"Dehni? Dehni, can you hear me? I'm going to take off your shirt now. It'll hurt, please don't attack me again..."

Burke could hear Laisa just fine, but his jaw was clamped shut from the effort to keep the pain under control, so he just waggled his fingers a bit to signal her that he'd understood. The burning sensation on his back intensified as she began to peel off his shredded shirt, and he couldn't suppress a strangled moan.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Laisa whispered, but she didn't stop. Burke wished he was able to tell her to stop - it was pointless anyway, unless she took off his pants, too. That monkey had beaten him up and down from his neck to his thighs.

It had been a stupid idea to wait in monkey boy's room; they should've kept moving. But the kid would've called the cops on them, so what else could they've done? It was the same with every other step before that - there hadn't been any opportunity to break away until they had reached Sultok, not with that Kobavasa behind him breathing down his and Laisa's necks. And as soon as they had passed through the gate, the apes had thrown it shut and they had been trapped.

And then the thugs had begun to shed their costumes, and he and Laisa had to jump off their horse and hightail it into one of the alleys. Burke had hoped to lose their pursuers after they had rid themselves of their Kobavasa attire by melting into the crowd of other human slaves going about their masters' business. But he hadn't seen a single human in Sultok.

Really, they had been damn lucky to have made it that long. Well, sometimes you get the ape, and sometimes, the ape gets you...

"Done," Laisa finally said with a gasp that told Burke she had held her breath the whole time. "I'm afraid they didn't give me very potent herbs - just a bit of chamomile and yarrow, but the yarrow is powdered... it'll keep the wounds clean, and it also takes away the sting a bit..."

"Girl, my back feels as if a swarm of pissed-off wasps nuked it from orbit," Burke groaned. "It doesn't just 'sting' an' I really don't think some flowers'll make it better..." The monkeys had taken their sweet time with bringing the stuff to his and Laisa's prison, too. His wounds probably were already infected anyway.

"Hush," Laisa said, and Burke flinched as the stuff hit his torn flesh. If it was really powder, it should be light as dust, but it felt as if she was flogging him all over again.

The pain was excruciating - a sharp burn on the surface that somehow ate its way deeper and deeper into his flesh until it was everywhere, making his muscles cramp up and his mouth water. He had fainted in that room, and again when one of the guards had slung him over his shoulder and jumped down the climb-hole to the ground floor level. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious, only that he had woken up too soon both times.

Now he couldn't fall unconscious again, although for the first time in his life, he wished for it. Not even the guards in Urko's prison had beaten him so viciously, but then they had been under orders not to damage Vanda's toy.

"This is all I can do for now," Laisa said apologetically. "Back in Chubla, I have salves and ointments... but you won't be able to lie on your back for about two weeks..."

Burke laughed - or groaned, he couldn't say - and turned his head with effort to look at her. The root cellar wasn't really a cellar, since it wasn't underground, and a bit of early morning light seeped in from a ventilation hole at the ceiling. Laisa's face was in the shadows, but he could sense her fear all the same.

"Ya think we'll live that long?" he wheezed. No point sugarcoating things for her. The whole town was a Kobavasa stronghold, with the robed thugs walking freely in the streets, and even in and out of Aelia's house. Burke wondered why an ape who professed to oppose simian abuse of humans lived here, of all places. Maybe it was the only way for her to keep her ex at bay, since Voltis didn't touch the local KKK for some reason.

Laisa plucked at the hem of her skirt. "If Aelia wanted us dead, she wouldn't have stopped the guards..."

"Maybe she just wants to keep us alive for that prefect," Burke speculated. "For interrogation."

The healer drew a shaky breath. "But she said... she said she doesn't allow abuse."

"She doesn't allow abuse in her own house," Burke corrected her. "If she wasn't okay with Aboro's way of handling things, she wouldn't stay with him."

"I remember her from when she was still living with Chief Voltis," Laisa protested. "She was always on the side of humans, she wanted a better life for us... she worked at the big shelter..."

And she had seemed to be serious when she had promised to break Virdon out and get him into the Forbidden Zone. Burke couldn't fault Laisa for believing Aelia back then... after all, he had fallen for the chimp's ploy himself. But it was stupid to cling to that illusion while he was bleeding out in that same chimp's basement.

