NOTE: This chapter has been edited, slightly edited. No new content is inserted, just some technical and formatting issues taken care of, I hope. :)
That afternoon, a small group of children were returning to the village when they nearly dropped all of their foraging baskets at the sound of the dreadful noise just above them. Winter, out on his first official guarding duty without being supervised by an older gorilla, instinctively cowered then remembered what his job was, and he tried to pull the others away. But the children looked up and froze. At first, they did not recognize the ape in the tree, and they all nearly broke and ran away. They thought a strange orangutan had found his way to the edge of their village. It had happened once or twice before in the last few years, a straggler ape or two coming out of the forest. Or so they had all been told by their elders.
"It's Maurice!" Lake signed in astonishment as they were all cringing from the dreadful sound he was making. This was also Lake's first trip outside the village without being accompanied by an elder. And even though the chimpanzee girl was not the oldest youngster there, she automatically took charge of the situation.
"Winter. WINTER!" Lake went and gently shook the timid gorilla, yanking his hands away from his ears. "Run and fetch Luca. Now! Hurry!"
When Winter remained frozen, his eyes darting between Lake on the ground and the tree, Lake gave him a gentle shove, and the timid young gorilla loped off to do what he was told.
"Ivy, Orion," Lake rounded up the two smallest members of the group. "You both go and fetch Caesar or Cornelia or Rocket. Whichever you can find first."
The young chimp called Ivy, two years younger than Lake, who always trailed after Mary and Lake as if she was their little shadow, did not hesitate but ran off, almost dragging Orion by the hand as they ran. The noise was not only terrifying them both, but it was threatening to break their ears.
After shewing the others on towards the village, and making loud hoots and pant calls that Maurice either did not or could not hear, Lake began to make her slow and careful way up the tree towards their beloved teacher. When she got close enough, the young chimpanzee was horrified to see Maurice was trembling all over, and tears were streaming down the normally placid orangutan's face.
She stayed just below him on the large branch, and gently reached up to touched his arm.
"Maurice?" she signed hesitantly. "Teacher, what is wrong?"
When the slow drum began to sound, all other village activities except what was absolutely essential had ground to a halt. This meant that the birth of Monica's baby was almost at hand. So, as was tradition, Cornelia reluctantly went to attend the new Mother, leaving Luca's gentle aunt Sonya and Percy's wife Phoebe to take care of the sleeping Karin. The older orangutan lady lifted the slim human into a sitting position and propped her up against her shoulder while Sonya got the human to drink a little water and take several mouthfuls of soup. Once they had gotten their new human friend to take all they could, Phoebe began to lower her back to the padded nest. But the older ape ladies had barely straightened up when a terrible caterwauling tore through the peace and quiet of the village afternoon.
It was clearly the anguished call of an orangutan in great distress. And it had finally awakened Karin.
"Maurice!" She bolted upright with her own cry and all but tumbled out of Maurice's nest. But she picked herself up and was out the door before her two caretakers could even blink.
"She's so fast! Oh no! The platform!" Sonya signed as Phoebe's eyes widened. They could easily see the woman accidentally falling to her death in her frantic state. They caught her frozen on the edge, one toe out in to space, staring towards the location of the long call. Having the longest reach, Phoebe lunged forward and ceased the human around her waist, and the two ape women started to pull her back inside. This was no easy task. Perhaps not realizing where she was or who they were, she tried desperately to fight them off.
"Maurice!" Karin shrieked, struggling uselessly in Phoebe and Sonya's grip. "It's Maurice! I hear him calling! He's hurt or something, dammit! Let me go to him! LET ... ME ... GO!"
"We. Don't. Know," Phoebe began.
"I DO know!" Karin protested loudly. "Please Phoebe, Sonya."
The two ape females only relaxed their grip for a second, but that was long enough. Tearing herself out of their hands, Karin bolted out the door, slid down Maurice's walkway and was running full tilt towards the village gates, taking no notice of her bewildered caretakers trailing uncertainly behind her.
If the gorilla guard had been unwilling or uncertain about Karin's being in the Colony before, they were now determined not to let her rush out into the possible dangers of the forest. Fortunately, Luca and Winter arrived before a real ruckus could get started.
"Hey, King Kong, tell these guys to let me out," Karin complained bitterly to the head of the gorilla guard as she tried to edge around one of the gorillas. The burly ape simply shifted his weight to block her way.
Luca stepped forward and pushed himself in between Karin and the other gorilla. When he lightly took her arm, she grew a little quieter, but no less distressed.
"Wait," Luca grunted out loud.
"But Luca," Karin started to argue.
But the big silver-back stubbornly shook his head at her. "Wait," he insisted. "Maurice. Won't. Thank us. If we. Let you go out. And get hurt," Luca continued.
If the expressions of the other gorillas around were anything to go by, no one had ever heard Luca utter so many words at one time and out loud before today.
It was also an argument that Karin could not counter. She stood and gaped up helplessly at Luca, breathing rapidly, one fist clenched at her side.
Luca drew Karin's attention onto Winter. "Winter. He say—"
But two other figures were rushing towards the gates now. Caesar moved to take over the scene, with Koba only a couple of steps behind him.
Caesar put a hand on Karin's other arm. "Everything. Is. All right." The Ape King told Karin, and he motioned to Luca to tell the gorilla guard to stand down. Releasing the human into Caesar's care, Luca turned and began signing to the guards on duty.
