“Dr. Milo was a genius far in advance of his time,” Cornelius said. He stood and went to place an arm across Zira’s shoulder, then faced the Commission. “We did not enjoy a mechanically dominated civilization such as yours,” he said. “We did not have the energy sources, for one difference. Certainly there was nothing resembling space flight. Yet, when that spacecraft first landed intact on our seacoast, Dr. Milo was able to salvage it, and through study, repair it. In the end he half understood it.”
“Half,” one of the commissioners said. “Was ‘half enough?”
“It was.” Cornelius looked up in anger. His voice hardened. “Enough for us to escape when war became inevitable. Enough to repair the spacecraft and adapt the survival equipment. Enough for us to survive to land here, where he was murdered in your zoo, and enough for us to be standing here where we can be insulted by you. Quite enough, I think.”
“Please accept our apologies,” Cardinal MacPherson said quickly. “We did not intend to insult you. I wonder if you can understand our surprise, though?”
“I think so,” Cornelius said. “I’m sorry I lost my temper.”
“I add my apologies,” Hasslein said softly. “But please, Cornelius, where did you come from? Did none of you know? Not even Dr. Milo?”
“He knew,” Cornelius said. “He believed we came from—from your future.”
There was silence. The commissioners stared at each other. Then the audience became restive. There were murmurs and comments, and the chairman pounded for order. Eventually there was quiet again. Dr. Hartley looked at Cornelius and said, “That does not make sense, sir.”
“It is the only thing that does!” Hasslein smacked the arm of his chair with his open palm. “The only thing!” He looked up, realized the others were staring at him. “Please excuse me.”
“You spoke of war,” a new voice said.
“Senator Yancey,” Lewis said. “Armed Forces Committee. Senator, Cornelius and Zira.”
“Yes. You spoke of war. War between whom?” Yancey insisted.
Cornelius sighed. “Between our army—all gorillas—between the gorillas and whoever lives—uh, lived—will live? I have trouble with the tenses. Between the army and the inhabitants of the tunnels and caves of the territory next to our.”
“And you don’t know who they were?” Yancey insisted.
“No, sir.”
“Who won that war?” Yancey asked.
Zira interrupted before Cornelius could answer. “How the devil would we know? Chimpanzees are pacifists. We stayed at home. May I ask you something? Would you care to be here, chained, thirsty, under these very hot lights, watching us drink water while you had none?”
“Good heavens!” Dr. Hartley exclaimed. He gestured, and two attendants took a pitcher of water and glasses to the chimpanzees. They drank thirstily. Lewis and Stephanie were not offered water, and Lewis winked at Stevie. She winked back.
“So you don’t know who won the war,” Yancey insisted. “Surely you must have heard reports—”
“No, sir,” Cornelius said. “We assisted Dr. Milo in his work to repair the spacecraft. Then we left. Somehow we ended here. Now.”
“Can you explain that?” Hasslein asked eagerly.
“No, sir. Dr. Milo had a theory, perhaps, but he never explained it to us. I know that before he died that night he was scribbling complex mathematics on the floor of our cage—”
“Where are those equations?” Hasslein demanded. “Dr. Dixon, were they preserved?”
“No sir.”
Hasslein sank into his seat, dejected. Then, angrily, he said “Why not?”
“Because,” Zira answered, “we were never given writing materials. Dr. Milo was using his finger and water to write on the cement floor. Naturally the writing wouldn’t last—”
“Oh,” Hasslein said. He brooded.
“About the spacecraft,” Senator Yancey said. “It landed in your country. By the sea, you said. What happened to the crew? To Colonel Taylor and his men?”
Zira and Cornelius looked at each other, then back to Yancey. “I don’t know,” Cornelius said. “The spacecraft was empty when we first saw it.”
“And did you know Colonel Taylor?” Yancey insisted. “Did you ever meet him?”
The apes exchanged glances again. “No,” Cornelius said evenly. “Is he a soldier?”
“He was an officer of the United States Air Force, an astronaut, and a hero,” Yancey said. “And one of the purposes of this Commission is to find out what happened to him.”
“We don’t know,” Zira said. She looked up helplessly. “We are peaceful creatures. I am a psychiatrist, and my husband an archeological historian. We are very tired, and we have been cooperative, but can’t you now take these chains off and let us rest? Please?”
There was an instant of silence; then the hall burst into applause. Even Hartley’s gavel couldn’t silence it until Lewis and Stevie, smiling, had unlocked the collars and thrown the chains to the floor.
NINE
“You were marvelous!” Stevie said. She threw her arms around Zira. Both laughed as they danced around the hospital wing of the zoo. Stevie halted suddenly and looked around. “I’m sorry you’re still here . . .”
“It’s as good a place as any,” Cornelius said. “Thank you for the furniture.” He indicated the chairs and tables which had been placed in the cage. There was even a small stove in one corner. The door to the next cage, where the gorilla had been, was now open, and bedroom furniture had been placed inside. Cornelius strolled to the corner and turned on the television. “Is this the right way to work this?” he asked.
“Yes.” Lewis watched, frowning, as the news programs came on. A local announcer was saying, “Doctor Victor Hasslein had no immediate comment for this reporter, but we understand he will be a special guest on the Big News, in just half an hour. Stay tuned for the Big News. Now—late-breaking sports. The Los Angeles Rams have—”
“That’s how to turn it off, too,” Cornelius said. “But I do want to watch this Doctor Hasslein.”
“We all do,” Lewis said. He stood at the cage door. “Well. Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
“Eh?” Cornelius said.
“Come in, come in,” Zira insisted. “We don’t mean to be impolite—but after all, it’s your zoo. We don’t really think of this cage as our home, Lewis. I’m sorry . . .”
“Very natural, of course,” Lewis said. He took a seat without being asked; he was tired, and they’d probably never get around to that.
“Have a seat,” Cornelius said. Lewis grinned at him and they both laughed.
“They were just marvelous,” Stephanie said again. “Weren’t they, Lew?”
“Sure, darling.” Dixon’s voice took on a worried edge. “Fabulous. But there was a moment there when . . .”
“Yes,” Zira said.
“Now, let’s not think about our difficulties,” Cornelius said. “I’ve just learned about coffee, and I want some. I watched Stevie make it, and I think I know how.” He went to the stove and began rattling the percolator.
“He knows,” Zira said. “You’re not helping, Cornelius. He knows.”
“My dear,” Cornelius said. “Are you sure we should go into this now?”
“Quite sure,” Zira said. “But only to these humans. To—to our physicians. In confidence. This is in confidence, Dr. Dixon?”
“Yes,” Lewis said. He was fairly positive of it; no one would bug the hospital section of the zoo, certainly not without Haskins being aware of it, and Haskins had said nothing. “In confidence.”
“Why can’t you be honest with everyone?” Stevie asked. “With the Commission?”
Cornelius sighed deeply. “I wish we could. I truly do. But—I’m afraid to talk even to you.”
“But we will,” Zira said. “Sit down, Stevie. Cornelius, stop messing with that pot and come join us. We have to talk to them while we’ve got the chance.”