Let's Read Animorphs! The Whole Series! Ch-ch-ch-chaaanges

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freebooter: Jul 7, 2009

Erek melt-morphing them back together was what struck me as the most deus ex machina part of the book when I read it as a kid, but looking at it now, Jake's little speech about how You Needed To Learn To Work Together is also very pat and sitcommy. If that was the angle KA wanted to go with it's weird that she didn't make the whole thing a staged set-up with the Animorphs having figured out what the separate Rachels personality deal was, and tricking them into learning this. But... that was really Visser Three! You really nearly just died!

Next book I remember finding frankly dull as a 10-year-old (IIRC it's very introspective) but which I expect will be much, much more engaging as an adult.

# ? Dec 4, 2021 09:15

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# ? May 28, 2024 05:05

HisMajestyBOB: Oct 21, 2010; College Slice

# ? Dec 4, 2021 14:09

disaster pastor: May 1, 2007

Epicurius posted:

For those of you who had read it before, did your opinion of it change at all?

I still think it's awful. I used to think it was absolutely the worst book, and now... it probably still is the worst book, but man, there are some strong competitors for that title coming up.

Epicurius posted:

So, I haven't done this before. These are children's books and were written like 25 years ago, but that being said, this book has descriptions of torture, of disfigurement, of abuse, and of mental illness.

Not this one, though. This one I always considered one of the best, and I'm interested to see if that's changed.

# ? Dec 5, 2021 02:41

Soup du Jour: Sep 8, 2011; I always knew I'd die with a headache.

I forget who posted it but they hit the nail on the head when they said that the book�s biggest problem is that it�s repetitive. Within like 6 chapters we get it for both Mean and Wimp Rachel and every chapter just starts bleeding into each other.

But good lord 33 is an experience. One of my favorites as a kid. Very deserving of that content warning though, this is going to get dark.

# ? Dec 5, 2021 02:50

ANOTHER SCORCHER: Aug 12, 2018

Epicurius posted:

For those of you who had read it before, did your opinion of it change at all?

Honestly no, as others have said I found it repetitive and the ending is a deus ex machina that feels a little undeserved. However this next one is great, the content warning is completely appropriate, but this is a book that does what Animorphs at its best is able to do.

# ? Dec 5, 2021 04:05

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Well, lets see how traumatic this book turns out to be..

Book 33-The Illujsion
Ghostwritten by Ellen Geroux

There's not much I can find about Ellen Geroux. She seems not to have written anything else and isn't in public view. Katherine Applegate said that they originally hired her to deliver cookies to them, and she went on to be their most prolific ghostwriter. Michael Grant was asked at one time about her and said that while she was a great help at the time, serving as a personal assistant, ghostwriting, and managing their correspondence, they dropped out of touch and that has no idea what she's doing now. So, I hope she's doing well.

Chapter 1

quote:

My name is Tobias.

And I don�t think I could have felt more uncomfortable if I�d just been asked to give an impromptu speech on the French Revolution in front of an all-school assembly.

Well, okay. I guess that would be pretty bad. But this Friday night was definitely right up there.

Back when I was a regular kid, school dances made me a little uneasy. I�ve always been a loner and all, and they just weren�t my thing. But now! Now that I spent most of my life as a red-tailed hawk - hunting, flying, protecting my meadow - dances made me feel even weirder.

Bird-boy at the ball.

Why had I let Rachel talk me into this? I mean, what do you do with your arms? They just dangled there. Stiff. Awkward. And my eyes! I�d fix a stare on someone and forget, until it was too late, that people tend not to do that. A big, burly redhead noticed as the raptor in me burned a hole through his girlfriend.

�Jerk!�

Oops. Hard to remember I wasn�t perched in a tree a half mile away.

I�d been cool enough at the last school dance. That was more of a group thing, I guess. Tonight it was � I don�t know � a date? No, no, no. We were all there. Pretending to be acquaintances.

I looked ridiculous, I was sure of it. And I was sure that everyone else thought so, too.

Did Rachel?

I glanced at her. She seemed impatient. Angry almost, as she surveyed the dimly lit gym in an absent yet determined way. They�d taped some helium balloons to the bleachers and draped strings of multicolored lights from the basketball hoops. We were down at the far end next to the deejay. So close to the speaker my eardrums were numb.

Rachel was as beautiful as ever. Really. I mean I wouldn�t tell her this, but she made the other girls look pretty plain. Her gold hair gleamed in the strobe light. Her bright eyes caught mine. I knew she wanted me to dance with her. I just couldn�t do it. My human body was sweating. I felt confined. I needed air. I looked away.

Did I mention that my name is Tobias?

Just Tobias. Even if it were safe to tell you my last name, I�m not sure I�d know what to say. Whether it would be a human name, an Andalite name, or just �Hawk.� I don�t know. Because, see, I�m a little of each.

�Let�s kick it. boys and girls!�

My friend Marco unlike me, was in paradise. He was belting out lyrics like his first name was �Ice� or something.

He slide-stepped toward us, spun around and stopped, squealing his sneaker on the gym floor.

He froze with one finger pointed at me and one at Rachel.

She glared at him �Some kind of chemical imbalance, Marco?�

�Hah. Hah. And also a bonus hah,� He grinned �This is a natural high. A good music high. A lots-of-girls-in-short-skirts high, A people laughing high. This is fun. Do you two remember fun?�

Rachel caught my eye again. Again I looked away, up at the clock. Twenty minutes left in morph. Not much time.

�You need to cut loose, my friends,� Marco continued in a meaningful tone. �It�s all about rhythm. You gotta commune with the rhythm, step inside the beat.�

�Look, Marco, go work your magic somewhere else,� Rachel snapped.

�Okay. Which proves what I�ve always known: Neither of you is any fun, and together, even less. I�ll just have to find my own party. Later.�

I had too much on my mind. So much to take in. Lights. Music. A lot of songs I didn�t even recognize. I�d been gone too long.

�Listen, Rachel, I have to get going. And,� I added more quietly, �Time�s running out.�

�What do you mean? You have a full, well, at least fifteen minutes left. You saying you�d rather be sitting up in your tree, watching owls eat nocturnal rodents, than be with me?� she asked. Her tone was somewhere between challenging and coy. Dangerous in either direction.

�Well, no, of course not. I mean, not exactly.�

�What?�

�It�s just all these other people. The noise. This body �� I looked around, worried that someone might overhear. But no, not with human ears, not with this much noise.

�You mean your body. The body you�re in now is your body, Tobias. It�s who you truly are. Normally, naturally.�

We�d been through this before. I didn�t know how to answer. And I didn�t know why she was pushing it.

Ever since I overstayed the two-hour time limit in morph I�ve considered hawk to be my true form. Hawk is the body I have to keep if I want to help the other Animorphs and Ax combat the Yeerk invasion. Why was Rachel ignoring reality? She knew as well as anyone that I�d be out of the fight if I stayed more than two hours in human form.

All of which must sound strange. Possibly insane. So let me back up.

Here�s the situation: The human race is under attack by a cruel and scheming enemy. As you�re reading this, the parasitic alien species called Yeerks continues to enslave human minds. Armed with a capability you can�t even imagine till you�ve seen it in action, the Yeerks wrest from us the one thing we hold most dear: free will.

Once one of these slimy, gray, sluglike parasites squirms into your ear canal, and melds and shapes itself to all the crevices of your brain, it controls you. That�s right. It dictates your every thought. Your every move! The Yeerks have created an army by infesting and controlling alien races. Gedds. Taxxons. Hork-Bajir.

Humans.

By secretly infiltrating our society, the Yeerks have become a nearly undefeatable enemy.

Who�s fighting them? What�s the human race�s best arid only hope in this war? A young Andalite cadet, along with five kids who call themselves the Animorphs because they alone, of all humans, possess a unique Andalite technology: the power to morph. To become any animal they can touch.

Ax, Jake, Cassie, Marco, Rachel. And me.

Together, we fight. But it can be a lonely war.

Because, see, morphing has some limitations. And one involves a time limit. Stay in morph longer than two hours and you�re stuck in morph forever.

That�s what happened to me. I was trapped as a redtailed hawk. A nothlit, as the Andalites call someone stuck in morph.

After many months, the powerful alien called the Ellimist gave me back my ability to morph.

Even made it possible for me to morph into my former human body. I could choose to trap myself in my human form now, but I would lose my morphing power for good. Do you see? I would be useless. Unable to honor my responsibility to Earth, powerless to resist Yeerk evil.

�Just dance with me, Tobias. Please.� A slow song started. I was surprised. I actually knew this one. Goo Goo Dolls. Couples filled up the dance floor. Cassie and Jake were on the other side of the gym, swaying gently, arms around each other.

Rachel reached out and took my hand.

It�s funny. We�ve been on so many missions together. Battled Hork-Bajir-Controllers side by side. Saved each other�s lives time and again. And still, after all that, it�s something as simple as dancing that makes my heart pound.

Out onto the dance floor. I slid my arms around her waist. Felt her hands on my neck.

I let myself relax. Something I can rarely do as a hawk and an Animorph. I gave myself over to the moment. Let the music�s rhythm lull me into a waking dream.

We danced, turning slowly. As we turned, my eyes wandered to the darkened scoreboard up in the corner. Banners listing the school�s team victories. The bleachers, where a balloon had just broken free and sailed toward the ceiling.

And then I saw � the clock.

As we've learned in this series, nothing good ever comes of school dances. It's good Rachel and Tobias are getting a moment, though, even if it's to the Goo Goo Dolls. Remember them?

Chapter 2

quote:

The time!
I jerked away to get a better look. Human eyes are worthless for long distances.

Could the clock be right?

�Oh, God. Rachel. Eight minutes,� I whispered wildly. �I have to get out of here.�

�No, wait a minute. Stay.�

�Stay? Rachel, have you lost it? I have to find a place to demorph. Now!�

I tried to stay calm, but ended up half-walking, half-running toward the door, brushing past a teacher I used to have for English, back when I was still in school. Mr. Feyroyan. He did a double take, but I was gone before he had the chance to remember me.

Down the locker-lined hallway I ran. Past my old science classrooms. Rachel was running right behind me. Had she seen the clock before I had? Had she known time was short and chosen not to tell me, hoping I�d forget? Hoping I�d be �accidentally� trapped in human morph? No. Of course not. She wouldn�t want that. And yet � I wasn�t completely sure.

�Wait up a second. Hey,� she called, angrily.

I slowed and finally stopped in front of a bulletin board display. On birds of prey, of all things. Tacked to the cork was the image of a bald eagle, wings spread wide, soaring in a deep blue sky. And a northern harrier on a fence post, silhouetted against the clouds. �Tobias, I want to explain ��

She broke off as her eyes followed mine to the picture of the red-tailed hawk and the caption beneath it. �Longevity in the wild,� it read. �Almost never reaches the figures attained by captive birds guarded against disease and predation. A generous estimate: eighteen years.�

Rachel stared at the wall. I looked at the floor. In an instant, the bulletin board display hadthrown our friendship into the harsh light of reality. Rachel was a girl who could, on occasion, become a bird of prey. I was a hawk who could, on occasion, become human.

Several big steps past being Montagues and Capulets like Romeo and Juliet. Remaining hawk meant meals of still-living mice.

Rachel was in my face, now. Intense, words spilling out. �Look, the fight is important to us all, Tobias. So important to you that you�ve given up everything human to be a warrior. What am I even saying? You risk your life every day. I understand all that. I do. We�re the same, you and me. Warriors.�

She paused to consider her next words. She was embarrassed by what she was about to say.

Fighting to get past her embarrassment. �But you�ve got to realize that there�s more. I�m not just awarrior,� she said, her blue eyes glittering so close to mine. �I�m a girl. I�m trying not to let myself be dragged off the cliff, away from all normalcy, into this insane life we live. I don�t like what it does to me, Tobias, and I need to be a girl again. I need a little bit of normalcy, okay? Not a lot, but some.�

She pushed back, away from me. I�d never seen Rachel so emotional. Unless, of course, the emotion was an act. Unless she was stalling me just to eat up the minutes, to trap me, to -

�All the things we�re supposed to live while we�re in school, Tobias, you know, dances like this, nights out at the movies, walks on the beach. That stuff is passing us by. I want those things. We deserve them. And if you were human ��

I cut her off, repeating her words out loud. �Yeah. If I were human. If.�

So she�d finally said what I�d known she felt all along. It made sense. She was right. She did need normalcy. Rachel had gone pretty far out on the edge in this war.

But it still hurt. Hurt worse because I didn�t nave an answer.

�I need to go,� I said flatly. I turned and walked hurriedly toward the T-shaped intersection, where the long hallway off the gym met an even larger corridor running from the front of the school to the rear. The hall was quiet, but populated. Kids leaning against the lockers. Talking. Hanging out.

My walk turned into a run. I didn�t want to draw attention to myself, but I had to move! I rounded the corner. Almost free. The back exit was just at the end of this hallway.

�What the � !� I stopped suddenly. My escape was blocked by one of those collapsible metal gates that pull between walls.

�Stay cool,� I mumbled to myself. With forced composure I sauntered back away from the gate as if I were just loitering, and headed the other way. The front entrance was my only choice.

Two or three steps out into the hall, I sensed someone else was there. I froze.

In front of orange-painted lockers, not fifteen feet away, stood Vice Principal Chapman.

Controller. Nemesis.

He didn�t see me because he wasn�t alone. He was focused on the kid he�d cornered against the wall.

The kid? Erek King. Erek the Chee.

Rachel! I looked back at her. She was still in the hallway. I don�t know how much alarm registered on my face. I�m pretty out of touch with facial expressions. But she obviously read the surprise in my eyes. She tiptoed to the corner and peered around.

�Oh, I know you, Erek,� Chapman said with his Vice Principal Disciplinarian voice. �I know your face, all right. I�ve seen you at meetings of The Sharing. I�m just saying I saw you throw away a cigarette just now.�

�No way, Mr. Chapman,� Erek said, sounding exactly like the kid he was supposed to be.

�We don�t need young men such as yourself smoking, especially not with the added attention. The media.�

At one level it was funny. The idea that Erek, an android beneath the holographic exterior, would smoke. And the idea that Chapman, a powerful Controller, would care. Both of them were playing roles layered with deception.

What did Chapman mean, �especially now�?

Not my problem. Erek could take care of himself. He wasn�t my concern. I had my own mess. I�d been out of school for a while, but there was the chance that Chapman would recognize me, too, start asking questions, get suspicious. I couldn�t let him get a good look at me. But I had to pass him to get outside.

Slowly, very slowly, I retraced my steps till I stood next to Rachel, our backs pressed up against the lockers.

�Look, Rachel, I need your help,� I whispered.

And that�s when I heard someone call my name.

�Tobias!�

Mr. Feyroyan waved a large, friendly hand as he strode toward us from the gym. His black curls bounced excitedly. His mouth opened to a broad smile. He had remembered me.

The clock was ticking down and I wasn�t even sure Rachel was on my side. In minutes I�d be trapped. Trapped as a person who was no longer me.

So Tobias has a lot of old friends today.

So, a few things come to mind. First, Rachel is being remarkably unfair and selfish here. And I get it. I mean, she wants a real relationship, she wants a 'normal' boyfriend, one who isn't a hawk most of the time. But even putting aside the fact that Tobias, if he becomes trapped in human morph, would be pretty much useless to the team , where would he go and how would he live. It's not like he's got a supportive family around to take him in. (And I swear to God, if one of you says, 'He could go live with the Chee!'...)

Second, how remarkably coincidental is it that Tobias stops by a display that says, "Hawks live to 18 if they're lucky? It seems very on the nose.

Third, Erek's smoking? The immortal bipedal dog shaped robot who is holographically disguised as a human teenager created a hologram of a cigarette and pretended to smoke it, only to pretend to throw it away when he saw Chapman? Why?

# ? Dec 5, 2021 04:25

Soup du Jour: Sep 8, 2011; I always knew I'd die with a headache.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NdYWuo9OFAw

this is very obviously the song that�s playing and it�s painfully Rachel/Tobias

# ? Dec 5, 2021 06:26

HIJK: Nov 25, 2012; in the room where you sleep

I remember some scenes from this book....but the actual plot vanished from my mind.

That's really cool about the ghostwriter, Ellen Geroux wrote a lot of good ones.

