Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: The Official Movie Novelization

12

Caesar watched the humans go. Around him, the rest of the apes quieted and looked to him for guidance.

He waited until the humans were gone. But where were they running to? Would they return with more humans, and more guns? Everything he had thought yesterday was suddenly uncertain.

Right now he had to take care of his son and see to Ash. He moved down the ridge, keeping a careful eye on the spot in the trees on the other side of the river where the humans had disappeared. The rest of the apes followed him down the rocks and across the river, wary and unsettled. Rocket ran ahead to Ash, lifting him to his feet and helping him out of the water. Ash sat on the bank. The hair on his arm was wet with blood from a wound on the outside of his shoulder. Caesar saw at a glance that the wound was not bad. He left Ash to Rocket, and motioned Blue Eyes to him.

What happened? he signed.

We were chasing a fish, Blue Eyes replied. When we came past the rock, the… He stumbled over the sign. The human was there. He…

Again Blue Eyes paused, not knowing the sign for what he wanted to say.

He shot at you, Caesar said. Blue Eyes nodded.

Caesar patted his son’s shoulder. They had been lucky. The shot could have killed one of them. Still, this was bad enough.

Go to your friend, he signed. Then he moved over to the bag the young male had dropped. For a long moment he looked at it. He prodded it with the tip of his spear. Then he picked it up.

With the humans gone—at least for now—there was time for questions. What were they doing here? Where had they come from? No ape had seen any sign of humans living in the mountains, not in several winters. And the city was dark and quiet. Could these humans have come from somewhere else, over the mountains or the ocean? Had the sickness not been able to cross the water?

Too many questions.

They needed answers.

Caesar turned to Koba, who was still watching the woods. He grunted, and when Koba turned to him, he gave a sharp signal.

Follow them.