We are met to bid farewell...
to one who lived amongst us.
It has been said of the ape...
that his days are like grass.
Like a flower of the field, he flourishes,
ripening in fullness and is gone.
Rest forever, O Lucian,
father of Fauna.
Why? Why? How could they do it?
They're animals, Fauna. That's all, just animals. They don't know any better.
I hate them. I hate them!
We will capture them, Fauna.
I make this promise to you on the grave of your father.
The humans will be captured and punished for what they have done.
A hundred humans for every ape.
They hide their killers.
They will lie for their killers.
The time has come, Perdix, for the apes to unite, drive the humans out.
No! This will be handled within the law,
and I am the law.
Yeah, it's a nice friendly little community you have here, Jasko.
They're doing this all because one ape was killed?
Well, the killing caused the kettle to boil over.
The apes here hate the humans. There's too many of us.
These Dragoons, as you call them, surely they're illegal.
I mean, even ape law forbids such action against humans.
Perdix and Zon, well, they try, but they can't be everywhere.
Come on! Something, anything, jump on that hook.
Galen, why don't you let us teach you how to fish?
Oh, no. The only thing I like less than fish is the water they swim in.
- Look!
Dragoons. Let's go!
- Clear out, human! - This is my home!
Then watch it burn.
No, don't! No! No!
Let that be a lesson to all humans.
Oh, boy.
It's so senseless. Why? Why, why?
I could make a guess. We've seen this kind of thing before.
Another time, another place.
It almost makes me ashamed to be an ape. Isn't there something we can do?
For openers, we can look for the killers.
This whole thing started when that ape girl's father was murdered.
Maybe she could help us.
I'll talk to her.
Who is it?
Who's there?
Uh, we are strangers...
but we wish you no harm.
You are apes?
I don't think there's any doubt that I am an ape, a chimpanzee. Why?
I'm sorry, but for a moment, l-I was afraid you were humans.
Surely you're not afraid of humans?
They killed my father.
I'm sorry, but I didn't know that they killed apes.
They're savages, and I hate them!
I shall always hate them for what they did.
Uh, my name is Phoebus, and, uh, these are my friends,
Alar and, uh, Pargo.
I am Fauna. Where are you?
- We're right here. - Your voice sounds familiar. Which one are you?
I'm Pargo. I don't think you've ever met me. I'm from a very distant place.
Yes, we've been traveling for a long way.
You must be tired and hungry, then.
Won't you come to my house and rest? I have food and drink.
- Do you live alone? - With my uncle, Sestus.
He has gone to the village for supplies, but he will be back by nightfall.
Well, uh, we don't have very much time to spare, but we are very hungry.
Good. Follow me, then.
I hope you will stay to see Uncle Sestus. You will like him.
You will be notified when we raid again.
See you, Sestus.
Please, sit down and be comfortable.
- Uh, may we help you with something? - Because I am blind?
No, don't be silly. I manage quite well.
Oh.
Being unable to see has really changed very little.
I know the farm and most of the area around for some distance so well...
that I don't really need my eyes.
Of course, there are... there are some things I miss.
Setting of the sun, colors of the flowers.
And-And reading.
Reading, most of all.
M-My father collected books,
and though I read them all before I lost my sight,
he, uh, he used to sit...
and read them to me over and over again.
Every night by the fire, my father would...
I'm sorry, Fauna. Those humans, you know who they were?
No one knows.
My uncle Sestus was going to meet my father and saw it,
but he was too far away to help.
How did it happen?
There were two of them.
They had come here asking for food, and my father gave it to them.
We tried to be friends with them.
Uncle Sestus warned him that humans were treacherous, but he wouldn't listen.
Then later, down by the sea,
they attacked my father, and they killed him.
What about your uncle? Did he get a description of them?
How tall they were, their hair, what they were wearing, anything?
No. No, it was dark. He saw very little.
Besides, how can you tell one human from another?
When I could see, they all looked alike to me.
I have the same problem.
- Pargo? Pargo, where are you? - Right here.
Oh.
I'm-I'm sorry, Fauna. I'm-I'm afraid I spilled the milk.
It's all right, l-I'll clean it up. Pour yourself some more.
Uncle Sestus!
Uh, Fauna, I think there's something we better tell you.