# ? Dec 5, 2021 07:23

freebooter: Jul 7, 2009

Iris still slaps. :colbert:

This is a ghostwriter who clearly has a handle on the characters, a handle on how to write, and weirdly this already feels like a more "natural" Animorphs book than the previous one even though that was written by KA. (Was the previous one the book where it was given over to a ghostwriter but she didn't like the finished product and rewrote it herself at the last minute, or am I thinking of the cow one?) Although maybe it's just the fact that the school feels like a very classic Animorphs scene, bringing together the Animorphs and Erek and Chapman etc in their superhero double identity world. Kind actually feels like a missed opportunity for Tidwell to show up and remind us the Yeerk peace movement exists.

Also I don't think Rachel would ever consciously, deliberately try to trap Tobias in human morph - but especially after the trauma she went through in the previous book, silly though it was, I can see her subconsciously angling towards it on a "whoopsy daisy, well it's happened now so let's try to find the positives" kind of way.

quote:

Tacked to the cork was the image of a bald eagle, wings spread wide, soaring in a deep blue sky. And a northern harrier on a fence post, silhouetted against the clouds.

The bald eagle is obvious, but it's a nice subtle touch that the other bird of prey is the morph of the other person he's closest to. Although he's literally... sitting on the fence...

# ? Dec 5, 2021 11:39

HisMajestyBOB: Oct 21, 2010; College Slice

This book is off to a strong start. Looking forward to where it goes.

# ? Dec 5, 2021 15:32

disaster pastor: May 1, 2007

Epicurius posted:

Third, Erek's smoking? The immortal bipedal dog shaped robot who is holographically disguised as a human teenager created a hologram of a cigarette and pretended to smoke it, only to pretend to throw it away when he saw Chapman? Why?

I actually assumed he wasn't smoking, Chapman needed to talk to Erek about Sharing business and was using this excuse to take him aside. Though, in hindsight, it's true that that doesn't explain why Chapman would use an excuse that makes a Sharing member look bad.

freebooter posted:

Also I don't think Rachel would ever consciously, deliberately try to trap Tobias in human morph - but especially after the trauma she went through in the previous book, silly though it was, I can see her subconsciously angling towards it on a "whoopsy daisy, well it's happened now so let's try to find the positives" kind of way.

I'm torn on this. I mostly agree with you, except that if she were angling for it, I don't think it'd be subconscious; Rachel is more than aware enough of Tobias's situation that anything she'd be doing, she'd be doing with full knowledge at all times. But I don't think she's really doing it here. I think she's a middle-school girl, traumatized by endless months of secret war, who right now just really wants this moment of peace with her boyfriend to never end. She wouldn't trap him, but she would, in a moment like this with her shields down, give him the opportunity to make the choice himself and tell him what she thinks their lives would be like if he did.

# ? Dec 5, 2021 15:39

OctaviusBeaver: Apr 30, 2009; Say what now?

disaster pastor posted:

I actually assumed he wasn't smoking, Chapman needed to talk to Erek about Sharing business and was using this excuse to take him aside. Though, in hindsight, it's true that that doesn't explain why Chapman would use an excuse that makes a Sharing member look bad.

You mean make the Sharing look cool in front of teenagers?

# ? Dec 5, 2021 20:59

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Chapter 5

quote:

Rachel grabbed my arm �Over the gate,� she ordered. �There�s no other way. I�ll hold off Feyroyan. Meet you outside.� For a second our eyes met. She flashed a hint of a smile,

I dashed around the corner. Dove at the metal gate. It clattered and crashed as I struggled to gain a foothold,

�Hey! Hey, get down from there! What, do you think you�re doing?� Chapman yelled. I was out of practice with this body, I was clumsy. But i was climbing.

And headed for the tiny space between the top of the gate and the ceiling. Hardly an opening at all, but it would have to be big enough. I gripped one square-edged metal link after the next.

�No, you�re wrong.� Feyroyan�s voice bounced off the ceiling. �That�s Tobias, I�m sure it is.�

I brushed the top just as Chapman and Feyroyan reached the bottom. Chapman grabbed hold and the gate swayed.

�Son, listen to me. Get down from there!�

I hoisted myself up and through the gap. My chest scraped. I blew the air out of my lungs and pressed through the opening. My shirt caught a gate iron and held me. I thrashed. A shot of adrenaline hit me like a fist. The shirt ripped. I was free.

I scrambled down the opposite side and jumped to the floor, turning to run even before I landed.

I raced down the dim, empty hallway, footfalls pounding so fast the sound was nearly continuous. I wasn�t running from Chapman. I wasn�t running from Feyroyan, or the dance, or Rachel, or the raptor display. I was running for my life.

I dove at the panic bar, burst outside, and bounded across the field. Feet pummeled the earth. My chest heaved. The chill of night air enveloped me - night air that felt like home.

�Demorph!� I screamed inside my head. �Demorph now!� I focused, I willed it with all that was in me. I closed my eyes.

Nothing.

Still nothing.

Only my human body, my burning lungs, the throbbing pain from the scratch across my chest.

Nooo!

Wumpp. �Ahhh!�

Thud. �Ouch.�

I tripped and slammed to the ground.

In the darkness not much was visible. A human arm against the dirt. Human fingers. And then! All I could see was a lattice of feathers spreading across the skin of my hand Finally!

My legs were shrinking, pulling and sucking up into my body. I felt my toes minimize, slowly fuse, then grow out again into eight ripping, deadly talons.

I looked toward the night sky, so relieved.

So happy.

And when, all at once, the brilliance and precision of hawk vision replaced fuzzy human sight, the number of stars multiplied. Hawk vision isn�t worth much at night, it�s true. Except for stargazing. All the dim little luminous points you can just barely make out as a human blaze into focus with hawk eyes.

�Tobias?�

I scrambled up, flapped my wings clumsily to steady myself.

Mr. Feyroyan�s voice was more tentative now, uncertain. He stood alone in the middle of the playing field, searching for me in the shadows. He was one of the few friends I�d had when I was in school. He was a teacher, but he was young, and a dreamer. I�d always thought he was like an older me.

He gave up, and turned back toward the school.

I struggled with the shirt Rachel had picked out for me to wear to the dance. It was still buttoned around my hawk body. I tore at it with my beak, stabbed at it with my talons. Finally, I was clear of it.

It was tough to gain altitude in the cool air. I flapped hard and circled the school. No sign of Rachel. But I spotted Jake on the front steps. He was alone, thinking, I guess. Maybe just enjoying a minute of peace and quiet.

I swooped in low to land on the branch of a birch tree a few feet above him.

<Hey, Jake.>

He looked up. Jake�s my age. But there are times when his eyes are the eyes of a tired old man.

�Where have you been? Rachel said you were jammed. Guess you made it.�

<Yeah.> I felt pained by the possibility that Rachel might have been pulling for the time limit. 

Jake shrugged. �Don�t know. But that�s the least of our problems. Before Chapman busted him, Erek gave me some bad news. I need you to find Ax. Tell him to meet us at the barn.�

<Tonight?>

�Yes!� He stopped short. �No. I mean, no. We can�t tonight. We�ve got parents waiting up for us. Better tomorrow morning. Saturday.�

<No problem. But what�s up?>

�It�s the Anti-Morphing Ray,� he said. �The Chee have lost track of it. I mean they�ve got nothing.�

<Yeah? That�s bad.> I was having a hard time tracking. My mind was still back with Rachel and a ticking clock.

�Erek says the Yeerks are ready to test it.� He paused for a beat. �On a live subject.�

He let that one hang in the air for a minute. We both knew what it meant. The AMR. The ultimate weapon. A ray that could force us out of morph. Make us revert to natural form. We�d tried once to destroy it. We�d lost.

Morphing was our only weapon. All we had. The Yeerks had to be stopped. No discussion.

�But how do you bust up a Yeerk plan when you don�t know where to show up to -�

<Hold up,> I said.

Three chattering girls came out of the door and ran down the steps past Jake. �Hi, Jake,� one of them said.

�Yeah, hi, um � hi,� He waved. The girl looked insulted. �Brittany� Jake added, too late.

<Okay. we�re clear,> I said.

Jake massaged his forehead with his fingers. �Man, I don�t even know the people in my classes anymore.�

<You are a little busy.> I said.

