The next day, Caesar told both Karin and Maurice off for nearly causing a village-wide panic and rescue attempt. As a result, for the rest of that day Karin gave the big chimp a wide berth, and plenty of time to cool off. The ape king did not seem to hold a grudge though, and later that night, the restless Karin found herself walking the perimeter of the village in the company of an equally sleepless Caesar yet again. It was becoming a semi-regular event for the two of them, and even the gorilla guards did not remark it anymore. Karin only prayed this walk would not be as traumatic as the last one.
"I guess you're still mad at us, aren't you?"
The Ape King grunted.
"I'll take that as a yes," Karin sighed. "You have every right to be mad."
"Is that. Why you have. Avoided me all day?" Caesar inquired.
"I have not!" Karin protested. Then, catching Caesar's eye, she laughed. "Okay, I'm busted. I thought I'd give you some time to cool off." She started to explain what that meant, but Caesar nodded knowingly.
"Look, Caesar," Karin hastened to say. "Please don't be mad at Maurice. It's all my fault, you know."
The woman watched, her brows furrowed, as Caesar began to chuff laughter. "Maurice says, don't be mad at Karin. He says it's his fault," the chimp informed her.
Karin shook her head. "Well, he's wrong. I'm the one who said let's just sit down here and rest a second. We wouldn't have fallen asleep if not for me."
"Maurice says he chase you too much, and too hard," Caesar commented dryly, but there was a little mischievous gleam in his eyes.
"He said what?" Karin drew in a sharp breath, her cheeks turning warm. "We were just ... just-" she stammered, but Caesar held up one hand, fast, to cut her off. She was astounded, even after all Cornelia had told her, to see the big chimp blushing.
"Don't need to know the rest," he grunted. "Not my business."
"But there's nothing to know, Caesar," Karin insisted. "We were just fooling around, that's all."
"I see." Caesar grinned openly, and Karin blushed. Apparently, the ape king knew a bit more human slang than Maurice did. She would have to remember that.
"I didn't mean … I only meant that we were-" She broke off. "Oh, forget it.
'Okay," Caesar agreed quickly enough, but Karin still saw the spark of a grin lurking on his face for a few seconds before he sobered noticeably, and the two walked for a few moments in companionable silence.
Listen, did I ever thank you guys for all the help at home?" Karin offered, anything to change the subject.
"Only a few hundred times," Caesar answered with a slight smile.
"Well, make it a few hundred and one, then," Karin chuckled.
"I should thank you," Caesar replied. "All apes here should. Our food stores have never been so full in winter. I'm sure none will starve this time."
"Starve?" Karin's eyes widened. "You mean you had apes die of starvation before?"
Caesar nodded' his expression mournful. "The very old and the very weak," he told her.
Karin pressed one hand to her mouth and shivered. The thought horrified her so much that it took a few moments before she could speak around the lump in her throat and the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Caesar. I should have brought more packages."
The ape king shook his head and patted her arm very gently. "Less death since you left us your packages. You did what you could. You endangered yourself enough. You had your own youngling to care for," Caesar disagreed, but Karin was not much comforted by his words.
"Well, please don't thank me, Caesar," Karin said. "I should have done more. I've thrown away even more than we harvested the past five years. We could not eat it all before it went bad. Good it's getting used by people who need it. And I'd never have gathered so much without the-"
Karin broke off, staring at something in the distance. "Oh my god! What is that?" she demanded. A large gorilla-shaped lump lay sprawled against the inside of one of the village walls. Horrified, Karin started to run towards the figure, but Caesar caught her arm to hold her back.
"Leave him," the ape king said wearily. "It's only Urko."
"Only Urko? But Caesar!" Karin protested. "I know he's still under punishment for striking a female, but you're making him sleep out in the open like that?!
Caesar shook his head. "No one made him," Caesar answered calmly. "He too tired to walk home."
"How long does this punishment last?"
"Up to the females," Caesar told her.
From everything she learned, this was Urko's second offense. Karin drew in a slow breath and closed her mouth before she could say anything else. After all, it was not for her to judge the ape's methods of discipline and punishment, especially ones she did not entirely disagree with in the first place.
"What will happen if he does it again?" Karin could not help asking. "Or is that up to the females?"
"No," Caesar stated flatly. "He will leave this village."
"For how long?"
"Forever," Caesar replied ominously. "I will not allow the abuse of females, or of anyone, here."
Karin's brow furrowed. "Does he know that? Does Monica know? He is her brother, after all."
"Yes."
"So, it's three strikes and you're out," Karin murmured.
Again, proving to Karin that he understood far more human slang than Maurice, Caesar nodded grimly.
Karin stared at the collapsed Urko and could not help feeling sorry for him. "Look, he's not banished yet. Can't you do something about that?" she pleaded to Caesar.
Caesar nodded. He turned and uttered a short sound, and Luca and another gorilla guard seem to materialize out of thin air, they arrived so fast. With a sigh, the ape king motioned towards the slumbering Urko. "Take him home," Caesar signed and spoke out loud for Karin's benefit.
Luca smiled, lifted a friendly hand in greeting to Karin, then he and the other gorilla, whose name Karin did not know yet, grasped Urko by an arm each and half-carried, half-dragged the slumbering exhausted gorilla back towards his hut.
"Thank you," Karin murmured.
Caesar shrugged. "I wish Koba could have seen," he commented.
"Seen what? Urko passed out on the ground?"
"No," Caesar replied. "Your sympathy for someone who almost have killed you."
"Don't worry, Caesar," Karin rushed to reassure the big chimpanzee. "It hasn't been that long. I do remember the facts. I won't interact with Urko any more than necessary, but what's that got to do with Koba?"
"Might make him think better of humans," Caesar grunted.
They walked on as Karin considered Caesar's words. After a while, she shook her head. "It'll take more than that. Most of Koba's worst scars are on the inside, you know. But thanks to the ones on the outside, I doubt he will ever forget."
Caesar looked startled. "That's what Mary says."
"Out of the mouths of babes," Karin sighed. "She should know. It's too bad neither one of those humans he named Mary after aren't still around. One of them could do more than I ever could for Koba."
Caesar stiffened, and a brief look of pain and sadness passed over his face.
Caesar? What's wrong?" Karin cried. "I said something wrong again, didn't I?"