"Caesar! My Maur..." Karin blushed and quickly checked herself. "I mean, there's something wrong, isn't there? An orangutan doesn't make that noise if everything's all right, do they?" Karin argued.
Then feeling hard unforgiving eyes on her, she took notice of Mary's father, and his shaken and exhausted appearance. "What in the world happened to you?" she demanded. "Did you have anything to do with this?"
Everyone, including Caesar, stiffened.
"Karin," Caesar warned.
But to everyone's shock, Koba did not bristle at the human's tone. He spoke up, and his voice was quiet and for him, almost gentle.
"Yes," he told the defiant human woman. "I told Maurice. what he thought he wanted to hear."
"About what? What is that supposed to mean?" Karin flared.
"Ask Maurice," was all Koba would say. As far as he was concerned, the conversation was over. He turned away and moved to intercept his daughter, instead. Mary had also been alarmed by the noises Maurice was making and was now running toward them at top speed. She barreled into her Father before she could stop herself. But Koba was not about to let her run outside the village gates. He took her by her small shoulders, firmly turned her around, and steered her back towards their home, instead.
For her part, Mary did not go graciously. She loudly protested being detained almost as much as Karin did. But her father pretended acute deafness and steadfastly ignored it.
Karin threw a helpless glance at Caesar. Caesar gave the same look back to her. It was clear that the Ape King did not know what was going on any more than anyone else.
"Koba say. Maurice needs space," Caesar told Karin.
"Space?" the human echoed bewildered. "Space? And you're just going to let it go at that? I thought he was your best friend!"
Many of the gorillas gasped, and Karin knew she might be pushing it by talking to the Ape King that way, but she just could not help herself. Not where Maurice was concerned.
Caesar took no notice of her tone. He only shrugged. "I see. Why you. And my wife. Are so close," he remarked.
"And what does that mean? What's Cornelia got to do with this? What is going on here! You folks are experts at the 'no answer' answers."
But Caesar only gave a low chuckle. "Cornelia. Will. Explain, sometime."
Karin drew in a sharp breath, then bit her lower lip to keep back another harsh comment. She had probably pressed her luck enough today and needed to remind herself that she was a guest in their world, and an unwanted guest by many apes. The distraught woman raised her eyes in a helpless gesture to the sky. Then, she frowned, noting the position of the sun.
"Hold on. What time is it? Late afternoon?"
All the apes around her nodded.
"I slept through a whole night then. I don't believe it. It really worked!"
One of the gorillas started to sign, but he was hushed by both Caesar and Luca. Karin caught the look between the Ape King and the young silver-back. They were all keeping something from her, and normally that would make her furious. But right now, she was too concerned about Maurice to care.
"Caesar, won't you please at least send someone out to check on him then?" she pleaded. If they wouldn't let her go, it was the least they could do, she thought.
Luca signed something to Caesar, who translated it for Karin as "Already done."
Karin subsided then. The adrenalin was fading fast now, and she was left feeling a little weak and bewildered and trembly. Caesar must have seen some of this in her face for he slipped one arm around her waist to support her. Either that or he was afraid she would wait till their guard was down and make a break for the outside.
While she briefly rested against the ape king's arm, Karin's mind was whirling. The apes cared as much for Maurice as she did, especially Caesar. All, well most, of the apes all looked after one another with a fierce yet tender concern that was quite alien to Karin's experiences in the old human-ruled world.
"If he. Is not back soon. I will go get him, myself," Caesar told Karin.
And she could not argue with that, either.
"I tell you that I am well. Now go home, Lake," Maurice told the persistent young ape girl. "Your parents will begin to worry."
"No," Lake said, stubbornly defiant as she hoisted herself up to sit next to the orangutan. "Not without you, Teacher."
Maurice drew himself up, ready to take a firm tone with the girl. But they heard the sound of a few gorillas coming swiftly towards them. From the sound, the gorillas were fanning out, searching.
Maurice made a grab for Lake, but not fast enough. The child opened her mouth and called to the searching gorillas, and soon they were standing beneath the tree, looking up with puzzled concerned expressions at their teacher and the little one.
Maurice gave a low frustrated growl. It was virtually impossible for a poor orang to get a few minutes too one's self in this village. Of course, he knew it was his own fault. If he had only kept his mouth shut, no one would have known he was out here except the guard he passed.
Lake hooted to gain his attention and pointed at one of the gorillas. "Ivan says Karin's awake. He says she wants to come looking for you, but Caesar and Luca aren't letting her."
Maurice buried his face in his hands and groaned. He'd upset the whole village, probably angered or at the very least frightened Caesar, and now he was really in for it from Karin as well. What was happening to him? He simply did not behave this way, not ever!
The rest of this day was not going to be too pleasant, the orangutan thought gloomily. But in spite of everything, he did brighten a little bit.
Karin was finally awake, and apparently alert and well enough to start trouble. That was always a good sign.
"Oh, very well. You win, little Miss," Maurice signed to Lake. "I will come down and face the music now."
He and Lake were escorted, in no uncertain terms, by Ivan and two others, a stout young gorilla called Oak, and Ajax, Luca's unofficial second-in-command, no less.
Another order from Luca? Maurice wondered to himself. He was going to have to have a long talk with that young silver-back, and soon. But it could just as easily been a direct order from Caesar.
And, first, he had to deal with Lake's angry parents. He quickly stepped in for the child, telling them that it was his fault she had stayed out past time, and she had been with him. Still not totally happy, her parents, more her Father than her Mother, accepted this and promised not to punish Lake. But they did hurry the girl towards home with them.