�Yeah. Look, find Ax. You and him. tomorrow, bright and early. We have to get on this.�

<I�ll be at the meeting tomorrow. Jake, I�ll make sure Ax is there too. But get some sleep, man. okay��>

�Oh. don�t worry about me, I�m into catnaps. You know, like Napoleon did. Twenty minutes here, twenty there. Pretty soon you�ve slept eight hours and it hasn�t even slowed you down.� He stood up and leaned against the railing. �I�m glad you made it Tobias. You�re our eyes. Our ears. Our air force. If we lost you we�d be nothing. Like Joan of Arc without her sword. Patton without his pearl-handled pistols ��

<Saddam without twenty-eight places, the special Republican Guard, and a jar of anthrax? Stop the flattery, man. You�re making me blush.> We both laughed. It felt good to hear Jake say i was indispensable, but: with Jake you could never be sure anymore what was sincere. And what was just expedient.

He�d been the most open of guys, back in the old days. What you saw with Jake was what you got. But he�d been a leader for a long time now. He�d learned to say what he needed to say. Jake needed me as one of the Animorphs. He liked me, respected me, was happy for me when I was happy. And, when he had to, he used me without regard for anything but winning.

<Been boning up on famous leaders, haven�t you?>

�A little, yeah. Don�t tell anyone, though. I want my brilliance to appear unstudied. Natural.�

Jake smiled up at me and gave a quick salute. �Later, Red Baron.�

<See you there, fearless leader.>

I took off and winged toward Ax�s scoop on air that was welcoming and crisp.

Making the Saddam jokes before 9/11, no less (I have no idea what Tony-Eight Places means. I might have known what it meant tin 1999, but not now). Also, congrats to the Yeerks for managing to maintain an evil plan across two books.

One commentary I heard about The Animorphs is that it's less about the war and more the affect the war has on its participants, and Tobias's comments about Jake sort of reflect that. Jake likes Tobias and wants to see him happy, but if winning means Tobias has to get crushed into dust, well, too bad Tobias.

Chapter 4

quote:

Cassie�s parents were gone for the day. Her mom was working at The Gardens. Her dad was at a vet conference.

I was up on the usual rafter, keeping a lookout just in case. We were waiting for Jake and most likely Erek.

Rachel was lounging on the hay bales, fighting to stay awake after a late night. Blue eyes appeared, disappeared, reappeared at half-mast.

Ax, in Andalite form, stood nearby, a bizarre mix of blue deer, stalk-eyed boy, and scorpion.

Funny how we�d all gotten used to seeing a creature so utterly inhuman hanging around.

Cassie was preoccupied with a bald eagle, tending it even though she said it was living its final days. It had fought a terminal illness, and lost. It was hard to look at it. Feathers matted. A patch missing from the chest. A noble creature at the end of its time. I shuddered at the thought.

�Let me get this straight,� Marco said. �Erek got busted, not because he�s an android walking the streets in a hologram shield. Not because he�s an informant for the �Andalite bandits.� But for smelling like cigarettes?�

�It was because Chapman Knows he�s a member of The Sharing,� Rachel said. �Members aren�t supposed to be troublesome. You know. More Boy Scouty than the Boy Scouts. Especially because they have this big thing going on, this new community center. There�ll be media, there. Have to watch that image.�

The Sharing is a Yeerk front organization. On the surface, a do-good, family-oriented get together. Beneath that veneer, the Yeerks used the wholesome enticements as a means of recruiting Controllers.

<Igniting sticks of plant and paper?> Ax wondered. <Why is that such a serious offense?>

<Because cigarettes can kill you,> I answered. <That is, if a golden eagle or a case of coccidiosis doesn�t get you first.>

Rachel gave me a dirty look. �So not funny.�

�And because they become an addiction,� Cassie said.

�Like Marco and computer games,� Rachel added.

�Or Rachel and Calvin Klein clearance racks.� Marco shot her a sidewise glance. She ignored him.

<Ah. Yes. As we say on the home world: �A test of will may lead to wisdom; a loss of will breeds but defeat.�>

�Hey, I saw that same thing in a fortune cookie once.�

�Where are Jake and Erek?� Rachel demanded.

<They�ll be here in about five seconds,> I said. My job is to handle security for meetings. From my perch in the rafters I can look out through the open hayloft and watch the road and Cassie�s house. And with red-tail ears I can hear just about anything approaching.

�Hey, everybody!� Jake said loudly. �Sorry we�re late, but Erek has breaking news. Listen up!�

�As I told Jake,� Erek started, �we know the Yeerks are ready to test the AMR. But they don�t have a test subject,� Erek continued.

<Why can�t they use Visser Three?> I asked. <You know, get him to morph the nightmare alien beast-of-the-day, then turn the ray on him?>

�They could if he were volunteering. Which he isn�t. Probably because there�s a chance the ray could prove fatal. And there�s a possibility that a feedback effect could blow the weapon up�

Rachel brightened. �Well, that�s a hopeful thought, at least.�

�Man,� Cassie said. She closed the bald eagle in its cage and came over to join the group. �So you re suggesting they want to test the AMR on one of us?�

Erek nodded. �The next time you make an appearance, i believe the Yeerks will do everything in their power to capture you. Or, failing that, at least fire the weapon at you.�

�Well, then,� Marco said, �we just won�t get caught. We won�t let them see us. Or hear us. Or smell us.�

�Or will we?� Jake interrupted.

Everyone turned to look at him. �Look, on the way over I started thinking.�

�Had to happen sooner or later,� Marco said in a loud whisper.

�Anyway, I was thinking, maybe that�s exactly what we should do: Let the Yeerks capture one of us Provide them with their test subject. Me, for Instance. I let them take me prisoner. The rest of you follow secretly. They�ll lead us straight to the AMR. Exactly where we want to go. in a position to destroy the weapon.�

Marco spoke with disbelief. �I�m just going to ask this once. Are you insane?? Jake, dude, think about it. Not that I should even be considering the details of a scheme as idiotic as this one, but what happens if we don�t get there in time? If they drag you off and we can�t trail you because we get held up by, oh, I don�t know, a few dozen Hork-Bajir and a small army of Taxxons? The Yeerks get to use that AMR on you. And assuming it doesn�t kill you - and that�s assuming a lot - you know what they�ll get when they forcibly demorph you? A human kid. Kiss our cover good-bye. Kiss us good-bye.�

Rachel shook her head in disagreement. �Yeah, it�s dangerous. But I say we do it. Jake just isn�t the one to go. You�re too important, Jake. We need you planning the attack on the AMR. So I volunteer.�

Jake raised an arm to counter, but Ax broke in.

<Prince Jake, Rachel? If I may say so, I believe the only logical answer is for me to go. I am Andalite, after all. Should the AMR prove successful and the Yeerks are able to demorph me, they will get what they are expecting: an Andalite.>

�Makes sense,� Marco said. �I mean, given that we�re even talking this way, like we�d do it.�

I watched Jake all this time. He was nodding. Like he bought what everyone was saying. But he was remaining quiet. So was Erek.

Jake had another idea in mind. He was just waiting for someone else to suggest it.

�You could die, Ax,� Cassie emphasized. �Are you sure you want to do this?�

Ax spread-planted his hooves firmly, squared his shoulders, and looked us all in the eyes. 

�We don�t know where they�re keeping the AMR,� Jake said, not committing.

Now Marco was watching Jake. He�d seen the same reluctance I�d seen on Jake�s face. The same holding back.

We were missing something. I knew that much. I just wasn�t sure what it was. And then I knew.

<Guys. Wait a minute,> I interrupted.

�What is it?� Jake asked.

I swooped down from the rafter to the floor. Loose straw swirled in small eddies as I touched down. A ray of light from a crack in the barn wall bathed my feathers in yellow light. It was almost too much. Too theatrical. I half-expected angels to hover up out of the hayloft and break into song.

<It�s me> I said. <I�m the one who has to go.>.

Can you figure out why?

Epicurius fucked around with this message at 13:53 on Dec 6, 2021

# ? Dec 6, 2021 03:25

effervescible: Jun 29, 2012; i will eat your soul

It's gotta be because if he gets hit while in "hawk morph" and doesn't demorph to Andalite, they'll think the ray doesn't work, right? Except something is gonna go wrong. Something always goes wrong.

# ? Dec 6, 2021 05:37

Fuschia tude: Dec 26, 2004; THUNDERDOME LOSER 2019

freebooter posted:

(Was the previous one the book where it was given over to a ghostwriter but she didn't like the finished product and rewrote it herself at the last minute, or am I thinking of the cow one?)

It was. Cowbook, she only rewrote the ending (and who knows how much else); starfish she apparently took one look at the manuscript, said "this is unsalvageable in the time left before the deadline" and just rewrote it from scratch. Or maybe Grant did, I guess.