Caesar shook his head, but his whole demeanor radiated regret and sadness. For a long moment, he remained silent, and Karin thought he would not answer.
"I never knew. The woman, Mary," he began. "But Amanda … She was my best friend."
Karin drew in a sharp breath. "Oh, Caesar! I'm so sorry!" Impulsively, the woman flung an arm around Caesar, and when he did not push her away, she went on. "When's the last time you saw her?"
"The day we escaped." She was here. Don't know how or why. Maurice broke up a fight between Luca and Koba over her."
Thank God," Karin exclaimed. "She could have got hurt, and Luca could tare Koba apart if he really wanted to."
Caesar nodded absently, but he was clearly lost in his thoughts of that day. He looked so sad that Karin was sorry she brought the whole thing up.
And then, something from her own recent past hit her like a ton of bricks.
"Fay Wray!" she cried, drawing a little away from Caesar. "Birthday party!"
Caesar stared at her, uncomprehending.
"Caesar, we have met before, and I've met your Amanda too. Was it her ninth birthday party? I remember thinking what a beautiful child she was. Reminding me of a classic Disney fairy tale Princess."
Caesar blinked. They stopped walking and Caesar turned to face her. He studied Karin for a moment before a slow grin came over his face.
"Eleventh," he corrected. "Her eleventh birthday party. You sang for us."
"Yeah, that's right. And you were her guide." Karin just managed to stop herself before saying 'guide animal', but Caesar pretended not to notice.
"Oh my God! That sweet little girl, that's Koba's Amanda? The one Mary Amanda is named for?"
Caesar nodded. "She was Luca's friend, too."
"Well, I'll be damned," Karin murmured, blinking back a few tears. "She had a part in my last album. We sang a duet together, though we put it under the name Fay Wray. Oh my God! Caesar, Koba, he is a genuine hero!" Karin exclaimed. "I mean it! It was all over the news for weeks, how an ape saved that little six-year-old blind girl from that psycho child murderer and then the trial as the girl's family fought to keep him 'cause they shut down the ape assistant program." Karin broke off with a scowl. She balled one hand into a fist and punched it hard into her other hand. "And that's how they treat a hero. They take him away from his loving family and throw him into the scientific labs as a guinea pig for God only knows what experiments! Well, don't it figure! And Maurice wonders why I don't miss human civilization all that much." From the look Caesar gave her, Karin could tell that he wondered about that, too.
They walked a little longer, each lost in their own thoughts.
"She could still be alive, Caesar," Karin piped up hopefully. "She might be among the few of us who are immune to the plague, you know."
"Maybe," Caesar grunted. "And maybe she survived the plague, but humans killed her, and it's my fault."
"What?" Karin yelped. Reaching out, she grasped Caesar's arm and brought them both to a halt.
"Caesar, no! None of this is your fault. Not the plague, and not what happened to Amanda."
"I gave apes Charles medicine. I sent Amanda back to humans to protect her from angry apes," Caesar muttered. "It is my fault."
"No," Karin insisted, her face set. "First, the 'medicine' as you call it, was created by human scientists in a lab. You had nothing to do with that. Humans made it and through human careless or arrogance, humans spread it, not you."
Caesar shook his head. "I let it out. I gave it to the apes in the sanctuary," Caesar said stubbornly. "I saved apes, but I killed my human family."
I wonder if Cornelia knows how much this hurts him Karin mused.
"Oh, Caesar," Karin sighed. She hated to see him blaming himself for everything that humans did wrong. "It's Gen Sys' fault. They let Patient Zero, one of their own infected workers, run around spreading it for days before you guys escaped. I think they may have started distributing it worldwide, too. You had nothing to do with any of that. Humans did this to humans, Caesar."
"Maybe," Caesar grunted, and Karin knew it was a waste of time. She could not convince him. No matter what she said or how much evidence she could show him, Caesar would go on blaming himself.
They were back at the foot of the ramp to Maurice's home, but before Karin let Caesar go, she had an idea. "Do you think Koba would want a picture of Amanda, Caesar? I might be able to find some in all those old newspapers packed in my house. Or I can cut one from my last album cover, though that one will have me and my brothers in it, too. But I can probably cut all of us out."
The question seem to catch Caesar off guard, but he eventually nodded. "Thank you. Please find one if you can," he agreed. "If Koba doesn't want it, Luca might."
"Or you?" Karin suggested very gently.
The ape king gave her a faint smile.
"I'll take that as a yes." Karin smiled and patted the big chimpanzee's shoulder. "I'll look for something when I get back home. But here we are, my little home away from home." She glanced up and up at the doorway looming above them. "Maybe I can get back in bed before Maurice wakes up. You know, it would be nice if during one of our walks, we might get to talk about happier things. But, goodnight, Caesar. Give Cornelia and Blue Eyes a big hug and kiss for me."
The ape king nodded. "I'll walk you home," Caesar told her. "I insist," he added sternly as Karin started to protest, and with one hand firmly on her shoulder, they walked up the ramp together, and he saw her into the doorway.
During breakfast, Maurice asked Karin to attend one of his classes, and she was thrilled to be invited. So far, all she did was watch them from a distance. But her elation was short-lived, for two parents, upon seeing the human woman sitting down at the back of the class with some of the older students, tried to take their children away. The children did not want to leave, and protested loudly and bitterly, and so did most of their classmates.
And so did Maurice.
A thoroughly mortified Karin rose and went to Maurice, who was trying to soothe down and reason with the two distraught parents. "Sorry. Guess I should have seen that coming. I'll go now," she whispered. "I need to finish packing, anyway."
When Maurice started to protest, Karin put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Maurice. Please, don't make waves, not on my account. I promise I'll say goodbye before I go. I will," she added as he looked a little skeptical.
She did not count on so many of the children also trying to stop her, though. By the time she walked up to Maurice's home, Karin lost count of how many little apes she had to pry off her legs or from around her waist.
Keeping her mind on her packing was difficult. Even without the parental drama at the ape school, it was the saddest part of her time in the ape village, preparing to leave it, preparing to leave him. Not even the certain knowledge that he would be turning up at her house sooner than later did little to ease that initial pain of impending separation for either of them.