Then, with some dread, Maurice turned to where Caesar stood with his arm about Karin's waist. He took note of his King's deep frown, and this was distressing. But the storm gathering slowly in Karin's blue eyes was even more distressing.
"Caesar?" Karin spoke, looking up imploringly at the Ape King. "May I please go and have a few words with Maurice?"
Oh no. Maurice flung that thought at his friend. He hoped Caesar would refuse her request. But the Ape King nodded at her, instead.
"Of course," Caesar grunted softly. Caesar let go of Karin, and the big orangutan watched as she rushed to his side. Putting a hand on his shoulder, Karin turned and looked deliberately up towards the orangutan's home. Then, without another word, she began to walk. Since she still gripped the orangutan by his shoulder, Maurice was more or less towed right along with her.
He heard several gorillas sniggering behind him, and Caesar's and Luca's admonishments to them to be quiet. None of that mattered much to Maurice, however. He was in enough trouble right now with Karin and did not know how he would dig his way out this time.
As they started to climb, Karin gripped his shoulder even tighter to steady herself. Maurice made a mental note to do something to put more traction on his walkway. He had been meaning to do that for a couple of winters now. Once, last winter, the weather had gotten so bad that he was trapped in his own home for about two days straight. And while he would not mind being stuck at home if Karin were there with him, sitting by a cozy little fire, with some good food and Karin by his side, the weather howling outside sounded like a lovely idea, at least in thought. But having a human to look after added far more urgency to the matter.
"Hey, Maurice?"
He gave a start and looked up. While he had been lost in his thoughts, Karin had slipped away and now she stood at the top of the walkway beckoning to him. The orangutan quickly joined her on the large platform just outside his home. While Karin seemed lost in looking over the view—the only home situated higher up in the village was Caesars—Maurice tried to regain at least a semblance of his usual composure. But Koba's story had shaken him to his core. And what Koba had obviously left out was even more dreadful.
"That wind is really picking up. Are you coming in?" Karin asked, one hand resting lightly on his shoulder.
He nodded and they stepped inside his home.
"Are you alright?" Karin demanded almost before the animal skin door had closed behind them.
Feeling more than a little ashamed of himself for causing such a ruckus, Maurice wasted a few moments as he tied the animal skins closed against the wind. Once he could not spend more time at that without being obvious, he turned to his companion and simply nodded.
"That was you out there making all that noise, right?" Karin went on.
Maurice nodded again, looking and feeling very ashamed of himself.
"Well, if you're alright, then what the hell was all that about, anyway?" Karin demanded. "You scared the s-stuffing out of me. Maurice. And it's not a fun way to wake up, I promise you."
So, he had not only scared Lake and her little group, put Caesar and the gorilla guards on unnecessary alert—his dear friend Luca would get him back for that later he was certain-and he had also woken Karin up, too. Maurice bowed his head, feeling now ten times more ashamed of himself than before. When he messed things up, he really did a good job of it
"I. Am. Sorry," the big orangutan apologized, looking sadly at Karin.
He watched anxiously as she drew in a deep breath, and he braced himself for the explosion or the lecture, the first of many from a few people which would follow. But Karin only gave an exasperated-sounding huff, and came and wrapped both her arms around him, instead.
"Jesus," she groaned as she held on tight to him and buried her face briefly in his hair. "I just can't believe it! I mean, in the past, on the rare occasion I can be a heavy sleeper..."
Maurice looked disbelieving, but Karin only laughed. No, really, I used to be before everything went to hell," she told him. "But never mind my sleeping habits! Please don't ever do that again! I thought ... I thought you were hurt or dying or something out there! And Caesar and King Kong and the others wouldn't let me come after you, and and..."
When she stopped to take a breath, Maurice made low soothing rumbling noises as he wrapped one arm around Karin and guided her towards a more comfortable sitting spot, on the edge of his nest. "I. Am sorry," he said again.
"So, you aren't going to tell me what happened then?" Karin was frowning at him. "And what exactly Mary's father has to do with it? Like I'd ever get any answers out of him. What could have happened in a day to make you—"
"Three," Maurice interrupted her, something he almost never did, not to anyone.
"Huh? Three what?" Karin asked, her stride broken yet again.
"Three days," Maurice answered.
"Three days?" she repeated. "What about three days. What's that got to do with ..."
Maurice watched as Karin trailed off, her eyes slowly widening.
. "Maurice, are you telling me I've been asleep for three days?" she asked, disbelieving.
The orangutan simply nodded.
"I-I don't believe it! I slept for three days," Karin exclaimed. "I mean, sure, Sparrow told me the story about Koba. That's why I took what she said was a child's dose, but ... Three whole days?"
Maurice nodded again, a low chuckle rumbling from deep within his chest.
"I haven't slept that long since I came off my first concert tour and came home to hit the sack and crashed," Karin said, still looking flabbergasted.
"Hit the sack? Crashed," Maurice exclaimed. It was his turn to look alarmed.
"Sorry Maurice. I forget you don't totally understand English. Karin gave him a patient smile. "Yeah, hit the sack and crashed. But it's nothing bad, Maurice," she tried to explain. "Just means I came home went straight to bed and slept for, well, around three days. Maybe longer. My Dad and the brothers were ready to take me to the ER if I didn't wake up soon."
Maurice opened his mouth, but Karin offered her explanation before he could ask for it.
"E R. The Emergency Room at the nearest hospital. I woke up just as they were putting me in the car. But never mind all that now. Three days? Well, I guess that's it, then."