- What? What is it? - Um, you said that you missed reading most of all.
Well, the love of books is something that we share with you.
Unfortunately, it's gotten us into some trouble with the Ministry of Knowledge.
Trouble? What-What kind of trouble?
Well, uh, there are some books which we didn't know had been banned,
and the police found them in our house.
- They were going to punish you for reading? - No, actually, you see,
it was the ideas in the book that some people felt challenged their whole way of life.
But surely it can't be against the law to think?
Well, your uncle might not be as understanding as you are, so I think we'd better leave.
- Yes, we'd better go. - I'm afraid Uncle Sestus doesn't feel the same...
as I do about books.
He and my father used to quarrel about them.
I have an idea... a place where you can hide safely and rest.
- It's not far from here. Oh, please! - I don't think that would be a...
Let me do this for you. It would give me so much pleasure.
This way.
Whoa!
They're still here.
I haven't needed these for a long time.
I used to come here with someone I grew up with.
Someone I cared for very, very much.
It-It was our secret place,
where we could laugh and hide and shut out the grown-up world.
Then he left when I became blind.
- Pargo? - I'm here, Fauna.
Your voice reminded me...
It sounded so much like his.
I wonder.
May I touch your face?
It would help to know what you look like.
Yes, it's just as I thought...
a strong, handsome face.
You'll be safe here. I'll come back in the morning with food...
after Uncle Sestus leaves for the village.
Will you stay? Please.
I'll-I'll stay.
Thank you, Fauna.
- Oh, man, that was close. - Whoa.
I didn't like doing that. I don't think it's right to deceive her.
- Yeah. - And we still came up empty?
- She has no idea who the killers are. - Except they were humans.
- If only we could find them. - Yes, I know.
I feel sorry about her father.
We're out to try and stop the Dragoons, not solve a local murder mystery.
Hey, the Dragoons are local killers, right?
- They're homegrown. - Right.
I mean, those two humans who killed Fauna's father,
they could be homegrown too, you know.
You can bet that some ape's gonna find them and gun 'em down.
It's open season on humans, hmm?
And who's gonna stop the apes?
Okay, so we zero in on the Dragoons, try to get to their leader.
We get in, the whole thing could fall apart.
Oh, that doesn't make any sense at all.
I mean, if you do find a member, do you expect him to be the leader?
- No, Galen. - Somebody joins the Dragoons.
Infiltrates and gets the scoop on everybody.
Oh.
And who is this somebody that gets this scoop on every...
Me.
Stop!
- Oh, stop. Please. - Whoa, whoa.
- Stop! Please! - Whoa!
What is it? What's the matter?
I've been attacked by two humans. They stole my horse!
What sort of district is this? Have you no law and order?
I understand your anger, but don't shout at me!
- I'm sorry. - I didn't steal your horse.
Look, I'm sorry, but you see, I came here to find a farm and to settle down.
Well, this is a good district,
although we do have problems with humans.
We are solving those problems.
Oh, I'm sure.
Please, is there a village near here where I can report this to the police?
Climb up. I'll take you there.
Oh, thank you. Oh, oh, that's wonderful.
Oh. Oh!
Huh. You know, I never knew there was so much ham in an ape.
Dragoon?
Who knows? Maybe.
Come on, we could follow him, maybe learn something.
Wait. No "we," me.
Fauna's expecting you back at the cave.
We don't want her to get suspicious.
A few weeks past,
my brother was murdered by humans.
Really? Well, I certainly hope those humans were dealt with.
Haven't been caught yet. I sometimes wonder if they ever will.
Huh. You and I have something in common.
A similar thing happened where I lived.
We knew how to deal with those...
Ooh, ah... Oh, sorry.
I was pledged to secrecy.
You don't think that I'd ever say anything to hurt an ape?
Or help a human?
Well, really, a group of us apes got together,
and we ran those humans off and burned their houses,
and we even killed a few.
- Did you really? - Ho, ho, ho, we certainly did.
Oh, I can tell you we haven't had any trouble with humans since then.
Good! Very sound.
You know, Phoebus,
I think you will enjoy meeting some special friends of mine.
Hello, Fauna.
- Pargo? - Yeah.
Alar is not here? I brought food.
No, no, he and Phoebus went off to get some water.
