Scattered Remains

Part 1 of 2

by Theresa

To Pat Ames – Finder of Lost Writers

 “Thus does one go to the stars; this is the way to fame and immortality,” - Virgil

“I hate auctions!” Pete Burke hissed through clenched teeth to his partner standing at stiff attention next to him.

“Shhhh!” Alan Virdon cautioned.  “Behave yourself or you may end up held over till tomorrow, and we already know what happens to leftovers.”  

Undaunted, the dark-haired astronaut scanned the crowd of apes and humans milling below the rickety, wooden platform.  “If someone buys us, how’s Galen going to locate us when he gets back?  And if they separate us, how are we going to find each other?”

The blond looked thoughtful for a moment.  “If we do get separated, first chance you get, meet me back at the river bank where we camped the other night.  Galen estimated it’d take more than a week to get back to Central City.  Then he had to persuade his father to help draw up a set of ownership papers, and you know how tedious government paperwork can be … besides, Yalu wasn’t exactly one of our biggest fans.”

“Well, I think Galen should’ve thought about getting those damned papers while we were still hiding out at his parents’ house.  It wasn’t like he had an awful lot to do, and we sure as hell wouldn’t be here right now if he had,” Burke grumbled.  “After all, I was the one stuck in bed the whole time, remember?!”  

“Pete,” Alan whispered, dumbfounded by his friend’s insensitivity.  “I think Galen just might’ve had other, more pressing, matters on his mind.”  The blond man looked pointedly at his younger friend.  He saw understanding and remorse appear on the thin, expressive face.  Liquid brown eyes met his for a scant second, then looked quickly, defensively away.  Virdon was suddenly reminded of one of his wife’s frequent sayings.  ‘The eyes are a mirror to the soul.’  His friend, Pete Burke, was a living, breathing example of the truthfulness of that statement.

It had been a little over tow weeks since he and Galen had rescued Pete from Urko’s clutches.  Galen’s mother, Ann, had voluntarily risked her life and her husband’s career to bluff their way into the Central City hospital just in the nick of time to save Pete from one of Urko’s ‘special’ operations.  Luckily, the three of them had managed to free Burke without suffering irreversible injury to themselves or Yalu’s career.

But Alan wasn’t so sure about his friend.  Pete’s physical recuperation from Wanda’s mistreatment was still ongoing.  Although the bruises to his torso from the beatings he’d endured between brainwashing sessions were fading, he still suffered periodically from attacks of vertigo. His appetite had returned, but most of what he managed to swallow usually came right back up.  He had lost weight, leaving his already slim body and face with a gaunt, malnourished look.

Physically, his recovery was sluggish, but Virdon could see daily progress.  However, he was much more concerned with Pete’s mental and emotional well-being.  Even before his ordeal, Burke had displayed a rash, impetuous streak, frequently rushing doggedly into dangerous situations before properly evaluating them.  But his days and nights in Wanda'’ sadistic hands seemed to have had a detrimental effect on both his disposition and his reasoning abilities.  Totally unpredictable in his reactions on a good day, Pete was now downright reckless and irrational on a bad one.  For Burke’s sake, and his own, Virdon sincerely hoped that today was not a bad one.  

A husky male orangutan paced up and down the auction block, looking at first Burke, then Virdon.  He cleared his throat, clasped his hands together behind his back and rocked back and forth thoughtfully on the balls of his feet directly in front of the tall, blond astronaut.  “Chon, does this one have any experience in convalescent home or hospital work?”

The auctioneer, a wiry, nervous little ape, came to stand beside his customer.  “I don’t know, sir.  These two are brand new to my inventory.  They were brought in without ownership papers three days ago.  I held them for the mandatory 48hours, but the ape who claimed they belonged to him has not yet returned.  I’m perfectly within my rights to sell them today.”  He wrung his hands, agitated at having to explain the circumstances whereby he came in possession of these two humans.  But the large orangutan had already lost interest in the men and moved on to a small human female at the end of the line.

The skittish auctioneer crinkled his nose and frowned testily at both astronauts, then turned his attention to another potential buyer.  “Can I help you, sir?”

“I’m looking for breeding stock, Chon.  Let me see that one, and these two.”  The old, graying gorilla wiggled a palsied finger toward a tall male at the front of the line and Burke and Virdon.

Chon gestured at the first human, who obediently and automatically stripped off all his clothing.

“Well, what are you two waiting for?” he said sternly to Burke and Virdon, who stood motionless and confused.  The little ape tapped his foot impatiently.  “Take off your clothes, humans!”  

Pete threw Alan a look of open-mouthed dismay, but his friend could only shake his head sympathetically.

"It’s not worth it, Pete!”  Virdon whispered, already shrugging out of his shirt.  “You know you’re not up to anymore of their disci-line methods.”

Reluctantly, the dark-haired human signed agreement and slowly began to remove his clothes too.

“Whom are you trying to cheat with this merchandise, Chon,” the aged gorilla said angrily, shaking his head and throwing a long, hairy arm into the air for emphasis.  “This human has been neutered.”

Disconcerted, Chon wrung his hands.  “I don’t understand, sir.  That human came from a very reputable dealer.  Here,” he gestured towards his new subjects, “these two are in prime condition.”

Burke shot Virdon a sideward glance.  “Uh oh,” he groaned under his breath.

The ancient simian limped slowly to the middle of the platform, stopping directly in front of Burke.  He stared long and hard at the naked man.  “And what form of mutilation is this?  Or was he born with this defect?”  

“I don’t know, sir,” Chon said worriedly.  He was already envisioning a ‘no sale’ day, and every failed transaction had the same two things in common – these new humans.  His exasperation was steadily rising, and he turned on Burke.  “How did you get this way?” he asked impatiently.  

Teeth chattering, Burke shivered in the cool, autumn wind.  “My mom signed a consent form when I was born.  The doctor did the rest,” he said truthfully

“Lies … always lies and disrespect from these creatures,” the auctioneer shrieked.  He drew back his arm and delivered a stinging backhanded slap to Burke’s cheek sending the man toppling to his knees.  

“Bah!” the gorilla huffed snidely.  “From the looks of him, he’s been disciplined before.  Well, some humans just can’t learn.  This one seems to be a troublemaker, Chon.  I’m not interested in him anymore.  Show me those two tall males on the end.”  Without even so much as a glance at Virdon, Chon and his customer moved on.

“Pete?”  Alan waited until the two apes were well out of hearing range, then jerked his pants up and knelt beside Burke.  “Are you okay?”  

Trembling with rage, the younger man turned his head toward his friend.  “I’ll ‘mutilate’ him!” Burke growled under his breath and attempted to stand.  

Alarmed at his friend’s continued, possibly destructive, animosity, Alan gripped Pete’s too-thin shoulders tightly and moved closer so he could look long and hard into the man’s eyes.  “You listen to me, and you listen good!” he whispered harshly, “If you want to commit suicide, then do it somewhere where I don’t have to stand by and watch.  I know you went through a lot, and I know it’s affected you to the point where you don’t seem to care if you live or die.  But I do!”  Virdon paused for emphasis, then continued.  “And so does Galen!  We risked our necks to save your ass and, frankly, I’m not going to just stand idly by while you get yourself killed.”

Speechless at Virdon’s uncharacteristic scolding, Burke dropped his eyes from his friend’s unwavering glare.  For a long moment, he stared in stunned silence at the holes in the ancient wooden floor, then he reached purposefully for the ragged blue shirt that lay in a heap on the platform.  

“I mean it, Pete.  These temper tantrums have got to stop!  Do you understand me?”

The reprimand brought Burke’s eyes abruptly back up.  His face was an open mask of shock that suddenly crumpled into the Peter Burke patented ‘little boy lost’ look.   With the immediate danger averted, Virdon heaved a sign of relief and shoved his heart back down his throat.  He released his grip on Burke’s shoulders, noting with some remorse the reddened, telltale finger marks his large hands had left on the dark-haired man’s bruised skin.  He hadn’t realized he’d squeezed so hard.  Immediately contrite, Alan reached out to help Pete draw the shirt over his bowed head.  “I’m sorry,” he said quietly.  “I didn’t mean to be so rough … but, if anything happened to you, Pete, I don’t think I’d have the strength to keep on going.”