Maurice felt a moment of dread as she pushed his arm away, got to her feet, and went to where her pack lay on the floor.
It did not take long for Maurice to get up and join her. Sitting down beside her, though with far more graceful movements, He put one hand on her arm to gain her attention. "what?" he ground out, cutting his eyes between her and her pack.
"What am I doing?" Karin asked him.
When Maurice nodded, looking distressed, she pulled both hands out of her pack and gripped the big orangutan's hands with her own.
"Well, what do you think I'm doing. You know I promised that when you were up and about, I'd be out of here. I'm just getting ready to leave, that's all."
"NO," Maurice said clearly and insistently.
"Maurice, I promised Caesar
But the orangutan only shook his huge head at her, his normally gentle face was set in a very determined frown. "No," he repeated again. "Not tonight. Too late to go. Dark soon."
Maurice watched as she glanced down at the battered old watch on her wrist then back up at him. After a long moment, Karin heaved a sigh.
"It's way later than I thought. I guess you're right. I'll leave first thing in the morning, then."
Maurice opened his mouth, but he was distracted somewhat as Karin reached out and quickly touched his cheek pad.
"Maurice, please, don't start. You knew all along I was leaving when you got better. Don't make this even harder than it already is for both of us." She swallowed then went on. "It's bad enough I had to miss these last three days. I did think—"
Maurice looked on helplessly as Karin broke off and bit her lower lip hard.
"By the way, what's the drum beat all about?" she asked. She was curious, but it was also a fantastic way of changing the subject.
Maurice looked at her sharply. he knew she was changing the subject. It was one of her nervous habits he had noticed from time to time. But he answered her, anyway.
He also made no move to remove her hand from his cheek.
"Birth is near," he told her. "Youngest males in family take turn on drum."
"That's one way to keep the males busy and out from underfoot, I guess," Karin grinned. But in a more somber tone, she went on, "Monica?"
Maurice nodded, but carefully. He was still being extra careful not to dislodge the small soft human hand from his cheek pad.
. He guessed she must have heard about Monica and all her birthing tragedies from other females.
"Well, I'm a female. And I was a Mother. So, I should go help?" Karin began. She started to rise, but only got about halfway up before she sat down again. Her shoulders slumped and she sighed. Isn't Monica the one who has that big gorilla with the bald patch behind his right ear hanging around all the time? I guess they wouldn't want a human female butting in, huh.
Maurice just shrugged. He thought Monica might not mind Karin's presence, but her older brother would be dead set against it. Monica's brother Urko hated humans almost as much as Koba.
Maurice was looking at her questioningly.
"Yes, Maurice. I know about Monica and her brother. Her brother's no Luca, that's for sure. I won't go barging in where I'm not wanted," Karin tried to reassure him. "And since I'm leaving tomorrow, guess it doesn't matter, anyway," she added.
He wished Karin would stop talking about leaving. And he could also tell that she was very disappointed at not being allowed to join with the other females who might be helping with the birth.
"So, since you're not gonna spill your guts, and Cornelia says all major activity stops in the village when there is a birth taking place, what will we do this evening? What do the unrelated males do during these times?' Karin asked.
Maurice grinned. "Whatever females tell us," he told her.
She looked at him intently, perhaps trying to decide if he were teasing or not.
"Is that so?" she asked, a little gleam starting in her eye. "Tell me what got you so riled up, then," Karin insisted.
Maurice let out a long rumbling chuckle. "What females tell us. For the birthing," he added.
At least he made her laugh at that.
"Yep, I knew there'd be a loophole," she chuckled.
Before Maurice could question that, Karin explained, "an automatic way out."
"Loophole," Maurice repeated the word carefully. Whenever Karin introduced him to some new human word, he liked to try and set it in his mind, first because it was, she who taught it to him, and then because he never knew what words might be needed in future.
"Should it worry me?" Karin asked. "that that's the word you're fixating on now? You aren't thinking of changing professions, Maurice."
The big orangutan looked at her again with confusion.
"Well, the word loophole is mostly used by lawyers. You thinking of becoming Caesar's first lawyer?"
The orangutan shook his big head so vigorously that Karin's hand slid off his cheek pad.
"You ... You know what a human lawyer is?" Karin wanted to know, all playfulness gone now from her voice and her eyes. It was replaced by real concern.
Maurice took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "One put me in shelter," he said quietly.
"Shelter, do you mean San Bruno shelter. Where you guys escaped from? Damn, I'm so sorry, Maurice"
Maurice just shrugged. He hated making her feel bad about ape past which she had absolutely nothing to do with and could not fix or even apologize for. But what he hated the most was that he had dislodged her hand from his cheek pad, and now she did not seem inclined to put it back anytime soon. And he did not know how to let her know that's what he wanted, not without being blatantly obvious about it. He was no longer sure if he should be wanting her touch so much, not after everything Koba had said ... And everything the scarred ape did not say.
"Hey, listen. The drum. It's stopped," Karin remarked. "Does that mean the baby's here?"
"Or the drummer is changing," Maurice began. 'Or—"
He and Karin rose together and stepped outside his door. They stood together on the platform and looked out over the village.
"Uh, what are we watching for?" Karin began when they saw a young male gorilla, a crude homemade drum in his hands, ambling away. The child was obviously very distressed as he gave the drum back to Luca.
And then, the low mournful keening started. First it was just one voice, then other voices joined in the sad harmony.
Maurice lowered his head, rumbling deep and sorrowful in his chest.