# ? Dec 6, 2021 08:17

Pwnstar: Dec 9, 2007; Who wants some waffles?

Twenty-Eight Palaces.

The Animorphs seem to do this thing a lot where they purposely suggest an obviously flawed plan with a solution that involves a specific team member doing something horrible or suicidal but they want that person to suggest the "fix"

Pwnstar fucked around with this message at 09:02 on Dec 6, 2021

# ? Dec 6, 2021 08:59

HisMajestyBOB: Oct 21, 2010; College Slice

Fuschia tude posted:

It was. Cowbook, she only rewrote the ending (and who knows how much else); starfish she apparently took one look at the manuscript, said "this is unsalvageable in the time left before the deadline" and just rewrote it from scratch. Or maybe Grant did, I guess.

That could explain some of the issues with it. Not enough time to fully edit it. Especially compared to what we've seen in this book so far.

# ? Dec 6, 2021 13:32

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Pwnstar posted:

Twenty-Eight Palaces.

The Animorphs seem to do this thing a lot where they purposely suggest an obviously flawed plan with a solution that involves a specific team member doing something horrible or suicidal but they want that person to suggest the "fix"

That makes more sense and I've corrected it.

And as for the second, it sort of makes sense from Jake's standpoint because it provides buy-in. Jake COULD say, "Tobias, I want you to be the one to carry out this suicidal plan", but Tobias is going to resent that a lot more than if he comes to his own realization that he has to be the one to do it.

Also, narratively, of course, it works because it's the book's protagonist stepping up and realizing, "No, I have to do this heroic thing myself....."

Epicurius fucked around with this message at 16:43 on Dec 6, 2021

# ? Dec 6, 2021 13:56

freebooter: Jul 7, 2009

effervescible posted:

It's gotta be because if he gets hit while in "hawk morph" and doesn't demorph to Andalite, they'll think the ray doesn't work, right? Except something is gonna go wrong. Something always goes wrong.

The obvious thing that could go wrong here is that once they assume the ray doesn't work they'll kill him. Or assume they got a random bird, and kill him.

For kids reading the original book it was clear what they were going to do since the answer is on the cover, but it's still a super crazy dangerous plan with a lot of holes.

# ? Dec 6, 2021 23:26

disaster pastor: May 1, 2007

freebooter posted:

The obvious thing that could go wrong here is that once they assume the ray doesn't work they'll kill him.

That's kind of the unspoken part here. If the ray works, and is successfully tested, the test subject is infested or killed and the war's over. If it doesn't work, the test subject is still killed. But if the question is one Animorph's life vs. all of them, it's not a question at all.

Jake knows it's potentially a suicide mission, and his conscience might let him live with that. But he also knows that it can't succeed even as a suicide mission if anyone other than Tobias does it (not only because Tobias's unmorphed form is a bird, but also because his unmorphed form can't be infested), and his conscience isn't yet at the point where it'll let him live with effectively ordering Tobias to go if he can in any way avoid it. Even if it's just by being noncommittal when anyone else volunteers, waiting for Tobias to come to the conclusion himself.

# ? Dec 6, 2021 23:53

Strategic Tea: Sep 1, 2012

Jake hasn't been reading about historical generals; he has been mainlining the George Smiley novels

# ? Dec 7, 2021 00:16

effervescible: Jun 29, 2012; i will eat your soul

freebooter posted:

For kids reading the original book it was clear what they were going to do since the answer is on the cover, but it's still a super crazy dangerous plan with a lot of holes.

So an average Animorphs plan, then.

# ? Dec 7, 2021 01:21

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Chapter 5

quote:

I saw the confirmation in Jake�s eyes. And in the hologram that gave Erek eyes. Marco clicked about a second later.

<Look, they turn the ray on Ax in morph, right?> I said. <If it works they get an Andalite. And they get proof the AMR works.>

Cassie nodded, reluctant. Rachel kept her eyes down. She was biting her lip. Angry, sad: the two emotions are very close together in Rachel.

<I�m the one,> I repeated. <The Yeerks don�t know hawk is my true form. They�ll think hawk is a morph. They capture me in morph, so they think, as a hawk. They turn the ray on me, nothing will happen. I mean, they won�t get an Andalite or a human. They�ll decide the ray doesn�t work.>

There was a brief, thought-filled silence.

Then, slowly, all eyes turned toward me.

Cassie first, with that look of tender knowing she reserves for moments of significance. I could tell she was proud of me. And worried.

Rachel�s eyes were different. Dark, almost stricken.

Marco sent an ironic bow in my direction. �You�re right, Tobias. Don�t you wish you weren�t?�

Jake made a face I see too often. It�s a look of disgust. Disgust with himself. He hadn�t wanted to single me out, make me go on what might be a suicidal mission. He�d waited till I could volunteer.

<Tobias is correct,> Ax said. <But the mission could last longer than two hours. To play the part convincingly - to make the Yeerks think you�re an Andalite in morph - you will have to �demorph� to Andalite at some point, Tobias. I believe you will need to acquire me.>

<Acquire you?>

<Yes, of course.>

Acquire Ax? None of us had ever morphed an Andalite before. What would it be like? I felt a sudden, overwhelming rush of anticipation. Mixed with anxiety. I chose not to share it.

<Yeah, I might have to.> I let it go at that.

�The trick now is to choose the best time and place,� Jake said. �We have to act fast. But we want to be in control of the capture as much as possible.�

�And it has to look credible,� Cassie added. �I mean, the Yeerks have to believe it�s a legitimate coup on their part. They can�t suspect a setup.�

�So, when?� Marco asked.

�I say tonight,� Rachel answered. She still looked troubled. Her enthusiasm sounded forced.

�Tonight is the first night of The Sharing�s three-day extravaganza with the new community center,� Erek noted.

Marco rolled his eyes. �Yeah, we saw the ads on TV. Yeerk-a-Thon. They built the new community center and now they�re going to broadcast the dedication. Full media coverage. A huge deal. They�re obviously drawing members from other states, going more nationwide.�

�We were planning on being there one of the nights anyway,� Jake said. �To identify new �full members� and learn more about the extent of The Sharing�s influence.�

�I can�t go tonight, not on such short notice,� Cassie said. �My parents will be back by evening. I can�t just disappear.�

�We can�t pass up this chance to get close. I think we should risk it,� Jake decided. �The biggest night of the convention: awards ceremony. My brother�s actually slated to get an achievement award. I bowed out earlier when Tom asked me to go. There�s some big outdoor banquet, with tents and music and games. I�ll tell him I changed my mind.�

�Yeah, Jake should go as himself,� Marco said, snapping into his head-of-security mode. �At an open-air function like that, you know Yeerk security will be out to nab anything that could be an Andalite in morph. The ants on the buffet table, the flies on the hamburgers, the birds in the trees. Jake�s probably safest as a human, though not much help. If Erek�s right, and they�re looking to capture us, it means they�ll be on the alert like never before.�

�There�s something else you need to know,� Erek added. �We do not think the Yeerks built this community center out of concern for the community.�

�I�m shocked,� Marco said, then laughed.

�We only have a few hints. Some vague information. But we think there is some underground construction there, probably a subterranean connection to the Yeerk pool.�

All eyes fixed on Erek.

�Oh, I like the sound of that,� Marco replied sarcastically. �Perfect. We can swing by the Yeerk pool and do a little damage on our way to save Tobias and blow up the AMR. Absolutely. Not a problem.�

�Listen, everybody head home. Make contact with the parentals and meet back here early tonight if you can.� There was energy in Jake�s voice. �We have work to do. And, um, Tobias?�

<Yeah?>

�Get some rest. This isn�t going to be a picnic for you.�

I think we can be sure this won't be a picnic for Tobias.

Also, I stole this joke from somebody else, I admit it, but what sort of achievement award you think Tom is going to get? "Congratulations on not dying from Kandrona starvation!"? "We thought you were a goner, but you pulled it off."

Chapter 6

quote:

Ax and I were busy with our own preparations that evening.

Ax climbed the steep rise of the hill near his scoop and I hitched a ride on a fading thermal. It was dusk. The sun was enormous on the horizon, about to disappear. Vibrant orange and purple warmed the forest. I landed on a low branch in a clearing on the hilltop.

<Tobias,> Ax said as he reached the clearing, <this is a special moment, is it not?>

<How do you mean?> I answered carefully.

