The Emancipated

  Astounding Science-Fiction March 1940

  Johnny Black 03*

  L. Sprague de Camp

  Johnny Black is back. Promise enough of a grand yarn, isn't it?

  -

  Johnny Black said: "Fo-wer sco-wer and-a sev-un yee-yers ago-wa, ou-wer fah-vers ... fah-zerf—"

  "The word" said Dr. Ewing, "is 'fathers'. With the voiced dental fricative, like this." The good psychologist made a horrible face as he intoned the "th" of "father," so Johnny could see how his tongue was used. Johnny recoiled a little before he remembered that his instructor had no intention of biting him.

  "How?" he asked politely.

  Dr. Ewing repeated the consonant whereon so many foreign students of English have come to grief. But the foreigners at least had human dentition, with four large chisel-shaped upper incisors flanked by a pair of chisel-shaped canines. Johnny's upper incisors were six small pegs, and the canines were large conical tusks. No matter what he did with his organs of speech, the resulting sound resembled anything but a human "th" sound.

  He had numerous other troubles. For instance, the l's defeated him completely. So Johnny at his best sounded like a Voder with a short circuit. But it was doing pretty well, considering that he had not in his youth established those many chains of lightning reflexes that enable men to rattle off threats, promises, excuses and lies so glibly. And that his black bear's anatomy had not been designed for speech in the first place. A man learning to type with his toes would be a good analogue to Johnny learning to talk.

  This had been going on for months, since a ripple in the affairs of men had brought Johnny and his boss, Ira Methuen, up from the blue Caribbean. Methuen, who had given Johnny his superbearish intelligence by cerebral injection, was now heading Yale's Department of Biology, and Johnny was studying speech at New York University under Ewing.

  Johnny was still struggling bear-fully with the dental fricatives when Chauncey Malone arrived. Like Ewing, Malone had a lot of white hair. But he was as pale and frail as Ewing was pink and robust. Malone was—grace to Tammy Hall—New York City's commissioner of parks— New York had backslid again.

  Johnny said: "Herro, Mr. Ma-rone."

  Malone nodded absently at Johnny. He could never be at his best in the same room with five hundred pounds of bear. The fact that the bear spoke to him was, if anything, a little more unnerving.

  Ewing said in his hearty, crisp voice: "Hello, Mr. Malone. Well?"

  "I've been thinking," said Malone hesitantly. "I haven't quite made up my mind yet."

  "Better decide pretty quick. I can keep one animal in my apartment but not two. As it is, I can't depend on regular milk and newspaper deliveries. The boys throw the bottles and papers in the ash can to avoid meeting Johnny. And my landlord's complaining."

  "There's ... there's nothing in your lease about bears in the apartment, is there?"

  "No, but there's a clause about endangering the other tenants. And I want my bathroom repapered. Been hunting for years for wallpaper with octopuses on it, and at last I've found some. But the landlord won't move while I've got Johnny, to say nothing of Methuen's damned chimpanzee."

  "When's the chimp due?" asked Malone. Maybe if he could get Ewing off the subject, he could postpone the moment of having to make up his mind.

  "Methuen says he'll be finished with his injections in a few days and will drive McGinty down."

  Malone asked Johnny: "What ... what do you think of the idea of educating McGinty, Mr. Black?"

  Johnny said solemnly: "I sink it is a serious mistake."

  "Why?"

  "I know McGinty. A self-conceited, mean-tempered individuar. Giving him brains wirr not improve his nature."

  "Never mind that," snapped Ewing. "Johnny's probably jealous; wants to be the only intelligent animal. Well, how about it?"

  "Let me see; I really haven't decided—"

  "Oh, for Heaven's sake! It's a simple business proposition. We board Johnny Black and McGinty at the Central Park Zoo; you turn over such of your specimens as we pick for the Methuen treatment. We get specimens; you get publicity. Do you agree, or do I have to approach the Zoological Society again?"

