Maurice saw young Mary cleaning up after that morning's class as he arrived. The poor child looked very harassed. Instantly, the Orangutan knew what must have happened. He had been through it before, many times.

"You're right," Mary told him. "They can be a handful."

"I did try and warn you," he advised gravely.

Maurice smiled indulgently at the young Ape girl and began to help her pick up scattered materials.

"The new has finally worn off for them, has it?" he teased her fondly.

"I guess so," Mary sighed.

When they had put the school area in order, Maurice put a comforting hand on Mary's shoulder.

"It happens to me, too. Probably more than you, I imagine. Don't take it too hard. You have good days and then you have bad ones," he mused philosophically.

Mary started to smile at him, but it faltered as she looked at the older Orangutan more closely.

"Are you having bad days then, Uncle," she murmured, her eyes troubled.

Gazing down at her, Maurice ruffled her fur.

"Now what would make you say that?" he signed, trying to phrase it as lightly as he could manage.

"I'm not blind, Uncle. You've just looked so … sad and far away sometimes," Mary told him. "Mostly when you don't think anyone is watching. What's making you so sad? Can I help?"

Precious child, Maurice thought.

He put his arms about the girl and hugged her close. She tolerated this for a minute, then squirmed out of his gentle grip.

Mary put her hands on her hips in a gesture that always reminded Maurice of some human women he used to see around the circus. It even reminded him a little of Karin when she was feeling her most ferocious. He watched as she fixed him with a stare that, while not nearly as cold or hard as her Father's, held more than a hint of Koba's steel in its depths.

"That's not an answer, Uncle," Koba's daughter said in that blunt way she had when the adults were ignoring her questions.

"Sometimes, little one, there are no easy answers," Maurice told her.

"Why not," she demanded. "It was a simple enough question, wasn't it? What's making you so sad?"

Mary the stubborn, Maurice mused.

"When you become an adult, little one, you'll understand that there are no easy answers and even fewer truly simple questions," Maurice advised the child.

She was not deterred.

"They're starting to talk about you, Uncle," Mary went on more earnestly, leaning in to him and dropping her voice. Mary, unlike most apes, almost always spoke out loud even when she signed.

"Who is talking about me, Mary," Maurice signed, concerned not so much about the talk but by how honestly upset Mary seemed by it.

"Most of the kids, and some of the older females, too. There saying—"

Maurice watched in amazement as, for the first time since she learned to communicate, Mary stopped talking out loud and signed her next words in total silence. Maurice knew that it must be serious.

"They're saying you've got a female somewhere that you visit every night. Is it true, Uncle? Why don't you just bring her to the village?"

Maurice was staggered by the child's statement. He stared down at Mary, honestly not knowing what to say to that at all.

"Now, don't badger him, Mary."

They both jumped.

Quietly, Cornelia had come up on the scene and Maurice was almost glad to see her … almost.

"I think your Father is looking for you, darling," Cornelia told the younger Ape female.

"No, he isn't," Mary started to protest. "Papa is out hunting now, and—"

She faltered a little under Cornelia's gaze.

"Oh, alright. But can I tell him just one more thing," Mary asked, speaking out loud again.

"Can we really stop you?" Cornelia signed, laughing.

Mary stepped close to Maurice. She stretched up at far as she could, but to help her, Maurice leaned down towards the child so she could whisper in his ear

"I found the flashlight," she whispered.

Not giving him or Cornelia time to react, the girl turned and ran towards her home … just in case her Father really was looking for her. Never a good idea to keep Papa waiting long.

"That child is really going to be something someday," Maurice mused.

"Yes, she is," Cornelia said thoughtfully. "I was wondering if you'd come with us and help us forage for our medicine plants, Maurice?" the Ape Queen asked.

Not an unusual request. Maurice and many of the mature Orangutans often accompanied the females on these foraging excursions. But something told Maurice that Cornelia had more on her mind, and she just wanted an excuse to get him out of the village to talk with him.

And, he was right. not long in to the foraging trip, Cornelia took Maurice with her slightly away from the others.

Once they were out of sight of the main party, Cornelia stopped and turned to him with a grave expression.

"Mary is right, Maurice," Cornelia signed. "Rumors have started going around."

Maurice started to protest, but Cornelia stop him with one raised hand.

"Maurice, you're an adult mature male, older than me and Caesar. You can come and go as you please, of course. It's not my place to tell you how to behave. But we are all worried, Caesar and me and everyone. If it's true, and you do have a female somewhere and I can do anything to help you or her, I hope you won't hesitate to come to me."