<Well, you are �> Ax hesitated in an uncharacteristic way. 

<Oh, we all know how much you think of your species, Ax,> I kidded.

<I do hold Andalites in very high regard. It is true. But it isn�t an unthinking allegiance. I honestly admire my culture. There are things I would like to teach you, to share with you if you are interested.>

If I was interested! I wanted so much to stay cool. To make it seem like I could take it or leave it. But this was something, finally, that I really did have a right to. I was part Andalite, even if not genetically. God knew how. Or at least The Ellimist knew how. But I was. And it excited me.

<I�m ready anytime, Ax,> I managed to say.

He lifted me off the branch with gentle arms and set me on his shoulder. I squeezed as carefully as I could with my talons. I felt his muscles slacken as I acquired him.

I fluttered to the ground and focused. Morphing is always a crazy experience. You never know what body part will appear first. The way you transform is always a surprise.

The first thing I felt were my stalk eyes, growing out of my still-hawk head like two hyperactive worms. I heard the eyeballs form at the ends.

Paamp! Poomp!

Eyes that could see anywhere, everywhere, all the time. Three-hundred sixty degrees of vision flooded my consciousness. Like a jolt. Because I could see most everything that could see me, I had control over my environment.

<Yaowww!> I gasped as I slowly rose off the ground. With one eye shifted to the back, I witnessed a huge, muscular rump grow out of my rusty tail feathers. And although I couldn�t see them yet, I could feel four strong legs support me, responding to my growing bulk.

Muscles! Who would believe the easy strength. I stepped forward. A movement that took almost nothing out of me.

My tail! Unexpected. Yet an extension so natural I�d almost failed to notice how I carried it, erect and steadied at about shoulder level. The blade edge glistened in the sun�s final rays. I was equipped for this world. For any world, really. A natural weapon. If I�d been in touch with my Andalite heritage before now, I could have sailed through elementary school bully-free� .

And then I recognized the Andalite mind.

Yes, it was all the things I�d imagined it would be. Confident. Alert. Poised for combat.

But there was another element that took me off guard. Something bubbling happily away beneath the rationality. Nothing giddy like a dolphin�s playfulness. Something less simple.

Optimism. That was it. Intense optimism.

<Man! I had no idea.> I turned my head toward Ax. His eyes were smiling, the way they do.

<Keep in mind that you are experiencing instinct. The Andalite mind in its untrained state. Our culture teaches us to temper and control our optimism, to give equal value to realism. We have become, regrettably, a race of warriors. But that is in response to necessity. Down deeper, beneath that, I believe we are a peaceful species, in love with learning, not combat. But to learn - and to fight- you must be joyful. I think an ancient Andalite inscribed that on a shormitor.>

Ax whipped his tail blade through the air.

Fwapp!

<Shormitor?>

<Tail-blade carvings. Made by early Andalites. Mostly in the rocky outcroppings on the shores of the Elupera. We toured them once when I was much younger.>

<Ah.>

<In fact, it was on shormitors of the Elupera that I learned the early tail-fighting masters spent a lifetime trying to cultivate and listen to instinct. Trying to forget what culture had taught them. Let the innate defense mechanism kick in, as you humans say. You should have a natural advantage in this regard, Tobias,> Ax said as he swung his tail in a figure eight, stopping just a centimeter short of the tree trunk. <That�s not to say there aren�t many maneuvers to be learned.>

I flexed the massive muscle that was my tail. I was tentative. I imitated the figure-eight exercise Ax was doing.

 Ax said, backing up. <A move I rely on frequently. The torf. You begin a common strike and then, millimeters before impact, twist your blade to the side, so that only the flat of the blade connects with the target. It won�t do much to a Hork-Bajir, but it will knock a human unconscious. We will use this trunk as a target.>

Ax repeated the move in slow motion for me to see. But I wasn�t paying complete attention. I could see in all directions at once. Front, back, left, right. At the same time!

<It is your turn.> Ax motioned to me.

I neared the tree, centered myself, and shifted my weight to my hind legs as Ax had.

<Now!> Ax yelled.

I let it rip. My tail hurtled toward the trunk.

FWAPP!

<Ahhh! Oh! Ouch! Ax?!>

<Yes, Tobias. You have impaled the tree with the tip of your blade. That is not the desired

result.>

<Yeah, I sorta guessed that.>

I yanked and twisted. I couldn�t free my blade.

<You struck with impressive velocity,> Ax observed. <That, at least, is admirable.>

<Yeah, great. You know you�re a warrior when you take down a tree. And can�t get your blade back.> Ax grabbed my arms and leaned back. After a few seconds, <Ahhh!> Ax pulled so hard that when my tail came free, I rammed into him and sent us both tumbling down.

<Ahhhhhh!>

We landed in a heap. Eight legs tangled.



We walked over to a nearby stream. Ax stuck a hoof in. So did I. I waited to see what I should do next. It was so pleasant, this cool, gurgling brook. So refreshing. So satisfying.

<Ax, this is very, very cool.>

Wait. What? I was drinking! I looked at my hoof. It looked normal. But the thirst in my � in my legs was being quenched. It was amazing. It was also a little creepy.

The very last glimmer of color was disappearing from the sky, absorbed by the mysterious indigo of night.

<Look to the last bit of orange,> Ax said. <That�s how the ritual begins.>

I stopped drinking and turned all eyes on the stripe of color.

<From the rising of the sun to the setting, to its rising again,> Ax said, <we place what is hard to endure with what is sweet to remember, and find peace.>

He stopped.

<That�s it?>

<That is it.>



<Me too.>

I like it too. This is just a sweet chapter.. It's kind of a family thing. Ax is teaching his (sort of) nephew what it means to be an Andalite. I also like the idea that the natural instinct of the Andalites is towards optimism. It kind of explains a lot about them, the good things and even the bad things.

# ? Dec 7, 2021 05:06

HisMajestyBOB: Oct 21, 2010; College Slice

Tobias and Ax :3:

# ? Dec 7, 2021 05:57

Fuschia tude: Dec 26, 2004; THUNDERDOME LOSER 2019

Epicurius posted:

Chapter 5

I think we can be sure this won't be a picnic for Tobias.

Also, I stole this joke from somebody else, I admit it, but what sort of achievement award you think Tom is going to get? "Congratulations on not dying from Kandrona starvation!"? "We thought you were a goner, but you pulled it off."

Chapter 6

I like it too. This is just a sweet chapter.. It's kind of a family thing. Ax is teaching his (sort of) nephew what it means to be an Andalite. I also like the idea that the natural instinct of the Andalites is towards optimism. It kind of explains a lot about them, the good things and even the bad things.

I don't think optimism is a... mood, though. Somehow it doesn't seem low-level enough to be instinctive.

# ? Dec 7, 2021 10:51

FlocksOfMice: Feb 3, 2009

This seems like a tremendously terrible plan, what do they have on place to stop them from just forcibly infesting Tobias?

Family andalite bonding is very heartwarming though.

# ? Dec 7, 2021 17:26

disaster pastor: May 1, 2007

FlocksOfMice posted:

This seems like a tremendously terrible plan, what do they have on place to stop them from just forcibly infesting Tobias?

The hope that he won't be in Andalite morph long enough to be infested, since his hawk form can't be.

So, yes, it's a tremendously terrible plan.

# ? Dec 7, 2021 19:32

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Chapter 7

quote:

Saturday night. The grandest night of The Sharing�s giant publicity gala.

I cruised over town, skimming above the neon McDonald�s signs and telephone poles and car headlights, toward the new community center.

Faint at first, then more definite, came sounds from the celebration. Voices filtered through night air. Jaunty strains of a jazz band, Shrieks and giggles from the younger members. And above it all - over the acoustic wash that grew more insistent the nearer I got -boomed a deep, formal voice.

�Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Good evening ��

Tall, white tents reached up into my airspace. Spotlights crisscrossed the sky. Stage lights illuminated the podium and the blue-suited master of ceremonies below. Round, white-clothed tables dotted the grass.

<Jake, Ax, I�m here,> I called down into the crowd. As long as I stayed clear of the spotlights, I knew I could fly fairly low without being seen. Even so, I kept a sharp eye on the human-Controller security guards who lined the perimeter.

I caught sight of Jake. In a dress shirt and tie, seated at a banquet table next to Tom, his dad, and his mom.
<You look extremely uncomfortable,> I said in thought-speak.