  "Oh, well, if you insist—we'll do it. But if you damage one of our exhibits—"

  "Not much danger. By the way, you'll have to furnish transportation for the specimens. We haven't got a truck. And Johnny's got to be taken to and from his classes up here."

  -

  Johnny didn't mind the change from Ewing's apartment to the Central Park bear dens. He did threaten to become uncooperative if they didn't let him take his mattress along.

  His den already contained two female American blacks, Susie and Nokomis, and a male, Ink. They looked at him warily as he toddled into the inclosure with his mattress rolled up and slung over his shoulder. Their smell excited him. They were the first members of his own species whom he had had an opportunity to know personally.

  "Herro," he said. "My name is Johnny Brack."

  The three bears looked a trifle startled. Of course, he thought, they couldn't understand him, yet. So, with his claws, he cut the strings that held his mattress, unrolled it, and spread himself out on the mattress in a sunny spot. He took the spectacles out of the case around his neck and opened the book he had brought along.

  A spectator explained to his small boy: "Sure, that's a grizzly beh. No, behs can't read. He's just trained to do like he was reading. To make people laugh. No, I dunno why the other behs don't read. Sure, they eat people."

  Johnny looked up sharply at this canard, and was tempted to contradict it. But, he thought, if he started an argument with the spectators he'd never get time to read his book. So he said nothing.

  Johnny found that as soon as he got up to go for a stroll, the other bears made a dive for the mattress. So he spent a good deal of time driving them away from it. He made a point of establishing himself as boss of the cage right at the start. His cage mates, he thought, would be pretty dull company until they received brains. After that they might be useful to him.

  -

  Johnny happened to be passing Ewing's office when Methuen arrived with McGinty in tow. Johnny's boss led McGinty, trotting along on his knuckles, by a light steel chain, much more ornamental than useful and not very ornamental. Johnny and Methuen said hello and shook paws and grinned, and Johnny said: "Rook, boss, I can talk awmost as werr as you. Rike zis: 'You may talk o' gin and beer when you're quartered safe out 'ere, and you're sent—'"

  "Yes, yes, old man," interrupted

  Methuen hastily. "T knew you'd make a marvelous talker once you got started. You remember McGinty, don't you?''

  "Sure," said Johnny. He reached a paw toward the chimpanzee, who suddenly jerked the end of the chain out of Methuen*s hand, whirled two feet of it around his head, and let fly at Johnny. The steel crossbar on the end stung Johnny's sensitive nose.

  "Oof!" cried Johnny. "I show you!

  McGinty was jumping up and down excitedly, grunting, "Keek! Keek!" and showing all his teeth. As Johnny sprang at him he squealed with fear and bolted down the corridor.

  Just then the class bell rang. McGinty, terrified, leaped upon the nearest person, who happened to be a girl student, seized her about the neck, and tried to bury his face in her armpit. Now, to have one hundred and fifty pounds of hairy ape suddenly climb your frame is a disconcerting experience. McGinty was merely seeking protection.- But the girl could not be expected to know that. She made a noise like a subway-car wheel on a sharp turn and collapsed. By the time Methuen arrived, shouting, McGinty realized he had done wrong somehow and was quite docile.

  "Let him alone, Johnny!" cried Methuen. "He doesn't know any better, yet."

  Johnny halted. He wouldn't have, for anybody else. "Aw right. But I remember zat bump on ze nose."

  Ewing appeared and asked: "Does he behave like that always?"

  "No," said Methuen. "At least, not very often. But you can't depend on him. Want to call the whole thing off?"

  "No," said Ewing firmly. "I said

  I'd teach him, and I will."

  After that people saw to it that Johnny and McGinty never met. That was all right with Johnny. He was more interested in his own studies, and in the Central Park bears. Came the day when Ink approached him with a look that Johnny interpreted as signifying an internal struggle: whether physical or mental he couldn't say. Ink stood up, waved a paw at Johnny, and with infinite difficulty managed to groan: "You ... Dzon-nee!"