There was not much packing to do since she was leaving some things there for future use, but Karin found a small package buried at the bottom of her duffle bag, and she realized that she forgot something very important.
She needed to go and find Mary, but where was the little chatterbox? It occurred to Karin that she had not seen the girl at the ape school, and that was odd. Wasn't the child one of Maurice's best helpers?
Concerned, Karin got up and went in search of Koba's little blond daughter? Did Koba keep her away if he saw Karin sitting with the students?
Small bright package in hand, Karin left Maurice hut. "Has anyone seen Mary?" Karin moved among the group of apes asking that same question, and she was directed eventually to Mary's home. The hunting parties had left ages ago, and assuming that Koba would be with one of them, and being worried about the girl, the woman did not hesitate to approach.
"Mary," she called. Mary honey, are you okay? I have a … Oh!" She broke off mid-sentence, and groaned inwardly, for as her bad luck would have it, Mary's father met her as she came within sight of his home. Why isn't he hunting with everyone else? Karin wondered but managed to stop herself from asking the question out loud.
At first, the bonobo looked surprised, but his usual guarded expression and obvious wariness quickly took over his features.
"What?" He grunted at her.
"Uh, excuse me, Koba, but I-I have a present for Mary," Karin began tentatively. "May I give it to her?"
Koba blinked, seeming more surprised than ever. "What present?" he asked, holding out one hand.
Karin placed the small brightly wrapped parcel in the ape's hands. I don't know why I bothered to wrap it, she thought, then she watched in amazement as Koba unwrapped the package with extreme care, tearing none of the paper, and using a delicate touch she would never have suspected from him. He held the object up to his face, and his one good eye went very wide. He turned over the package contents in his hand, caressing its surface. For the briefest of seconds, she thought she saw his expression soften, the hint of a gentle smile on his scarred face.
"Little girls' hairbrush," the terse, usually gruff ape whispered in a soft amazed tone that Karin never expected him to use in her company.
"Yes. How did you know that?"
Oh, right, Amanda, Karin silently reprimanded herself. If he was the guide animal for a little girl, of course he knew about hairbrushes.
Ignoring her question, the scarred ape shrugged, but he began to wrap the package again with as much care as he took unwrapping it, and when he was finished, no one could tell it had been opened. When he handed it back to her, Karin sighed, accepting her defeat. Well, I should have known better, she
thought, and her shoulders slumped in defeat as she turned to go. A short bark from Koba gave her a start. She whirled around as she realized that he was not barking at her. He was calling for Mary to come out to join them.
Something's wrong, Karin thought. The girl's cheeks were flushed, and she was dressed in a long crude bear skin robe that covered her from head to toe. It was the first time Karin saw any of the apes wearing anything resembling clothing.
"Oh, good morning, Karin," Mary smiled then turned to her father. "What is it, Papa?"
Koba pointed nodding to Karin.
Karin gaped at him. "You mean I can—"she began, and Koba nodded.
"I brought you a present, honey," Karin told the little ape girl and gave her the small, neatly wrapped parcel.
"A present," Mary repeated. "Why? It's not my birthday."
"Why not?" Karin grinned.
"What is it?" The little ape girl looked between her father and Karin.
Karin smiled down at the child. "There's only one way to find out."
Oh no! Like father, like daughter. Here we go again! Note to self. Teach that child how to open a package, Karin grinned as Mary opened the parcel with as much tedious care as her father had done.
"Oh! A brush?" She stroked her fingers over the bristles. "It's so pretty!" the delighted ape child crowed. "For mee?""
"Of course, it's for you, honey," Karin smiled. "I don't think your dad wants it."
Or does he? The ape's odd reaction to the item puzzled her until she remembered her conversation with Caesar the night before.
Feeling his eyes on her, Karin glanced aside at Koba, but she could not read his expression, but for one of the few times since she had met him, he was not scowling, and that was good … She hoped.
"It's for your hair, honey. Your head hair, I mean," Karin added. "Though I guess you can use it about anywhere you or your dad can reach."
"Papa?" Mary turned again to her father. "Do you know about these?" She held out her brush towards him.
Koba touched the brush with one finger, then gave a grunt and nodded as he stroked his daughter's long blond hair with the other hand. "Amanda. She have one," the ape told his daughter out loud, and Mary beamed even more.
Then, shocking both Karin and Mary, Koba told his daughter, "Go in," and he jabbed a finger at Karin then back towards their home. "Take her with you. Too cold out here. Go in. Where warm. Learn to brush."
Karin blinked, so stunned to be invited inside Koba's home that for a moment, she could not move, and Mary was in a similar state of shock. Exasperated by their slow reactions, Koba barked at his daughter, which got Mary moving. Still clutching her new hairbrush, the child kissed her father, then She took Karin by the hand and proudly led the human woman to her home.
At the touch of Mary's hand, Karin instantly knew what was wrong. The child felt a little feverish, and Karin knew why Koba had not left, and probably would not leave the village today.
When the anxious father returned sometime later, with the village healer Sparrow and Cornelia in toe, Karin was cradling a drowsing Mary in her arms. She was brushing out the child's long soft head hair with slow and even strokes and singing a soft lullaby.
Sleep my child and peace attend the,
All through the night.
Guardian angels God will send thee,
All through the night.
Mary seemed content as she lay half asleep in the human woman's embrace. Karin tensed a little at the site of Koba, but he made no fuss or comment, and stood well back to let the two ape women approach.
"Uh, help?" she whispered. "I wanted to put her to bed, but I don't want to wake her up. Sparrow, she's got a touch of fever.
Sparrow nodded as Cornelia came close, and making soft soothing noises, the ape queen eased the child out of Karin's arms. Mary only stirred enough to press closer to Cornelia's chest, and Karin swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. That was how Lisa used to react, too, and this told Karin her suspicions were right. For all intense and purposes, Cornelia was the mother to this motherless foundling.
Koba gave a soft grunt and motioned Karin outside. She bent and touched the child's forehead before following Mary's father outside.
"Thank you for letting me into your home, Koba. It's a beautiful place, lots of plants and cats and kittens." Karin smiled then went on, "Mary loves the hairbrush, but how often does she get sick like this?". She braced herself for his reply, expecting him to ignore her or tell her gruffly to mind her own business.
"Two or three times. Mostly in winter," was Koba's reply.