Burke wriggled the rest of the way into his shirt and yanked his pants and his body up carefully.  An open apology was in his eyes.  He knew Alan didn’t expect him to verbalize it.  Instead, he cleared his throat and said casually, “Okay, mom.  I’ll behave.”

It was enough for both of them.

Secretly enjoying the timid little chimpanzee’s predicament, Angus found himself smiling absently as he watched the animated customer rant and rave on the auction platform.  Just as quickly as it had appeared, he wiped the grin off.  It wouldn’t be proper for a mere human to laugh at the misfortune of an ape.  But, inside, the smile grew even brighter, and Angus had to bite the interiors of his cheeks to keep it from returning full blown to his face.

A keen sense of self-preservation made him look away, and he stared up at the pitiable lot of humans being offered for sale.  Seemingly oblivious to the altercation on his behalf, the first male in line was redressing himself slowly.  However, the angular, dark-haired human in the middle of the line huddled red-faced, naked and trembling.

Angus felt a familiar pant of compassion toward the man, and then he looked into the human’s piercing brown eyes.  Even at this distance, he could tell that the man was not flushed with embarrassment or merely shaking with cold.  He was very obviously enraged and barely managing to contain it.

Now half-dressed, the light-haired, stockier male knelt beside the younger man, speaking to him in low, even tones.  So unusual was this display that Angus felt compelled to move nearer for a closer look.  After all, Virgil had told him to keep an eye out for all unique humans.

Reaching the base of the auction stand, he ey4ed both men curiously, watching as the tall blond began to help the other dress.  And then he noticed the difference in the human.

“Chon … sir … I beg forgiveness for interrupting, but I must have a word with you.”

Unaccustomed to a human intruding, much less speaking in such a forward manner, both apes turned around and stared at Angus in shocked silence.

Undaunted, he scaled the stairs, two at a time, then slowed and approached the old gorilla and chimpanzee cautiously.  As he passed the slender human, his heart raced, and another sideward glance confirmed his first conclusion.

“Sir, I am Angus, assistant overseer of Lord Micah’s northern territory.”  He saw his master’s name and importance register on Chon’s surprised face.  “I believe Lord Micah would be interested in taking these two humans off your hands.  I have papers with his seal giving me authorization to purchase slaves for him.”

Completely ignoring his already disgruntled customer, the auctioneer now turned his total attention to Angus.  “I am honored and humbled that your master sent you to view my stock.  You are interested in these two?”

“Yes, sir.  We are in need of several able-bodied humans to help us at harvest time, and I’m certain these two would be perfect.  Here are my authorization papers, sir.”  Angus removed a handkerchief from his pocket and mopped beads of sweat from his forehead.  It was a cool, breezy day, but the thrill of his discovery was making him perspire.  He hoped that he didn’t appear too eager.

The slighted old gorilla huffed and turned to leave, then paused in front of Burke.  “Well, I just hope your master isn’t looking for breeding stock,” he said offhandedly to Angus.  Almost as an afterthought, the large ape reached out, grabbed a handful of Burke’s shirt and effortless and vigorously, shook him.  “This one is deformed,” he said matter-of-factly.  Abruptly, he released Burke and stalked off the platform.

The slender astronaut swayed on suddenly wobbly legs, and Virdon watched as every trace of color drained from Burke’s face.

“Pete?” he said worriedly, reaching out a steadying arm.

“I … wish …” Burke swallowed hard and closed his eyes.  “I wish … he … hadn’t done that.”

“The dizzies again?”

Burke started to nod his head, then thought better of hit.

Virdon saw his friend’s lips press together into a thin, tight line.  “Breathe deeply through your nose, Pete.  Keep your eyes closed and hang on to me until it passes.”

Concerned by the interchange, the auctioneer steered Angus to the far side of the platform.  “Now, I cannot guarantee those two humans, Angus.  They are new to my stores, and I have no pedigree on them.  However, I wish Lord Micah to know that if something should befall one or both of them within, say … three months, I will be happy to replace them at no extra charge.”

“Sir, is there anything I should know about these humans before we complete this transaction?”

“No, no, no, no!”  Chon was almost beside himself.  “All my slaves are in relatively good condition.  I just want you to make certain that Lord Micah knows these two have been owned before and, as you can see, their treatment has not been the best.”

“Yes, I noticed the bruises, but the human is young and seems in good health otherwise.  Now, let’s talk price.”

Chon smiled broadly.  Those were words that played sweet music in his hairy ears.

**********

The late afternoon sun was gray and overcast, and the sun’s disappearance transformed what had only been chilled breezes into icy gusts.  Winter was going to be early this year.  The assistant overseer tugged his homespun jacket closer around his neck and chin, pushed his long, fair hair away from his face, and turned back to check on his master’s new slaves.  For appearance sake, he had been forced to tie them to the rear of the wagon and purposely depart the village at a fast pace, leaving the two of them to either walk quickly, run, or be dragged behind.  Angus estimated that they had been traveling for more than an hour, and he knew they had passed their last ape on horseback over thirty minutes ago.  Since then, they had seen no one else, man nor ape.  Glancing around at the denser vegetation and thicker wood, Angus determined that it was now safe to stop.  Vaulting from his wagon seat, he hurried back to check on his humans’ condition and release their bonds.

Alan, the older, blond human, seemed barely winded.  He was obviously in good, physical shape and, Angus reasoned, must have spent many months trudging great distances at a high rate of speed.  Right now, however, the man seemed preoccupied with is friend, who was hunched over, painfully sucking in great gulps of air.

“I’m sorry,” Angus said as he struggled to untie Burke’s wrists.  When the younger man was freed, Angus reached into the wagon and retrieved a bladder canteen.  He handed it to the still gasping human and moved on to untie Alan.  “I had to make them believe you would be treated as slaves.”

“We have been!” Alan said tersely, rubbing his chafed wrists and moving to aid Burke.

“It was necessary to do so. It was the only way I could rescue you from Chon’s greedy clutches.”

Virdon and Burke exchanged puzzled glances.  They had interacted with many different humans since their arrival in this future world nearly six months before, but they had never run into one quite as perplexing as Angus.

The assistant overseer shuffled and maneuvered boxes of supplies and loose hay around in the back of the wagon, making room for the astronauts to climb on board.  “I know you must be cold and tired.  I hear the auction cages aren’t very comfortable.  If you’d like to sleep or rest, please do so.  We have a very long way to go before we reach Lord Micah’s territory.”

“Thanks … Angus,” Burke said and meant it.  Kindness was not something they bumped into every day.

Virdon helped Pete climb into the tall buckboard and watched as the man snuggled gratefully into the soft, sweet-smelling hay.

“Get some sleep, okay?  I’m going to ride up front with Angus and find out about our new owner.”

Without opening his eyes, Burke whispered a quiet affirmation.

Virdon nodded approvingly to himself, then turned to Angus.  “Is it permitted to ride with you?  I have many questions.”

“You may ride with me if you wish, Alan, but I won’t be able to answer your questions.  It is better if you wait until Overseer Virgil can speak with you.  He will explain everything you need to know.”  Angus jumped into the driver’s seat and waited for Virdon to join him, but the man had returned to the back of the wagon.  The assistant overseer watched as the blond human removed his vest and tucked it securely around his already sleeping partner’s shoulders.

“Your friend is not well.  I’m sorry I had to make him walk, but I couldn’t afford to raise any suspicions in the village.  Lord Micah is very specific in his instructions to our overseer,” Angus said as Virdon joined him.

“Pete was … disciplined … by a former owner.  He is recovering, but it will take some time,” Alan explained carefully.

“What did he do?” Angus whistled to the horses, and the wagon moved forward with a sudden jerk.

“He … refused to divulge the names of humans and apes who have helped us,” Virdon said cautiously, watching closely for any reaction.

There was none.  Angus merely looked at him and nodded.  I understand,” he said and left it at that.

They spent the rest of the afternoon traveling at a rather brisk pace, stopping only at dusk to make a quick camp.  After a cold dinner of salt biscuits and dried fruit, Angus curled up in a makeshift tent beneath the wagon.  “If you promise me you won’t try to escape, I won’t tether you for the night,” he said, almost as an afterthought.

Virdon was incredulous.  “You’ll take our word that we won’t run away?!”

