PART 2
But in the blink of an eye, everything changed!
Officer Higgins didn’t draw his weapon; instead, he pulled out a small black notepad and adjusted his aviator sunglasses with a frown.
“Do you have a permit for this vehicle on the pedestrian walkway?” the officer demanded, completely ignoring the giant gorilla.
Marcus blinked, utterly stunned by the sheer, blinding power of bureaucratic tunnel vision that was currently saving his life.
“A… a permit, officer?” Marcus stammered, his mind racing to find an answer that wouldn’t end with them in handcuffs.
Barnaby, sensing the shift in tension, slowly raised his massive right arm and placed a heavy, reassuring hand over Marcus’s knuckles.
The sheer weight of the ape’s hand was immense, but the gesture was shockingly human, as if telling Marcus to let him handle this.
The silverback then cleared his throat, a deep, resonant rumble that sounded exactly like an old judge preparing to deliver a final verdict. ⚖️
He leaned forward slightly in the wheelchair, his broad chest expanding as he stared directly into Officer Higgins’s eyes.
Higgins looked down at the notepad, then looked up at Barnaby, finally noticing the thick coat of dark fur and the massive brow ridge.
“Wait a minute,” Higgins said, squinting through his sunglasses. “You aren’t from around here, are you, sir?”
Barnaby didn’t nod, but he gave a subtle, incredibly dignified tilt of his head, maintaining absolute, unwavering eye contact with the lawman.
“He’s… he’s my silent partner,” Marcus blurted out, desperately trying to keep the officer from looking too closely at the fingernails.
“We are performing a very specific, highly classified piece of street theater,” Marcus lied, his heart hammering against his ribs.
Higgins nodded slowly, tapping his pen against his chin as if this explanation made perfect, logical sense in his strange world.
“Ah, performance art,” Higgins muttered, writing something down in his little book. “The mayor mentioned something about this last week.”
Barnaby let out a soft, approving chuff, a sound that Marcus knew meant the gorilla was thoroughly enjoying the absolute absurdity of the moment.
The silverback reached into the small basket attached to the side of the wheelchair, pulling out a bright yellow banana with perfect grace.
He didn’t tear it open like a wild animal; he peeled it deliberately, stripping one neat section of skin down at a time.
He offered a piece to Officer Higgins, extending his massive, leathery hand with the courtly manners of a medieval duke. 🍌
Higgins looked at the banana, then at the massive silverback, and actually smiled, tipping his hat in a gesture of profound respect.