"What's going on?" Karin demanded. "what is that noise?"
When Maurice raised his head, he could not hide the deep sadness in his eyes.
"The baby?" Karin whispered, her voice breaking.
Maurice nodded.
It did not surprise Maurice that, even though she hardly knew the gorilla Monica, Karin gave a low cry, tears beginning to slide down her cheeks. Maurice started to put his arm around her, but she stiffened.
"Maurice, wait, how long has it been. What do they do to revive the baby?"
Maurice stared at her blankly.
"Revive it," she repeated. "god, you don't know what I'm talking about?
Maurice just shook his head.
"Males!" Karin muttered.
With a low growl of frustration, she tore herself away from him and went back inside and all but fell onto her pack.
Maurice followed her and watched curiously as she Frantically started to rummage through her pack. Before long, she gave up on the search entirely and dumped the whole thing out on the floor.
When she straightened up, she held a bag with a red cross on it in her hands.
"Who's in charge of the births. Sparrow or Cornelia?" Karin demanded.
Maurice shook his head. "Neither. tinker," he answered her.
"Oh? Good. thanks," was all Karin said before she darted past him and down the ramp.
"Karin! Wait!" Maurice CALLED after her, but he gave his own growl of frustration as she totally ignored him and kept going. He knew that she was only wanting to help, but he was so afraid she would get hurt. Not from gentle old Monica, but her brother, Urko, who was not a very easy going gorilla on a good day.
Maurice finally caught up to her as she literally crashed into the front rank of grieving midwives leaving Monica's dwelling. He looked on as Karin took Tinker by the shoulders and started having an animated conversation with not only Rocket's wife but the Ape queen as well. Whatever Karin was saying was having a visible effect on not just the two ape women nearest her, but most of the surrounding ones as well.
With mixed amazement and concern, Maurice watched helplessly as the Ape Queen and her best friend, the head of their midwives, both escorted Karin towards Monica's door. He still stared after the females when a touch on his arm made the big orang jump, but he visibly relaxed as he saw it was only Rocket standing by his side.
"Sorry. You worried about your female, too?" the balding chimp signed. "What is going on, Maurice?"
"I don't know," Maurice signed glumly. "I honestly have no idea, Rocket. What about Monica and her baby?"
Rocket bowed his head. "Baby's dead," he signed flatly. "Tinker said she came out not breathing. But what does your female think she's doing?"
Maurice was so distressed he did not bother to correct' Rockets use of 'your female'. But before he could answer, a roar, a thud and then loud female screeches came from inside Monica's home.
"Tinker!" rocket bellowed.
"Karin!" Maurice cried at the same time.
They both rushed for the door, ignoring all ape customs in these matters. But they weren't the only ones. Luca, along with three of his most trusted gorillas, had also converged near the doorway. Luca stopped on a dime and with a quick motion, held the other gorillas back to allow Maurice and Rocket, as the two highest ranking males there, to enter first.
There were three scenes taking place in the small hut. In one corner, a group of SNARLING ENRAGED females held an angry looking male gorilla, Urko, backed into a corner. On the other side of the Mother's nest, Tinker was sitting on the floor, one hand pressed to the side of her face, and Sparrow was kneeling beside her, trying to get a better look at the injury. And, in the middle of the room, a solid ring of females surrounded the Mother's nest, blocking everyone's view.
At the sight of his obviously injured wife, Rocket let out a furious roar, and he rushed to her side and knelt down next to Sparrow. Maurice cast his gaze aside, but Luca and his three friends had arrived, and they quickly halled away an angry Urko. And to the big orangutan's relief, Karin was not lying prone on the floor behind him.
This only left one place. As Maurice approached the ring of females, He heard Cornelia give a short hoot. The nearest female bent towards her Queen, then straightened up and signed to the others. They all parted, making a path, allowing Maurice to approach.
He found Cornelia in the nest with an exhausted and sobbing Monica. The Ape Queen was GENTLY cradling the older exhausted female gorilla in her arms, cooing softly to her, and wiping her face with soft wet leaves.
And next to them sat Karin. As Maurice moved to her side of the nest, he heard her gasp in a broken voice, "C'mon, baby! Breathe! Please, breathe for Mommy and Auntie Karin!"
Maurice watched as she bent over the body of a newborn gorilla baby and put her lips against the child's mouth. She tapped her foot in a slow rhythm and blew so very gently, once, twice, and one more time.
Then, the child coughed twice, then emitted a tiny squeak.
Maurice let out the breath he did not realize he had been holding, and so did all the other females in the room.
"Oh! At a girl!" he heard Karin exulting. The human female was half-laughing and half-crying as she turned and handed the now kicking squirming and squeaking baby back to her Mother. The old gorilla took her baby to her chest. Then, Monica reached out her other arm and pulled Karin to her as well. Maurice made no move to intervene as the two females, ape and human, one whose child was lost forever and the other whose child was nearly lost forever, hugged each other tight. Monica pressed her forehead against Karin's, and the two clung to one another for a long time.
Cornelia got slowly out of the nest and stumbled a little and Maurice reached out automatically to steady her.
"Oh, Maurice!" the Ape Queen signed wearily. She was softly crying too, but they were tears of relief and joy.
"What happened here? With Tinker?" Maurice signed to Cornelia.
"I will tell you later, Maurice," she signed back as she and the other females set about cleaning the nest and grooming the new Mother and her child.
But Maurice already had his suspicions, and he would ask Karin, assuming that Monica let her come home that night.