“Of course.  Besides, you belong to Lord Micah now.  Why would you possibly want to escape?” Angus adopted the same incredulity in his voice.

“All right,” Alan said.  “You have my word that we won’t leave tonight.”

Angus nodded his satisfaction and relaxed.  “Then good night.  I hope you feel better tomorrow, Pete.”

Burke washed his third mouthful of dry bread down with several swigs of tepid water, then made a sour face.  “Here,” he said, handling the partly eaten biscuit out to Virdon.

Alan shook his head and pushed the bread back toward Pete.  “You need to eat!” he said pointedly.

“Tell that to my stomach,” the younger man said, suddenly rising and bolting to the bushes adjoining their camp.  Trembling and several shades paler, he returned a few minutes later.

“Couldn’t keep it down?” Alan asked, worry evident in his voice.

 “No,” Pete said hoarsely.  He looked down at his still shaking hands.  “You know, every time she’d stop the wheel, that sadistic ape-bitch would pour some concoction down my throat.  At the time I thought it was just water, but now that I think back,” Burke locked troubled eyes with his friend.  “… Alan, maybe it was something more …”

Virdon heard the barely concealed fear in the younger man’s voice.  “I don’t think those apes were sophisticated enough to try to poison or drug you, Pete.  Do you remember what it tasted like?”

“Water … at the time I thought it was just water …” he repeated, his eyes taking on a vacant, haunted look.

“Don’t do this to yourself, Pete.  You’re still in the recovery mode.  You know from past experience that it takes a lot of time to get over being sick.”

“I’m not sick, Alan.  I was tortured … for days …”

Burke’s expression went bleak again, and Alan felt compelled to steer their conversation away from the past.

“I know,” the blond man whispered.  “But, it’s all over now, and looking back serves no useful purpose.  Come on, if you can’t bring yourself to eat, at least get some sleep.”

“I slept all day.  I’m not tired,” Burke pouted, sliding back into his defensive persona but, at the same time, he reluctantly heaved himself up on unsteady legs and started slowly back toward his warm, comfortable straw bed.

Virdon watched him go, and a vague uneasiness crawled chillingly 8up the length of his spine.  What if Pete was right?  What if Wanda had found more in her book than mere brainwashing techniques?

Alan sighed tiredly and rubbed at the ache on the bridge of his nose.  And what if Galen had thought to get forged ownership papers while they were still staying at his parents’ house?

And what if Angus hadn’t decided to stop at the auction and buy them today?

And what if …. Everything they’d endured in the last six months was really just an ongoing nightmare and, right now, he was really at home, lying in bed next to his wife.  At any moment, he would wake up and touch the soft velvet of her warm skin, caress the satin curves of her body, smell the clean scent of her freshly washed hair.  If he closed his eyes really tight and concentrated, perhaps when he opened them he would see Sally staring down at him in her own disarming way.  She would smile at him and tickle his nose and lips with her long, honey-colored hair.  

“Wanna fool around?”  He could almost hear her deep, early morning voice whisper into his ear.  “Chris is still asleep.  I figure we’ve got a whole hour.  Think you’re up to it … hmmm?”  

Virdon reached out a hand to grab her, pull her to him, meld her body with his ….

 “Alan? You okay?”  

*********

Pete’s concerned voice reached through the centuries, shattering his dream into a million tiny shards.  Reluctantly, he blinked away the fantasy and the unshed tears.  Everyone he’d ever cared about had died more than a thousand year ago.  Every one …

He felt cool fingers encircle his forearm and squeeze gently, hesitantly, and he turned to look into the troubled face of his friend.  ‘No … not everyone …’

 “Come on back to the future, Al,” Pete said softly.

 Nodding, he let Pete lead him to the buckboard.  “Don’t you have this backwards?  I’m supposed to be taking care of you.”

“It’s my turn!” Burke said in mock indignation.  “You keep telling me to eat! Now I’m telling you to sleep!  Your bed is right over there.  Now march, Colonel!”

Virdon wiped at his eyes one more time and smiled gratefully.  “Yes, sir … Major.”

 At just before daybreak, they continued on, but Angus slowed the pace.  Traveling in a northerly direction for another four days, the assistant overseer rose at sunrise on the fifth and steered the wagon due east.  Finally, just as the sun moved from its daily zenith to warm their backs, he pointed to a grove of stately pines.  “Lord Micah’s territory begins there!” he announced.

 Rested from languishing four days in a soft bed, Burke sat up and plucked at the bits of straw decorating his abundant, walnut-colored hair.  Finding a particularly fat one, he popped it into his mouth and chewed one end thoughtfully.  “Geez, talk about your boonies!  How much further until we reach ‘home,’ Angus?”

“We’ll be there in time for the evening meal, Pete.  Overseer Virgil will be extremely excited to finally meet you.”

 “Overseer Virgil?  Does he run the place?  When do we meet Lord Micah?”

 “You probably won’t get to see Lord Micah right away.  His greathouse is many more days travel to the north.  Virgil is in charge of our sector.  He ensures that everything runs smoothly and that we always make or exceed our annual quotas.”

“Is he the ape in charge?” Alan asked.

 Angus chuckled, then laughed out loud, a sound so uncommon in the humans of this world that both astronauts exchanged looks of wonder.

“What’s so funny?” Burke asked.

“Never mind, you’ll met him soon enough,” Angus shook his head, still smiling at his private joke.

 Alan glanced around at his friend and shrugged his shoulders.

“Okay … I just asked,” Pete grinned, then sobered.  He had a whole afternoon to himself before he became the official property of Lord Micah.  He glanced around, then patted the hay behind him into a soft pillow and lay back.  If he only had a few hours of relative freedom left, he chose to spend it sleeping.

The assistant overseer glanced back and nodded approvingly.  “Pete is recovering I think.”

Alan bobbed his head in agreement.  “Yes, he’s much better, thanks to you.”

Angus smiled and clicked to the horses to quicken their pace.

“You know, I’ve been wondering about something.  We were definitely not the best looking humans standing on that platform.  Why did you buy us?”

“Because of Pete,” Angus said honestly.

“I don’t understand.”

 “He’s … different.  You know, he’s not the same as you or I,” Angus hesitated, as though he were trying to remember something.  “There’s a word for it, but I can’t recall it right now.  You really should wait until Virgil can explain everything to you.  It won’t be much longer.”

The blond human watched as the face of their new friend closed up.  The answer was always the same, no matter what the question:   ‘Wait!  Overseer Virgil will explain it.’  Well, like the man said, it wouldn’t be much longer.

“Pete!  Wake up!  You’re not going to believe this.”

Alan’s excited voice intruded in his sleep, and Burke cracked one eyelid to find himself the subject of close scrutiny by several pairs of prying eyes.  He stared up at the well-scrubbed faces of at least five human children.  All seemed content to merely stand and look at him, and he suddenly felt uncomfortable.  Stifling a groan, he pushed himself into a sitting position.  “Whose rugrats?”

Virdon’s face joined the circle of children watching him.  “Boy, you are a sleepyhead!  Will you open your eyes and look around?”

The dark-haired man scratched his head, stretched grandly and then froze in mid-yawn.  His gaze centered on a magnificent, two-story log cabin directly in front of the wagon.  Surrounded by tall maples and silver oaks, the structure was nothing like any of the hovels he was used to seeing humans live in.  Even those apes he had encountered didn’t have the technology to create such a house.

It was equipped with several fireplaces and a wraparound porch that sported an honest-to-god, cane-back swing.  The windows held no glass, but all were equipped with one piece shutters.  Mesh screening had been installed to let air in and keep insects and other pests out.  And behind the screens hung intricate crocheted curtains.

Burke tore his eyes away from the beautiful house to view the scene behind, but children’s faces blocked his view.  He scrambled to his feet and stood in the back of the wagon.

“I don’t believe it.”  As far as his eyes could see were less spacious, but similarly designed, one-story log houses.

“Angus!”  A petite brunette woman who appeared to be in her late-thirties ran from the porch of the larger cabin and embraced their benefactor in a great hug.  They kissed familiarly.

“I was so worried about you.”

“Well, you shouldn’t have been.  You know I can take care of myself.  And look!  See what I’ve brought.”

The woman reluctantly pulled away and looked at Pete and Alan.  She smiled warmly at them.

“This is my wife, Neva.  This is Alan, and this is Pete.”