"And it spreads rapidly through the village, I bet."
To her surprise, the worried father shook his head. "NO, never. Only Mary get this sickness."
I see. Karin looked thoughtful. "She's outgrowing that bear-skin cape, Koba," Karin remarked. "I've got a child's cloak at home that I could bring for her, and it will fit her almost perfectly, too."
The scarred ape gave a low growl, and Karin quickly backed off a step or two. "Okay, I get the message. If you change your mind, just let me know."
Karin turned to leave, but Koba called her back. She wished he would make up his mind whether he wanted her to go away forever or hang around.
"You have human medicine, child medicine, in your home?" he asked.
Karin frowned. "Children's medicine? I might. I'd have to look to be sure. I used a lot of that on Lisa. But I think I still have a little bit."
She waited, but Koba only gave her a nod and grunted noncommittally before he turned his back on her and walked back into his home. That went well … I hope, Karin thought as she trudged back towards Maurice's place. Or is he planning a raid on my house? She had meant it as a joke, but the thought made her shiver, nevertheless.
Maurice ended classes a bit early due to the overcast day. That, and the dismal-looking sky fit his mood perfectly. The unpleasant scene from that morning troubled him more than he would admit. And, knowing that Karin might not be there, and after what happened, Maurice would not blame her for leaving early. The thought that Karin was leaving, again, weighed heavily on Maurice's heart and slowed his steps as he made his way back to his home, his now all too quiet and lonely home. But before he was halfway up the walkway, the sound of female chatter and laughter floated to him on the breeze. He recognized Karin's voice, of course, and the hoot-pants of Tinker and Cornelia and Sparrow. He thought he recognized Phoebe and Monica and few others, and the sounds made him feel instantly better.
So, she decided to stay a little while longer after all, Maurice rejoiced. The reason did not matter to him, though he was curious. Looking up, he noticed the foreboding look of the sky. It looked worse now than it had that morning, and that was saying something. The heavy bloated clouds would certainly open soon, and he blessed the coming rain if it kept Karin in his home a little longer. He was thankful for anything, short of illness, that kept the woman with him.
Not wanting to interrupt the females, Maurice sat down at the foot of his walkway and waited patiently, but it was not long before he was nearly trampled by a hoard of rapidly departing ape females.
Cornelia and Tinker both stopped to apologize. "Maurice, go indoors," she instructed her old friend. "It will rain soon."
Never one to disobey his Queen, Maurice got up, stretched, and started climbing up again. To his delight, Karin met him halfway, and draped an arm around him.
"Everything okay?" she wanted to know. "Cornelia said you let school out early today. Those parents aren't still making trouble for you, are they?"
"No. "The sky," Maurice said, pointing upwards.
"Yeah, and Percy's elbow," Karin said as they started going up the long ramp again. "Phoebe was telling me that Percy's right elbow is everyone's weathervane, the poor dear."
"You believe that?" Maurice was surprised. He assumed that human being had much more sophisticated ways of forecasting the weather.
"Sure," Karin said. "Percy's elbow, and my Uncle RJ's left knee, my Great Grandma Karin's right ankle, my dad's broken left hip. None of them were ever wrong." She frowned. "I hope I don't inherit all those conditions when I'm old."
Karin was laughing a little as they entered Maurice's home, but she stopped and exclaimed, "Oh no! Phoebe forgot their tea!"
Picking up a tiny steamy silver pot with a large spout on it, her littlest tea pot Karin had called it, she turned back to the door. Maurice made a worried noise, and she called back over her shoulder, "I'm just gonna run this up to Percy and Phoebe. It'll help him sleep tonight. I'll be right back."
Maurice smiled as he watched her run lightly towards the head of the village where she met up with Rocket. He was relieved to see Karin not flinch away from Rocket. After a brief conversation, the chimp took the pot from her hands and he made his way to the home shared by the two oldest orangutans in the village, and Karin started back to Maurice.
It was lovely to see how so many of the apes, but especially the females and their young, had taken to Karin. Much of that he owed to Cornelia, Tinker, and sweet little Mary, of course. The ape queen, and her best friends' visible acceptance and friendship towards the human woman went a long way in smoothing some ruffled fur. Phoebe and Percy were her biggest champions among Maurice's own kind, and Luca had always taken up for her. Now old Monica and many female gorillas, and more than a few of the males too, were still singing her praises after she saved Monica's baby.
Not all the apes were thrilled about the human in their midst, which was made clear this morning, but you could not please everyone.
The most surprising thing to Maurice was Koba's reactions. Or, rather, the lack of Koba's expected outraged reactions. But after the scarred ape's heart-wrenching confessions about his past interactions with Karin, an even bigger surprise, Maurice stopped trying to second guess his troubled and sometimes prickly brother. He even dared hope that Karin's presence might help some of Koba's invisible scars to heal.
The rain was coming now. Maurice could hear it, and he knew Karin would not make it indoors before the deluge struck. She barely had one foot on the bottom of his walkway when the clouds opened, and sheets of water came crashing down. The wind did not help matters either, and Maurice winced as Karin stumbled as she fought against the wind to climb up the ramp.
The first time she slipped, Maurice had one foot out of the door. When she went sprawling and almost slid right off the edge, the big orangutan cried out in fright. For one heart-stopping moment, he was sure she was going over the side with her head down and her feet up. He leaped forward and slid most of the way down to reach her. He braced himself as she grabbed hold and struggled to her feet. With the help of Maurice's added weight to
Counterbalance, the two of them fought their way back up and into Maurice's home at last.
"Maurice," Karin panted. "Can I please make one tiny suggestion?"
He nodded.
"Handrails!" she gasped and flung both arms around him. "Oh man! That was too close for comfort! Oh! You're sopping wet?"
They both were.
As Karin took up her duffle bag and disappeared into her room to change into some dry clothes, Maurice stirred up their fire. He jumped as Karin came out and threw a huge fluffy towel over his back. It matched the one she now wore on her head like a crown, the turban again.
"Just leave it," Karin warned as Maurice started to reach for his towel to remove it. "Just hang on, okay, and I'll get you dried off."
The big ape made a half-hearted, and mostly for show, protest, then stood quietly and let Karin rub that thick, soft towel over his body. He turned when she asked him to turn, and raised and lowered his arms as she directed him. If this is what might happen each time he got caught out in the rain, Maurice thought, then he might have to do it more often when Karin was around.
Once Karin released him, Maurice tied down his animal-skin door as best he could, then he watched as Karin made some peppermint tea and heated some leftovers over the fire. Just as she finished, a little puff of wind found its way through the animal skins, and the fire was extinguished.
As she poured the tea into a large bottle she called a thermos, Karin suggested, "Let's hold up in my room, and hope the wind doesn't move that heavy curtain too much."
Maurice thought it was a brilliant idea, and they were soon tucked cozily away at the back of his home which he had curtained off for Karin's use. As the woman placed one of her battery-powered lanterns on a corner shelf, he glanced around the small room and smiled. It was good that she needed no prompting to begin making this room her own personal space. And all the things she stored here strongly indicated she would be back, which was even better.
"Glad I charged that up today," the woman remarked, nodding at the softly glowing lantern. "So, what do you guys do during these storms?" she asked, leaning back comfortably in her nest of cushions, and inviting Maurice to come join her.
"Stay in," the big orangutan rumbled quietly as he came and sat next to her. "And wait," he added, draping one long arm around her waist.
"That's what we use to do, too," Karin sighed and leaned her head against Maurice's shoulder. "When most of us were home, Dad would bring out his banjo, and my twin brother Lee would break out his guitar, a couple more brothers would sit down at the piano, and before someone started a fight with someone else, and the mood turned ugly, we'd sit around and sing and roast things in the fireplace while we listened to dad cuss the government. If no one felt musical or if it was a dark and stormy night, we'd tell ghost stories."
Maurice shivered and firmly shook his head. He never understood why otherwise loving humans felt the need to terrorize one another.
"Okay." Karin patted his arm. "Okay. We can skip ghost stories. Even Lisa loved them, though."
Maurice gaped at her.
"Don't you give me that look," she protested. "Of course, the ones Lisa and I shared were age appropriate, Maurice. Mostly, when it was just Lisa and me, we'd sit by the fire and roast canned sausages. We'd sing and play games. I'd teach her letters and numbers. We'd read Winnie the Pooh, stuff like that."
Now that name brought up some strong memories for Maurice.
"Oh, bother," Maurice rumbled, and he grinned openly as Karin drew in a sharp breath, her eyes going very wide.
'You know Winnie the Pooh?" she gasped.
He nodded.
"How?"
"Circus," he answered simply. "Circus owner's grandchildren. Read to me. When I was little."
"AW," Karin cooed with delight. "That's so adorable, Maurice!"
He smiled. She was not wrong. He was fond the original circus owner's three grandchildren and wondered if any of them lived through the humans' plague. If they had been old enough to take over when the old man died, if the circus had not been sold by his daughter—a human woman Maurice had no love loss for whatsoever-the big orangutan wondered how different his life might have been? Would he ever have ended up in the ape sanctuary? Would he have met Caesar?
And would he now know Karin?
Even the possibility that he might never have got to know the loveliest of human females who ever lived made Maurice's heart clench, and his arm tighten around her. He expected her to protest, to pull away. He did not expect her to press even closer to him in response. But when she did, was not about to complain, either.
"Are you walking down memory lane again?" Karin murmured.
He shook his head but said nothing.
He felt Karin's eyes on him for the longest time, and eventually she spoke.
"I wish I knew what was going on in that handsome head of yours," Karin sighed.
Maurice laughed. He could not help himself. Karin unknowingly echoed his greatest wish.
"What's so funny?"
The big ape only laughed harder until Karin got annoyed and jabbed him in the ribs with her sharp little elbow. "Come on, what's so funny?" she demanded, trying to hide a giggle. "Is this an ape's only joke or what? What did I say?"
Once Maurice regained a semblance of his usual composure, he tried to explain. "You said. What I think."
"But Maurice," Karin began, her blue eyes widening and full of feigned innocence. "I'm an open book."
This started Maurice laughing harder than ever, and Karin joined in this time.
"I take it," Karin laughed. "That you don't believe me?"
The big ape nodded.
"Well, so much for my supporting actress of the year award," Karin spluttered as she put her arm around his neck and tenderly cupped his cheek pad in her palm. The big ape leaned into her touch. He pressed his muzzle into her hair and sighed with contentment and pleasure. They stayed that way for several long moments, not speaking, just listening to the muffled sounds of the raging storm, enjoying the warmth and closeness of each other's company.
"I hope everyone's alright out there," Karin remarked. "That wind gets any worse and we're all gonna end up in Oz?"
"Oz?" Maurice was curious. "Is that nearby?"
"It's just over the rainbow," Karin said with a grin.
Maurice looked curious and thoughtful. Humans used to do miraculous things, but could they really travel over rainbows?
"Only in our imaginations, Maurice," Karin said, sensing what he was thinking. "It's just a story," she went on to explain. "Like Winnie the Pooh. Over the Rainbow is a classic song that Dorothy sings. It's from the movie."
And to Maurice's utter delight, Karin took a deep breath and sang a line or two very softly. She stopped singing all too soon for the orangutan's liking. "Short song," the big ape grunted in disappointment.
"I just sang one verse. It's a full-length song, Maurice."
"Sing. All?" Maurice suggested tentatively.
"What? You mean the whole thing? Right here? Right now?"?
He nodded.
"Seriously? Oh, Maurice." Karin's face turned a bright red.
"Please?" he rumbled, putting on his best pleading face. It used to work in his earliest circus days, and it seemed to still work now.
"Okay, you win," Karin sighed. "But if you laugh, I'll never sing for you again, I swear. And warning, I'm no Judy Garlan."
Maurice did not know who this Judy person was, and he did not much care.
"Won't laugh," he vowed, then leaned back and watched as she straightened, obviously collecting herself. Perhaps she was remembering all the other words to the song or, perhaps, she was gathering her nerve. Either way, it was an easy vow for him to keep, for when she began to sing, everything else disappeared, and the big orangutan was completely enthralled. It was not the first time he had been enchanted by her voice; that happened the first time she sang to the group of ape babies and their mothers, but this was different. They were alone, in a small, enclosed space, and she was singing just for him now, and he knew he would never gaze at another rainbow again without hearing her sweet voice and remembering this moment.
