Dr. Zaius stood before the Council of Elders, reading from a paper his staff had prepared on the rising cost of raising food.  He looked up with irritation when he heard a disturbance at the carved chamber door, annoyance darkening his features.  He saw the council guard open the ornate portal and gesture to him.

The orangutan leader grumpily put down his papers and went over to the door.  "Yes, what is it now?" he asked petulantly.

The Elders couldn't hear what the chamber guard said to Zaius, but they saw him bring a sentry into the doorway and saw the gorilla speak softly to their leader.

Dr. Zaius nodded, slapped the sentry on his dark leather-encased shoulder.  "Sentry, on behalf of the council I wish to thank you and express our deepest gratitude to you.  You may tell your commanding officer that you are to be rewarded!"

The orangutan Elder then turned to the assembled council and quickly related what the gorilla guard had revealed him.  "The humanoid they call Blue-Eyes, the very one I saw this evening doing simple tricks...." He paused dramatically and the Elders leaned forward expectantly.  The manner of Dr. Zaius proclaimed an important announcement, and they were listening intently.  "The humanoid can speak!"

Several of the Elders expressed shock, and two of them shouted out together: "No, that cannot be!"

Zaius put his hand on the shoulder of the gorilla sentry.  "This warrior says it is so."

Some of the Elders still shook their head and several started to speak among themselves.  "It's a trick of some sort!"

"Utter nonsense!" said another.

And another: "Fantasy, sheer fantasy!  Like two-headed calves and machines that fly in the sky!  Utter rubbish!"

Dr. Zaius put up his hand and caught the attention of the Elders.  He turned again to the sentry. "Your distinguished act of reporting what you overheard is an example of simian patriotism at its highest." He smiled and patted the shoulder of the burly guard.  "You may go."

As the guard walked toward the door, Zaius called after him, "Once again, our thanks, and you may return to your post."

Zaius retained a serene and untroubled expression as the guard left and the door was shut behind him.  His elaborate thanks to the gorilla was part of his personal policy of diplomacy.  Verbal awards were easy, effective, and served many purposes.  The reward he had given was to be made by the gorilla guard's commander and would come from their allotment.

But as soon as the door closed, Zaius turned to the council, his face purpling with rage and worry.  "If what this ape says is true, we must act without delay!"

The elders nodded, their faces harsh with responsibility.  They were all orangutans, historically the leader class, and knew the awesome task they faced.  Several tugged nervously at the yellow-orange beards that flowed down over their light-colored garments.

Zaius leaned on the long, wooden council table, his solemn voice heavy with anxiety. "We of this chamber are the only simians who know the true danger the humanoids represent!"

The expressions of the council members changed, and shadows of fear crossed their faces.

He raised a cautionary finger. "Humanoids once lorded over all other animals," he intoned seriously.  "Include us apes."  He paused to lo ok about, letting the words sink in.  "But humanoid greed, humanoid folly"----his voice deepened with righteous anger---"humanoid lust for power caused him to destroy his civilization in a cataclysmic war."

Zaius ceased, overcome by emotion.  He turned to look at the large stone statue carved in the likeness of the original simian lawgiver, a direct ancestor of Zaius himself.  The impressive and noble statue overlooked the Council Chamber, and Zaius studied the patrician brow for a long moment.  Then his voice continued, with a haunting quality of fear tingeing it.

"And from humanoid dust our great ape society emerged.  But it is also written that if humanoids were to regain the intelligence of language, they would once more become master of this land and would once again destroy it!"  He turned again toward the council, his features agitated.  "And so, if it is true that this Blue-Eyed humanoid can speak, he and all humanoids must be destroyed immediately!"

Several of the Elders immediately shouted out their response.

"Hear, hear!"

"Yes!"

"No other way!"

But Zaius saw that several were still undecided.  He stepped toward Thadeus, one of the most respected of the council members.  Others turned to listen.

"And you, noble Thadeus, what do you think?"

The elderly orangutan stroked his long beard reflectively.  "We should not act hastily," he said.

"But we must act swiftly!" another member cried out.

"Swiftness of action does not indicate its rightness," Thadeus advised, giving the member a sidewise look.

"But the historical facts area..." the member insisted and started to enumerate them.

