George Adamson Lives with Apes

The Eye Of The Storm

They stole through the night wrapped from head to foot in dark grey capes which made them almost invisible to the naked eye. They had waited and argued as long as they could possibly wait and argue. They had met with the great leaders of the land and listened to the wisest of the people here. This was their last chance to act and once they had they would be forever outcast. All it had taken was one terrible deed on one catastrophic night to strike fear into the hearts of everyone in this peaceful land. The difficulties that followed had made the people of this place hate those who looked slightly different or those who held slightly different beliefs. There was no longer any trust between people who had lived side by side, despite their differences, for thousands of years.

    The tallest of them looked back from his position at the front of the group. He could see the faces of those who would not be coming with them on their final journey. Faces of those who had willingly agreed to stay behind and fight. Sadness stabbed viciously inside his chest. They pushed open the heavy wooden doors together, it took everyones best effort.

    Once the doors were open the group stood in awkward silence. "Be at peace in the distant realm brother." Whispered one of the twenty-five, penetrating the cloud of sadness that hung around them all. The reluctant leader grabbed the back of his brothers head in a large hand and pressed their foreheads together, he was unable to speak as pain twisted sharply inside his stomach. 

    "Peace," Was whispered amongst the others as similar hugs were given. Silent tears flowed freely. 

    Shouting erupted in the distance, everyone froze, the soldiers were here already. Some of the group moved inside the room. Twenty-five of them stayed outside, the doors were quickly and reluctantly closed, locked, and barred. The leader nodded to those who were safely inside and they gathered at the entrance to the gate.

    A loud shout ripped through the air.

    The sound of fighting began from outside.

    Everyone huddled a little closer, breathless from effort as well as fear and sadness. "Is everyone still in agreement that this is the right thing to do?" Asked the tallest and slenderest of them. The hood of his cape was drawn downward over his tear filled eyes. The bundle he held against his chest began to squirm and he adjusted the weight inside his folded arms.

    Everyone nodded. Except the smallest. She was shaking visibly as the sounds behind the door became more urgent and more violent.

    "Alethia? Speak now if you no longer agree but speak fast, they are almost upon us and we have no time."

    "Will we never see him again? Will this be it? Will he really be lost to us forever?"

    The figure standing next to Alethia rested his hand upon her sagging shoulder reassuringly. "It will be sister but he will be safe from this place and those who would do him harm, he cannot come with us, we have all agreed. It would be the end of ALL of us." Alethia nodded, alerted by his words to the tiny blessing inside her that would soon be her biggest priority. All that she could do now for this world was to take away the thing that they thought threatened them the most. The beautiful gorgeous thing that did not seem a threat to anyone but would become the worst one of all time if left here. The group held hands forming a large circle. The tall slender man placed his bundle gently inside the circle and they began to chant. The bundle kicked at the delicate spider web sheets that swaddled it, beginning to stir at last during the prolonged commotion. The volume on the other side of the grand oak door reached a crescendo, then everything became silent.

    A soldier dressed in gold and red armour pressed his ear against the door urgently, his face fell as he heard chanting from the other side and he faced his men who were already bloody and tired. "They are opening the gate men."