"People change," Burke mumbled. "Sometimes they forget who they were. Sometimes they want to forget. Don't fool yourself into thinking that this woman is the Aelia from your human shelter."

Laisa just shook her head, but didn't pursue the matter further. "What do we do now?" she asked instead. "If what you say is true, we can't just... just sit here and wait for them to come for us!"

"You're right," Burke murmured. "I'll just lay here and wait instead. - We're locked up, Laisa," he added when she glared at him. "We're unarmed, I've been beaten to an inch of my life, we're outnumbered, and we're deep in Kobavasa territory. What exactly do you think I can do? Should do?"

She threw up her hands in frustration. "I don't know! Do something!"

Burke sighed and closed his eyes. "Okay. Gimme some time, I'll think on it."

But nothing came to him, and the pain in his back rose and fell, rose and fell, and every time it rose, the pain grew stronger, until it filled his mind and he couldn't think at all. For the first time in his life, Burke wished for drugs - tramadol, fuck, he'd even smoke weed! Or opium... opium sounded like heaven right now.

Maybe that's why my old man self-medicated... maybe it wasn't just because he couldn't deal with the memories. I've no idea if he had any injuries that caused him pain... never asked him...

The door opened, and the sudden gust of cold air hit his raw back like a hammer. Burke flinched and moaned, then cursed himself for not catching himself in time. He forced his eyes open and squinted up at the intruder.

It was Aelia. She stared down at him with an expression of pity on her face that almost propelled him to his feet to try a swing at her. He didn't want pity from a goddamn monkey.

"How do you feel?" she had the cheek to ask.

"Great, jus' great," Burke wheezed. "You?"

"I deeply regret that I wasn't there sooner, to prevent this," Aelia said, and gestured at his shredded back. "It's so unfortunate that you have to deal with this additional handicap in your situation."

Burke stared at her. Maybe Laisa's herbal stuff was working, or something in that monkey's speech had set off his internal alarms. Either way, the pain dimmed from excruciating to merely unbearable. He pushed himself up onto one elbow, carefully suppressing every moan and groan that threatened to rise in his throat this time. "What the blast are you talking about?"

Aelia crouched down so that she was at eye level with him. "Usually, I sedate selected humans and release them into the uninhabited areas to the West..."

"The Forbidden Zones," Laisa whispered. "The families that suddenly vanished from their homes... you took them?"

"I gave them their freedom," Aelia said firmly. "These religious taboos about the Zones are a blessing for humans. It's virginal land, untouched by simian hands for eons - nature is still intact in there. It's a huge, Scroll-protected reservation. Humans can live there like nature intended, not under the yoke of the apes."

She was right, in a way, Burke thought - Katlin had retreated deeper into the Zone with her people, too. As long as that taboo held, they were a sanctuary for humans.

"What does your prefect say about that?" he wanted to know. "Aren't you worried that you'll piss him off if you steal his buddies' toys?"

"Aboro and I have a... an understanding," Aelia said. "And with human procreation rates being what they are..." She shrugged at his glare. "I do what I can to save as many of them as possible."

It sounded really noble, but by now, Burke had lost his faith in Aelia's claims. "Did you just drop them there, or did you give them tools and provisions?"

Aelia stared haughtily at him. "Humans are natural tool-makers. They don't need simian interference."

Burke laughed, feeling at once incredulous and vindicated. "So you... you drugged them, dragged them out of their homes in the middle of the night, and then dropped them somewhere in the wild, without food, or tools, or weapons, or, or anything, and miles and miles away from the next village... and then went home... and, and crawled back into your warm bed and felt all virtuous." He spat out the last word.

"Tell you what," he continued before Aelia could respond, "these people are not frolicking in the woods right now, or whatever your fantasy about them looks like. They're frightened, they're freezing, they're starving, and they're desperately trying to find their way back to civilization, 'cause civilization is the only thing they know. Depending on when you dropped them off, they're probably already dead - fell down a canyon, got eaten by some mutated shit..."

"That is nature's way..." Aelia started.

"They're not equipped to go back to nature!" Burke exploded. "You fucking domesticated them!"

"Yes, and it's unnatural!" Aelia snapped back. "Nature will select those whose instincts are still intact, and weed out the others, and the result will be a strong and healthy stock of wild humans, just as they're meant to be!"

