"There's some nut bread and cold meat in this box, and soup in the other," Zana greeted Galen when he came up the stairs to their room. "I thought we could have a late lunch together before you have to drive out again."

"That sounds excellent," Galen murmured. He moved slowly, as if his morning round had already thoroughly exhausted him - or as if he was in deep thought. "I'm starving."

He didn't say anything more until he had almost emptied his bowl. "Forgive me for being such a bad table companion..."

"Well, I didn't cook it, so the praise for making this soup delicious enough to capture all of your attention goes to that street vendor," Zana said dryly. "Don't worry, dear, I understand that your work is exhausting."

"It's not as bad as I had feared, actually," Galen said, and leaned back with a sigh. "It's actually less taxing than the hours I spend in Ropal's town practice. Travelling from village to village gives me the opportunity to rest between the consultations, or to look up symptoms... or to empty your delicious lunch boxes. Though to be fair, most of the time it's Peet who empties them. That human can eat nonstop."

"Well, he's full of nervous energy," Zana smiled. "I guess he has to replenish it often."

"And how was your morning?" Galen asked, quite obviously unwilling to discuss Peet again. He had sent him to the human healer as soon as they had arrived back at the inn, and even given him some sembles to buy himself something to eat. Since Peet had forced him to confess what had happened in Etissa, Galen seemed eager to put some distance between himself and Peet whenever possible. Zana wondered what those doctor rounds had to be like for them.

She dunked another morsel of nut bread into her soup. "It seems I was accepted into the mentor program at the shelter."

"If anyone deserves to be in that program, it's you." Galen reached for the box with the nut bread. "You will teach them a thing or two, what with your professional background..."

"I can't ever mention that, and neither can you," Zana warned him. "It was a unique position - one that didn't even exist before I set my mind on scientifically examining human behavior. I can only assume that they dissolved my department after I... left."

What had happened to her little group of human toddlers? Sold off, most probably. Zana valiantly steered her thoughts away from the avalanche of memories that threatened to break loose, and focused on her more immediate problems. "There was only ever one behavioral analyst for humans, which means that referring to that position is the same as sending a priority message to Urko where to find us."

"You're right," Galen said regretfully. "But that means you won't be able to work with humans here, except at that shelter. And they don't pay. You said you wanted to earn money..."

"So will we stay here for good?" For now, Galen was only a replacement for the late Dr. Ropal. It was a temporary solution, as far as Zana was aware, and with the question of Alan/Taris still hanging between them and Voltis, she doubted that they were the chief's favorite apes to keep around.

"I see no reason why not." Galen rose to put the kettle on the stove. "With Alan being determined to keep his new identity, Voltis has no reason to feel hostile towards us anymore. And unless I make a major professional blunder, it'll be much easier to just keep me as Chubla's veterinarian than to find someone from the South to fill the position."

They would stay here - live in a house, go to work, sleep in a real bed...

There would be no more rolling down endless roads; no more falling asleep in utter darkness in the wild, with Alan, or Peet, or Galen, or herself keeping watch, straining eyes and ears for the furtive sounds of whatever dangers were moving in the underbrush. No more hiding from patrols. No more close encounters with Urko...

Zana tried to grasp that new reality, and failed.

"Zorya herself gave me the tour of the shelter, can you imagine?" she said brightly. "It's not something she usually does, but she wanted an update on how Alan is doing." She sighed, her forced cheerfulness deflating. "Of course I couldn't deliver any good news."

"It's in Alan's hands now," Galen murmured. "Just as you said it should be. From what you told me about your encounter in the woods, he is beginning to remember. He just doesn't want to be his old self anymore."

"I can't blame him," Zana said dryly, and saw Galen flinch.

His reaction didn't gratify her. Galen could feel guilty all he wanted - and rightfully so - but what good would that do if they still had lost Alan? She'd happily forgive Galen, if she'd only get their friend back.

"You saw him this morning, didn't you?" she continued. "How was he? Did you get the impression that he recognized you?"