I am glad. I enjoy talking with you.
Yeah, well, uh, yeah, me too.
- Pargo? - Yeah?
Could you tell me about the books you've read?
Could you tell me some of the stories?
Uh, yeah, I guess.
Yeah, well, there was this one I always used to like.
It was a story about this... about an ape...
who was stranded out on this island out in the middle of this tremendous ocean.
Now, his name was Robinson Crusoe.
A toast to our Dragoon-to-be, Phoebus!
- To Phoebus! - To Phoebus!
- To all apes! - All apes!
- To all Dragoons! - To all Dragoons!
Congratulations, Phoebus, you're soon to be one of us.
Oh, you don't know how pleased that makes me.
At the meeting tonight, you'll get our leader's final approval.
And then I will be a full-fledged Dragoon.
A brother to all of us.
Afterwards, you'll ride with us while we raid on the humans.
Sucker.
Whoa, easy, boy.
Easy, boy.
- Hey, Alan! - Pete!
- How'd you do? - Our friend led me to the Dragoon's meeting place.
- About a mile from here. - Nice goin'. Now, if Galen clicks, we're in business.
- Get a load of this. - What is it?
It's a journal written by Fauna's father.
He wrote it, but she never knew what was in it, so she asks me to read it to her.
I stop when I get to the part where he mentions...
he's meeting with humans in secret... humans that he liked.
- They were buddies. They liked him too. - Yeah?
He knows that the apes are afraid of humans and that they hate humans, right?
But he's meeting with them in secret to teach 'em things, to share his knowledge with.
Alan, it doesn't make sense. No human is gonna try to harm the only ape in the world...
who's knockin' himself out tryin' to help them.
I wonder if Sestus could be, uh, mistaken.
What if her father wasn't killed by humans?
Yeah, mistaken or lying?
Come on.
Whoa!
My niece, Fauna, will see to you.
Tell her that you'll be staying with us, and I'll be back shortly.
- Fauna... that's a pretty name. - Gentle girl. Oh, she's blind.
And, Phoebus, she knows nothing of my activities. I'd like it kept that way.
Oh, of course, of course.
When I return, I'll bring a horse for you. You'll be needing it.
- Oh, hello. - Phoebus?
Yes. Here, let me help you.
Did you get your water?
Water?
Yes, Pargo said you and Alar went to get some.
Oh, water, yes!
Oh, hey, I think that's finished.
Yeah.
- You were with Pargo, huh? - At the cave.
- Oh? - He told me a story...
about an ape named Robinson Crusoe.
Oh, he has a way with females.
I think I love him.
Isn't that, uh, kind of sudden?
I know he reminds me of someone else, but it isn't just that.
There's a warmth in his voice,
a gentleness all his own...
that makes me feel more alive than I've felt in a long time.
Fauna,
You must be careful.
You can't trust a love that comes so quickly.
Is time any guarantee that a love will be binding?
Phoebus, I know it's asking a lot for him to love someone who's blind,
but do you think it's possible?
- Do you want an honest answer? - Of course.
No,
I do not think that it is possible.
I can do anything that a female with sight can do.
Except to recognize the truth! He is not an ape!
That you can, uh, trust.
I don't believe you!
I think you're the one that's not to be trusted!
You're supposed to be his friend, you speak of him as an enemy!
He is my friend! But I know him.
And I'm... I'm very concerned about you.
I don't want to hear anymore from you!
J-J... Leave me alone!
Go away!
Galen, any luck?
Oh, you were right.
Sestus not only knows about the Dragoons, he is one of them.
- What do you know about that? - Huh.
I've won their confidence. In fact, I am being brought up for membership...
at a special meeting later today.
- Hey, good work, kid. - Yeah, we knew you could pull it off.
Yes, we all have a great deal to proud of, isn't that right, Pete?
Well, I can't take any credit. I haven't done anything.
Oh, but you have.
You have indeed.
- What's eatin' you anyway? - I'll tell you what's eating me.
I think you should stay away from Fauna.
I'm sorry, Galen, I don't understand.
- She is in love with you! - What do you mean, she's in love with me?
She told me! She asked me if I thought you could be in love with her.
- Well, that's ridiculous. - Ridiculous? It's tragic.
Can you imagine what that is going to do to her when she finds out that you are human?