Burke gaped at her. "That's what it is, right? Yet another fucking breeding program! And the end result is a... a beast-man, naked, an' dumb, an'... I dunno, mute? 'Cause that's what you'd like, right? Only apes can have a civilization, a culture, a religion, a language..."

"That's all irrelevant for you," Aelia cut him off. "I would've loved to give you your freedom like I did for all those other humans, but unfortunately, you got caught up in... things you don't understand..."

"The Kobavasa," Burke said flatly. "Your lover's little side project. I think I understand damn well what that's about. He's created a private army for himself. Wonder why your ex let it slide for so long."

"As I said, things you don't understand," Aelia repeated coldly. "But we cannot allow you to go back to your owners with whatever little things you picked up here and there..."

"'Course not," Burke sneered. Laisa laid a warning hand on his arm; he ignored her.

"The captain of my guard wanted to shoot you in the yard, but I don't allow violence in my house," Aelia continued as if she hadn't heard him.

"So what, he'll shoot us on the other side of your fence?" Burke scoffed. "Do you really think that'll make you less of a murderer?"

Aelia was silent for a moment. "No," she said finally, "which is why I insisted that if he wanted to see you dead, he'd have to do it like nature intended."

The pain in his back suddenly flared up again, like banked flames roaring to life, as understanding slammed into Burke. "A hunt," he said flatly. "They're organizing a hunt for us right now."

He tried to feel betrayed, but he wasn't even surprised. Somewhere along the way, he had come to expect being fucked over by the apes. It was just how they always treated humans.

... except for Zana. And Galen had at least tried not to fuck up too badly, even if his track record had taken a dent lately...

Aelia glared at him. "It gives you a chance to escape, to survive," she said. "The same chance every prey has. Remember that."

"Please," Laisa said with a trembling voice, "we meant no harm, we just wanted to visit Master Ennis..."

"He's not your master," Aelia cut her off, "and he's currently unlearning the harmful ideas about humans and apes that his father allowed to take hold in his mind. The last thing he needs is more interaction with your kind."

She wouldn't budge, Burke realized. She couldn't. This was Aboro's prefecture, where people - humans and apes - lived by Aboro's rules. Aelia had found a way to fit her ideology into his, and she'd defend her solution tooth and claw. It was the only way to keep her sanity.

"Alright, fine," he said. Aelia's gaze swept from Laisa to him. She looked surprised - she probably had expected him to react like the healer. Burke bared his teeth to her in the imitation of a smile. "But I want my knife back."

Aelia raised her brows. "If you want a knife, I suggest you grow one. Otherwise, I'm afraid, nature didn't intend you to have it."

"Oh, right," Burke deadpanned. "Knives are unnatural. What about guns? Or hunting on horseback? I just want to level the playing field - and you'll help me, if you're really serious about giving this prey here a chance to survive after your thugs almost beat me to death."

She pondered this - and him - for a moment. "You'll get your knife," she said finally.

Burke forced another smile on his lips. Much as he despised that monkey, he needed to stay on her good side for now. "Thank you, ma'am."

Aelia rose. "The hunt will begin shortly. Prepare yourselves."

Laisa buried her face in her hands with a groan after the door had closed behind the ape. "You were right, Dehni - we are doomed." Her voice sounded thick with tears she valiantly struggled to keep back. "I'm so sorry... I should've listened to you when you told me to come with you..."

Burke sighed. "No use cryin' over spilled milk, as my mom used to say. If that monk... ape really gives me my knife back, things won't look so bad."

Laisa let her hands drop into her lap and glared at him. "You said it yourself - they have horses, and guns. What do you think you can do with a puny knife?"

"Hey, don't insult my knife," Burke protested. "An' leave the strategizing to me."

Laisa sighed and threw up her hands in defeat. "What do you want me to do, then? I can't just sit here and stare at the walls..."

"They'll be here any moment," Burke muttered. "You won't have to stare for long. But if you wanna distract me from the bushfire on my back, you can tell me how that story ends that you were telling in Ennis' room."

"Everyone knows how that story ends," Laisa growled, apparently not being in a story-telling mood.