"He insisted on calling me Dr. Kova, so it was hard to tell." Galen poured the boiling water over the tea leaves. "But he implored me to speak on his behalf to Chief Voltis, which I found peculiar. Of course, as his doctor, I am a kind of confidant..."

"What did he want you to talk about with the chief?" This was peculiar. And Galen's face was too bland, his voice too casual all of a sudden.

"Oh, uh, apparently the chief's son ran away again. I guess your intermezzo with Zatis yesterday upset him. Alan... Taris is convinced that there's more to it than just a disgruntled teenager having a fit of temper. But naturally, nobody in Voltis' household would listen to a human's theories." Galen carried the pot over to her, carefully avoiding her gaze.

Zana narrowed her eyes. "What was his theory? And did you talk to Voltis?"

"He thinks that Ennis' mother broke into Voltis's house last night and abducted her son. Apparently, Ennis' telescope is missing, too, and that... somehow that proves it. I didn't really understand it myself, but yes, I spoke to Chief Voltis, just as I had promised Alan. I mean, Taris."

Zana leaned back in her seat and pursed her lips as she considered Alan's theory. Peet had insisted that Aelia would be able to get Alan to the border of the Forbidden Zone somehow, that she still had connections inside Voltis' household. So it wasn't as impossible that she had broken into her former home as it seemed; but then she had switched from Alan to Ennis for some reason.

Maybe the grief became overwhelming when she was suddenly so close to him again. Maybe she felt she couldn't bear the loss of her child any longer.

"Alan holds himself responsible," Galen continued. "He spent the night with the human healer, and now he berates himself for not being at his master's side to protect him."

"Alan always assumes responsibility for things outside his control," Zana said softly.

"Well, if he shared a bit of that sense of responsibility with Peet, I'd be grateful," Galen muttered. "I sent him to Laisa over an atseht ago, and he still hasn't returned. We need to drive out for another round to Pahles, and the sun is already setting."

"Maybe he's already at the stables, hitching up the wagon?" Zana suggested.

Galen just raised an eyebrow, but agreed to have a look. Zana went along, glad for the distraction; she had found herself brooding at the window more and more often lately, with nothing else to do but to wait for Galen's and Peet's return from their rounds. The forced inaction was beginning to get on her nerves.

Peet wasn't at the stables, though.

Neither was Tala.

"He made true on his word," Galen murmured. He didn't sound enraged, only stunned. "He really took off to meet that resistance fighter from Aken's prefecture." It was a sentiment Peet had muttered about with increasing frequency ever since he had failed to stir Alan's memory with his childhood prayer.

"No, he didn't!" Zana couldn't believe for a moment that Peet would simply vanish without a word. He might be angry and, and wounded, but he wasn't a coward.

She wandered around the stable, trying to find a clue to what had happened, even asking the stable hands who were busy shoveling hay into the neighbouring boxes. Unsurprisingly, nobody had seen anyone doing anything, least of all saddling up and leading a horse past them.

"Humans stick together," Galen said merely when she came back to Tala's box. "Of course they wouldn't tell on one of their own to his enraged master."

"I'm neither his master, nor am I enraged," Zana said, "and neither are you."

Galen flicked her a sideways glance. "His master? Or enraged?"

"Both. You have no reason to feel betrayed, either, because I found Peet's things behind Ahpahchee's box." She had been shocked to find that Peet apparently had begun gathering supplies for his planned departure; but their presence meant that whenever that day was, it wasn't this day.

Which still left them with the question of what Peet had needed Tala for.

"Peet hates sitting on a horse." Zana shook her head. "He'd never ride one voluntarily. So what made him..."

"Who made him do it would be the more accurate question," Galen cut in. "And I only know one person, but I cannot fathom why Peet would do anything for Alan anymore, after Alan had essentially... cast him out."

"Even if that was true - and I'm not convinced that it is - Peet hasn't cut ties with Alan," Zana corrected him. "He wouldn't ignore it if Alan asked him for help..."

She trailed off, struck by the sudden realization what kind of help Alan must've pleaded from Peet. "Mothers, Galen! He must've asked him to retrieve Ennis!"

