Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle Page B

flinging them in the intruder’s face. I had had to resort to force to keep her quiet. After receiving a few thundering slaps across her beautiful face, she had eventually calmed down. I had allowed myself to indulge in this brutal behavior almost without thinking; afterward I felt sorry, but she appeared not to hold it against me.
    The intellectual effort I had made to assimilate the simian theories of evolution left me worn out. I was happy when I saw Nova creep over to me in the dark and in her usual fashion beg for the half-human, half-animal caresses for which we had gradually worked out the code: a singular code, the details of which are of little importance, composed of compromise and reciprocal concessions to the manners of the civilized world and to the customs of this outlandish human race that populated the planet Soror.

twenty
    It was a red-letter day for me. Yielding to my entreaties, Zira had agreed to take me out of the Institute for Advanced Biological Study—that was the name of the establishment—and show me around the town.
    She had consented to this only after much hesitation. It had taken me some time to convince her finally of my origin. Until then, though admitting the evidence while in my company, she would later begin doubting again. I tried to put myself in her place. She could only be profoundly shocked by my description of the men and above all of the apes on our Earth. She subsequently told me that for a long time she had preferred to regard me as a sorcerer or a charlatan rather than accept my statements. Yet,confronted with the facts and the evidence I accumulated, she eventually had complete confidence in me and even began to work out a plan to enable me to recover my liberty, which was not easy, as she explained to me that day. Meanwhile she came to fetch me at the beginning of the afternoon to go on our outing.
    I felt my heart thumping at the thought of being in the open air again. My enthusiasm was slightly curbed when I saw she was going to keep me on a lead. The gorillas took me out of the cage, banged the door shut in Nova’s face, and put around my neck a leather collar to which a strong chain was fixed. Zira took the other end and led me off, while a heart-rending whine from Nova stirred my compassion. But when I showed her a little pity and gave her a friendly wave, Zira looked angry and tugged me forward by the neck. Since she was now convinced I had an ape’s mind, my intimacy with the young girl vexed and shocked her.
    Her bad temper evaporated when we were alone together in the dark, deserted corridor.
    “I don’t suppose,” she laughed, “that men on Earth are used to being held on a lead like this by apes?”
    I assured her they were not at all used to it. She apologized, explaining that even though there were a few tame men who could be taken out like this without causing a scene, it was more normal if Iwas tied up. Subsequently, if I proved harmless, she might possibly be able to relieve me of my fetters.
    And partly forgetting my true condition, as she still often did, she began advising me about my behavior, which humiliated me deeply.
    “Above all, do be careful not to turn on passersby or bare your teeth or scratch a trustful child who might come up and pet you. I didn’t want to muzzle you, but …”
    She stopped short and burst out laughing.
    “Forgive me, forgive me,” she cried. “I keep forgetting you have a mind like an ape.”
    She gave me a friendly tap on the shoulder by way of apology. Her high spirits dissolved any mounting resentment. I liked to hear her laugh. Nova’s inability to manifest her joy in this way sometimes made me sigh. I shared the she-ape’s gaiety. In the half-light of the corridor I could no longer see her face except for the tip of her white muzzle. She had put on a smart coat and skirt to go out and a scarf that concealed her ears. For a moment I forgot her simian condition and took her arm. She found my gesture quite