Wait a minute. You're the one who made her think I was an ape.
I didn't think you were going to get involved!
- I'm not involved! - All right, come on now, knock it off, both of you.
What happened happened. Nobody planned it.
Oh.
Look, Galen, I don't wanna hurt her any more than you do.
I'm not going to. I'll go talk to her.
- Pete. - What?
- Be gentle with her. - Yeah.
Hi, Fauna. Yeah, it's me, Pargo.
You shouldn't be here.
Yeah, well, I had to talk to you.
Did Phoebus tell you what I said to him?
- Look, Fauna... - It's all right.
It's all right if you don't care for me.
I understand.
It's too soon. Perhaps in time you will, and then...
Look, um, I think you're very lovely...
and gentle.
There are things about me you don't even know!
- Now you sound like Phoebus. - Yeah, well, maybe you should have listened to him.
You tell me... You tell me what is so wrong about you...
that it surpasses what is wrong with me.
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
You know, this reminds me of a story...
my mother used to tell me when I was very young.
Tell me.
Well...
this is a story about an old blind man named Isaac...
and his two sons, Jacob and Esau.
Esau, uh, was a hunter,
and he was strong and hairy, and his father idolized him.
Old Isaac was very sick,
and on this deathbed, he gave Esau his blessing,
which was a big thing in those days.
Now the other son, Jacob,
had very soft, smooth skin,
and he wanted his father's blessing as well,
so he pretended to be his brother Esau...
by covering his hand with a piece of goatskin.
And, uh,
Isaac was fooled...
into thinking that he was touching Esau,
and he gaveJacob the same blessing.
I'm not sure that-that I understand the meaning of your story.
It was a deception, Fauna, born out of desperate need,
but not meant to harm anyone.
But you couldn't deceive anyone, Pargo.
I have touched your face.
It is strong, like Esau's.
If it was soft and smooth likeJacob's,
I should fear and despise you.
Fauna, you must understand that there is nothing between us...
and there can never be.
My friends and I are going to leave here today,
and you'll never s...
and you will never hear my voice again.
Oh, no.
Good-bye, Fauna.
Hold it! Hold it! No yelling.
Just take it easy, Perdix. We just wanna talk to you. Look, we need your help.
Our friend is going to a meeting of the Dragoons tonight.
If you wanna get them, we'll take you there.
Our friend's gonna be in trouble, big trouble. We're not asking you, we're telling you.
- I'm not Perdix. - Are you looking for me?
As leader of the High Council, I now call the Dragoons to order!
If there are no objections,
we will not list the grievances voiced by the humans on our last raid.
It seems these humans are now dead.
I understand...
we have a new prospect who wishes to join our ranks.
Will he please stand?
Oh.
- Your name? - Phoebus.
- Who vouches for Phoebus? - I, Sestus.
Ah, Sestus, good. Are you, Phoebus, familiar with the goals of the Dragoons?
Oh, yes. To drive all humans from our land.
- And the humans who refuse? - Death to them.
Death to them all!
It appears Sestus has brought us a worthy prospect.
Let us take a vote.
Welcome, Phoebus, brother Dragoon.
Now and forever.
Our next raid... Our next raid will be on the human shepherd, Rico.
We meet tomorrow at midday. Are we agreed?
- Agreed! - And, Phoebus...
you, you will have the honor of killing him.
Thank you very much.
- Until tomorrow! - Wait!
Excuse me. I just...
I'm really not very used to this yet.
Uh, is it over?
- Of course. - So soon?
We have no further business to conduct.
Oh, I have something to say!
You know those two humans who stole my horse and attacked me?
I saw them.
- Where? - Actually, it was quite near here.
- Near my farm? I don't believe it. - They were just passing through.
They were heading for the beach. In fact, I am sure they were heading for the beach.
Why don't we go down there and find them?
At night?
Well...
I hardly think they're going to wait until morning.
It's impossible to search the caves and the cliffs in the dark.
Oh.
At first light, we meet on the beach at Sandy Point. Agreed?
- Agreed. - Don't worry.
We'll get them, I promise you.
And you can kill them instead of Rico, if you wish.
Oh, thank you.
Thank you.
Is anything wrong, Phoebus?
Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no.
Uh, nothing could be better. Nothing.
