Anymore like that?" Artemis gave him angry look.
"There are plenty like Chester. I could base my whole business on
cheating apes but I like a job with variety." Pete and the female gorilla gazed at each
other, their eyes connecting. "I like having you along, it's great having the help." Pete
finally looked off in the distance.
" I am a space explorer, not a bounty hunter. I don't know how you do
this every day." He returned his gaze to the female gorilla. "The excitement is worth it
and the fact that I am contributing to simian society by bringing in crooks and wayward
simians. You are a weak human anyways and this work is probably too much for you."
Pete gave her a sarcastic glance.
"Thanks. You are so full of compliments and encouragement. I just
hope this day ends soon."
Artemis drove the wagon to a small house outside the city. Lush bushes and
flowers lined the yard. Artemis motioned for Pete to get out of the wagon. "We are doing
well today. It is only ten o'clock so we can have a long lunch with my aunt before we
descend upon the gang.
"Oh, great. Lunch and then the gang war. I hope I don't have
indigestion when we bring in the gang." Artemis tied the horse to a post. "You'll
like my aunt. Be good and relax, she is a great cook."
Both the astronaut and the female gorilla walked into the house. There were
several cats lounging around. A tiger striped cat came over to Pete and rubbed against
his leg. He petted the feline who purred loudly. Cats were on chairs and sofas, tables and
window sills. They all looked up from napping and surveyed the gorilla and her human.
Pete finally felt comfortable, a feeling he hadn't had for quite sometime now. An elderly
gorilla came into the room and embraced Artemis. Despite the gray in her face, she
walked like a much younger gorilla. "Well, look who's here! The best bounty hunter in
the family." They remained in an embrace. "And who is this handsome creature!"
"Aunt Isabelle, this is Pete. He is helping me today." The older gorilla
walked over to the dark haired astronaut and put his face in her hands. "He's got quite an
interesting face." Pete didn't know how to respond to her.
"Nice to meet you" was all he could come up with.
"You must be hungry. I have been cooking all morning and you
should eat!" She motioned for her two guests to go into a small dining room and they sat
down at a table. The gorilla put plates in front of them and a pitcher of water. Pete felt
odd. He knew he was considered to be a lowly human yet he was allowed to eat with
these gorillas. He doubted any of the gorilla soldiers after him would sit at a table and eat
a meal with him.
Aunt Isabelle proceded to place vegetable stew and salad in front of her two guests.
She kept studying Pete. "You are not from this world, are you?" The elderly gorilla had
a gentle voice. Pete looked up at her as he ate a salad. "No…….I am not." He didn't
want to discuss his predicament at the moment. He was too tired and anxious about the
rest of the afternoon. Isabelle continued to inquire about the astronaut. Pete could tell
she was wise. "Where are you from, then? I see someone who is very far from home."
Pete drank some water and started chewing on a slice of bread.
"I crashed here with two other astronauts. We come from Earth's
past……when humans ruled. I don't know what happened. Urko and Zaius see us as a
threat to the simian world. My companion and I have been on the run, with our friend
Galen. Galen is a chimp." He glanced at Artemis. Her face was very serious. "Galen,
Alan and myself believe that apes and humans can live together in peace." Isabelle was
fascinated. "You said there were three of you who crashed here. What happened to the
third one?" Pete tried to hide the sadness in his voice. "Jonesy didn't make it. He died when our ship crashed."
"So this is a strange world for you. You are out of place and time. But I can tell
you are not a quitter. Someday, apes and humans may co-exist as equals." Artemis
drank some water and got up to make coffee. "I have no problem living with humans.
Humans are smart, they could be free." Pete was interested in hearing what she had to
say. He watched her as she made the coffee.
"I don't hear that very often from apes." The female gorilla
returned to her seat. "Not all apes dislike humans. My family and I have had humans
living with us for a long time." Pete grinned slightly. He couldn't resist badgering her.
"Humans are okay, in your book. But chimps are another story!" He
waited for her response. She looked over at Isabelle. "Can you believe this? A chimp
loving human! Anything I say against chimps and he flips out. You are a character, the
way you adore that chimp friend of yours." Pete remained silent. He was baffled by this
female gorilla bounty hunter. But she intrigued him and he knew he had a fondness for
her, despite her faults. Isabelle got up and poured three cups of coffee.
"There is a pond behind the house. You can go for a swim while Isabelle and I play
a short game of chess." Pete drank some coffee and it went down the wrong way. After
coughing for a minute he regained his composure.
"I can't seem to keep my clothes on around you." Artemis frowned.
"Well, don't go swimming then! You seemed to enjoy it so much. I just thought that
before our last "Haul in" you would like to be refreshed. Our next crook is tough. He is
not going to be easy to deal with." Pete sipped his coffee and looked out the kitchen
window. He could see the crystal clear water of the pond surrounded by lush green trees.