"Yeah, I don't," Burke said. "I lived a very sheltered life," he added when she frowned at him.

Laisa snorted, clearly not believing a word he said. "They went into the mountain," she murmured. "They used their magic to make a path that closed behind them, so the army of the king from the south couldn't find them anymore. They built the White City in a valley that is forever hidden from apes and normal humans, and the legend says that they live there to this day, doing their magic."

"Huh," Burke said, and tried not to move. Every move made the pain flare up again; he had no idea how he was supposed to get up and walk out of the room. "What kind of magic are they doin' there all day?"

Laisa shrugged. "They talk with each other over the wind... they can turn the night into day... heat water to a boil without using fire... and other things I don't remember right now. Dehni, how are we going to escape those hunters? You can't run, in your state!"

He had no idea. "I'll think of something. Hey!" Burke waited until she looked up, and smiled at her. "Don't worry, princess, I'll get us both home, okay?"

She nodded, but she didn't look convinced, and he didn't have any opportunity anymore to calm her down, because the door was yanked open again, and this time, Aelia's guard came in. They dragged them to their feet, ignoring Laisa's yelp and Burke's agonized cry, and walked them down the corridor and into the yard.

Every step hurt like hell. Welts on his butt and the back of his thighs that Burke had managed to ignore until now were chafing against the fabric of his pants, and the muscles underneath were cramping up and making him stumble. He could hardly walk without the apes propping him up on both sides. He'd never be able to run, let alone outrun a pack of riders.

Laisa was right. They were fucked.

Aelia was waiting in the yard, engaged in a heated debate with an ape Burke hadn't seen before. He looked roughed up, as if he had just run for miles - something that apes weren't really suited for anymore since they had decided to try that upright walk.

"We need everyone at the town gate," the ape was snarling. "You can enjoy your little hunting trip later!"

"If Voltis gets ahold of these humans, we'll all be in trouble," Aelia snapped. She was holding his knife, Burke noticed. The sight helped to ease the pain that was wracking his body somewhat. Not much, though.

"Well, that's the least of our problems," the other ape sneered, and reached for his gun.

"Don't you dare!" Aelia growled, and to Burke's surprise, the ape let go of the weapon.

"My son has been traumatized enough by your displays of brutality to last him a lifetime," Aelia continued, and handed Burke his ANSA knife without taking her eyes off the ape's face. "We'll do this the right way, or not at all."

"We can't spare anyone," the ape insisted, but Burke didn't really listen to them anymore. The familiar weight of the knife in his hand was better than any opium; he could relax enough to take in his surroundings, while the apes were debating about the best way to murder him.

Something drew his eyes upward, maybe a furtive movement, maybe just his famous human instincts. Up on a platform, well hidden behind the pickets, cowered an ape, peering down at them. Ennis.

Yeah, I guess gunning us down in the yard would strain that sweet mother-son relationship a bit.

Well, there were other ways to accomplish that. "You mean there's a right way to murder us?" he interrupted Aelia mid-sentence. He didn't feel like breathing in too deeply, because moving his ribs under his torn skin set his back on fire all over again, but he wanted the kid up there to hear what was going on down here. "That's a new one, missus."

"Don't call me that," Aelia snapped. "And nature doesn't know murder-"

"No, nature doesn't know murder, but apes damn well do!" Burke yelled. "And you're not as dumb as you're trying to be - you'll let these thugs shoot me an' the woman like rabbits, an' call it 'natural'! An' then you'll have the nerve to feel all virtuous about it, too!" He spat at her feet, and got backhanded by a guard as a reward.

"Stop that!" Aelia yelled, though it wasn't clear if she meant him or the guard.

Burke grinned at her. He could feel fresh blood running from his nose and over his lip into his teeth as he did so. "You think you're gonna teach your son to be a noble ape - the only thing you're teaching him is how to make a fool of yourself, a fool who can justify anything, and pervert anything, and can still look at himself in the mirror without feeling ashamed of himself..."

"Be quiet," Aelia hissed, and for a moment, Burke was sure that she'd slap him.

But she stepped back, and back, and gestured to the guard. "Take them out the eastern gate, and give them an atseht before you take up pursuit. That should give us enough time to turn Voltis away, and give you," her eyes were full of loathing now as she gestured at Burke and Laisa, "enough time to escape."