It did take about two hours before Monica was willing to let Karin leave her side. Mother and child were both sleeping peacefully when the tired human woman finally made her slow way back to Maurice's home. Karin took one look up, and up, and sat down hard at the foot of the walkway, her head resting on one of her hands.
"Yes, I'm alright, Maurice," she answered as hurried footsteps rushed down towards her. She didn't even need to look. She knew it was him. "Just let me rest here a minute, else you'll have to carry me up that ramp."
With a slight grin, the big ape bent over her and slid both his hands around her waist.
"Oh, no! Don't you dare," Karin exclaimed before he could begin to lift her up.
With a low chuckle, Maurice settled himself on the ground next to her, but he left one hand loosely around her middle, and Karin leaned back a bit against his big hand. A comfortable silence stretched out between then, then Karin tensed as a figure came towards them.
"It's only Rocket," Maurice rumbled soothingly, but given what happened in Monica's hut, this only made Karin tense up even more.
Maurice got to his feet, and Karin forced herself to stand, though she did her best to hide behind Maurice's bulk. But for his part, rocket only gazed at her, looking slightly confused instead of the anger she expected.
Karin watched as he and Maurice exchanged quick signs.
"Rocket says Caesar and Cornelia want us to eat with them," Maurice translated.
Karin blinked. "do you usually eat with them, Maurice?" she asked.
He nodded.
"Rocket and Tinker, too?" she added.
He nodded again.
Stepping fully out from where she'd been sheltering behind Maurice, Karin looked at rocket. "Is that okay with you and Tinker?"
The balding chimp looked even more confused by her question. He signed, and Maurice translated, "It is Caesar and Cornelia's wish."
"Yeah, I understand that. but is it yours, Rocket?" Karin insisted.
It was Rocket's turn to blink and sign a question to Maurice.
"Yes. why would it not be?" Maurice translated.
"Why would it not be?" Temporarily forgetting her fear of the adult male chimps, Karin took one step closer to Rocket and gaped at him in astonishment. "Are you kidding me?" Karin exclaimed. "Maybe because it was my fault your wife got her jaw bruised, Rocket, that's all. But isn't that enough?"
Next to her, she felt Maurice give a start. Uh-oh, he didn't know after all, Karin thought as Maurice's eyes widened and he put one arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him.
Rocket not only did not seem to consider the possibility that Tinker's injury was Karin's fault, but he seem to find Maurice's actions terribly amusing if his expressions were anything to go by as he and Maurice continued speed signing to one another.
She let them pass signs back and forth for a few minutes before she broke in. she cleared her throat to get their attention. "Excuse me fellas, dumb human here, remember? and if it will stop this male bonding that you guys are doing, I'll be honored to come eat with Caesar and Cornelia," Karin put in. "It'll give me a chance to apologize to Tinker."
"No apology needed," Maurice translated Rocket's sign before the balding chimp walked away.
"So, when's dinner? Karin asked.
"Now," Maurice told her.
"then, let's go," she said and started forward. But Maurice held her back.
"What?" she demanded, but she knew.
"What did Urko do?" Maurice began, but Karin cut him off.
"Isn't it rude to keep the King and Queen waiting?" she retorted.
Maurice grumbled discontentedly, but he nodded, nevertheless.
"Look, Caesar's bent over backwards to be nice to me, and Cornelia and Tinker even more so. I will not offend them. Now, you coming?" she finished looking up at him sweetly.
The big ape huffed, and the look that Maurice gave her said plainly that he was not distracted by her sweet tone. It also said they would talk about this later, after the meal was through.
Inwardly, Karin sighed. Her last night in the village looked as if it might be a long one, indeed.
The meal was delicious, though with virtually no appetite, Karin ate very little, and everyone seemed to have a comment about that, even the children. With the King and Queen was their son Blue Eyes, of course, and Rocket and Tinker with their little son, Ash. And Karin was very pleasantly surprised to find little Mary also sitting with the Royal Family. She sat next to Blue Eyes in between Caesar and Cornelia, almost as if she were Blue eyes' sister.
"Honey, where's your Father?" Karin eventually got around to asking Mary. It seemed like most of Caesar's most trusted counsellors were there with their families except for Koba.
"Papa's eating in tonight. Said he didn't feel like company," Mary said absentmindedly.
Karin frowned. She looked aside at Maurice, then to the others. but if it did not bother Mary, and no one else seem to think Koba's absence was anything strange, she put it out of her mind. She had intended to eat in herself, until the invitation had come to change her plans. But in the back of her mind, Karin could not help but wonder if he were absent because she was there.
As the meal was winding down, a group of young gorillas came running up, hooting animatedly at Mary."
"Oh, I almost forgot," the little ape girl exclaimed. "Excuse me," she said as she bolted up from the meal and ran to join the other children. The other adults were all rising as well.
"What's up?" Karin asked as she too rose with Maurice by her side.
"Mary leads the children's dances. Tonight, they dance. Celebrate new life." Maurice told her.
That did not explain a thing, but it did peek Karin's curiosity as she laid one hand on Maurice's shoulder, and they went to stand with the other ape adults.
For once, Karin did not feel that half the ape eyes were on her, and she liked that.
Karin had assumed that they would just be watching the show. And, what a sight it was to behold. The first small group of children that was led by Mary disappeared briefly, but when they came back, they were decked out with feathers and necklaces of bone beads. Some girls, mostly the older ones, sported many pretty flowers in their hair, and Karin had a brief thought that Mary should be among those. With her extraordinarily long hair, which swayed behind her in an almost hypnotic curtain, it's exotic beauty should be adorned by something.