He couldn�t answer me. But he rolled his eyes in agreement, then turned his head to the right and nodded toward the buffet table.

�That�s three!� somebody exclaimed.

�Is he getting another one?�

The shouts were coming from the end, where an elderly man stood next to a cotton candy cart, surrounded by children.

�Son, I just don�t think it�s safe to give you any more. Where are your parents?�

I circled around, trying to see what Jake wanted me to notice. Trying to stay up, out of the lights. There was Ax, in human morph. Wisps of pink cotton candy streaked his hair, hung from his chin like a ghostly beard, and blew from his fingers as he forced his way to the front of the line.

I laughed. Ax with a human mouth is dangerous. Andalites have only a vestigial sense of taste. Nothing like the explosive sensory overload from the human mouth.

I looked back at Jake. He was shaking his head slightly, like an exasperated, but amused, parent.

<Ax-man! It�s Tobias. You�ve got to get control of your morph. Right now. You can�t make a scene.>

<Tobias?> Ax wondered in thought-speak. <Oh, Tobias! This cloud candy is superb. It is otherworldly. The way it melts on the tongue. It has mass, yet it is weightless �>

<Oh, boy. Ax, where are the others? You�re supposed to be helping me guide them. They�re in fly morph, don�t forget. They can smell dog poop and see about six inches, and that�s it.>

�Friends �� the man at the podium continued. �Three words encapsulate The Sharing�s appeal: Opportunity. Involvement. Dedication. Change. Hmm, that�s four.� There was a slight pause and feedback hum as he thought that one over. �But then, that�s just like The Sharing, isn�t it? Exceeding expectations.� The crowd cheered approval. �Tonight we honor members who embody these words. Who, with their achievement, keep our organization running on course ��

<Help! Help!> Marco sputtered. Then added a violent, <Ax!>

<Marco?> I cried. <Marco, you in fly morph?>

<Chocolate-covered, man. I�m in the chocolate fondue and they�ve turned up the heat! Buffet table! Buffet table! I can�t get out!>

<Fondue?> Ax asked.

<A warm pot of chocolate. Liquid. Brown.> I couldn�t think of how to describe it. From fifty feet up I scanned the buffet table. Marco was black against dark brown. I could barely see him at this distance.

<Marco, what exactly are you doing in the fondue?> Rachel asked.

<Exactly? Well � I wanted to see if it would still taste good sucked up through a fly mouth. You gonna help me or do you just want to bust me?>

<Let him get eaten,> Rachel advised.

Ax moved toward the chocolate fondue. A fly buzzed out of his cotton candy beard. This fly was more easily visible: black against pink.

<Rachel? Is that you?> I called down.

<Could be, how would I know what fly you�re looking at? I was just in the middle of this big cloud, sticky and sweet and � Where�s Cassie? Where�s Ax? Man! Five minutes in and we�re all messed up.>

<I�m fine,> Cassie said. <At least, I think I am.>

<Okay, that is you, Rachel, just follow the cotton candy. It�s Ax. The sticky cloud.>

<Is there some reason you think I�m not fine?> Cassie pressed, anxious now.

<Cotton candy?> Rachel said. <Huh? What is he doing eating cotton � Oh, never mind.>

�This year�s highest honor goes to a young man who moved swiftly to the top of our ranks,� the emcee intoned. �A devoted member of our community.� Applause thundered through the crowd. Tom rose from his chair and accepted a plaque.

<What do you see? What�s the matter?> Cassie demanded.

<Nothing, Cassie. Tom�s getting his award,> I reported. <Ax-man. Careful grabbing Marco.

Cassie? Are you near Jake?>

Naturally Jake heard all this, since we�d included him in our thought-speak. He was fidgeting. Nervous. Looking like he was about to jump out of his chair and run for the fondue. Or maybe just for the exit.

Then I saw Jake�s eyes roll up toward the sky in what could only be an expression of �Why me?� I glanced back at Ax to see what had upset Jake. The Andalite was wearing a pink, cotton candy beard and had his hand immersed in the chocolate fondue. The chocolate was up to his wrist.

He pulled his hand out, held it up in front of his face like he�d just discovered it was made out of gold, then began licking his fingers.

I''m convinced this is a Yeerk trap.<No, cotton candy AND chocolate fondue. That'll smoke out any Andalites hiding> "Yes, Visser."

It isn't explicitly mentioned in the book, but Tom got a certificate with the plaque. This is what Tom's certificate looks like, btw:

Chapter 8

quote:

<Ax! Ax! You�ll eat Marco!>

<He will?> Marco shrilled. <What do you mean, he�ll eat me?>

Disgusted bystanders backed away from the dessert area, pointing.

<I�m on something! I�m moving. Hey! I�m � I�m � I�m dripping!>

Light! Blinding light! A searchlight beam had swung wildly. I flared my tail, cranked my wings, flew out of the light.

Had I been seen? The Yeerks had seen a red-tailed hawk. Way too many times, in all the wrong places. Had they seen me now?

<I�ve dripped!> Marco yelled. 

<Use a strawberry. Ax! Use a strawberry!>

Ax, Rachel, Cassie, and Marco all said, <What?>

<It�s what you dip in the fondue,> I yelled. <Ax, grab a strawberry! Use it to dip him out.>

<Dip the dip,> Rachel added, not at all helpfully.

Ax grabbed a strawberry, and with the concentration of a brain surgeon, lifted Marco from the steaming pot.

<Okay, Ax, listen very carefully,> Marco hissed. <Do not eat the strawberry. I repeat: Do not ->

<Guys,> I cut in. <Visser Three just arrived. In human morph, of course.>

There was no mistaking him. The tall, distinguished-looking man who agilely descended the stairs from back of the stage to congratulate Tom�s family. In the most superficial of ways, I suppose he could pass for your average, benign suit. But if you actually looked at him, you sensed that incredible coldness. Emptiness. The dark evil that destroys life like a hand closing strong fingers
around your throat.

Standing just back from the Visser were four guys who could only be security. They looked like the kind of guys you�d see with a Mafia don.

Visser Three worked the main table like a politician. He stopped by Jake�s family. He shook hands all around. Patted Tom on the shoulder. Weird thing was, even Tom seemed to squirm a little.

<So, what�s happening? I�m getting bored,> Rachel demanded.

A fly buzzed past the Visser�s ear. Slap!

<Cassie! Was that you?!> I yelled.

Jake had gone pale. He was staring, staring as the Visser pulled his hand away from his own face and examined his palm.

<I�m okay,> Cassie said. <Missed me. Fly reflexes. Very cool. It was close, though.>

�A fly!� the Visser said. �A fly!� he snapped to his guards. The four human-Controllers bounded forward.

I didn�t see Cassie. I was torn. Should I go lower? Risk being noticed? Then I caught sight of a fly again.

Cassie circled Jake and landed on his forehead. <Where am I? I�m not sure.>

Visser Three jumped forward.

�Such filthy insects. Allow me to �� He swung at Jake. Jake�s hand shot up. He grabbed the Visser�s wrist in his fist.

For a long few seconds the two of them glared at each other. Visser Three, leader of the Yeerk forces on Earth. And Jake, his unrecognized foe.

<Cassie? MOVE!> I yelled.

She flew. I lost her again.

Jake released the Visser�s hand. Jake smiled. The Visser smiled. Or at least they formed their mouths into smiles.

<Cassie? Are you clear?>

<Yeah. I think I�m in Jake�s shirt pocket.> Then she laughed. <The Visser just told Jake he hoped he didn�t scare him. Jake said, �I don�t scare easy.�>

<That�s our boy,> I said.

Visser Three moved on down the table. Everyone breathed. Jake leaned over to say something to his parents. Then he got up.

He walked straight through the buffet line, found Ax, and grabbed him by the arm, not at all gently. A second later Ax was talking to us all. <Prince Jake says �Enough messing around, let�s do what we came here to do.�>

What we had come here to do was turn me over to the Yeerks.

Personally, I wouldn�t have minded some more messing around.

I'm with Tobias here, more messing around. Also more Jake/human Visser Three interaction. Also, Tobias, really? You've seen the way Visser Three treats his subordinates, and you think it's weird that Tom squirms a little when Visser Three touches him?