Come, I'll take you back to the farm.
Oh!
Do you mind... if I stay here for a while?
I mean, it's such a very... very special night.
It's such a very special place for me.
I would like to... enjoy it alone for a while.
Oh, of course, of course.
I've listened to everything that you have to say.
It is clear to me that you are lying.
Come on, Perdix. How can you be sure of that if you don't check out our story?
You could not know about the Dragoons' meeting place.
Even I have not been able to learn that.
Why would we come here to lie? It's too easy to prove or disprove.
I will put you back in your cells and go to this meeting place you speak of.
If the Dragoons are there, you will be released.
They're not there now, Perdix!
They were last night!
First, they are there, then they are not there.
I will decide whether to execute you at once...
or advise Urko before shooting you.
Well, that's a great pair of options.
Back to your cells.
Move!
Here, take his gun. Back, get back!
- Against the wall! Carefully! - Who are you?
I am wearing this mask so you won't find out. Now, why would I tell you?
I'll find out. I'll track you down if it takes ten years!
I hope you find something better to do with your time the next ten years.
You can start by capturing the Dragoons.
- But you are a Dragoon? - It's a long story.
My horse is out back. Now, the Dragoons will be at Sandy Point.
- Got it. - Take him. We'll meet you on the cliffs.
- Come on! - Perdix, we're going for a little ride.
Outside, nice and easy.
Where have you been?
I seem to remember that our plan called for you to bring Perdix to the meeting.
Ah, he changed our minds.
Oh.
Wait, wait, wait.
Now, you said you wanted the Dragoons.
Let's see if you're more interested in them than you are in killing me.
Come on. Come on, come on. Come on.
There's no one in there!
More caves further back on the beach.
All of you, throw down your weapons.
- Throw them down! - No!
Don't be a fool, Zon.
You're the fool, Perdix. A fool not to side with us.
All right, turn your back. Let us kill humans!
We have ten weapons to your one.
Are you willing to die to save humans?
Are you willing to die to kill me, Zon?
We-We've gone too far, Zon.
Shut up, Sestus.
We set out to do something, and we're gonna finish it.
I will shut up as far as humans are concerned, but not apes!
I'll kill anyone... human or ape... who try to stop us.
Fauna, Fauna, it's all right now. It's all right.
- Pargo. Pargo, is that you? - Yes, Fauna.
No! No, you're not Pargo.
You're human!
It was a deception born of desperate need, Fauna, not meant to harm.
Oh, get away!
- Get away from me! - Fauna, Fauna!
Fauna, this is your uncle. It's Sestus.
- Nothing to be afraid of. - But he's human! He's human!
- Don't worry, he's not going to hurt you. - No!
Get him away! Get him away!
He-He tricked me.
He tricked me, like the others tricked my father.
And they're treacherous, like animals, and they must be treated like animals!
Fauna, now listen to me! This human saved your life.
He risked his own life to save you.
No, I hate him, I hate him. A human killed my father! He killed him!
Now, Fauna, Fauna, it's Alar. Listen to me, please, listen.
I don't know if a human did kill your father.
But if it happened, that doesn't mean that all humans are bad,
just like all apes aren't good.
This Alar speaks the truth.
It was not a human that caused your father's death.
- Shut up, Sestus. - What are you saying, Sestus?
I hated and feared humans as you do now,
but your father was different.
He didn't fear the humans, he trusted them.
- That night, I was with Zon. - No, Sestus!
We warned your father, but he was stubborn.
Zon became angry, there was a fight, Zon hit him.
He fell and hit his head on a rock.
- Oh, God. - Zon said...
we were both responsible for his death.
Fauna, I couldn't bring myself...
to tell you the truth.
Sestus is a coward.
But what difference does it make who killed Lucian?
The humans are still our enemies.
We must drive them from our lands.
Kill them. Kill the humans!
Well, listen to me. Listen to me.
Kill them! Kill them! Do you hear me?
Listen to me. Kill them!
Give me your pistol, Zon.
Let's go.
You're welcome to stay on at the farm.
Thank you, Sestus, but we gotta be movin' on.
Fauna...
Look, l...
Fauna, I'm sorry.
I hope you forgive me for deceiving you.
L-I just don't understand...
how-how I could've thought I loved a human.
Good-bye.