 “Hello.  Welcome to Lord Micah’s family.”

 “Thank you, Neva.  We have Angus to be grateful to.  He rescued us from the auction block,” Virdon said.

 “He’s always doing something for others.  My husband has a good heart.”

 “Come,” Angus gestured for the two astronauts to follow him, and he and Neva hurried toward the large house.

 Burke jumped agilely from the wagon.  “Somebody pinch me.  I must be dreaming.  Owww!”  Pete’s head whipped around.  “All right, which one of you little monsters did that?”

The children giggled, a musical sound all on its own.  Its merriment infected Burke, who joined them in their laughter.

“Hey, Al, I think I’m gonna like it here.”  He hurried to catch up with his friend who had already ascended the steps.

Virdon stopped him with a solemn face.  “You know we can’t stay long, Pete.  Galen is probably on his way back from Central City by now.  He’ll be along in a week or so to ‘claim’ us, and then we’ll have to leave.”

The brown eyes dropped forlornly, and Pete nodded.  “You’re right, I guess.  Can’t have ol’ Urko up here messing with Angus or his family.”

“If we stay too long, you know that’s exactly what’s going to happen eventually.”  Alan looked back at the children who were now engaged in a raucous game of hide ‘n seek.  “I wouldn’t want to be the serpent in what appears to be another Garden of Eden on this planet.”

“Come inside,” Neva burst out of the screen door and beckoned to the two men to enter the house.  “You must freshen up before dinner and your introduction to Papa Virgil.”

 “Papa?” Pete furrowed his brow at Alan, who shrugged.

“That’s what the lady said.  Come on.”

Unbelievably, the inside of what they soon learned was Lord Micah’s greathouse was even more splendid than the outside.  They were shown to a large, upstairs bathroom and were delighted to discover that the overseer had installed a crude indoor plumbing that featured both a shower and a bathtub with hot and cold running water.

When they had bathed and wrapped themselves in large warm towels, Neva reappeared and showed them to another upstairs room.  “This will be yours until Papa Virgil can arrange to have your cabins built.  I hope you won’t mind sharing; all other rooms in the greathouse are occupied right now … and I’ve taken your clothing – it needs to be washed, and there were several holes in your shirt,” she said to Pete.  “I’ll see to it that it is mended.  I’ve laid out clean clothing for you on the bed.  Dress quickly.  Dinner will be ready soon.”

Again, they were shocked to find the bedroom decorated with beautiful furniture.  Although homemade, the full-sized Paul Bunyon log bed featured a thick mattress, la4rge down pillows and a colorful, patchwork quilt.  Lacy, crocheted curtains hung from each of the room’s four large windows, and dried flowers kept the look of spring glowing in the decorative window boxes outside.

Virdon toweled his wet hair vigorously.  “Well, I’m impressed,” he said, still looking around in awe.

Burke sat on the bed and picked up one of the fleece shirts that had been spread out on the quilt.  Soft underwear, undershirts, knitted socks, and gray trousers were also lying ready for their use.  “I guess they dress for dinner here,” he said offhandedly, running his hands over the expertly-sewn spread.  His fingers touched the fluffy knits and scratchy homespun squares.  Triangles of an unusual, smooth white cloth were interspersed on the quilt forming ring-like patterns.  He reached out and touched one, frowning at its texture.  It didn’t feel like the others; in fact, it didn’t even look homemade.  It felt more like ….

 “Pete!  Come over here.”  Alan stood gazing out one of the m8iddle windows.

Distracted from his examination of the quilt material, Burke doffed the towel, pulled on the underwear and grabbed one of the shirts.  He shoved his still damp head through the neck opening and joined Alan.  “What is it?”

“Want to bet that’s Overseer Virgil down there?”

A glance at the courtyard below showed Angus conversing quietly with a gray-haired man.  The older human had his back to the astronauts, but even at a distance, they could discern that he was tall and large in build.

 “No bets,” Pete said, returning to the bed and retrieving a pair of hand-knitted socks.  He yanked one on his left foot, then stopped, frozen in place by an almost forgotten scent.

 He sniffed once, twice, then looked at Alan with wide, wondering eyes.  “Is that what I think it is?”

Virdon grinned.  “Smells like roast chicken … with sage dressing.  And apple pie!”

A knock at the door and Neva’s voice hurried them.  They finished dressing quickly, and Angus’ wife showed them downstairs to a spacious dining room already occ8upied by several other humans, including Angus.

Again, the décor was handmade but sophisticated.  Alan guessed that the long, polished table was maple.  There were lengthy benches on both sides, with two large, ornately carved wooden chairs placed at both ends.

Several roast chickens were spread out sumptuously in a veritable smorgasbord of delicacies the astronauts had neither seen nor eaten in what seemed eons. Cornbread and sage dressing, fresh, steamed vegetables swimming in homemade butter, and bread still warm from the oven lay in abundance on the table, and both men felt their stomachs contract with hunger.

Angus motioned for Alan to join him on the bench nearest the head of the table.  He gestured for Pete to sit directly opposite him.  The other humans arranged themselves on the benches, leaving both large chairs empty.

“Where’s Trina?”  Angus looked around the room, searching for a face that had not yet appeared.

“I haven’t seen her since early this morning,” Neva said.  “She’ll show up.  She always does.”

“My only daughter,” Angus said in explanation and shook his head.  “Seventeen and thinks she’s grown.  Do you have any …”  The assistant overseer cut himself off as the side door opened.

An old woman entered, and both Pete and Alan stood in respect.  Dressed in a flattering, formfitting dress, she appeared to be in her late sixties.  Her gray hair had been meticulously caught up and pinned to the back of her head in a neat bun, and she searched the room with animated blue eyes.  Settling on Burke, her gaze finally stopped.

He met her unyielding glance head on, but she was intimidating in her stare, and he suddenly felt as though she could see right through him.  He squirmed inwardly, uncomfortable in the grip of her gaze, and dropped his eyes.  When he looked up again, he saw that her piercing stare now held Virdon in its grasp.  Burke saw a flicker of some unrecognizable emotion flash fleetingly across her lined, but still handsome face as she examined Alan with her eyes, but it disappeared before he could discern what it was, and then she continued to her chair at one end of the table.

Angus jumped up.  “Let me help you, mother,” he said and took her arm.

“I see our guests haven’t forgotten their manners, Angus.  Please be seated,” she said to Burke and Virdon.  Then to Angus, “Have you forgotten yours?”

“No, ma’am,” Angus blustered, pulling her chair out and pushing it in as she seated herself.  “I thought I’d wait for Papa.”

“I’m here, Angus,” a strong, deep voice said from the front of the room, and Burke and Virdon turned in unison.

 Overseer Virgil, his wrinkled face and leathered skin displaying every decade, stood in the doorway.  His gray, thinning hair was cropped short, and he sported an equally gray beard and mustache.  But age had no touched his body or his voice.  He stood tall, well over six feet, with broad, unstooped shoulders and a massive chest.  In two long strides, he took his place at the head of the table and looked from the still standing Burke to Virdon.

 “Alan,” the old man appeared to have great difficulty saying the name.  He swallowed, then coughed once, twice, then again and again until it appeared he couldn’t catch his breath.

Angus and Alan moved together to grab the man’s arms.  They tried to help him sit down, but Virgil held up a large hand to signal that he was okay.  Still wheezing, he reached for a handkerchief and wiped his streaming eyes.  “Forgive me,” he said in a strained voice.  “I’m a very old man, and my body sometimes likes to remind me of that fact.  Welcome to Lord Micah’s family.”  He held out a hand to the blond astronaut.

Virdon took the proffered hand to shake it and, instead, felt himself drawn into a warm, friendly embrace.  Marveling at the old man’s strength, he pulled back and stared deeply into Virgil’s faded blue eyes.  “Well, thank you, sir.  Pete and I are very grateful.  However, there is a problem ….”

 “None we can’t fix, I assure you,” Virgil said and turned watery eyes to Burke.  “And you are Pete.  Welcome.”

Again, the hand was extended.  Burke shook it cordially, then found himself similarly squeezed.

“I trust you’re feeling better now.”

 “Very much, sir.  Thank you.”

“Sit down, gentlemen.  Let me introduce you to the rest of my family.  My wife and partner in life, Charlie,” he said, indicating the older woman at the opposite end of the table.