  Johnny sat up and banged his fore-paws together. "Fine! On'y it's Johnny."

  "Dzon-ny!" repeated Ink. Another internal crisis shook him, and then, indicating himself, he ground out: "Me ... Hink!"

  "Fine! Fine!" encouraged Johnny.

  Ink opened his mouth soundlessly a couple of times, then gasped: "What ...' what—" He struggled over some question that was no doubt vital to him, but the words would not come. Johnny could sympathize. He remembered his own feeling of futile struggle to put into intelligible form all the thoughts that had swarmed into his mind when he recovered from his own Methuen treatment.

  -

  When one of Johnny's fellow students—human—suggested that he come out for football practice, Johnny's insatiable curiosity led him to go along. As it happened, Coach Cohn was feeling irascible. When he finished telling his first string that they ought to wear lace on their uniforms and bring knit

ting, he roared: "I bet even that bear could do better. Here, Johnny, take right guard in the scrub line for a little scrimmage."

  Johnny, still curious, did as he was instructed. When the ball was snapped, they explained, he was to push through the opposing line and tackle the man with the ball. It was as simple as that.

  It was almost too simple. Johnny pushed through the line and tackled the opposing fullback, a youth named Vleck, before Mr. Vleck knew what was happening to him. For that matter he didn't learn what had happened to him until a few minutes later, when he came to. Johnny, meanwhile, turned back to the group surrounding the varsity guard and tackle, between whom he had pushed. Both were lying still and pale, except that the guard, one Martinelli, moaned a bit because of a broken rib. The tackle would be all right when he recovered consciousness.

  Cohn shook his head. "Too bad. He'd make a perfect lineman. But nobody would play with us. Too bad. What we wouldn't do to Ford-ham—"

  -

  Ewing, for all his good intentions, couldn't keep Johnny and McGinty apart indefinitely. One day Johnny strolled into Ewing's office to report on his studies and found McGinty alone. McGinty was lying on his back on Ewing's desk and smoking four of Ewing's cigarettes at once, one in each hand. He jumped up, scattering sparks and ash, and cried: "Hello, Johnny, how's the* old boy?"

  Johnny was somewhat taken aback by McGinty's cordiality and linguistic fluency. But he merely said: "Fine. How are you?"

  "Oh, I'm fine. I speak pretty well, don't I? Just like a man. Men are a bore, aren't they? Always wanting you to do things at certain times." .

  "Werr," said Johnny, "you have to do sings at some time."

  "Me, I like to do things when I feel like it. They don't understand me. When I want to throw inkwells out the window, I've just got to throw inkwells out the window."

  "Have you been srowing inkwerrs out ze window?" asked Johnny, shocked.

  "Sure; just the other day."

  "Why?"

  "You sound just like a man. -They're always asking me why I did this or that. I tell them I just felt like it, but that doesn't satisfy them. How should I know why I feel lifte throwing inkwells? Say!" McGinty suddenly looked sharply at Johnny. "I remember why I threw them. It had to do with you. I'd gotten bored with spelling lessons and wanted to play. And Ewing told me you hadn't approved of giving me the brain treatment. I suppose he wanted to encourage me."

  "So you srew ze inkwerrs?"

  "So I threw the inkwells. But have you been poisoning Ewing's mind against me?"

  "No, not at awr."

  "No, huh? Did you say he oughtn't to give me the Methuen treatment?"

  "No," Johnny lied stoutly.

  But McGinty, a suspicious gleam in his yellow eyes, went on: "I bet you did. I just bet. It's like you. You're jealous because you aren't the only animal with brains any more."

  "I never—" said Johnny.

  But McGinty continued: "I remember when you jumped on me in the hall. I had to use that chain to protect myself. You bully! You bum!"

  "What do you mean, protect—" "You stuck-up! You animated rug! You flea hotel!" McGinty's voice rose with each epithet until it reached a scream. "I won't stand it! I won't! I won't! I'll fix you! I'll tear you to pieces!" Mc-

  McGinty snatched the two inkwells off Ewing's desk. The first went wild. The second was well aimed, but Johnny's lightning reflexes came into play. He dodged and made for McGinty with a squall of rage.

  McGinty leaped over Ewing's desk, yelling: "Don't you touch me! I'll tell Ewing! He'll fix you! He'll vivisect you!" He grabbed up two fistfuls of Ewing's papers and threw them futilely at Johnny. Johnny leaped through the storm of paper clear over the desk, fetching up with a crash against a filing cabinet. But McGinty ducked through the knee-hole under the desk and leaped to a chair and thence to the ceiling-light fixture, shrieking: "Help! He's killing me! Help, Dr. Ewing!"

  Johnny disengaged himself from the wreck of the filing cabinet just as Ewing and his secretary entered the room. The light fixture came out by the roots just then, and down came McGinty in a shower of plaster.

  "Oh, my Lord!" yelled Ewing, surveying his office.

  McGinty ran over to him, hugged his waist, and buried his face in Ewing's midriff, crying: "Save me! Don't let him kill me!"

  In answer to Ewing's questions, McGinty began pouring out a fanciful account of the preceding events. Johnny tried to break in once or twice. He gave that up, took out Ewing's typewriter, inserted a piece of paper, and with his claws typed:

  -

  REPORT

  ON THE PECULIAR BEHAVIOR

  OF McGINTY THE CHIMPANZEE

  BY JOHNNY BLACK

  -

  After that, Ewing saw to it that Johnny and McGinty were not allowed to come within a mile of one another when out of their cages. Johnny, watching his bears' minds grow and burrowing into his own studies, wondered vaguely what McGinty would do next. But, he told himself, it wasn't his business. If McGinty did something horrible to his human mentors, or vice versa, it would probably serve both right.

  The months rolled by, though Greater New York still was fascinated by the spectacle of a truck filled with eight bears, ranging from Kobuk, the sixteen-hundred-pound Kodiak, clown to Dato, the diminutive Malayan sun bear, making its four-times-weekly trip between the Central Park Zoo and the Bronx.

  April came, and April is a special month in a bear's calendar. Theretofore the two female blacks, Susie and Nokomis, had been just a couple of bears to him—as he had been to them. Now things were different.

  Ink objected violently. "Rook here!" he squalled. "I do not mind one of my girrs. But bot' is no fair."

  Johnny, who outweighed Ink by one hundred and fifty pounds, was unimpressed. "I can't he'p it if zey rike me better," he said loftily.

  "Is zat so?" Ink bared his teeth and swung; not a playful cuff, such as they were always dealing out, but a slash that sent fur flying and drew blood.

  Johnny pitched into Ink. Before much damage had been done, Kobuk came in from the adjoining cage. The keepers, at the bears' request, had left the intercage gates unlocked.

  Ink scrambled free and scuttled into a corner, wailing: "No fair! No fair!"

  "Don't make no difference," rumbled Kobuk. "Johnny boss. He smart. What boss want he get, understand?"

  Ink understood. Thus Johnny became the acknowledged leader of the bear faction. The other bears looked up to him, anyway, since he knew so much more than they, who could just about talk intelligibly. And if any of them became obstreperous, there was always Kobuk's support. Kobuk fairly idolized Johnny, and what he said went.

  -

  Then, one balmly evening in July, Johnny became aware of activity in the central court, which he could see through the arcade from the feline house to the restaurant. A couple of keepers were shepherding four chimpanzees. Presently a couple of sea lions slithered around from the gate in the fence around their pool. And then came a couple of slinking shapes: the two coyotes. Johnny could hear a murmur of talk, human and animal. Johnny called over one of the keepers.

 

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