Burke mockingly saluted her with his knife, but she had already turned her back to him and was marching into the house.

His warden grabbed him by the arm and dragged him along. "I'd love to blow out your brain," he muttered, "but we've got more important things to do right now. Your luck, frog."

Burke didn't bother with a reply. He was looking for Ennis up in his hiding place on the balcony. For a moment, human and ape stared at each other; the boy's eyes were huge and frightened.

Didn't like to see your mom like that, huh?

He couldn't feel sorry. Everyone here was hiding from reality, and it made him sick. Don't be like them, kid. Open your eyes and deal with what's there, not what you wish should be.

He held Ennis' gaze as long as he could.


Whether by coincidence or design - and Galen hoped it wasn't the latter, because that would've had bad implications for the humans in this prefecture -, Doctor Kova hadn't been called to Sultok even once since he had taken over from the late Doctor Ropal. Since Galen hadn't been eager to run into Chief Voltis and his men while he was riding with the chief's freshly acquired human, he and Alan had stuck to the human-used cart tracks that led to Sultok on a more circuitous route than the main road. Combined with Sultok's reluctance to call in a veterinarian, this meant that Galen wasn't familiar with the territory, which had slowed them down considerably. It didn't help that they had been traveling at night, unable to orient themselves by landmarks; they had even accidentally veered off the track once or twice.

At least there was a comparatively high probability that Laisa and therefore, Peet, had used this route, too, Galen had pointed out - as a human, Laisa would probably stick to the humans' path by sheer habit, and Peet would hopefully have followed her. He wasn't an expert tracker like Alan, but maybe he had asked the stablehands for directions...

His theory had been vindicated when they had come across a riderless Tala, but Galen was worried about the implications of their find.

"Maybe Peet just fell off," he had suggested.

Alan had tied Tala's reins to his saddlehorn, his face an unreadable shadow in the flickering moonlight. "Then we should soon meet him limping towards us."

But they had met neither Peet, nor Laisa, and now Alan's silence was deafening - a focused, brooding absence of words and facial expressions that didn't bode well for whoever had snatched his friends from the road.

Now, in the first, dull light of morning, they had finally reached the town that gave the prefecture its name, without having found any sign of either Peet or Laisa. Standing at a bend in the road that sneaked along the mountain towards Sultok, Galen stared at the sight below: since the slope diving away from it was too steep for trees to take root, this spot provided him and Alan with a natural vantage point over the valley. Maybe in summer, couples would wander up here to gaze at the stars above, and the lights of the town below.

Right now, though, the town didn't offer a romantic backdrop. Even from up here, Galen could see that the shutters over most windows were still down, the town gate closed. It looked as if Sultok had readied itself for a siege.

Metal clinked as Ahpahchee jerked his head against the reins, and Alan shifted in the saddle. His hip and leg were still giving him trouble from time to time, especially after he had exerted himself. Riding all night had to be a strain for his old injuries.

"Looks as if they were expecting the chief," the human finally broke his silence, and nodded towards the barricaded gate, where a group of black-clad riders was patiently waiting; they were still in formation, a motionless, menacing presence. "I wonder how long they've been waiting down there... and why they haven't tried to force their way in yet. They must've had a head start of several hours on us."

"Chief Voltis had sent them out in small teams," Galen murmured back, straining his eyes to detect the district chief among his men. "He wanted to keep this operation secret until the very last moment - maybe he suspected that he has informers among his own guard. So he probably needed some time to gather them, at some, some rendezvous point in the hills, before he came here..."

Alan flicked him a surprised glance, as if he hadn't expected Galen to come up with such a logical explanation, but didn't comment, and Galen decided not to feel offended. Maybe he had interpreted that glance wrong.

"He and Aelia had an agreement about Ennis' custody," he murmured, trying to stay focused on their mission. "I wonder what prompted her to break it all of a sudden."

"I guess I'm the reason." Alan sounded chagrined. "She seemed to disapprove strongly of Ennis having a human friend. She maybe thought that Voltis had crossed a line when he allowed the boy to keep me around."

"In any case, she escalated the situation for Aboro." Galen scratched his head. "Which is bad for us, because I have no idea how we're going to get into town now."

