Escape from the Planet of the Apes - Pournelle Jerry (книги онлайн бесплатно .TXT) 📗

“A man like you is a miracle,” Cornelius said. “We will be grateful forever.”

“I am grateful to you,” Armando said. “It has been a privilege to know you. I hate those who wish to tamper with destiny, which is the unalterable will of God. If it is God’s will that man destroy his fine civilization, and dominion over the earth pass to the apes, then that is God’s will; and no man has the right to change that. Dear friends, you must go. Now, before the police come.” He reached up to his collar and took a medal on a silver chain from around his neck. “Wait. Take this. For the baby.” He put the medal around the infant chimpanzee’s neck and fastened the clasp.

“But what?” Zira asked.

“It is a medal of St. Francis of Assisi, and it has been blessed by the cardinal himself. Armando has no miracles, but perhaps St Francis has.”

“Who is he?” Cornelius asked.

“He was a very holy man who loved animals,” Armando told them. “And some of us believe he can work miracles to this day. I know this is superstitious nonsense to you, but for Armando, leave the medal on the child. Please.”

“We will, Armando,” Zira said. “Always. It will never be taken off him. I promise you that.” She turned away, then suddenly looked back. “Armando? I would like to say goodbye to Heloise.”

The circus master frowned. “There is little time—but of course.”

They watched as Zira, carrying her child, went into the infirmary where Heloise cared for her own baby chimpanzee. Then Armando and Cornelius were busy again, gathering the things they would need on the road, and Stephanie brought the car around.

They did not have to wait long before Zira joined them.

It was night, and the oil derricks stood above them like giants. The grey bird pumps pecked endlessly at the ground, bringing up oil for the power plants just visible in the distance. The ground was covered with blowing dry dust.

Lewis stopped the station wagon at the edge of the oil field. “This is as far as I can take you,” he said. “We have to get back to the labs and clean up Stevie’s car.” He switched on the interior lights of the car and held out a map. “Can you read this, Cornelius?”

“I am familiar with maps,” Cornelius said. “If the conventions are explained—yes. Certainly. I could have drawn this.”

“OK,” Lewis said. “This is the oil field. It goes on that way to a bluff overlooking the sea. There’s a small bay right here, about two miles, just beyond an abandoned oil refinery. The bay’s crowded with wrecks. Old ships, brought in and beached. It’s not deep enough to use for a harbor.”

“Yes, I see,” Cornelius said. “Zira, wrap that baby up well. It’s chilly out there, and we have a long way to walk.”

“I used to play here when I was a kid,” Lewis mused. “Anyway, there are some old ships there, intact enough to give you good shelter. You can hide in them for the next month—”

“A month?” Zira protested.

“At least,” Lewis told her. “I’m still hoping we can get you out of here and past the search, so you can go with Armando. I’ll bring you more food when it’s safe.”

Cornelius nodded, and got out of the car. He shouldered the backpack from the trunk, and looked to Zira. “Ready?”

“Yes.”

He turned to Lewis. “They’ll kill the baby if they find us?” he asked.

“I’m afraid so. Yes,” Lewis said. His voice sounded as if the words had been torn from him with hot pincers.

“Then—give us a chance to kill ourselves. Please.”

Lewis hesitated, then nodded. He took a pistol from his pocket. “Do you know how to use this?”

Cornelius nodded, then laughed bitterly. “That was one portion of your technology which we never lost. Please, Lewis.”

“All right.” He handed Cornelius the weapon.

“You’re the second human I’ve kissed,” Zira said. She put her muzzle to his lips. “Colonel Taylor was the first.”

“And you’re my first,” Cornelius told Stevie. He kissed her. “Goodbye.”

“Till we meet . . .” Lewis said. “Not goodbye.”

“Come on, Zira. Don’t dawdle,” Cornelius said. He moved briskly away, his voice harsh to mask his emotion.

TWENTY-ONE

They paused at the edge of the ridge and looked across the bay toward Los Angeles. The lights were very bright, glittering slightly in a haze rising from the sea. The waves pounded on the coast below, marching endlessly from the west.

They were so close to the city lights that they could not see many stars, but they had never seen city illuminations before. They stood looking for a long time.

“Brighter than the stars,” Cornelius said. “Beautiful.”

“From here,” Zira agreed. “I think it wouldn’t be so pleasant if we were there.”

“Yes.” He took her hand. “Let’s go.”

They went along the top of the bluff until they reached the sheltered bay. As Lewis had told them, there were a number of abandoned boats, mostly fishing craft, beached in the shallow water. One large old tramp steamer stood out from among the others, and Cornelius pointed to it. “We can hide in that.”

They threaded their way down the bluff. Oil tanks stood on the sky line above them, each marked by winking red lights.

“Who lives in those?” Zira asked.

“No one. It’s where they store the food for their machines. This whole vast mechanical civilization depends on—” he paused. “Quiet!” he whispered.

“Is there someone out there?” Zira whispered.

“I don’t know. I thought I heard someone,” Cornelius said. “I don’t hear them now. Let’s go.” They crept on toward the abandoned ships. Oil had seeped from the ground near them, and made the way slippery. They reached the beach, and soft sand made the going even harder.

Then they came over a slight rise, and saw the fire.

“We’ve checked out just about every place that ever had apes,” Larry Bates told Hasslein. “Nothing. It wasn’t such a good idea after all.”

“But where, then?” Hasslein demanded. “They must have had help. Widen the perimeter of search. Assume that someone met them and took them out of the camp.”

“Who?” Amalfi demanded.

“Assume anyone who left, and see what you get from that,” Hasslein said. “Start with that Dr. Stephanie Branton. She came up to the camp gates, ran into the road block, and turned around. Her car was searched—but suppose it wasn’t searched very well? Make the assumption she took the apes away with her, and trace her movements.”

“Right, sir,” Amalfi said. He went out of the office.

“You’ll get them, sooner or later,” Bates said.

“Yes.” Hasslein’s snarl was savage. “That’s what I’m afraid of. Later. Later we’ll do something about the population explosion. Later we’ll do something about nuclear weapons. We think we’ve got all the time in the world—but how much time has the world got? How can we buy it more?” Hasslein waved expansively. “Someone’s got to care NOW!”

“Yes, sir,” Bates said woodenly.

“Yes, sir. Dr. Hasslein’s fanatical again. Stark raving mad. Bates, do you know that twenty-five years ago they told me that later they were going to do something about Mongolism in children?”

“Sir?”

“Forget it. Find those apes.” His voice dropped dangerously low, and he snarled ferally. “Find them, Bates. And tell me where they are.”

It wasn’t a very large fire, because Zeke didn’t want it seen by anyone. He huddled close to it and watched his stew bubble. It was already cooked, but Mulligan got more flavor the longer it simmered, and Zeke wasn’t in any hurry to eat. He’d had a sandwich for lunch, and there was half a bottle of wine left to drink after the stew. With what he’d drunk before, that was plenty.

Zeke was sure he wasn’t a drunk. He liked to drink, and he liked the warm feeling wine gave him, but he didn’t wipe himself out. He ate well, and he was willing to work when he couldn’t find any other way to get a meal.