Galen gaped at her. Then he vigorously shook his head. "No... no. Why would Alan ask that of Peet? He must know that Peet doesn't like Ennis at all, and besides, why wouldn't Alan ride out and rescue the boy himself?"

"Because Alan is under a much tighter supervision than Peet, and has no means to get a horse himself," Zana said impatiently.

Galen drummed his fingers on the door of Tala's box. "But suppose your theory is right - what would Peet gain by trying to save the boy? If he succeeded, Alan would just happily stay with Ennis, and Peet would've put himself in danger for nothing."

Zana stopped in mid-stride. "He does this for his friend - and as a wise ape once said, a friend is never nothing."

Galen said nothing for a moment; he stared into Tala's empty box. "That was a long time ago," he murmured finally.

"A long time, yes," Zana said. "Some of us become wiser over time, it seems, while others-"

"... become dumber?" Galen's voice was low and sharp.

"Become bitter," Zana said softly. "For a while, I was afraid that Peet would succumb to that poison as well, and despite everything, it makes me so happy to see that he didn't, in the end." She came to Galen's side and gently turned his head so that he had to look at her.

"It's never too late to forgive, you know?" she whispered.

Galen put his hand over hers, and Zana thought that his eyes were maybe shining a bit brighter. She held her breath...

"How can you say that, after what happened to you... to us?" Galen's voice wavered a bit.

"Anger and regret won't bring our baby back, Galen," Zana willed her voice to be steady. "She's with the Mothers now, and I... I can only look after the living."

Galen heaved a deep sigh and closed his eyes. But when he opened them again, they were dry, and the moment was gone. Zana dropped her hand to her side again as Galen turned away.

"Still, what was he thinking?" he muttered. "Does he really believe he can just ride up to Aelia's house and demand she give back her own child? Or... is Peet planning to steal Ennis right back?"

"Galen..."

"And now that Chief Voltis is using that abduction to swoop down on her Kobavasa comrades..."

"Her what?"

Galen shrugged. "I accidentally overheard his plans to pin the abduction of his son on Aboro - Voltis thinks that Aboro is protecting the Kobavasa, or even leading this little rebellion himself, but I assume he never had sufficient proof to justify disciplinary measures. Or maybe he held back for the sake of his former wife. It'd be hard to explain to his son why he'd incarcerate his mother… In any case, she has crossed a line he isn't willing to ignore, especially if he can exploit it to get rid of that pesky prefect."

"Galen… stop." Zana held up her hand. "You must've misunderstood something. Aelia isn't a Kobavasa. She's a human rights activist - Zorya herself told me so."

"Well, I know for a fact that Voltis is riding out with his guard towards Sultok right now," Galen insisted. "I heard him, Zana - he wants to bring down Aboro for the abduction of his son. I don't know how he can connect him with Aelia and her Kobavasa…"

"Aelia and Aboro are living together, apparently," Zana interjected. "But Galen, I know for a fact that Aelia is on the humans' side! She believes that apes shouldn't keep them as working animals or pets - according to her, humans belong in the wild, as free creatures!"

There was no way Aelia would put up with a man who commandeered a band of human-killers. Zana refused to believe that Aelia could be so smitten with Aboro that she would be able to ignore his murderous pastime.

Galen just raised his brows. "If she believes that humans are nothing but wild animals, maybe Aboro convinced her that hunting is the most natural interaction an ape could have with them - after all, the bushcat kills the rabbit every day in the woods, too."

He closed Tala's box with a sudden, determined motion. "We can speculate about that woman's motive all day, but in the meantime, Peet is probably riding on to Sultok, if your theory about human friendship is correct. He'll be right in the middle of that clash between Voltis' men and Aboro's Kobavasa - and he's riding in blind."

He hurried towards the gate; after a moment, Zana hurried after him. As much as she wanted to scold him for not mentioning that little detail about Voltis sooner, other questions were more pressing right now. "Where are you going?"