# ? Dec 8, 2021 05:27

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

I'm honestly surprised that V3 didn't waste Jake on the spot for daring to respond

# ? Dec 8, 2021 10:44

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Comrade Blyatlov posted:

I'm honestly surprised that V3 didn't waste Jake on the spot for daring to respond

As impulsive and arbitrary as V3 can be, I think he's probably smart and savvy enough not to kill a teenager in front of his parents and a crowd of people at a public relations event for a Yeerk front organization because said teenager kept him from swatting a fly on the teen.

# ? Dec 8, 2021 19:14

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

Epicurius posted:

As impulsive and arbitrary as V3 can be, I think he's probably smart and savvy enough not to kill a teenager in front of his parents and a crowd of people at a public relations event for a Yeerk front organization because said teenager kept him from swatting a fly on the teen.

I'll grant you that, but I think it's clear that he wasted at least half a dozen underlings when he got back to the Blade ship out of sheer frustration.

# ? Dec 8, 2021 19:29

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Chapter 9

quote:

Jake and Ax parted ways. Jake went around the back of the community center building. Back away from the lights. He tried two of the doors. Both locked.

He stepped away into the darkness and reappeared a moment later carrying a cinder block. Part of the leftover debris of construction.

He stood there, waiting. I flew above, waiting. He didn�t look up. He knew I was there.

<All clear, Jake,> I said.

He nodded. Then he swung the cinder block into a low window. The tinkling of glass was swallowed up in the booming sound of the emcee�s voice announcing the next honoree.

Jake stepped away quickly.

I took aim on the shattered glass. Plenty of room for me, if I folded my wings. More than enough room for the others, once they found their way there.

Down I flew, down through the cool, dark air, focusing on the glittering outline. Down through reaching shards of glass that could slice me open, end to end.

But of course I�m more accurate than that. I can hit a mouse on the run through tall grass. Flying through a hole in a window is really nothing special.

Zoom! Through! I flared my wings and tail, killed my speed, then resumed level flight.

Fluorescent lights illuminated a wide hallway with tall cinder block walls. I smelled newconstruction- fresh paint, drywall dust. And chlorine, coming from the Olympic-size indoor pool Isaw through a wall of glass.

It suddenly struck me just what level of cash flow The Sharing controls. Serious cash. Not the kind of money you make selling Furbies on the black market.

I zoomed past playrooms. Lego tables, costumes, board games. A large meeting room with a giant table. Big, comfy office chairs. The rooms were empty. Everyone was celebrating the dedication outdoors.

It�s hard flying indoors. No head wind, no tail-wind, no thermals. Nothing but flat, dead air. And very little room to maneuver, hemmed in above, below, and on both sides.

But at the same time, it�s exhilarating. A roller coaster for birds. One wrong move and you crumple a wing. Humans think it�s scary to be up high, but not for a bird. For a bird altitude is safety.

I turned a corner and practically ran into Ax. I landed on his back, enjoying the respite.

<Hey, shouldn�t you be in some slightly less provocative morph?> I asked him.

<Possibly. But I felt a strong, fast tail might prove useful.>

<Ax-man, we�re not here to win. We�re here to let me be captured.>

<True. And yet there is no reason why I cannot do some damage. Merely by way of addingauthenticity and realism.>

I was touched. He was worried about me.

Ahead was a set of stairs leading down to the basement level. They were roped off, marked with a hastily written sign: UNDER CONSTRUCTION. KEEP OUT.

<This looks promising,> Ax murmured.

<This looks like trouble,> I muttered.

<As you pointed out: We are here in search of trouble.>

He walked down the stairs with a catlike tread. Or with a tread as close to catlike as you can manage while crunching construction debris under hoof.

The basement was dim and filled with building materials. Piles of floor tile in one corner. A stack of plywood sheathing against the wall. A contractor�s table saw. Plastic tarps.

<Maybe it really is just construction.> I said. <Nobody�s down here. If there were access to the Yeerk pool, wouldn�t there be people coming and going? Not to mention elaborate security.>

Before the words were out of my mouth, I realized I�d spoken too soon. Behind the stairs, shielded by a temporary partition, flickered blue-green light. Computer screens. An entire wall of them! Flashing camera images from the celebration outside. The stage. The food tent. The playground. The bandstand. Over the door hung another makeshift sign: EVENT SECURITY.

One man sat with his back to us, watching the screens. Mesmerized by the flickering images. Without warning came the echo of hard heels pounding the concrete floor. Rapid, metered steps. Approaching.

Next to the surveillance room was another door. Ax moved quickly toward it. He pushed on it.

Just as I noticed the arrow taped to the wall above. BREAK ROOM, the arrow read.

The door opened. And there, directly in front of us, were four Hork-Bajir. Seated around a card table. Elbow blades hanging casually off the chairs. Tails slung back across the floor. Each held a hand of cards tightly in his claws. A single, unshaded lightbulb dangled from the ceiling.

<Let�s try a different door.>

Ax backed out instantly. The Hork-Bajir hadn�t noticed us.

I could feel the vibrations of Ax�s hearts hammering. My own heart was a machine gun.

The footsteps were now just yards away.

No choice. Back, into the security room. Hope the guard on duty there was still watching his screens. Hope we didn�t make a sound.

Ax spun, leaped; I slipped my hold, opened my wings, caught just enough air to keep from hitting the floor and followed Ax as he dived awkwardly beneath a steel table.

Too much noise! The guard had to hear us. Had to!

But no. Nothing. He still watched his screens. The enemy was out there, out somewhere in camera range. Not right here, in the same room.

The footsteps from the hallway followed us. Stopped. Four black boots, inches away. One pair was crusted with dried mud.

�See anything?� Muddy Boots asked the TV man.

�Nah. Thought I saw some kid heading round the back. Then I lost him.�

An acknowledging grunt from Clean Boots.

I wasn�t too worried these guys would get us. Ax�s tail was cocked and ready. The table would go flying and these two would be counting in base five before they could draw their weapons.

But that would cause an uproar. The Hork-Bajir would come running, and it wasn�t time for me to be captured. Not yet. Not till we knew where the secret entrance was.

Funny I should think that particular thing. The next words out of the guard�s mouth were, �Just left the entrance. Passed off my shift to Lacsar-Four-Fifty-Four.�

I was further forward than Ax. I could, by shifting ever so slightly, see the men. Two guys who looked like regular security guards. Except for the Dracon beams holstered in their belts.

�Any animals?� the TV man asked, never glancing away from the screens. He wasn�t mesmerized by the screens, I realized. He�d been ordered not to look away. On pain of death.

�We kicked a few dogs. Sprayed some bugs. Waste of time, you can�t keep every possible animal morph out of an open-air celebration. Could have told Visser Three that.�

�Yeah, you could have,� his partner, Clean Boots, said dryly. �And about three seconds later you�d be begging for your life.�

A rueful laugh. �Got that right. Anyway, I do have to see the sub-visser about � Ouch!�

�What is it?�

�Something stuck in my shoe �� He knelt down to unlace it. His profile suddenly so close we could see the stubble on his chin. The pores on his nose. There was no way! No way he wouldn�t notice us!

�Darn wood chips drive me crazy! Sharp like pins! I hate that lousy entrance shift,� he muttered. �Tramping around like I�m some human eight-year-old.�

The guard stood up, slipped off the shoe, and knocked it against the table leg, showering Ax with topsoil. And a wood chip. I breathed. Ax breathed.

They walked on. Past us and toward the wall of cameras, where a man sat, his back to us, monitoring the pictures.

�Hello, Chief,� they addressed him. �Come to give our reports.�

<Ax,> I said tersely. <Look at the camera images.>

He turned.

Of the fifty or so screens, nearly half pictured the same spot. All from different angles, so it wasn�t immediately obvious. But the more I focused the more I realized �

<Wood chips.>

<It appears to be a sort of skeletal construction, of some sort. Metal components as well aswood. Its purpose is not immediately apparent.>

<It�s a playground, Ax-man. Swing set. Jungle gym. And a tunnel.>

Probably a good, if maybe overly obvious place to hide a tunnel? Also, you think Hork-Bajir need special bigger cards, or can they hold the normal ones? And are they former human-controllers who learned the game, or did poker become the big Yeerk game?

Chapter 10

quote:

It took an hour for Ax and me to extricate ourselves and round up the others.

The big Yeerk-a-Thon was winding up. They were making closing speeches. The six of us were above and around the playground. While we�d watched, three people had crawled in through the kiddie tunnel. None had crawled out the far side.

It was a pretty elaborate structure, really. