Page 29 of Bark Or Bite

“She wants to see you eat it,” said Lucy. “Don’t worry. It’s just a sliced orange, nothing on it.” Nine ate the orange, watching as the gorilla almost smiled at him. When he was done, he nodded at her, and she began eating her own food.

“Luce, baby, I know you think this is okay, but if that thing…”

“Sema,” smiled Sniff, walking toward them.

“Right. Sema. If she got loose, there could be some serious damage done. Even if she’s gentle, like you say, others might not see her as such.”

“Dad, even if we opened the door, she won’t run. Carter, Fitz, and Keith are building another enclosure that will surround a grouping of trees so she can climb. They’re going to make sure she can’t get over the edge, but I assure you that even if she could get out, she wouldn’t.”

“Lucy,” said Gaspar, shaking his head.

Sniff opened the door of the cage and the four men stepped back. Sema stared at them, finishing the last of her lunch in the bucket. With her puppies in her hand, she stepped out of the enclosure, kissing the top of Sniff’s head.

“What the hell?” muttered Ian.

Lucy held out her hand, and the gorilla transferred two puppies to the other arm, now holding all four safely in her cradle. Touching Lucy’s hand, she gently pulled her toward her body, hugging her sweetly.

“Dear God, I’m going to have a heart attack,” said Gaspar.

“Gaspar, she’s not going to hurt her or anyone. The only way she would ever harm anyone is if she thought they were a threat to her, the puppies, or us.”

“Oh, there’s my girl,” said Irene, walking toward them.

“I should have known. I should have fucking known that you had something to do with this,” he murmured.

“Don’t be an ass, Gaspar. You’re too handsome for that. I heard of the folks in Texas lookin’ for a home for Sema and knew she’d be perfect for our little family. I mean, look at her. She’s a natural momma with them puppies.”

“Mama, she’s a gorilla.”

“They don’t eat meat if that’s what you’re worried about. Leave her be,” said Irene, walking toward the big ape. Irene hugged her, touching her face with her wrinkled hands, whispering to her.

“What is she saying to that thing?” frowned Ghost.

“I don’t know,” said Gaspar, shaking his head. “Probably whispering voodoo spells to her on who she wants her to kill.”

“Don’t be a smartass,” said Lucy. “Come here. Please. Come here, all of you.”

The four men carefully walked closer and closer to Sema. She held her puppies protectively, all but one sound asleep in her arms now. She eyed the men, unsure of what to think at first, but since her friends Lucy, Sniff, and Irene were near her, she believed they were safe.

Lucy held her big hand, then signed to the gorilla that the men were friends. She stared at her, then back at the men. Sniff and Irene signed ‘friends’ as well, and then she repeated the sign. Nine took a step closer, holding his hand out, palm up. Sema looked down at it, then lay her own hand against his. They were nearly the same size.

“Incredible,” he whispered. “It’s like touching a human.”

“She’s probably gentler than a human,” said Lucy. “It’s going to take a while, Dad. There aren’t a lot of places that want an elderly gorilla in their zoo or park. I need you to be okay with her being here.”

“I’m having a hard time finding a reason for her not to be here,” he laughed. “She seems as gentle as they come, and she’s damn sure good with those puppies.”

“I told you. Her maternal instincts are very high. She knows she should have had babies but didn’t. It makes her sad. She could be very helpful to us here.”

“What about the bigger dogs? How does she behave around them?” asked Ian.

“They act like she’s their own jungle gym. She roughhouses with them like the men would do, but she’s keenly aware of her own strength. She’s truly remarkable. You can tell she was trained well and treated well. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her.”

“Yet.” They all looked at Ghost. “She hasn’t shown us that yet, Lucy, but she might.”

“I’m willing to take that chance,” she said, standing tall against her father’s best friend. He shook his head, walking toward her and touching her arm.

“A fucking gorilla. We’ve got a fucking gorilla in our animal sanctuary.”

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