"I'm paying another visit to my famous patient," Galen said grimly, "to find out if your speculation is correct. Someone needs to stop Peet before he gets himself killed." He didn't look at her. "I may not know a lot about friendship, but I do have a sense of responsibility towards all of you."

He lengthened his stride even more, and Zana stopped trying to keep up with him. She would've needed to break into a run to do that, and she saw no sense in accompanying Galen to Alan. She had something else in mind.

So she just watched Galen vanish around the corner of the inn, head bowed, shoulders hunched, and wished she'd thought of something else to say as parting words.

Something like, you know well enough about friendship with our humans, Galen, if you'd only allow yourself to trust them again.

She hoped she'd still have the opportunity to tell him.


Ennis' window overlooked the whole eastern part of Chubla; chimpanzees still preferred to live and sleep as far above ground as their limited architectural skills would allow. When the sky was clear, one could even see the eastern road beyond the city gate, winding its way into the mountains towards Sultok Prefecture.

Right now, Virdon didn't appreciate the view. It just reminded him of the fact that as Voltis' property, he was chained to this room, condemned to let others ride out to rescue Laisa... to find Ennis...

You'll be a boy an' his dog, Al.

He hadn't really minded while he had been Taris. But even if he managed to keep up appearances - and he wasn't even sure he could do that; he had already slipped up to Zatis - that content, slightly addled man was gone now. He was back to being Alan Virdon, once a starship commander, still a father, a husband...

... no, a widower. Virdon unconsciously reached for the data disc hanging from his neck. The emptiness there still came as a shock.

And he still had no idea what to make of his life now. He had been just as unable to conceive of a future for himself on this world as Burke had been when he'd asked him back in Silam.

Virdon had wished - he'd have prayed for it, if he hadn't felt completely unable to face God after this degradation - to escape that old life, that old self. He had wished to end, and his wish had been granted, for a time.

And now he was back to square one, only with the added complication of having alienated his old team - and now Galen had told the others, too...

Virdon turned away from the window with an angry growl. I'll sort this out later. Right now, Laisa's life is in danger, and Pete's, too - and I can't just sit here doing nothing!

He wasn't sure if he'd be able to return to Burke, and to Galen and Zana - but if he couldn't suppress his former self, his life as Taris would be unbearable. Not even Laisa would be able to make up for it. But if he ran away, he would lose her, too.

Ennis was a good kid. Virdon reached for the boomerang and slowly turned it in his hands. The boy was so desperate for companionship... just as he had been desperate for a son, someone he could teach, someone he could love... but...

He let his gaze wander over the shelves that were stuffed with toys and wooden machines. It was amazing what he had been able to produce in those short weeks - but then he had been carving these things during every spare moment. He had even made a miniature oil rig, although nobody would pump up oil on this world ever again. Virdon shook his head and tiredly rubbed his eyes.

It was no use. He couldn't stay. He couldn't be Taris anymore.

He'd have to run - escape into the Forbidden Zone… which meant losing Laisa. Losing Zana, and Pete… even Galen.

He'd have to try to find other humans like hi... in the same situation as him.

There were no other humans like him, except for one.

The sky outside was darkening, a sudden gust of wind rattling at the window frame; soon he'd have to light a lamp. If he decided to sit this out after all.

No, he couldn't - he couldn't wait here like a... like a good boy, wait for his master's eventual return. That wasn't how he had led his life before. That wasn't how the rest of his life would be.

Virdon dropped the boomerang on Ennis' bed, strode to the door and yanked it open. An ape tumbled into his arms, his hand still at the doorknob. "Cesar!"

A chimpanzee, but not Voltis. Virdon carefully pushed him away from his chest. "I'm sorry, I didn't... ah..." It was Galen. Galen...

"... Dr. Kova."

I'll sort this out later!

Galen straightened, and glared at him. "And where were you going so hastily, Taris?"

Virdon felt the blood throbbing in his temples as his blood pressure shot up with his annoyance. Still, if he wanted to uphold this identity - for now - he had to play along. "I, ah... to the kitchen. I was getting hungry."

Galen narrowed his eyes, but didn't question his story. Instead, he took Virdon by the arm and gently pushed him back into the room. He closed the door before he turned back to him. "Well, then I'm lucky that I caught you before you vanished - again. I'm looking for my orderly - you know, the dark-haired human who likes to swear a lot."

It was impossible to say if Galen had already seen through his pretense. Virdon valiantly suppressed a smile at the chimpanzee's description of Burke, and shook his head. "He wasn't here."

That was true... technically. They had met in town, outside the human ghetto.

Galen regarded him with an unreadable expression. "Curious," he said after a pause. "We were actually about to drive out for our afternoon round in the prefectures."

"Maybe he... got distracted," Virdon suggested, feeling more and more uncomfortable. Alan Virdon hadn't been a man who casually bent the truth.

"Maybe," Galen said with the same inscrutable expression. "I wonder what kind of distraction motivated him to take one of my horses. I cannot use my wagon with only one horse, it's too heavy. Not to mention that I need my orderly, too. You wouldn't know anything about that?"

"No," Virdon said curtly. The sooner he managed to move Galen to leave, the sooner he could ride after Burke. He'd probably have to steal Apache...

But why not take advantage of the fact that Galen was here, now? "Did you speak with Chief Voltis? Were you able to convince him of my theory about Ennis?"

Galen's gaze flickered for a moment. "In a manner of speaking. Is he still here?"

"He left a while ago, why?" Galen seemed to be unusually tense; Virdon wondered if it had something to do with Burke's disappearance, or with Voltis' reaction, whatever that might have been... or with both. "Is something wrong?"

Galen wandered to the window and leaned heavily on the window sill. He didn't look at Virdon; he gazed outside, seemingly fascinated by the panoramic view of the town. "Why don't we drop this charade?" he said, and Virdon felt his heart plummet into his gut.

I'm not ready yet... I haven't decided yet what I'll-

But Galen didn't call him out on his memory loss. "If I tell you what Chief Voltis is planning, will you tell me where Dehni went?"

Virdon knew that he shouldn't be outraged at the way Galen was baiting him like a dog - do that trick for me, and I'll give you a treat - after all, it was him who insisted on being Taris the pet human...

But he couldn't help it. "You presume I know where Danny is?"

Galen turned around with an annoyed glare. "Very well. If you happen to see him, tell him to come to the inn without delay. And tell him to avoid the Eastern prefectures for a few days." He pushed away from the window and made for the door.

"Wait!" Virdon threw up his hands in defeat when the ape paused and raised his brows at him. "Alright, maybe I know where he went to. Why shouldn't he ride east?"

Galen rubbed his fingertips over his mouth, watching him intently. "Because Chief Voltis is determined to crack down on Aelia and Aboro and their little Kobavasa insurgency. He's leading a whole battalion there, so I would advise against any human getting between them. Apes don't wage war against other apes, but today they will get as close as Cesar allows."

Galen must've seen the horror in his face, because he suddenly dropped his nonchalant demeanour. "So Dehni did ride to Sultok - did you send him there to try and steal back Master Ennis? Are you out of your mind?"

Virdon raked a hand through his hair as he hastily calculated the distances that Laisa and Pete would've traveled in the meantime. Voltis' battalion would be on horseback, too - when had they left? An hour ago? Two?

"No, I didn't send him to rescue Ennis," he said at last. "Pe... Danny left to find Laisa and bring her back. She went to Sultok this morning to visit some relatives who had fallen ill... the winter fever..." He drew a deep breath. "I need to ride after him, warn him. Get them both back to safety - and don't you tell me I can't go!"

"I'm telling you no such thing," Galen said dryly. "You'll take Ahpahchee - he hates apes. I'll rent a horse from the stable. It will be a hard ride - we need to be fast, and we can't rest. Do you think you can stay on the horse?"

"I can ride a horse," Virdon growled. Galen smiled, and suddenly, Virdon was absolutely sure that the ape had long seen through his pretense.

"An unusual skill for a human," Galen remarked, and turned away. "Come, then. We cannot lose any more time."