Thadeus put up a restraining hand. "I know them as well as you." He paused and glanced up at his friend Zaius, who was waiting for his opinion.  "This Blue-Eyes might be a mutant---a single fluke---who, if destroyed singly, might nip the whole thing in the bud."

Zaius shook his head. "I fear this may not be the case.  Where there is smoke, there is fire.  If there is one talking humanoid, there will be others.  If we wait too long to act, we might be unable to root them all out."

Thadeus shook his head. "I don't know....This has far-reaching implications.  To destroy the work force upon which much of our economy is built----that is a most serious step."

"I know how serious it is, noble Thadeus.  I had thought long and often upon this very decision, long before I knew of a single talking animal.  I considered every side of the action.  To remove the 'Pet Detail' will not matter much at all.  The fad will pass anyway, in all likelihood.  To eliminate any experimental animals is of no importance, since without the race of humanoids around we would have no reason to study them."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDUbheoKk5

Zaius stopped, studying several faces, gauging their possible response.  "The elimination of cannon fodder for Urko and his bloodthirsty warriors is, however, a vital factor...."

"Why?" asked Zorvan, one of the Elders who had hesitated to vote for the immediate destruction of the humanoids.  "They merely use them as moving targets, much as chips in a game of cards."

Zaius stroked his beard.  "Yes, but what if Urko is deprived of his toys?" He scanned the faces before him once again.  "Why might he then wish to play with as his mobile targets?" He saw some faces change.  "He is already on the brink of mutiny..."

Two of the elders protested. "No, you are mistaken.  Urko is loyal!"

"Loyal to his ambition," Zaius said. "He has no love for chimpanzees, and certainly no love for us orangutans, who have traditionally governed. He wants command of everyone---not just his brutish gorillas."

"That is a chance we must take," an Elder said.  "Urko has always been loyal.  He's always obeyed the orders of the council before."

"He always had humanoids to play with before," Zaius reminded him.  "But you are right, maybe, I think....It is a chance we can take, after all."

Thadeus now raised a finger and got the attention of Zaius.  "And the work force?  The toilers in the field? The harvesters, the cattle tenders, the gardeners?  What of those who shape the stone that goes into our buildings and those who till the fields?  Are we to take the sweaty place of the humanoids?"

Expressions of distaste were on many faces as Dr. Zaius leaned forward.  "If we must, yes.  Bending your back freely in a field is better than living as the humanoids must live!  Better than living in a cage!  And better than living as our ancestors did---ignorant, dumb animals scratching each other in zoos and jungles!"

Zaius's voice cut like a knife through the objections of everyone present.  He looked at Thadeus, who nodded wearily.

"I vote we destroy the humanoids at once!" cried Zaius.  "If the beast can talk, I want immediate authority to allow me to have these animals hunted down and killed to the last cub!"

Several of the Elders jumped to their feet with their enthusiastic votes.  Zaius looked from face to face and got his answer.

He turned at once and shouted, "Guards!"

The door crashed open and two burly guards stood alertly, their eyes watchful, their hands on their weapons.

"Put the militia on full alert!" Zaius ordered.  "Surround the laboratory of Cornelius and Zira at once!"

As the guards left, Zaius turned back to the council.  Pointing at them he said, "We must personally go and witness this so-called speaking humanoid beast!"

The Elders got to their feet.  Thadeus was last, but he, too, followed Zaius out of the Council Chamber.  He gave one last look at the statue of the First Lawgiver, his wrinkled face inscrutable and his manner sad.

Outside, the gorilla soldiers were quickly forming up into troops, their officers shouting commands.  Somewhere a siren started its shrill cry and a number of jeeps, loaded with armed warriors, came into the central square with engines racing.

Zaius stood with the Elders, listening to the clatter of hobnailed boots, the rattle of weapons, and the guttural commands that were being thrown about.  A searchlight cut through the night sky and a klaxon sounded an alert.

A gorilla captain waved his arm.  "Surround the laboratory!" The gorillas began to march off at double-time, the Elders walking slowly down the steps behind them.  Several tanks now rumbled into the deserted square and across the paving towards the street that led to the laboratory.  37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSllrWTOdYG