Lora and her parents had insisted on accompanying them beyond the town walls. Burke wondered if it was just gratitude, or if Dolan mistrusted his brother-in-law to uphold his pledge of free passage for all, including Katlin. If so, he'd be forever in that ape's debt.
"Are you sure you don't want to join us?" Katlin was asking him again. "Your group is practically a model of what we hope to build for ourselves. And we could use your skills, and I'm not talking about pre-Blast weaponry..."
He waggled his eyebrows at her, trying to lighten her somber mood. "Now whatever gave you that idea?"
She smiled, but just said, "I don't deny I have personal motives..."
Burke looked to where Virdon got hugged - again - by Lilia. The matron had taken to him as if he was a little lamb; well, good for him, Burke supposed. With a deep breath, he turned back to Katlin.
"I... I can't. God knows I'd like to." And it was true, and not just because he wanted to touch more than just her face. Katlin and her people were searching for the Promised Land, a place where apes wouldn't put a boot on their necks. It was a place he longed to find himself. But...
"I can't let Al wander off all by himself."
"The invitation was for all of you."
Burke shook his head. "He wouldn't accept it. Al's trying to get home to his wife and his son. He won't stop until he does, or... until he can't deny any longer that he lost them for good."
The pain in Katlin's eyes deepened, but she just nodded. Then she reached into her pocket and leaned down to him. He knew what she had in her hand even before he took it.
"You're giving me back your engagement ring?" he joked, but it hurt.
Katlin shook her head. "When your friend has found his answer, and you're free to go... you'll just have to show this around, and people will tell you where to find us." She straightened in the saddle. "We will not just vanish into the wasteland, like Aken hopes. We'll provide a safe haven for humans and simian dissidents alike. I talked with Lora - she'll keep the path open on her end."
Burke closed his fist around the Knight. "You could call it the Pony Express."
Katlin laughed. "Perhaps. I'll think about it." She looked down to him and sobered. "Where will you go now?"
"Over the hills and far away. North, I think, and then... who knows."
"Stay safe, Pete," she said softly. Then she leaned down and kissed him, just as gently.
And then it was time to leave; Katlin hurried her horse into the hills before Aken could rethink his generosity. Burke and the others followed her slowly on foot - they had decided that they'd walk inside the Forbidden Zone's border area for now, to avoid another ape incident. Virdon worried that Aken's report to the capital would catch Urko's attention. Burke thought he'd rather risk meeting Gres' people again, though the probability for that was low - their headquarters lay south of Aken's town, and Gres was probably busy licking his wounds and staying on top of the power struggles that almost certainly would break out now.
"Are you okay, Pete?" Virdon asked after a mile or so.
Burke touched the chess piece in his pocket.
"Guess I will be..."