The old woman smiled at both astronauts.  “It’s really Charlotte, but he’s always called me Charlie.  You can call me Mama or Charlie or Mama Charlie, whatever’s easiest for you.”

Virgil went on.  “To your immediate left, Pete, are my oldest daughter, Rachel, and her husband, Noel.  They are responsible for running the northern zones of the sector.  And on the end are our youngest, Charla, and her husband, John, who are accountable for the southern districts.  On the opposite side are my only son, Angus, and his wife, Neva, both of whom you’ve already met.  They are in charge of caring for the residences, the barn, and helping me to oversee all of Lord Micah’s vast estate.  Next to Neva is my middle daughter, Arvid, who runs the children’s learning house and assists her mother in caring for the sick.  And on the end are my grandson, Andrew, who belongs to Angus and Neva.  He’s 15 now and permitted to join the adults for dinner and ….”  Virgil stopped and looked at the vacant bench space.  “What is Trina?” he looked pointedly at Angus.

 “You know the child, Papa.  She’s off wandering somewhere in the hills.”

“She’s not a child anymore, Angus.  She’ll be eighteen in less than two months.  She has chores and responsibilities now, and if I find that she’s gone back to the forbidden territory again, I’ll ….”

“I’m sorry I’m late, Papa Virgil!”  An utter whirlwind breezed into the room, slamming the door behind her and plopping unceremoniously into the vacant seat at the table.  She was tall and lithe, with auburn hair that fell in waves to her waist.

“And this is Trina, my oldest grandchild,” Virgil finished irritably.  “Everyone, this is Alan and Pete.  They’ve joined our family today.”

Virdon surveyed each face.  All of Virgil’s grown children had varying shades of blond hair with deepset eyes that ranged from brightest blue to murky ocean green.  The older two, Angus and Rachel, had darker hair and complexions than their sisters.  Charla, the youngest, had waist-length saffron hair and seemed extremely shy.  She cast her gaze downward as Virdon looked her way.

But Arvid, the middle daughter, had no such inhibitions.  She boldly returned his stare, and Virdon found her open, welcoming smile delightful.  He smiled back and nodded, noting the attractive curve of her square jaw and her long, honey-blonde hair.

Reluctantly, he moved his gaze along the rest of the table, finally halting on his friend.  He saw Pete with an identical grin on his face, but Burke had eyes only for the lovely young thing who had just joined them.

Virgil motioned for everyone to sit.  “Enjoy your meal, gentlemen.  We’ll talk more after dessert.”

Sated, warm and comfortably secure for the first time in months, Alan leaned back into the homemade sofa and let his body relax completely.  Seated next to him, Pete seemed likewise rested and content.  The dinner meal was everything they imagined it would be and more.  Dessert had been the expected apple pie served with cool, tangy lemonade and, just when both astronauts knew they couldn’t eat or drink another bite, Virgil and Charlie moved them into another area of the house that seemed to serve as the family room or den.

After helping Neva and his sisters and brothers-in-law clear the table and start the dishes, Angus joined them.  Neva followed with a tray laden with more drinks.

“Oh, no … thank you, but I just can’t …” Pete said, shaking his head and holding his stomach.

“You should try some, Pete,” Angus said with a sideward glance and wink at Alan, who already held a glass in his hand.

Curious, the blond man took a tentative sip.  Almost immediately, his eyes grew large and moist, and he coughed appreciatively.  “It’s beer!  Cold and foamy … beer!”  He took another sip and grinned at his dark-haired friend.  “I don’t believe this.”

Beside him, Burke lifted a mug of the unexpected beverage to his lips.  He drank long and deep and heaved a sigh of extreme pleasure.  “That … was … wonderful!”

“Take it easy, Pete.  Remember, you’re not used to taking in this much food.”

 “I feel fine, Alan.  Everything’s stayed down for several days now.  You can let it go, okay?”  Burke said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Virdon backed off.  “Okay,” Alan said placatingly and turned his attention to the faces of his new friends.  “All right, Angus.  We’re here.  Virgil is here.  And we have many questions."”

“Yeah, first of all, who are you?” Pete said, wiping foam from his lips.  “And how did you manage to make this beer?”

“No,” Virgil said simply and kindly.  “First of all … who are you?”

“What do you mean?” Virdon said.  “You know who we are.”

“I have a pretty good idea who you are, but I’d prefer it if you’d tell me yourselves.”

Burke and Virdon looked at each other.  Mutually indecisive, they turned back to the old man expectantly.

“Angus tells me that Pete is different from other human males.”

Pete looked up.  “I don’t know what you mean … ‘different.’  How am I different?”

“You are circumcised, are you not?”

Burke’s face flushed an unexpected crimson.  After all, they were sitting in mixed company.  Recovering quickly, he shrugged his shoulders.  “Yeah, so what?”

“Up until today, I thought I was the only circumcised male on the planet,” Virgil said.

“Yeah?  Well, you show me yours, and I’ll show you mine,” Burke rankled.

“Pete!” Alan chided.  “Don’t you even hear what he’s saying!  How is it that you even know about such a procedure, Virgil?  And why did you say ‘on the planet’?”

“If I’m not mistaken, circumcision was a fairly common practice for newborn males in the middle and latter part of the 20^th century.”

Virdon was aghast.  “So, what are you really saying, Virgil?  That you were born in the middle of the 20^th century?”

The old man smiled.  “In 1968 to be exact,” he said.

Beside him, Charlie suddenly stood and walked to the other side of the room.  She pulled open the middle drawer of a credenza-like piece of furniture and pulled out a small, round paper-wrapped item.  Returning to her seat, she handed the article to Virdon.

Alan peeled back the fragile onionskin paper carefully, and both he and Burke caught their breath.  The insignia was old and faded, and the edges were raveling, but the faded letters were unmistakable.

“NASA,” Alan whispered in stunned disbelief.  “My God, you were an astronaut too?”

“Charlie and I have been awaiting the arrival of others like us for more than forty years.  Now, we have much to discuss, gentlemen, and when we have finished, then you can decide if you wish to stay with us or continue on your way.”

“So, theoretically, you’re saying that if you can find a working computer or the pieces to construct one, the flight data on your disk will tell you exactly what went wrong and, possibly, how to reverse the process.  Am I right?”  Virgil said, blinking his eyes as the rising sun sent its first glinting rays into the family room.

“Exactly,” Alan said.  “Of course, there’s still one more problem – I didn’t have time to remove the computer card with the program to recognize this disk before the apes destroyed our ship.  While we already know that there are working models of computers hidden in the ruins of some of the larger cities on earth, we don’t know if any of them will be able to translate this disk into anything recognizable.  We found one working computer at what used to be Oakland several months back, but we didn’t have the time to try it out before it was destroyed by Zaius and Urko.”

“I’ve heard of them, but neither has ever bothered to travel this far north.”

“Be thankful!” Burke said sleepily from his reclining position on the couch.  “I can guarantee you that if we stay here long enough, Virgil, there’s a good chance you’ll get to meet one or both of them very shortly.”

 “And there’s another friend who travels with us … Galen … he’s working on having identity ownership papers forged for us in Central City,” Alan said.

“A human with those kinds of connections?”

“He’s a chimpanzee.  It’s a long story, but he saved our lives, and the ape Gestapo has branded him a traitor.  Anyway, he should be along to ‘reclaim’ us in a week or so.  Do you think there’ll be a problem with Lord Micah?”

 Virgil looked suddenly tired.  “No,” he said quietly.  “I foresee no problems.  But until this Galen does come for you, we can spend time together and talk about … where we came from.”

 “Yes, I’d like that very much,” Alan said, yawning.  For the first time he noticed that it was growing light outside.  “I’m sorry, Virgil, I’ve kept you up all night talking about my plans.  Please … get some rest.”

The old man eased out of his chair slowly.  “I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.  You’ve don’t know how very long I’ve waited to find … to have others like Charlie and me … to talk to.  I always suspected there were more like us in this world.  Perhaps, working together, we can help you locate a computer.”

********** 

“Would you want to go back with us?”

 Virgil looked surprised, as if the thought had never occurred to him.  Then, “No, I don’t think so.  My life is here with Charlie.”

 “What about your family back home?”

“My family is here now.”