Totally entranced by what she was seeing, Karin gave a start as a soft ape voice spoke next to her. "You like?" Cornelia asked, and Karin jumped. The Ape Queen reached out and patted her arm apologetically.
"Oh, it's so beautiful, Cornelia," Karin breathed. "Good of you to think of something like this."
But the Ape Queen shook her head. "Not me," she said softly. "Mary's idea."
Then Cornelia turned and signed something to Maurice. He hesitated, and she signed again Then she moved away, took Caesar firmly by the hand, and led him out in to the circling dancers. Karin saw, with a little bit of trepidation, that more and more adults were joining in the dance, too. Tinker and Rocket all but flung themselves in to it, along with an even more enthusiastic Ash. But Ash had to tease Blue Eyes until he would join them. And Karin put her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh as, after teasing him into the dance, Ash had maneuvered things so that Blue Eyes now danced with Lake. Ash, meanwhile, was ignoring the nasty looks his best friend was sending him, and was trying to work his way towards someone, and it turned out to be Mary.
Feeling someone take her hand, Karin tore her eyes away and Maurice was there. She was so mesmerized by the ape's celebration that Maurice had to squeeze her hand several times just to get her attention.
"what?" Karin asked worriedly. "sorry. You need me to get out of the way?"
Maurice shook his great head and smiled patiently at her. Then he gently tugged on her hand, and eventually she got what he wanted.
"Oh, hang on, Maurice. I-I don't know," Karin protested feebly as the big orangutan was gently drawing her deeper into the circle.
Maurice put one hand on her back, rumbling softly.
"But I don't know these ape dances, Maurice," Karin protested again. "You'll see. I'll mess everything up."
Maurice shook his head. "You will not fall. I will catch," he promised her in his deep rumbling voice.
Karin could see she was not going to get out of this gracefully. And even though being in the middle of such a large crowd was distressing to someone who had been all but alone for more than five years, she gave in and let Maurice guide her steps. And true to his word, when she did stumble a little once or twice, Maurice easily supported her with his long arms until she got her feet back under her again.
And Karin loved it. Not the press of the crowd so much. That she could have done without. It was mostly being so close to Maurice that she loved. She never dreamed they would be dancing together, anywhere, certainly not out in public.
It was equally gratifying to slide past a scowling Cedar. Cedar was, probably, the only one of the females who openly showed her disdain for Karin. And Karin was more than happy to return it. She did not care one bit how the female chimp liked or treated her, but she remembered the uppity female's treatment of precious Mary. And in Karin's eyes, that was unforgivable.
But she was just as happy, and relieved, when Maurice suggested they go and sit. The rhythmic movements back and forth were beginning to make her head swim. Maurice probably picked up on that. Or, as Karin noticed, it was just time as the dance seem to be gradually winding down.
"Oh boy! Maurice, your one heck of a dancer!" Karin exclaimed with a grin.
The big ape blushed a bit and looked down at his feet.
"Well, you are," Karin insisted. "What's the matter. You didn't step on me or anything. "I've never danced that well or that confidently with anyone."
Maurice only shrugged. "Anyway, where did Cornelia and Caesar disappear to?" Karin asked before she spotted them appearing slowly from the crowd and moving towards them. Cornelia briefly left Caesar to collect their young son, who was visibly more relieved than Karin to be drawn away.
"Good night, Caesar," Karin told he Ape King. "thank you for inviting me."
Caesar smiled. "Thank you for getting Maurice to dance, finally," the Ape King said.
Karin whipped her head to the side and looked at Maurice sharply. "What? What does he mean by that? You've done these dances before, right?"
To her horror, Maurice shook his head. "I usually watch young ones. Others dance," he told Karin a little sheepishly.
"Oh man," Karin groaned.
Caesar, who looked far too innocent, said goodnight to Maurice and quickly excused himself. But before they could make an escape, a flushed and joyful Tinker came rushing up to them. Ash held onto her hand, and Rocket hovered just over her shoulder, looking like he wanted to scoop her up and carry her back home, but did not dare to do so. The bruise on the right side of the little she-ape's muzzle was not as swollen as Karin had expected, but it still looked painful.
"Oh, Tinker," Karin began, but Tinker quickly cut her off. She was too excited and could not seem to find her words, so she signed with Maurice again acting as translator.
"Tinker asks come see me in the morning before you leave. Midwife business," Maurice translated.
"Uh, ok, sure, Tinker," Karin promised. "but tinker, your face, I—"
Tinker hugged her, reaching out to put two fingers lightly across Karin's lips. It was plain that she was not going to let the human woman start apologizing. She patted Karin on the shoulder before allowing Rocket to finally shepherd his little family towards their own home.
"Can we get out of here before someone else delays my morning departure even more?" Karin asked. But they had barely taken five steps before Mary ran up to them.
"You really will leave tomorrow?" the child asked.
Karin knelt down in front of the ape child and took Mary by the shoulders. "Yes honey. It's time for me to go back home," Karin said very gently.
"No! NO, it isn't," Mary argued. "You just woke up. It's too soon."
Maurice also knelt down and put a hand on Mary's back. The little ape girl looked up at Maurice with pleading eyes. Glancing between the two, Karin pulled her lower lip between her teeth to keep from crying herself.
"Uncle Maurice? You don't want her to go, do you? I know you don't. You tell her she can't! You make her stay here with us!