Cornelia extended one hand. Maurice offered his palm to her, but instead of swiping it in a gesture of her dominant female status, Cornelia dropped something in to the Orangutan's hand. It was so light that he almost missed it. Looking down, he saw a few very familiar black human hairs resting in his palm

She must have found them the morning she came to wake me up for classes, Maurice thought, feeling stricken.

His fingers curled protectively around the few hairs. He was rocked to his core for the second time that day. Slowly, he raised his eyes to meet Cornelia's gaze.

"That is the person who has been leaving us the winter food gifts, isn't it," Cornelia signed, her face mirroring her gentle concern.

Maurice nodded.

"It is a she, right? Is she ill or hurt?" Cornelia asked.

"She hit her head," Maurice explained. It was almost a relief to be able to tell someone. "but She's getting much better. But-"

Cornelia patted his hand.

"She is all alone, Cornelia,"

Maurice felt a wave of relief as he was finally able to say that out loud to someone else.

"I'm sure she is getting better, with you looking after her," Cornelia praised. "but, what? Completely alone, you mean?"

"Yes," the Orangutan signed, his whole body seeming to droop with worry. "Her only daughter is dead. Her family is either dead or scattered and out of reach. She is truly alone, and I fear for her."

Cornelia shuddered. Maurice could see that Cornelia understood his fears. He could also see the sympathy for a human woman she had never met plain in the Ape Queen's eyes.

"Oh, her poor child! That's horrible, to be all alone," Cornelia signed. "We have to do something … let me think about that for a bit."

"But, my offer still stands, Maurice," Cornelia went on more soberly. "If I can help your female—"

Maurice tensed, but Cornelia did not give him time to protest before she diverted herself.

"I mean, if I can help your new human friend," Cornelia amended her first statement. "I want to help. She gives to us so why shouldn't we help her."

"I think you should tell Caesar though, Maurice," Cornelia advised. "for his peace of mind, if nothing else. You know you're his closest friend. He is very worried about you."

"What's her name, your female … I mean, your friend?" Cornelia asked.

The Orangutan smiled.

"Karin," Maurice rumbled the name out loud.

Cornelia gave him a surprised look. Then, she grinned at him. There was another look, almost a knowing smile, on Cornelia's face that disturbed Maurice. But, before he could ask her to explain, she took them both back to foraging.

He was in a hurry to get back to Karin. But when the evening meal was over, Maurice thought he felt Caesar's eyes on him more than usual. So, once the meal was done, Maurice gave his friend a little time to himself but very little, before approaching him.

"Caesar, we need to talk," Maurice signed gravely.

To Maurice's surprise, or maybe not, Caesar seemed to have been expecting this. Had Cornelia already warned him? A part of Maurice wished she had just come out and told Caesar what she had learned, and he would not have to admit keeping secrets from his Leader and friend.

Maurice followed Caesar to one of the spots where the Ape Leader went to think alone, usually about serious matters. The view from the top of that particular tree was spectacular, but Maurice was in no mood to enjoy it tonight.

"You have something to tell me?" Caesar signed.

Taking a deep breath, Maurice raised his hands and just plunged right in.

"I did find out who has been leaving us the food in the wintertime. It's a human woman named Karin. She got hurt out in the forest, and I've been leaving the village at dusk to take care of her."

The Orangutan almost managed to sign all that in one sentence. When he finally stopped and looked in to Caesar's eyes. His Leader was almost grinning at him.

"Now that was not so hard to say was it?" Caesar teased. "But I do understand why you did not make it a public announcement. How badly is your female hurt?"

Oh no, not him, too!

Maurice snorted again in protest. Why was everyone calling Karin his female?

Caesar gave a gentle hoot of laughter.

"Your friend, how badly is she hurt?" he repeated his question, closely echoing his wife from a few hours earlier and seeming as amused by Maurice's reaction as Cornelia had been.

"She's recovering," Maurice signed.

"And her family?"

"She has no one else, Caesar. She had a little daughter who died sometime back. Her Father died not long after you freed us. The rest of her family are dead … or forever lost."

Maurice saw almost as much sympathy flicker across Caesar's face as he had seen on Cornelia's.

"It is bad, to be alone. Especially for a human female," the Ape Leader murmured out loud.

Wait here," Caesar commanded, and fled to his home. He was back a few moment later.

"Give this back to your, uh, your friend," he said, putting the tiny light in to Maurice's large hand. "She needs it more than we do."

"but Mary told me she found this," Maurice protested.

"She did, and she gave it to me. The child is not stupid enough to keep this in her own home. Can you imagine her Father's reaction?"

Maurice could imagine it very well. That was the problem.

"I need to talk more about this with Cornelia," Caesar told his friend. "But that can happen tomorrow. Now, aren't you late?"

Maurice blinked.

The Ape leader openly grinned this time.

"As the humans used to say, it's not nice to keep a lady waiting."