Alan shrugged. "We'll slip in after Voltis - you don't really think Aboro can shut him out for long?" He clicked his tongue at Ahpahchee and directed the horse down the road without waiting for Galen's reaction.

Galen turned his horse to follow him, trying and failing to come up with a better option. After they had lost precious time during the night with trying to avoid the chief, now they were sauntering up to him! And with the question of who was Alan's legal owner still hanging between him and Voltis, Galen wasn't eager to anger the chief by crashing into his carefully staged operation against this rogue prefect. It might remind Voltis why he shouldn't give him that permanent employ as district veterinarian...

... But since Peet and Laisa hadn't been on the road to Sultok, they had to be in Sultok itself. And that didn't bode well for either of them. Alan was right - they needed to get inside as quickly as possible, and Voltis was the only one who could open that gate for them right now. If that meant that Voltis would kick him and Zana out... the northern badlands welcomed everyone desperate enough to deal with sand eels and rabid humans...

Voltis' glare confirmed his worst fears. "Dr. Kova." The Chimp's smile was completely devoid of humor. "You seem to be everywhere these days, except at a sick cow's side."

"On the contrary." Galen forced himself to return the smile; the muscles in his face felt stiff, and slow to comply. "I was called to Sultok in my capacity as a veterinarian."

"Were you now? Without your wagon and your orderly?" Voltis' cool gaze swept over him, his horse, and Betsy in her scabbard. His eyes bored into Alan for a moment, but neither human nor ape said a word, and Galen felt unable to turn his head to gauge Alan's reaction. He felt unable to move at all.

"Well, it was an emergency call," he managed, the fake smile still frozen on his face. "The wagon would've slowed me down too much."

Voltis narrowed his eyes. "An emergency? And you didn't even bring your doctor's bag?"

Galen thought of Peet and Laisa, and the Kobavasa who had been openly infesting the whole district, but especially this prefecture, for over a year - a year in which Voltis had done nothing to curb their murderous activity - and felt his smile tighten even more. "This kind of surgery only requires one instrument."

"This doesn't concern you, doctor, and frankly, you'll just be in the way," Voltis snapped. "I suggest you return to Chubla and get to work - the work I'm paying you to do. And take Taris with you - we'll have a word later about this, Taris -"

"On the contrary, District Chief," Galen interrupted him, while visions of him and Zana struggling to make a living in the badlands flashed before his eyes, "this does concern me. My orderly is in that town, and I need him back." He suspected that mentioning Laisa wouldn't sway Voltis in his favor. The less humans mentioned, the better.

"Your runaway human is irrelevant," Voltis growled, confirming Galen's suspicion. "I've waited a long time for this day, and I will not tolerate it being jeopardized by civilian interference!"

"With all due respect, Chief, my orderly's importance is not yours to decide. If you want me removed, you'll have to spare some of your men to escort me back to Chubla. Otherwise, I'll stay right here." Galen drew a deep breath. This was it. This was his and Zana's future, burning up under Voltis' fierce glare.

"I promise not to get in your way," he added weakly. "I just need to get through the gate, and then... we'll go our separate ways. I won't interfere in any way in your operation."

Whatever Voltis had been about to say was cut short by a sudden commotion at the gate; all heads turned toward the small door in one of the gate's wings that opened to let out a short, stocky Chimp with a prefect's insignia on his breastplate, and a jovial smile on his lips.

"District Chief Voltis," Aboro purred. "What an unexpected honor." He closed the door behind him and was now facing down his superior, who was still on horseback, and Voltis' whole squad with the same honey-dripping smile as before. Galen grudgingly admired the man's nerve.

Voltis wasn't in the mood for playing games, though. "Since your lover kidnapped my son, my arrival was anything but unexpected, Aboro. It seems you've gotten cocky in this nice little prefecture that I appointed to you."

Aboro raised his hands, his expression changing to regretful incredulity. "I assure you, I had no idea what Aelia was planning, and had I known, I would've prevented this insane endeavor."

"That, I even believe," Alan murmured at Galen's shoulder. "The last thing he needed was an enraged Voltis at his doorstep." Galen quickly glanced at Voltis, but Alan's voice had been too low for anyone but him to hear.