 Virdon nodded.  “I understand, sir.”

 “All right.  We’ll take it one day at a time for now.  Tomorrow we’ll tour the sector so I can show you what we’ve accomplished here.  After that, I’d like both of you to help out with the preparations for gathering the crops and our Harvest Festival.”

 “Harvest Festival?”

“Once a year, the apes from our precinct arrive to collect our quota.  They’re due to show up in two or three weeks.  We always throw a big party with lots of food, decorations and dancing.  They seem to enjoy it, and it helps relieve some of the obvious tension while they’re here,” the overseer said and turned to exit.  He glanced at Burke who had nodded off minutes earlier and now lay sprawled half-on, half-off the sofa.  Smiling, the old man said, “I see Pete’s got the right idea already.  Get some sleep, Alan.  I’ll see you both at lunch.”

 “I will, thank you, sir.”  Alan watched as Virgil exited the room, then he turned to his sleeping friend.  “Pete!  Time to wake up.”

“It can’t be … morning already.  I just closed my eyes.”

 “I know, but it was morning already when you went to sleep.  Come on, I’ll help you up the stairs.”

Their third full day on Virgil’s sector broke with the promise of rain.  As he awoke, Virdon’s nose caught the familiar, damp scent already hanging in the heavy air.  He turned over, snuggling deeper into the warmth of the first comfortable bed he’d slept in in over half a year, and noticed that Burke’s side was already empty.

  “Pete?”  He pushed himself up on one elbow and glanced around the room.  He saw Burke sitting quietly in the window seat.  His friend stared mutely outside.  “Aren’t you cold?”

 Burke didn’t move his head.  “No,” he said absently.

 “Something wrong, or you just couldn’t take two full nights of these luxurious accommodations?”

Burke took several moments to reply.  Finally, he said, “The world’s spinning round and round again, Alan, and I can’t get off the wheel.”

 Jesus!’  Virdon was on his feet and across the room in scant seconds.  “Let me help you back to bed.”

 “Lying down just makes it worse.  When I close my eyes, the bed spins like I’ve tied one on for three days.  I’ll just stay here until it stops.”

 “What can I do to help, Pete?”

 Burke sighed tremulously, the tenuous hold he had on his emotions threatening to break.  Then, abruptly, he rallied and regained his self-control.  “Go downstairs and eat enough of that wonderful smelling breakfast for both of us.”

 “I’m not going to leave you up here alone in this condition.”

 “I’ve had ‘this condition’ enough to know that it’s temporary.  Look, I’ll be okay.  You get dressed and go on down to breakfast.  As soon as I feel better, I’ll join you, all right?”  Burke forced what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

 A knock on their door signaled that others in the upstairs part of the house were up and about.  Arvid’s voice called to them from the other side.  “Alan!  Pete!  Breakfast is almost ready.  Hurry down, and be sure to dress warmly.  Papa says he wants to take you around the sector right after you eat.  Are you awake?”

 “Yes, Arvid.  We’re awake.  We’ll be down in a few minutes.  Thank you,” Alan replied, then immediately turned his attention back to his friend.  “Any better?”

 “A little bit,” Burke said, moving to stand.  He teetered precariously for a split second, then recovered enough to cross the room and open the chifferobe.  “See?” he said triumphantly, pulling a shirt and capelet from the hangers.  “I’m already better.”

 Still unconvinced, Virdon poked at the still-glowing embers in the bedroom fireplace.  “Are you going to be able to eat anything?”

 “I don’t know.  I’ll try.”

 “If you don’t feel up to this little excursion, tell me now.  I’ll make your excuses.”

 “No, it’s almost gone, Alan.  Really.”

 Virdon joined Burke at the chifferobe, retrieved a pullover and hooded cape and returned to sit on the bedside.  “How long did this one last?”

 “Nearly an hour,” Burke estimated.  “I think they’re getting shorter, and I know they’re happening farther and farther apart.  The last one was four days ago.”

 “Maybe that’s a good sign, Pete.”

 Burke nodded carefully and, when the vertigo didn’t intensify, he dressed quickly.  Slinging the capelet over his shoulder, he was almost fully recovered by the time Alan finished getting his clothing on, and both men hurried down to breakfast.

“October has always been one of my favorite months,” Virgil said over the noise of the squeaking wagon wheels and the protesting oxen.

“How do you know it’s October?” Alan asked.  He sat next to the old overseer in the wide front eat of the large utility wagon.

 “Well, 37 years ago …” the old man thought for a moment, then nodded to himself, “… no, it was almost 38 years ago, Charlie gave me a son.  We named him Angus, and from the day he was born, I began counting each day and week, watching the positions of the sun and the stars and noting the changing of each season.  Today is October 17^th, give or take a day.  I have no idea what year it is.”

 “It’s 3025,” Pete said, “give or take a century.”

 “Really?” Virgil was aghast.  “We came that far into the future?”  The old man shook his head in astonished disbelief.

 Trina, who’d climbed aboard as a last minute passenger, sat across from Burke in the back of the wagon.  She shook her auburn tresses out of her face and smile at the astronaut.  “Do you rally think that Alan will find a way to get back to your own time?”

 Burke, who had spent most of the morning in quiet, uncharacteristic thoughtfulness, nibbled persistently at a hangnail on his thumb.  “Alan and I have a minor difference of opinion on that subject.  He believes.  I don’t,” he said, spitting the detached nail over the side of the wagon.

The blond man smiled patiently.  “I wouldn’t exactly call that a ‘minor’ difference of opinion, Pete.”

“Me neither,” Trina agreed, turning her attention and her ever-changing eyes toward Virdon.  “Tell me about your time, Alan.  Papa and Mama Charlie have mentioned some fascinating machines that transported people from place to place without oxen to pull them and another strange device that let humans talk to other humans even though they were very far away.  Do you know of these machines?  Can you tell me about the things you did and the places you saw?”

Burke shot Alan a pair of raised eyebrows.  Angus’ daughter was not only captivating, she was also extremely intelligent and openly yearning for knowledge.

 “Trina,” Virgil interjected before Virdon could reply.  “Pete and Alan may not want to talk about their experiences just yet.  Some recollections may still be quite painful for them.”

The old man cast an empathetic, sideward glance at Virdon that made the blond astronaut uncomfortable.  It was almost as though Virgil could read his thoughts and was familiar with the ever-present ache in his heart.  Alan considered for a moment, but he couldn’t decide whether he should be openly amazed or bothered by the man’s comprehension.

 Disappointment showed plainly on Trina’s face, and she cast her eyes down to her folded hands on her lap.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to pry,” she said miserably.

“Tell you what, Trina,” Burke said, suddenly perking up, “when we get back to the greathouse, I’ll clue you in on everything you ever wanted to know about the twentieth century – from electricity to television, from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Jimmy Carter … hey, Virgil, you were still there in the eighties, who won the 1980 election, Carter or Reagan?"

“Reagan,” Virgil said with a huge smile, “and he won the next one too, followed by Bush and Clinton and …”

“What about the hostages in Iran?” Alan interrupted.  “They were still being held captive when we left Earth.  Were they ever rescued?”

  “Not exactly.  Carter tried a rescue mission, but it failed miserably.  They were finally released the day Reagan took office.  Kind of a slap in Carter’s face.  But he proved to be a better ex-president when he turned peacemaker in the early nineties.”  Virgil reined the oxen in.  “Well, here we are at the northwest corner.  Over to your right is an apple orchard; they’re in the dormant season.  To the left are the late-bearing pear trees.  Charlie makes some mouth-watering pies out of them this time of year.  And to the east we have the year-round vegetable fields.  Right now we’ve got two different kinds of cabbage growing.”

 “I didn’t know there was more than one kind,” Burke said in a low voice, and Trina giggled conspiratorially.

Ignoring them, Virgil went on, “And then there are the pumpkin and autumn squash fields toward the south.  We store a lot of what we harvest in the surrounding caves.”

“You don’t report all your crops to the apes?” Alan asked.

“No, we stockpile as much as we can for the leaner months.  The snows come in December and January.  They’re not usually heavy, but they do put a crimp in the growing season.”

 “What about Lord Micah?  Doesn’t he ever get suspicious?”

Virgil clucked to the oxen and turned them in an easterly direction.  “Micah has always trusted me to keep his best interests.  I’ve never let him down.”

  “Will we ever get to meet him?”

 “Perhaps.  He doesn’t visit us very often, but there’s a possibility he may pop in for the Harvest Festival.”

 “Good,” Alan said, “I think I’d like to meet him.  He sounds a lot like our friend Galen.”

  “I hope I get to meet your friend one day.”

“I do too.  Unless he ran into some trouble, he should be arriving any day now.”

  “Well, I have to be honest when I say that I very much look forward to meeting him, but I’m not happy at the prospect of losing two good hands so soon after I’ve acquired them.”

 “If you’d like us to stay a little longer and work off the price you paid, we’ll be happy to oblige.  I’m sure Galen would pitch in too.”

 “That won’t be necessary, Alan,” Virgil said and quickly changed the subject.  “Now, you can’t see it just yet, but when we travel a few more miles to the east, the poultry houses that keep us supplied with fresh eggs and low-fat meats will come into view.”

  “Chickens,” Burke said in a bored voice.  “I can hardly wait.”

 “Pete, if you’d rather not finish the sector tour, at this particular location we’re only about an hour’s hike away from the greathouse.  I know there are several items of interest along the way that might intrigue you.  Trina will be happy to point them out.  And when you reach the greathouse, I know Angus and Noel will be more than happy to accept your assistance with the re-assembly of the bandstand for the Harvest Festival.”

  Burke shot Virgil an apologetic look, but the old man merely smiled patiently.

  “Don’t worry about offending me, Pete.  You were probably a city boy, and I’ve never met one yet, man nor ape, who could fake an interest in crop yields or egg production.  At least you’re honest.”

 “You’re right, Virgil.  I’m sorry, but I’m just not a farmer like Virdon.  What you’ve accomplished here is to be admired, but it’s right up his alley, not mine.  Alan could probably sit up there enthralled all day long."”

“No apology necessary, Pete.  You and Trina run along.  Tell Charlie that Alan and I will be back in time for dinner.”

 “Will do.  Come on, Trina.”  He reached for the girl’s hand and helped her from the wagon.  “Let’s see if between the two of us we can find our way back to Oz.”

 “Huh?”

  “Just follow the yellow brick road, Trina,” her grandfather said with a happy, nostalgic smile.

 “What?”

  “Never mind,” Burke said, tugging her along.  “I’ll tell you the whole story on the way back.”

Hand-in-hand, the two scurried off toward the south.

 Alan watched them go with mixed feelings, and he observed Virgil doing the same.

 “If you’d rather Pete not be so attentive to your granddaughter, Virgil, I’ll speak to him.”

 The overseer lifted one shaggy, gray eyebrow and grinned crookedly.  “You’d have to speak to her too.  It’s obviously a mutual thing.  But there’s no need to worry, Alan.  The rules here are very different from those of our time.  You’ve only been in this world a short while, but you’ll find that one must grab pleasure where one can find it, because joy is a rare commodity here.  To be frank with you, I’m rather pleased that Trina has at last shown some interest in being a woman.  Not that I’m sexist or anything like that, but we must be realistic.  As a female, she will be needed to carry on the bloodline and instruct the next generation of our family.  And the more we grow, both in number and in wisdom, the more chance we have of surviving this hostile societ6y and, maybe one day, overcoming the inequities and injustices.”

“So is that your ultimate plan, Virgil … to achieve equality with the apes?”

The old man sighed.  “Equality won’t happen in my lifetime, but it would be an accomplishment to achieve mutual respect.  Once you have the respect of other beings, it’s hard for them to justify discrimination.”

“I agree.”

“My goodness,” Virgil exclaimed, “how’d we all of a sudden grow philosophical?”

 Virdon grinned in agreement, but it disappeared from his face almost immediately as an overpowering offensive odor suddenly assaulted his nose.

 The old overseer shot him a look of pained understanding.  “Chicken houses,” he said grimly.  “If we could only find a way to bottle that odor, we could rule this world.”  He laughed and hurried the oxen into a reluctant trot.  “Let’s go, boys.  This is one part of the trip we can hurry through.”

  As their busy days at the sector turned into a week, then two, the astronauts found themselves caught up in the normal, day-to-day tasks and responsibilities of life on Virgil’s sector.

 Alan took to the ranch and farm work like the proverbial duck to water, driving himself to accomplish as much physical work as possible during the steadily decreasing daylight hours of autumn.  Evenings found him reminiscing with Virgil and Charlie about life in the twentieth century or savoring spirited roundhouse debates with Angus and Arvid.  He also occasionally acted as storyteller to the rapt attention of the younger members of the family, spinning fanciful tales of talking cats in red leather boots and foolish chickens with ludicrous ideas about the sky.

Burke, never one to draw any deep gratification or sense of achievement from manual labor, plodded along good-naturedly beside his blond friend.  True to character, he joked sarcastically or complained loudly as he assisted Alan in repairing the rotting back porch steps of the greathouse and mending broken fences in the northern ranch sectors.

 However, Pete chose to spend most of his free evening hours in the company of Angus’ auburn-haired daughter.  With a ragged deck of homemade cards, he painstakingly taught the girl how to play poker, taking hours of patient instruction to show her each hand, its significance and her options with it.  When Trina finally seemed to catch on, Burke suddenly found himself nightly losing hand after hand to their audience and Trina’s absolute delight.

 After four days of miserable degradation, Trina finally admitted to her chagrined teacher that she had learned to play the game at her grandfather Virgil’s knee many years before and had long ago been dubbed the unofficial poker champion of the family.

 Time continued to rush by and, as the two astronauts worked to ready the sector for the upcoming Harvest Festival, thoughts of their still-absent chimpanzee friend were always present in the backs of their minds.  

**********

The day the great apes arrived was fare and unseasonably warm for early November, and the two misplaced humans found themselves busy with several necessary outdoor chores.

 Virdon perched haphazardly on the lower right side of the barn roof, repairing one of the many tiny holes and readying the large building to house and protect the smaller domestic animals during the fast-approaching winter season.

  Burke balanced on the top rung of the old wobbly, homemade ladder, a bucket of thick, sticky resin poised and ready to coat and finish off the repair work.

“They’re coming!  They’re coming!” Andrew’s excited adolescent voice announced the impending arrival of three large apes.

Virdon stopped his hammering and, from his vantage, looked out toward the edge of the first clearing.  Although partially hidden behind the nearly naked boughs of several bordering pecan trees, he could still make out a pair of mounted gorillas.  Following closely behind, a chimpanzee whistled and clicked to the matched pair of white horses pulling a large, heavy-duty farm wagon.

The three apes reached the courtyard quickly, and Virgil, Charlie and an uncharacteristically nervous Angus were ready and waiting when they got there.

 “Their serene highnesses, Moe, Larry and Curly,” Burke said scornfully under his breath.

“Shhhh!”  Alan cautioned, and both men stopped their labors long enough to watch the drama unfolding below.

 “Gunter, welcome to Lord Micah’s northern territory.  We wish you a pleasant stay with us.”

 “Virgil, it is good to see you again.  I understand the crops were near record this growing season.”

 “Yes, sir, we have far exceeded Lord Micah’s expectations once more.  He bids me to make you welcome and comfortable in his guesthouse.  Andrew, John, see to our friends’ horses please.”

 Both Virgil’s son-in-law and grandson hurried forward and bowed respectfully.  Andrew took possession of the two untethered horses and headed toward the barn with them while John grasp3ed the loose wagon reins.  The seated, heavyset chimp snorted at being so soon dislodged from his comfortable berth, but he leaped down anyway, sending a scathing look in John’s direction.

“Come into Lord Micah’s greathouse, sirs.  My wife has prepared several vegetable delicacies for your enjoyment.”

 “And, I hope, a very large mug of your famous beer,” Gunter said in undisguised anticipation.

 “Tall, cool and foamy, just as you like it, sir,” Virgil replied, leading the way up the porch steps and into the greathouse.  Gunter and Hector, the second, leaner ape, followed, but the stocky chimpanzee hesitated, lagging behind his fellow simians.

  Odiah stood in the courtyard, scrutinizing and examining every inch of the humans’ estate.  Intermittently, his bristly brow and pudgy snout wrinkled in stern displeasure as he viewed the scandalous greathouse and many one-family units.  He snorted arrogantly at the affluent surroundings and made a mental note to discuss with Gunter this uncommon open display of human wealth and prosperity.  He had heard but never really believed the rumors that Lord Micah treated his humans in such a luxuriant manner.

