Dawn showed them the entire bay. It was shallow and stagnant, with small patches of oil and dead fish. Zira found a protected spot that could not be seen from the land, and brought the blanket-wrapped baby out to nurse in the warming sun. She waved at the dirty water below. “Did Lewis really play here?” she wondered.
“It must have been cleaner then.”
“It stinks of man. Human stench.”
“That’s oil,” Cornelius said. “And dead fish.”
“Is that what man wants oil for? To kill fish?” The baby made happy sounds as she cradled it.
“You don’t like humans, do you?” Cornelius asked.
“We’ve met hundreds here, and only three we can trust.” She continued to pet the baby. “I don’t like that cabin, Cornelius. I think there are fleas in there.”
He shrugged. “I’ll see if I can find a better place.” He moved off through the ship graveyard, hoping for a nicer cabin. The human smell had been very strong in the one they were using now.
“How long have you had this man in custody?” Hasslein demanded.
“He was picked up about 2:30 this morning,” the deputy sheriff said. He looked at his notebook. “Drunk and disorderly. Suspect was taken to the county lockup to sleep it off. He was babbling about talking apes waving guns at him. The desk sergeant wrote it up, and the lieutenant noticed it coming on duty this morning.”
“Idiot,” Hasslein growled. “Almost nine hours you’ve had him!” He turned to Zeke. “Where did you see them?” he demanded.
“I didn’t see anything, sir,” Zeke said. “Honest, sir, I got too much wine last night, and—well, that’s all there was to it.”
“Nonsense,” Hasslein snapped. “You saw two chimpanzees, one carrying a baby chimpanzee or else very pregnant. Both animals could talk, and probably spoke to you. Haven’t you been reading the newspapers?”
Zeke looked surprised. “I haven’t been following them for a while—”
“He’s a common drunk,” the deputy said. “We get him about twice a year. I doubt Zeke can read—”
“I most certainly can!”
“Anyway, he generally doesn’t know what’s going on in the world. Zeke, we keep trying to tell you, those apes you saw were real,” the deputy said. He saw a copy of Time and grabbed it. “Look. Right here, see, that’s their pictures on the cover.”
“I’ll be damned,” Zeke said.
“So. You admit you saw them?” Hasslein said triumphantly.
“Well—”
“Where?” Hasslein demanded. “Where? WHERE?”
“Don’t shout at me. I promised I wouldn’t tell.”
“Promised whom?”
“Uh—them, cap’n. The ape had a gun in his belt, and they was talking about not letting me go—so I promised I wouldn’t tell about them.”
“But you already have,” Hasslein insisted. He got silence. “Do you know who I am?”
“No, Cap’n.”
“I am the chief science advisor to the President of the United States.”
“Well, smell you!”
The deputy choked back laughter. “Zeke, what he means is he can have you put away for a long time. In some awful place, too, I expect.”
“He can?”
“Sure.”
“Oh.” Zeke thought about it for a while. “It was by Point Doom,” he said. “You know, that old ship graveyard? I been living on one of them ships for a few weeks now. Like a fool, I came ashore to cook my dinner. Didn’t want to smoke up the ship. Besides, they’re all over oil. And I saw those chimpanzees, just like you said. One of ’em was carrying a baby, and the other had on a knapsack, regular backpack thing, and he had a gun in his belt.”
“Thank you,” Hasslein said. “You may release this man, deputy. And get me your superiors. I will want the police to seal off that area.” He stood and put on his lightweight topcoat. It thumped hard against the desk as he did, and Hasslein put his hand into the pocket to check on the automatic.
As the deputy led the old wino out, Hasslein nodded grimly to himself. The baby chimp was already born. That changed everything—and made the threat to the human race even greater.
“Get me my driver,” Hasslein snapped to the Marine outside his door. “And a squad of your Marines. With a sergeant.”
“Uh—shouldn’t the Lieutenant come with us?” the trooper asked.
“No. That won’t be necessary. Just your sergeant. And let’s go!”
The jeep drove swiftly through the oil fields. Hasslein did not wait at locked gates; he had his Marine drivers break through them. The county sheriffs spread out behind them sealing off the area, as Hasslein brought his troops to the small bay. He stood at the top of the bluff and searched through the wrecked ships with binoculars.
“Nothing,” he muttered.
“Nor me, sir,” Sergeant Meissner said. “But they’d keep out of sight, I reckon.”
“Yes.” Hasslein examined the ridge. “They must have gone down this path. We’ll take the same route. Bring your troops. And remember, Sergeant, those apes have guns.”
“Yes, sir. The Captain said we were to take them alive.”
“Of course,” Hasslein said. “But you wouldn’t want any of your men to be killed. Just be very careful.”
They reached the bottom of the bluff and started across the soft sand, Hasslein and Sergeant Meissner in front, a dozen Marines behind fanned out with rifles ready.
“There’s where that wino had his fire,” Meissner said, pointing. “Looks like he took off in a hell of a hurry. He left his stew.”
“Yes. And here!” Hasslein pointed in triumph. “One of them fell here. Slipped in the oil. There is a bare foot print. The foot print of an ape!” They reached the water’s edge and Hasslein looked out at the ships. Where would he hide if he were an ape? “Sergeant, I’m going out there. You deploy the men around here so the chimps can’t escape, then follow me.”
“Sure that’s wise, sir?” Meissner asked.
“I’m sure it is not, Sergeant. But I’m going all the same.”
“Yes, sir.” Meissner watched Hasslein take his automatic from his pocket and work the slide. The scientist walked gingerly out on the planking leading to the big wrecked freighter in the center of the bay.
It bothered Meissner. He wasn’t responsible for Hasslein’s safety, but his officers would have his hide if anything happened to the president’s advisor while Meissner was with him.
And what about those apes? Meissner didn’t trust Hasslein. But the Captain had told him to take Hasslein’s orders—what could he do? He moved quickly to deploy the men. The sooner he could get out there, the better he’d feel.
TWENTY-TWO
“It’s no use, Stevie,” Lewis said. “They’re not going to let us in.” He turned back to the Marines at the gate to the oil field. “Corporal, do you understand what responsibility you’re taking? Those chimpanzees were put under my care, I know they’re down there and Dr. Hasslein is searching for them—and you won’t let me in! What if something happens to one of the apes? Who’ll care for them?”
The Marine stood impassively in front of the gate. “All I know, sir, is the Sergeant told me to wait for an officer and not to let nobody in here until the officer came. I’m doing that.”
“Lewis,” Stevie called from the car. “Does he have a radio? Can he call someone?”
‘Right,” Lewis said. “Well? Do you have communications?”
“Well, yes, sir, but I don’t think civilians are supposed to—”
“Corporal, if you don’t use that set to call an officer for me, and anything happens to those chimps while we’re standing here waiting for orders, I’ll do my best to have you shot.” Lewis’s voice was cold and hard, and he saw he’d gotten to the Marine. “Call the base.”
The Marine nodded. “All right, sir. Who do you want to get?”