It called out to him and he knew a good swim would be beneficial to his sanity. He
turned to look at Artemis and her dark eyes met his. "What a female!" was all he could
think of but he refrained from saying his thought outloud.
Isabelle added to the conversation. "You could watch us play chess and observe
how I slaughter my niece at this game." Artemis laughed. "She is telling tall stories. I
am getting quite proficient at this game." Pete grinned. "The pond sounds inviting and
since the afternoon is expected to be a rough one, I suppose I should go for a swim.
Sounds like it is possible it maybe my last one. " "Artemis frowned. "Don't think that
way. Rise to the challenge, nothing like a good fight."
"I like your positive attitude."
Pete swam in the pond and the cool water felt refreshing against his skin.
Artemis and Isabelle played their game of chess on a large rock on the shore.
Occasionally Artemis looked away from the game to observe the dark haired astronaut
who was swimming. "You are not paying attention. Your mind is elsewhere." Artemis
still gazed at the pond. Isabelle spoke again. "It's still your move. You going to move
sometime today or shall we continue this game tomorrow?" Artemis moved a pawn.
"Checkmate!" Isabelle didn't relish her victory, it was too easy. "As usual, I win. But
today you weren't in the game." "I have to get going. Pete and I have work to do. I thank
you for feeding us and as always the children and I will be here on Saturday." The
female gorilla got up and walked towards the pond. She picked up Pete's clothes and
waved them at him. "Come on! We have to get going!" The dark haired astronaut had
swam out to the middle of the pond and was returning to the shore. The swim had
calmed his nerves but he didn't like the feeling he had in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't
a bad feeling, it was an exciting feeling. He was enjoying this day with Artiemis despite
the stress. He didn't like the idea of leaving her and he pushed that thought away but it
kept coming back. He lectured to himself that he was crazy and to focus on his
companions who would be looking for him. The water still soothed him and he gradually
walked out of the pond and retrieved his clothes from Artemis. "We have to move fast, I
promised Zeus I would take him horsebacking riding before dark." Pete pulled his shirt
over his head. " So Zeus is his name , the little kicker. That's a powerful name for a little guy."
"It's my late husband's name. He died when I was pregnant." Pete had finished getting
dressed and stood eye to eye with Artemis. "I'm sorry, Artemis. You are doing a great
job raising your children alone." The female gorilla looked down for a minute and then
motioned for Pete to move along.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Pete and Artemis stood at the original location where they met the orangutan in the
morning. The orangutan was hesitant. "I don't know, Artemis. I don't trust this
chimp you plan on capturing. He can be vicious." Pete remained silent but didn't like
what he was hearing. "I have to bring in Ares, the money is too good and it is about
time he went to jail. This one has been on the run far too long." Pete's eyes widened
when he heard the name Ares. He kind of felt like he was participating in a Greek
play and the actors were all apes. If he ever did return to Alan and Galen, he didn't
know if they would even believe his story.
"Okay, Artemis. You are so determined. Ares and the gang are in that house over
there." The orangutan pointed towards a house across the street. "Come on, let's go!"
Artemis motioned for Pete to get going and the orangutan watched them as they crossed
the street and entered the house.
It was a larger amount of chimps than Pete expected. There were at least fifteen.
His only thought was "this is it. This is the end." Without realizing it, he put his hand on
Artemis' shoulder. Her eyes met his and they were gentle and calm.
One of the chimps came forward. Surprisingly, he didn't appear as tough as Pete
thought he would be. "Artemis, what a pleasure! You've come to join us!" The female
gorilla was getting angry.
"Don't be foolish! You are coming with me. It's over. Without
you the gang will have to cease their illegal activities." Ares didn't act fazed by her
statement. The other chimps moved in closer. Pete who stood behind Artemis re-
ceived the knife she slipped to him. He forced his hand to stop shaking and tried to
appear calm. Ares continued talking. "We can make this easy, Artemis. You can go
home to your children and forget about this. Or we can make this very ugly. You and
your human won't live. I am shocked that you have lowered your standards to the point
that you are bringing a human along with you. The job getting to be too much,Artemis?
Only a pathetic human will work with you?" The other chimps laughed. Pete didn't like
this banter and felt himself getting angry.
"Look, pal! I'd listen to the lady or don't listen to the lady. When
we are through your buddies here can clean up the mess. And I can see the headlines
now. Female gorilla and lowly human defeat the chimp with the biggest ego on the
planet." Artemis felt her jaw drop. Like the ancient Greek god who he was named after,
Ares could be full of wrath.
The chimp didn't seem angry though. He moved forward again and remained
calm. "Humans are known to be quite creative with their speech. You trained this one
well, Artemis." "I didn't train him, Ares. Come on. You are coming with us." Artemis
reached for the arm of the chimp and side stepped him when he shot at her. Fortunately,
the bullet only grazed her arm but she fell to the floor. Pete was quick enough to stab
Ares in the stomach as he attempted to shoot her again. The gun went off but he had
pointed it at the ceiling when he felt the knife in his stomach. Pete was almost in a rage.
He stood over Artetmis and the chimp, holding the knife in the air. The rest of the gang
retreated. They were shocked by Pete's defense of Artemis. He wavered between his
anger and his concern for Artemis. The chimp was curled up the fetal position and groaned.
The orangutan informant came through the door with three gorilla soldiers and rounded
up the gang. By now, Artemis had gotten to her feet. "He looked at Pete holding the
knife.
"It was smart of you to bring your human. I wondered why he was
with you, you always work alone. You obviously knew this was too dangerous to be
alone." One of the gorilla soldiers spoke to Artemis. "There is a large reward for you at
the prefect's office. Good job, Artemis." He studied Pete. "I have never encountered a
human who defended an ape before. You did well." Pete was actually relaxed. He looked
into the soldier's eyes, something he rarely did in the presence of apes. "I care about this lady."
It was a statement he didn't expect to have come out of him and he was shocked he said
it. The look on the soldier's face changed, it softened. "She's a lucky female." He then
returned to go out the door, following the other soldiers and the gang of criminal chimps.
Pete studied Artemis' arm. It was only slightly wounded with a small amount of
blood trickeling down her arm. "This needs to be tended to." Their eyes met.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Pete sat in the hot tub and soaked up the warm water. His muscles relaxed and he even
felt better inside. The day of chasing the lower element of simian society came to a close.
Alicia and her husband also sat in the hot tub across from Pete. All three humans were in
the nude and their clothes laid scattered around the edge of the tub. Alicia didn't seem to
be as antagonistic towards Pete as she was before. Her husband who had returned from
working on another farm was pleasant and welcoming to Pete. The serenity of the at-
mosphere was interrupted by Artemis who had walked up to the edge of the tub. "Your
friends are coming down the road." Pete leaped out of the hot tub and quickly put his
clothes on.
………………………………………………………………………………………….
Pete and Artemis stood face to face in the road in front of her house. He felt
a mixture of emotions and was suddenly very uncomfortable. The female gorilla
appeared to be uncomfortable as well. Good-byes were never easy and she didn't
want to say good-bye to this human. She took a deep breath. Pete had a lump in his
throat. "You and your friends are welcome to stay here. Even your chimp friend can
stay too." Pete grinned slightly. "I can't put you and your family in jeopardy." The
female gorilla handed a folded piece of paper to the dark haired astronaut. He unfolded
it and was amazed by the long list of names and addresses on it. "All of these apes owe
me favors. If you are in trouble or need a place to hide and you are near one of these
simians, go to them and tell them you know me. You'll be safe this way." Pete's face
became serious. He was stunned. "I am grateful for this, Artemis. I am going to miss
you." Next, the simian and the human embraced for a few minutes. Artemis didn't
want to let go of him. Pete finally stepped back and squeezed her hand as he began
walking down the road to join his friends.
Alan and Galen had stopped at a certain place by the road when they saw the gorilla
and their companion embrace. Pete walked steadily towards them but he appeared to be
glum. Alan walked over to him. "We decided to wait here. Didn't want to interrupt you
and your girlfriend." Pete gave him a sharp look and then returned his gaze back to Art-
emis. She was still in front of her house watching him. Pete didn't feel like talking and
just put his arm around Galen and Alan as the three of them walked onwards. His
thoughts ran on. He didn't know where to begin. Should he start with how he met a
cat named Galen or he spent most of his time recently without his clothes on? A chimp
called Ares and a very angry human female were other unusual encounters he had. The
dark haired astronaut continued walking with his friends and looked ahead at the road
in front of them.
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
Security Chief Urko grunted as he handed documents over to his assistant. The
female gorilla bounty hunter stood in front of him with three gorillas linked by chains.
Urko's soldiers led the prisoners away and he scowled at the female in front of him.
"You have been busy this week, Artemis! Everyday you have been bringing in the lower
element of simian society." Silently, he was embaressed and jealous of her. She was so
successful in bringing in the most wanted fugitives and now her wealth rivaled his. She
also just purchased some champion race horses. His anger was beginning to boil up.
"I heard a rumor, Artemis, that you captured Ares with the aid of a human male. It is
against the law to harbor human fugitives. I hope this male was not a fugitive. You have
gained so much, it would be a shame to lose it all." The female gorilla inched closer to
the security chief. Their eyes met and their faces were five inches apart. "I do not harbor
fugitives! You should be chasing the real criminals instead of weak humans!" Urko held
his composure and controlled his anger.
"Humans are the real threat to the simian world. You have a duty to
protect our world!" Artemis didn't flinch. "Ah, sir, you are so weak. Someday my
daughter will have your position and then truly, simian society will be great."
The female bounty hunter then turned away from the seething gorilla and walked out the door.