 As he turned to enter the greathouse, Odiah felt a vague uneasiness wash over him, as though someone in the courtyard were watching him.  His heavy head abruptly shifted around and upward, and he found himself the single object of two curious pairs of human eyes.  The two men, one tall and blond, the other lean and dark-haired, stood silently watching him from the roof of the whitewashed barn.  He stared back condescendingly, waiting for the two brazen humans to immediately and customarily drop their eyes, but neither seemed the least bit intimidated by his fierce glare.  Infuriated at this unexpected disregard for his authority, he growled a low warning and started forward to correct the two impertinent men.

“Odiah!”

 Gunter called to him from the doorway of the greathouse.

“Yes, sir.”

“We are guests of Lord Micah, but we are also here on estate business.  As the prefect’s territorial accountant, you are needed to figure the total crop yields for this season.  Come inside now so we can be done with the work and enjoy the festival they’ve planned in our honor tonight.”

  “A moment, sir.  There’s a slight obedience problem I must attend to.”

 “Whatever it is can wait, Odiah,” the leader said in a no-nonsense voice.  “You were employed by the prefect to do this job, and you will do it now!”

 “Yes, sir!”  Stung and humiliated, Odiah reluctantly turned and strode quickly toward the greathouse.  It would be foolish to anger Gunter; it was obvious his leader’s mind was only on the upcoming festivities and not on proper decorum.  He bounded the porch stairs, then turned back once again to view the two presumptuous humans.

 The blond man had properly turned away from the embarrassing situation and returned his attentions to the tasks as hand.  His hammer made reverberating noises, resounding loudly in the now quiet courtyard as he repaired a loose roof board.

 However, the other, younger human still watched contemptuously from his ladder perch, he had not correctly turned his back to Odiah’s scolding, and this infuriated the large chimpanzee.

  “I will take care of you later, human,” he said under his breath.

 “Odiah!”

“I’m coming, sir,” Odiah said and hurriedly entered the greathouse.

The carnival atmosphere and brightly strung outdoor candlelight made the courtyard a jubilant place to be.  Everywhere he went, Alan found smiling human faces, an uncommon sight in this future world.  He strolled through the courtyard, greeting each person in turn politely, and hurried to what he had come to know as the ‘Learning House.’  Arvid had dismissed her young charges early today, allowing them to return to their families and ready themselves for the festival tonight, but he knew she had stayed late at the school to clean up.

On the way, he passed the grandstand where Gunter and Hector sat viewing the ongoing activities curiously and with some amusement.  He noted that Virgil and Charlie’s chairs had been placed directly at Gunter’s right side, but two feet lower, on ground level.  Alan looked around for the third ape, but he was nowhere in sight.

 “Looking for me?” Arvid’s soft voice came from directly behind him.

  “Not anymore,” he said, smiling as she moved to stand beside him.

“Are you hungry?” she asked.

“A little.  The sun hasn’t been down for long, so it can’t be dinnertime yet.”

  “How about a walk?  It’s still quite pleasant and not so very warm anymore.  We could go to the edge of the clearing.”

  “All right,” he said, starting off in that direction.  She stayed beside him, her long legs easily keeping pace with his lengthy strides.

They walked in silence for several minutes, and Virdon found himself occasionally glancing sideward at her.  She was definitely not what anyone would call beautiful, but there was certain attractiveness in her square face and high cheekbones.  Her eyes were the color of the ocean on a cloudy day, her long, straight hair a burnished, unrefined honey.  At nearly six feet, she almost met Alan face to face, but she was neither angular nor unfeminine in her height.  Alan guessed her age to be about 30, and he wondered at her singleness in the midst of the family-oriented clan.

 Almost as if she could read his thoughts, Arvid suddenly spoke up.  “I was married to a very fine man named Jared.  We lived in one of the houses up there.”  She pointed toward the single-family swellings at the top of the adjoining hill.  “And we were very happy for many seasons.”

She stopped, as if it was too painful to go on, and Alan said nothing, allowing her to make the decision to continue.

  “… then about two seasons … years … ago, he was killed in an accident.  One of the storage caves in the western sector collapsed, and he was crushed.”

  Virdon waited a moment.  “I’m sorry,” he said finally.

“We had a son,” she whispered mournfully.

 “I didn’t know you had a child, Arvid.  Where is he?” he asked gently, then regretted it almost immediately for her face grew even more grim.

 “With his father,” she said finally.  “The shock of losing my husband … well … the baby came into the world much too soon.  He lived less than a day.  I took him to the cave where Jared rests and laid him there.”  She pulled a cloth from her apron pocket and dabbed at her eyes.  “I never even gave him a name,” she finished sorrowfully.

 Now knowing what else to do, Virdon took her hand and squeezed it.  This seemed to calm her for she sniffed and took a deep, ragged breath.

 “I know you’ve suffered a recent loss also, Alan,” she said intuitively.  “The hurt is still so naked in your eyes.”

 “I …” he faltered.

“No, you don’t have to speak of it,” Arvid shook her head and reached for his other hand, squeezing both of them reassuringly, she looked deeply into his eyes.  “I know it’s much easier at first to keep the loss to yourself.  But, later, when the pain isn’t quite so sharp, you will bring yourself to talk about it with someone close to you, and that person will give you the love and understanding you need to go on with your life.”

 Virdon felt his face flush and his eyes go moist as unbidden thoughts of Sally and Christopher flooded his consciousness.  He bit his lip and nodded, afraid at first to speak because his voice might break and then afraid not to because the grief and pain were bubbling intensely inside his chest and threatening to burst.

“I lost my wife … and child a little over six months ago,” he heard himself admitting for the first time.  “They were my whole life … my …”

“Hopes … and dreams and future happiness …” Arvid finished.  “I knew it was something like that.  Looking into your eyes was almost like looking into my own.  I could see into the darkness of your soul.”

 A cold, wet tear trickled down his cheek, and Arvid drew closer, reaching up with her handkerchief to gently wipe it away.  Her sympathetic face was suddenly too close, her warm body much too near, and his loss and loneliness had become all at once too overwhelming to bear.

 Involuntarily, he reached out and pulled her into an anxious, trembling embrace.  She pressed his mouth to hers, taking strength and solace from her nearness and her willingness to share in his pain.  She returned the kiss, allowing him full access to her mind and body and her own deep sense of loss.

Virdon pulled his lips away and tried to smother his anguish in the softness of her neck and shoulder and, when his heartache had dissipated to a bearable level, a burning desire raged in its stead.  He pulled Arvid closer again, hungrily seeking out the warmth of her mouth.  His hand moved of its own accord to caress her full breast.  When she didn’t pull away and, instead, seemed to respond favorably to the intensity of his passion, he felt his own body react.  And then Sally’s voice called his name ….

Shocked, he jerked backward, stumbling in the abruptness of his movement.

 “Alan?”  Sally’s voice repeated his name incongruously again, but his eyes told him the lips speaking were Arvid’s.

  Dazed, his mind still a whirling jumble of strange sensations, he managed to nod that he had heard.  When he had recovered enough to speak, he finally blurted out, “I’m sorry, Arvid.  I’m so sorry.  Please forgive me. I don’t know what came over me …”

 “I don’t understand, Alan.  Forgive what?” she asked, genuinely surprised at his retreat.

Virdon looked around wide-eyed, almost expecting to see the ghost of his dead wife hovering nearby, but there was only the quiet breeze of the early evening and a faint echo of merriment from the courtyard beyond.

 “I … I didn’t mean to take advantage of your sympathy, Arvid.”

  “Nor I of yours,” she said, still perplexed by his withdrawal.  She slipped her hand into his palm tentatively and smiled when he not only allowed the gesture but also gripped her hand firmly and reassuringly with his long fingers.  She peered deeply into his eyes, then nodded knowingly.

 “Now I understand,” she said at last.  “Your wounds are no longer open or bleeding, but they are still bruised and tender.  The healing process has begun, Alan.”

 Grateful, he gave her a whisper of a smile.  “Still friends?”

  “For now,” she said perceptively and, still holding on to each other, they headed back to the noisy courtyard.