"The apes that are hiding—they won't stay there forever. They'll move someplace else and when they do, I'll get them."
Tanner laughed and aimed out the window. A moment later, two blazing torches had crumpled to the asphalt. Almost simultaneously, the trees went up in flames and two fiery figures stumbled out from behind them.
"Don't ever let your emotions interfere with your better judgment," Tanner said shortly. "Mr. Ainsworth wouldn't like it. Neither would I."
Stan hardly heard him. It didn't mean anything to him one way or the other, he kept telling himself. They were apes.
Just apes.
"What will the apes say when this is over and they discover the shattered houses and the bodies?"
Tanner picked off another running figure.
"There'll be no bodies. The wind disperses the ashes as soon as the field is let up. As for the rest—the apes are ingenious in thinking up explanations. They never believe in anything they haven't seen themselves."
The room was thick with dust and the noise of the spanging; the front wall was holed in half a dozen different spots. Then there was a rush of figures across the street and Stan caught his breath. In the lead was Avis, black hair streaming, urging the others on....