Monkey Wars (24 page)

T
he cadet who brought the message didn't know any details, just that there had been a resistance attack directly on langur homes.

For a dreadful moment, Mico imagined that somehow the Barbaries had followed him back from the undercroft, that
he
was responsible for this raid.

“Are they still here?”

“No, sir. It was in the Eastern Province,” the cadet reassured him. “General Pogo has it under control.”

Escorted by an elite patrol, Mico hurried across the city in the cold dawn light; when he arrived at the Eastern Province, it was immediately obvious where the resistance had struck—some creepers had been slung from an overhanging tree, allowing them to scale the high walls.

“Their target was the larder,” said General Pogo as he led Mico through the gates and pointed to a low stone building that the langur used to store food for those monkeys who were too old to forage for themselves.

Something about this didn't make sense to Mico. “Why take the risk of scaling the wall? There's easier food to be had all over the city.”

Pogo rolled his eye wearily. “They want to hurt us in any way they can. There'll never be peace until the rhesus problem is sorted.”

Mico nodded silently, but the burden of his secret was painfully heavy. He scrutinized General Pogo, wondering if he dared risk telling him about the Barbaries. At least then there would be two of them to deal with Tyrell's anger.

When suddenly the general pointed to some shrubs. “They left one behind.”

Mico spun round. “You've captured one of the resistance?”

“You could say that.” Pogo strode to a shady area at the base of the wall.

Mico followed, his heart pounding—this would change everything. If Pogo had discovered a Barbary corpse, then the truth about the resistance would be there for all to see, whether Tyrell liked it or not.

“Over there,” said the general, pointing to the body of a monkey splayed in the undergrowth.

Immediately Mico saw it wasn't a Barbary; even though it was facedown in the dirt, the tail was clearly visible. As he got closer, disappointment turned to dread. This was the body of a rhesus monkey, a female, and, worse still, he recognized the flecks of color in the fur.

Mico felt his mouth go dry. Desperately trying to control his emotions, he bent down, stretched out a hand—the body was cold. He took a deep breath and rolled it over.

A wave of nausea swept through Mico; he wanted to howl with anguish, but he couldn't, he mustn't. Pogo was watching—he had to react the way a colonel would, with cool disdain for the enemy.

But this wasn't his enemy.

It was Willow who lay cold and dead, tangled in the undergrowth.

Papina staggered backward and slumped down, struggling to take in the enormity of the news.

Mico stood there, utterly helpless, not knowing what he could say to console her. It was only after her breathing steadied that Papina's head sunk into her hands and her grief echoed through the trees.

Immediately Fig and Rowna pushed their way across Temple Gardens to be at Papina's side and enveloped her in their arms, trying to absorb her pain.

Rowna looked at Mico accusingly, blaming him for everything, but there was still kindness in Fig's eyes. “Thank you for telling us the truth,” she whispered. “It was brave of you.”

And gently they led Papina away.

Mico watched her with a heavy heart, remembering the promise he had once made to protect her. If he was going to honor that, Willow's death must not be in vain.

Quickly Mico made his way back across the gardens to where the elders usually sat. Knowing the truth about the resistance at least meant that he could now trust Twitcher, and that could mean a valuable ally.

“I know what's going on,” Mico said, dropping down between the stone pillars.

Twitcher squared up to him angrily. “Why should I believe anything a langur says?”

“We haven't always seen eye to eye,” said Mico appeasingly, “but we have to put that behind us.”

“Forget it!”

“A troop of Barbary apes is hiding in the city.”

The words struck dread into Twitcher. “Barbaries?” he whispered, hoping he'd misheard.

“They
are
the resistance. But every time they attack, they make it look like rhesus work. I think they killed Willow and left her body to stir up langur hatred.”

“No, it doesn't make sense—”

“I've seen them. I've heard them.”

“You've talked to a Barbary and lived?”

“What I don't know, is
why
they're doing this, why they want to start an all-out monkey war.”

Twitcher shook his head. “I don't understand.”

“You don't have to understand. You just have to help. I need a handful of your fiercest monkeys.”

“Why? What are you going to do?”

“Kidnap a Barbary ape.”

They had no military training, but they were strong and fearless. Mico could tell that much from the way Twitcher and his rhesus volunteers sped through the shadows of the backstreet
s—not hesitant and nervous, but aggressive, ready to defend themselves. They knew their troop was in trouble and they relished the chance to strike back.

Mico led them to a door canopy on the opposite side of the street from the undercroft. If the Barbaries always moved as a pack, his young fighters didn't stand a chance, but Mico had a hunch that the apes often moved around the city in ones and twos to avoid attracting attention.

So they waited silently, watching the moon creep higher in the sky, until finally their patience was rewarded—T
witcher spotted a lone Barbary lolloping quietly in the shadows, moving down the street toward them. The ape was obviously an expert at covert operations, instinctively picking a path that would keep him hidden from view—but a path that would take him right underneath the canopy.

“On my signal, we drop down and take him,” Mico whispered to Twitcher, who relayed the command to the others.

They watched as the Barbary got closer…clo
ser…then Mico flicked his tail and they all leaped, landing on the ape in a chaotic tangle of arms and legs.

Immediately the Barbary heaved his bodyweight left, then right, trying to throw off his attackers. Mico and the rhesus gripped ferociously onto his torso, shocked by the immense strength of his muscles under their fingers. There was no going back now—they had to subdue the Barbary or die.

The ape lurched forward, sending two rhesus smashing to the ground.

“Get his legs!” yelled Mico, and the monkeys grabbed the Barbary's knees, trying to pull them apart and force him to the ground, but his limbs were like steel.

Twitcher made a desperate lunge for the Barbary's eyes but was met with a thundering head butt that sent him flying into the wall, blood pouring from his smashed nose.

The ape drew a breath and pursed his lips—he was about to howl for reinforcem
ents. Desperately Mico launched at the Barbary's head and grabbed a lip, yanking down painfully on the soft flesh, clawing the ape's mouth, forcing him to lower his head or have his lip ripped off.

Mico clamped his arms around the Barbary's snout and squeezed with all his might. Great angry snorts came from the Barbary's nose, but it was now impossible for him to cry out.

“The vines!” yelled Mico. “Use the vines!”

Twitcher shook his head, trying to clear his senses and sent a spray of blood splattering in an arc across the wall.

“Up there!” Mico pointed to the canopy, and finally the message got through. Twitcher hauled himself up and threw down a coil of vines. Mico and the others immediately tried to wrap them around the Barbary like a rope, but the ape flexed his muscles and snapped the vines clean in two.

The rhesus had never seen anything like it.

“Coconut him!” Mico shouted as a desperate last resort. “NOW!”

The fiercest rhesus grabbed hold of a large coconut they'd hidden, and lofted it high above his head. He looked down at the Barbary and had just taken aim when suddenly the ape spun his burning eyes on the rhesus with such malevolence that the rhesus froze.