As the beautiful singing came to an end, Maurice raised both hands then stopped, realizing that mere applause just would not be enough. He acted on impulse and swept the woman into a full embrace.
"Well," a slightly breathless Karin smiled as she returned his embrace. "Who needs applause. I'll take this kind of appreciation any day." She fell silent for a few seconds, then looking deep into his eyes, she added almost tentatively, "YOU want to hear one more?"
Pleasantly surprised by her question, Maurice nodded vigorously. As far as he was concerned, Karin could sing to him until the storm blew itself out, though he feared she might lose her voice long before it was over.
"One more song coming up, but I really need a drink first," Karin told him as she started to rise. Maurice gently pulled her back down and shook his head. He flicked a questioning glance between their steaming teapot and the large canteen of cold water, and when Karin indicated which drink she wanted. He retrieved the cold water easily. Orangutans have a long reach, after all. He smiled down at her as she leaned her head back and he held it to her lips as she took a long pull before nudging it away.
"Thanks. Mm, now that hits the spot," Karin sighed. She swallowed several times and sat up straight, but unlike last time, she took both of Maurice's big hands in both of her own. He held her hands and gazed down at her, his entire face a question mark.
"Are you ready?" the woman murmured, her blue eyes very soft and fixed on his face. And all at once, the big ape was not quite sure. Things had taken a more serious tone, and this would not be the lilting lighthearted yet moving tune she sang for him earlier. This would be something deeper and more meaningful for the two of them, he knew it. Was he ready to hear it?
Instantly, he regretted his thoughts, for she must have sensed something, seen something flicker in his eyes or felt something in his touch that made her pull back. It was the last thing he ever wanted.
"Hey, it's okay. It can wait, Maurice," she told him quietly, trying to free one hand from his gentle but firm grip. "You know me, I get ahead of myself sometimes. Just forget I said anything—"
"No," he rumbled, loosening his grip but refusing to let go of her hand. "Please, Karin? You sing. I will listen."
"But-" Karin began, and Maurice shook his head. He leaned forward and she copied the gesture until their foreheads touched. "You sing," he rumbled, taking extra care to pronounce each word as best he could. "You sing. I will listen. Please?"
Karin slowly drew back from him after a long moment, her eyes never leaving his. "Alright," she murmured. "Just remember, you asked for it."
He nodded, and as she began to sing, and as the words of this song rang so sweetly in Maurice's mind, particularly the last repeated words, "You're the one I love", the big orangutan's heart overflowed with the deepest emotions. The song ended, and Karin looked at him, her gaze uncharacteristically timid yet hopeful. And for once, Maurice felt as if he understood her feelings completely. I picked that song just for you, Karin's eyes were telling him. And I meant every word of it, Maurice."
He wished he could sing back to her. Or, that he knew of a song so sweet, compelling, and touching, but he did not know of any. Feeling even more tongue-tied than normal, all Maurice could do was gaze at her, imploring her to sense all the love he felt for her in his gaze. He opened his arms and held them out to Karin, and she came to him.
The storm lasted through most of the night, but it was not the only thing that delayed Karin's departure from the ape village. The morning after, as Karin and Maurice emerged from the back of Maurice's home, there was a nasty surprise waiting for them, for Karin in particular. She stood at the top and gaped in horror as they found the bottom half of the walkway sheered away. Instead of touching the ground, it now ended in empty air, large pieces of wood scattered over the ground like a child's discarded Lincoln Logs.
A group of gorillas was below inspecting the damage. "Morning. Are you folks okay? Anybody hurt during that storm?" Karin called down to them. They shook their heads no.
"Thank God!" She sighed. "But how do I get down now?"
Luca joined the small group of gorillas at what used to be the foot of Maurice's ramp. He pointed to the broken part of the ramp and made more gestures.
Karin blinked. "Jump?" She stared first at the gathered gorillas then turned to Maurice. "Are they kidding?"
The big orangutan shook his head.
"Uh, thanks but no thanks, fellas," Karin apologized to the helpful gorillas. She turned aside to Maurice and pleaded, "Isn't there another way?"
"Carry?" Maurice offered without hesitation.
Karin's eyes flew wide, her face paled, and she began to visibly tremble. "No way!" she exclaimed. "One orangutan ride in my life is more than enough, thank you!"
Maurice stared at her, and the shocked expression in his eyes overrode her fear instantly. "Oh, I'm sorry, Maurice," she cried, flinging both arms around him and hugging him tight, pressing her cheek against his cheek pad. "It's got nothing to do with you. Remind me to tell you about big Bruno and my three-day journey through the jungles of Borneo someday. But isn't there any other way?"
"Vine ladder?" Maurice suggested.
"A vine ladder. All the way down there? Maurice, I'm not a real circus performer. I only played one in a movie once."
Maurice nodded sympathetically, but Karin saw a small gleam in his eyes as he suggested, "Orang look better now?"
Karin nodded, giving the big ape a sheepish grin. She bit her lip before she could blurt out something else that might hurt Maurice. She knew that he would not make the offer if he thought it could put her in more danger. "Okay, if you're sure," she gave in. "I'll just drop my bag down first, though. There's nothing breakable in there."
Karin tossed down her bag and Luca caught it as she climbed nervously onto Maurice's back. She closed her eyes, twisted her fingers as deep as she could into his pelt and held on for dear life. Once they were safely on the ground, and Maurice helped her to pry her fingers loose from his hair, Karin silently berated herself for being such a baby.
"You folks think Koba would let me look in on Mary before I go?" she wondered out loud. "Is she any better this morning?"
Luca shrugged, but he looked concerned. "NO better. No worse," the silver-back grunted.
"Usually last a few days," Maurice put in.
\"Oh, the poor little thing," Karin sighed as she slipped her duffle over her shoulder. She noticed that Luca and the other apes were subtly melting back into the village. "Uh, did I do something wrong?" she asked Maurice, but he shook his head before draping one long arm around her, and giving her an exaggerated sad look.
"Oh, I get it. There giving us a little privacy to say goodbye, is that it?"
Maurice nodded.
"Aw! That gorilla," Karin grinned. "He's so thoughtful."
She reached out and drew Maurice's brow to her own, running her fingers tenderly through his hair. "Well, I'm gonna look in on Monica and Lisa and Mary, if Koba lets me. Then I'll go check on Percy, and I guess I'll hit the road."
Maurice made a low sad mumbling noise deep in his chest. He briefly tightened one long arm around her waist, but then he reluctantly released her.
"I know," Karin murmured. "We'll be together again soon. But I mean it, Maurice. I want you to stay home when the weather turns bad. Promise?"
He shook his head. "NO promises," he rumbled.
"Maurice? Be sensible," Karin began, but the stubborn ape would not budge.
Well, she did warn me. I hope Cornelia's not right, Karin worried as she scowled at Maurice. But she could not hold the expression for long before she broke into a smile and a wave as she headed through the village.
It took longer than she expected to get to Koba's place. First, she got totally distracted as Monica let her hold baby Lisa. Then, she was stopped by a female chimp called Lytta, and her all-girl hunting pack. Lytta invited Karin to join them. She thanked the female but declined the offer, pleading an inability to keep up with all the fast apes. At Percy and Phoebe's place, there was another group of apes, mixed chimps and gorillas and orangs, male and female. Karin affectionately dubbed this group of apes the H.L. A, short for the Human Lovers Anonymous, bunch, and they plied her with the peppermint tea she brought for them. They all chatted for a while before Karin was finally able to break away.
There was no one outside anywhere near Koba's place, and Karin hesitated for a long moment. Knowing Koba's unpredictable moods, she did not know if she should approach or not. But Koba solved her predicament by coming out and beckoning her inside. The poor worried father looked terrible, as if he had not slept at all the night before, and Karin immediately saw why. Mary tossed and turned in their nest, and when Karin touched the child's forehead she gasped and winced from the heat.
"She get worse," Koba grunted. "Got worse last night."
"Where's Sparrow and Cornelia?" Karin was surprised the ape queen and the healer were not at Mary's bedside.
"They go gather medicine herbs," Koba replied.
"Koba, could you folks lend me a horse?" Karin asked. "I'll run home and see if I have any more children's medicine. I might have some aspirin left, and that should break this fever."
Lake and her mother came in at the right moment. Koba asked the two of them to sit with Mary, and he quickly led Karin to where the ape's kept their horses stabled. One of the mares immediately approached Karin, nuzzling up against her, and Koba set about saddling the horse.
"Don't you need permission from Caesar or something?" Karin asked.
"No," was all Koba grunted before mounting the horse and holding out a hand to help her up. "We go now."
"We?" Karin was taken aback but recovered quickly and climbed on the horse behind Koba. She hesitated to put her arms around him, not knowing how he would react. Koba grunted impatiently and took hold of both of her hands and pulled her arms tight. She soon knew why as he urged the sleek horse forward, and they went thundering through the village. One of the startled young gorilla guards made as if to stop them at the gate, but at a vicious growl from Koba, who was one of Caesar's most trusted commanders and council members, the young ape hastily drew away, but he and his cohorts looked concerned.
"It's okay," Karin called over her shoulder as Koba sped up. She half-turned, clinging desperately onto Koba with one arm and cupped her other hand around her mouth and called back, "We're going after medicine for Mary." But she was not sure the guard heard her.
"Hey? Don't you think we at least should have told Luca?" Karin asked.
Koba just shook his head no and did not slow down.
Ivan, the young gorilla guard put in charge that morning by Luca, did not know what to do. He immediately sent a runner to inform Caesar, and he alerted Luca and Maurice to what was going on, except he had not heard Karin's last words too clearly, she and Koba had been going so fast. After a very brief conversation, the orangutan and the gorilla also took to horseback and rode out after Karin and Koba, and they intercepted the pair just as they came in sight of the Grove.
"What is going on here?" Maurice signed to Koba.
"She said she might have medicine for Mary," Koba signed back, clearly irritated by the interference of the two other apes.
"Maurice. Luca. I asked Koba if I could borrow a horse," Karin put her two cents worth into the conversation. She had not understood some of their signs, but she recognized Mary's name, and guessed what they were talking about. And she felt a little irritated at their overprotectiveness, and their lack of trust in Koba. After all, she had been in the village full of apes, especially friendly gorillas, and could have screamed for help at any time.
"I told Koba I wanted to get home fast," she added. "Now if you two don't mind, there's a sick little girl back at the village."
For his part, Koba sat back and watched how the human woman handled the two big ape males, making them both feel and look ashamed of themselves. Cornelia could not have done any better. Mary's father grinned to himself. He could not deny that he liked her spirit and determination, and he appreciated her taking his part. And perhaps, just perhaps, he could try to fulfill one of his daughter's wishes and befriend this one human female. It was not as if he had not gone out of his way to help her already.
"We need to dismount now, Koba, the woman told him. "It's too cluttered to go horseback riding in there. Trust me, we'll, well I'll, get through faster on foot. If you two are coming," she said aside to Maurice and Luca. "Then keep up." She handed the reigns of her and Koba's horse to Maurice, and disappeared into the grove at a run, with Koba staying right at her side, and Maurice and Luca tagging along behind them.
She found one piece of a bottle of children's aspirin in the nightstand by Lisa's bed, and eagerly gave it to Koba, with instructions on how to use it, and more importantly, how not to use it.
They all stood on her front porch, Koba feeling out of place and awkward, but also grateful. He forced himself to look deep into the human's eyes, and not flinch or snarl. "Thank you," Koba muttered, and offered her his hand.
"Koba, if there is ever anything I can do for Mary, I will do it," Karin vowed.
Koba nodded. For the first time in a long time, he completely believed the sincerity and the promises of a human being.
"Shouldn't you run and get that back to Mary?" Karin suggested with a faint smile as she let go of his hand. "Give that little sweet pea a kiss from me, okay?"
"Okay," Koba echoed. He quickly reached out and lightly touched the woman's arm again before leaving at a dead run.
"Koba?" he heard Karin calling after him. "You forgot the horse?"
"You keep her. Ride fast," the worried father called back before he disappeared into the trees.
"I swear, I will never understand that ape," Karin sighed. "One of you two take her back with you, then?"
Luca shook his head, and so did Maurice.
"What do you mean, no?" Karin exclaimed. "I can't keep a horse."
In answer, Luca took on a sly look, and pointed mysteriously in the distance to her old stables. He grinned and signed something to Maurice before giving Karin a cheerful friendly goodbye wave and hurrying after Koba.
"What did he say?" Karin asked.
"He said. You tell her," Maurice grumbled.
Karin sighed. "Maurice, is this your way of telling me I have a new member of the family?"
Maurice nodded.
"And who cooked up this idea?" Karin wanted to know.
"Caesar and Cornelia.'
"And Maurice?" Karin suggested knowingly.
The big orangutan shrugged.
"Look, Maurice, horses are pack animals. She's gonna get bored and lonely stuck out here with me," Karin argued. "She'll miss her friends."
Maurice came to her side and draped his long arm around her and when he grinned, Karin knew what was coming next.
"You come back. For visits. Often," Maurice told her with a sweet sincere smile.
"I knew you'd say that. There's no use reasoning with you, is there?" Karin laughed and threw up her hands in defeat.
'Not much," Maurice agreed.
"What am I going to do with you," Karin sighed as they warmly embraced.
Maurice lightly nuzzled the side of her neck, but she giggled and gently pushed him away. "Oh no you don't. I've gotta get my new family member settled into her new home, and you gotta get back to school, Professor. And don't give me those sad orangutan eyes, either. I'm not falling for it this time," Karin smiled and kissed him soundly.
"Yu wait here one sec. I've got something for you," Karin told him as she disappeared back into the house and began rummaging in various drawers. It took a few minutes to find her prize, and when she came back outside, Karin held out a large ring full of keys to the astonished ape. For a long moment, Maurice only gaped at her, his expression unreadable.
"What's the matter? Go on, take them," she urged. "It's keys to the house and most of the outbuildings around here."
Slowly, looking as if he could not believe what was happening, Maurice stretched out one large hand and Karin dropped the key ring into it. She watched as Maurice slowly turned the big ring over and over in his hands and ran each and every key, and there were a lot of them, through his fingers. He clutched the gift to his chest with one hand, the same way she had clutched the precious package Koba gave her with the locket and her brother's metals and pulled Karin against his side in a tight embrace with the other.
"Are. You. Sure?" Maurice rumbled, his body trembling with intense emotion.
"Uh, yes. I thought it would make it easier for you to get into the house when you come and I'm not nearby. Good grief, it's only my dad's set of keys, Maurice. What's the big deal? They all still work, I promise. If you let me go, I'll prove it to you.
When he did not let her go, Karin twisted so she could look fully into his face. "Maurice? What's the matter."
The big orang pressed his brow against Karin's and whispered, "Humans. Do not. Give apes. Keys."
"Oh, Maurice," Karin breathed. She thought she finally understood. "You've been in human built cages all your life, and you never expected any human, not even me, to hand you a set of keys and say that you're free to come and go as you please. Am I getting close here?" She sniffed and cleared her throat as it tightened with profound emotion.
Maurice nodded.
"Sorry I'm such a dumb clueless human being. But you've opened your home to me, re-arranged it so I'd feel more comfortable. And, as close as we're getting, I want you to feel as much at home when you're in this house. You want to try them out?"
He nodded
Karin stepped away from him and to the front door. "I'll lock myself in and you can test out the keys." She stepped inside and pushed the heavy door closed with an audible snap, but before she had finished engaging the many locks, she heard a key in the door. "A little impatient, aren't we? Let me get done locking up first, Maurice." She clicked the last lock into place. "Okay, anytime you're ready, big guy."
Karin waited and waited, even leaning against and pressing her ear to the door, but there was no sound. "Maurice? Do you need help with ... Ahh!" She jumped and cried out as a large hairy hand descended tenderly onto back of her neck.
Karin whirled around to face an innocent-looking orangutan, his face looked innocent, but his eyes danced with mirth. "That's not fair. You came through the wrong door!" she gasped. "What a sneak!"
You. Did not say. What door," Maurice countered, chuckling deep in his throat.
"It's not funny, you big ape," Karin cried, but she was laughing in spite of herself. "What am I going to do with you?"
His eyes suggested quite a few possibilities, but Karin set her jaw and shook her head. "Stop trying to temp me. C'mon, you gotta go. They'll wonder where you are and what's keeping you?"
"They. Know," Maurice argued.
'Yeah, and that's worse. C'mon," and she opened her front door and ushered him outside. Digging in her pockets, she handed him a fancy leather draw-string pouch with an extended wide strap. "You need a way to carry those keys. I don't want you losing them in the middle of the forest. Drop them in there, and I'll buckle this around your middle."
He did as she asked, then stood quietly while she secured the pouch. "Too tight?" she asked. He shook his head, and they both stalled a little longer as she kept her arms around him, gently grooming his hair with her fingers, and he did the same with her long hair.
"I don't know why I'm bothering. You're gonna look a real mess by the time you get home." But they both knew why, just as they both enjoyed the grooming, and the closeness it provided them.
Once they managed to pull themselves apart, Karin walked with Maurice back to where the horses were tethered. "Listen, I didn't want to say this in front of Koba," Karin began. "But if Mary gets worse, send someone for me, okay?"
"I will come," Maurice promised, and they embraced one last time before Maurice mounted up and rode away. Karin pulled out her field glasses and watched until the orangutan was out of sight.
She turned to the newest member of her household. "Well, you poor girl, it's just you and me now," she murmured, rubbing the mare's head as the horse whinnied softly. "Let's get you settled and give you a good rub down. You've earned it."
A/N:
This is a story landmark for me. It's not only chapter twenty-five of this epic, but it's the longest chapter I ever wrote. I promise they won't all be this long. But I hope everyone enjoyed it.
The last song that Karin sang for Maurice was, You're the One by The Carpenters. I can't put links here, but if anyone wants to hear it, look it up on Youtube and/or Spotify. Warning, it's kind of a gushy love song. 😀
As always, welcome back to all my wonderful patient readers, and welcome aboard to any new readers I may have picked up along the way. A huge hello and hugs to my commenters, and anyone Feel free to review/comment/favorite, ask questions, etc. All polite feedback is so appreciated. It brightens this humble fic writer's heart.
Hope to see you folks on Chapter twenty-six, where some small time jumps will begin as we creep ever closer to the events of Dawn.