"But - and don't take this the wrong way, Chief," Aboro continued, "- your marital disagreements are your private problem, and none of my concern. I'm not responsible for your inability to keep your wife in check."

"Bad move," Galen heard Alan murmur behind him, and silently agreed - not that there was any good move that Aboro could've made at this point. Maybe the prefect was aware of that fact; maybe it was the reason he didn't mince words.

But Voltis didn't take the bait. "Since you agree that this is my problem, open the gate, and I'll deal with Aelia myself."

"My pleasure, Chief," Aboro smiled. But he made no move to signal to his men behind the stockade.

Voltis leaned slightly forward in the saddle. "Is there a problem, Prefect?"

"Your men." Aboro nodded at the silent formation behind Voltis. "I'm afraid the invitation is only valid for you, Chief."

A murmur rippled through Voltis' guard, and died down again; Galen couldn't say if it was surprise or anger. He could feel Alan going very still at his side. For a moment, the only sound was the wind that had gained strength and was now tousling the horses' manes and Alan's hair, and the creaking of leather, as Voltis straightened in his saddle.

"Is there a reason that Sultok is in lockdown on a perfectly normal weekday?" Voltis finally said. His voice had taken on a new quality of calmness, one that reminded Galen of that special mood Alan sometimes slipped into when Peet was in deep trouble.

Aboro shrugged, the oily smile still oozing from his lips, as if it was the only expression the ape was capable of. "You maybe heard of those bands of lawless apes that are terrorizing your district, District Chief. Unfortunately, a prefect can only do so much for the people that have been entrusted to him. But I'm determined to take all necessary measures to protect the citizens of Sultok, until the situation has been remedied by a capable district chief. I mean, by you, of course."

"Of course," Voltis murmured, and Galen felt the fur rise on his back. Voltis' next words made it bristle.

"Do you know the punishment for sedition, Aboro?" The chief's tone was casual, as if he was discussing his next meal; behind him, some of the guards' horses began shaking her heads in protest as their riders gripped their reins harder. None of them moved, or reached for their weapon, but Galen could sense their eagerness like lightning on the horizon.

"Whatever the council decides," Aboro said, seemingly unmoved. "Provided, of course, they find the evidence presented to them satisfactory."

"Oh, they will find it satisfactory," Voltis murmured. "Open the gate at once, Prefect."

"You have no valid reason to demand that from me." The smile was gone from Aboro's face.

Voltis leaned down to him and bared his teeth. "I'm the District Chief, Prefect. You do as I say."

Galen felt Alan's hand grip his wrist and realized that he had reached for Betsy. He relaxed his fingers with a titanic effort, but Alan held on until Galen had turned his head to meet his gaze. "Not yet," Alan mouthed, before he released his arm.

Galen drew a cautious breath and returned his attention to Aboro.

The ape was still staring back at Voltis without blinking. "The city is under lockdown because of the Kobavasa threat that you didn't-"

"Open. The. Gate. Or I will arrest you and take you back to Chubla, and there you will tell me everything about this little organization of yours."

"Arrest me on what grounds? You have no evidence I had anything to do with them," Aboro hissed.

Voltis smiled.

Galen held his breath.

"I have your entire correspondence with Zafkis and Urko," Voltis said softly. "The original letters; I had Zatis copy every single one of them. All you, and Urko, and Zafkis ever received were those copies. The council will examine the letters I'll present to them for authenticity, and they will not fail."

Something to keep in mind when you resume your correspondence with Melv, a distant voice said in Galen's mind, but he didn't really pay attention to it. His gaze was glued to Aboro's face, Aboro's eyes that were locked with Voltis'.

Then Aboro muttered something, and Voltis answered in the same, low voice, too low to make out the words; and Aboro turned away and waved at his men behind the stockade, and the gate swung slowly open.

Aboro retreated, step for step for step, still not taking his gaze from Voltis, and Voltis advanced, matching his horse's step to Aboro's. The guard followed suit after a moment's hesitation, and it looked as if Aboro was pulling them all inside on an invisible string.

Alan was urging Ahpahchee forward, too. "We should use the opportunity, before they close the gate again," he murmured to Galen as he passed him.

Galen followed as if in a dream, with the dreamlike certainty that they were making a grave mistake.

Behind him, the gate slowly swung shut again.