"I can't, child," Maurice signed gently to Mary. But his expression was every bit as sad as Mary's own.
"but apes together strong," Mary insisted. She pulled herself out of the embrace of the adults, stood fully upright, threw back her head and raised her arms to the sky. "To be together is good. Safe. To be alone is dangerous. That's what you teach us, Uncle. So, you teach her about Apes Together Strong. Tonight. Before bed."
Karin did not know if she wanted to laugh or cry. But crying was slowly winning out. She reached out to try and hug Mary again, but the little girl skipped away., her face now set, her eyes determined.
"You won't make her stay, Uncle Maurice? Then I'll go talk to Uncle Caesar. He is Caesar. He will make Karin stay," Mary declared. And she ran off in the direction of Caesar's home
"Oh no. Is she serious?" Karin asked Maurice as they got to their feet again and turned towards his home
Maurice nodded.
"And I don't suppose you'd be willing to run and stop her, would you?"
Maurice shook his head with a definite no.
"Thanks for the help, Maurice," Karin muttered. "And please don't say it. I know you're on Mary's side in all this."
Maurice neither confirmed or denied her words, and they walked on together towards his home, the silence stretching out between them.
Mary never got to talk to her Uncle Caesar that night. Her Father also had something pressing he needed to discuss with the Ape King, and he sent Mary back to their home. Then Caesar and Koba climbed to a spot that the Ape King usually discussed heavy matters with Maurice.
"What is the matter, Koba?" Caesar asked. It was unusual for Koba to come to him like this, and so late in the evening. And the bonobo was clearly distressed.
"Is it true the human saved a gorilla baby?" Koba asked his Leader.
"Yes, Koba. But if you want to know more, you'll need to talk to Cornelia. She was there, I was not."
Koba fell silent, and Caesar watched him very closely. He had not seen Koba in such a state of agitation in years. But then again, they had never kept any human in their village, either.
"My Mary," the tortured Bonobo began. "She is already close to that human female."
Caesar nodded in agreement, but he remained silent. He felt that Koba had something vital he needed to get off his chest, and any interruption from Caesar might ruin it. But as the silence spun out, he noticed Koba trembling, visibly shaking before him, and this frightened the Ape King badly.
"Caesar," Koba finally burst out. "I-I am sorry I upset Maurice. And I have lied to Caesar. I have betrayed apes."
It was a good thing that Caesar had enough experience as Leader to hide the shock he felt from Koba's outburst.
How, Koba?" Caesar asked quietly. "How have you betrayed us."
"Told Caesar I never saw human woman since the fight with Pope," Koba rushed ahead. "Told Caesar I never went back to her house. I lie. I did see her, but she never saw me. I went back to her house, for many weeks after Pope was dead. I... I left human female food, rabbits, small dear. Food I should have given to apes."
"You took food from our hunting?" Caesar asked, still speaking very gently. He could hardly believe what he was hearing, not from human-hating Koba.
"No! NO, never! I never take from hunting groups," Koba insisted. "I... I hunt by myself. Caught some extra. Gave this to that female."
"Why, Koba?" Caesar could not withhold the question any longer. "What made you do this thing."
The Ape King waited patiently while Koba collected himself.
"first I watch. I wait for female to die. She was hurt very bad, Caesar. I think to bring child here when human died. But she did not die. Apes die from wounds like that, but not human girl. Then, I wait for her males to come, a mate, a Father or brothers. But no one ever came, not even other females ever came to help her. She was alone, with a little child, and she was hurt. She not able to hunt for herself, for her child. And I...I..."
"You could not just let them starve," Caesar murmured. "Koba, stand up Stand up and look at me."
Koba slowly rose from his submissive position and hesitantly looked into his King's eyes. Caesar wanted to reach out and embrace him, but Koba still could not stand to be touched by anyone other than Mary. So, Caesar settled for swiping Koba's outstretched hand, instead, then gently touching his shoulder
"Koba, it was a good thing you did, a very good thing. And we never went hungry. I am not going to punish you for this. I am proud of you. Koba. Very proud."
This did not seem to cheer Koba up as much as Caesar would have liked, but at least he relaxed a little with relief.
"You said something about upsetting Maurice," Caesar prodded gently. "This has something to do with Karin?"
"Maurice come and ask me what happened during fight. I tell him." Koba replied.
Caesar nodded. That explained much. But Caesar felt there was something else.
" I find many shortcuts to get to human's house from here through the trees. I will show Maurice," Koba said.
Caesar smiled. That was probably as close as Koba would ever come, could ever come, to saying out loud that he would help watch over Karin.
"Maurice will appreciate that, Koba, very much. And you will show me, too. And Luca. Is there anything else? You should get home to Mary before she worries and comes looking for you."
Caesar loved to watch how Koba's entire being softened whenever his precious daughter was mentioned. It was the only time Koba's demeanor grew visibly softer and lighter.
"goodnight, Caesar," Koba took his leave, and Caesar leaned back against the tree. He would tell Cornelia about this before they slept. She would be very pleased. But he needed a moment to collect his thoughts. But to hear Koba admit to willingly helping a human, two humans taking Karin's child in to account, gave Caesar hope. Hope for Koba, and hope for all apes.
A/N:
Hello again, patient readers. this was longer than I expected, but I hope you all enjoyed it.
As always, thanks to anyone who is still reading, and huge hugs to any new readers who may have just joined us.
I'll get the next chapter out as soon as I can. In the meantime, happy reading.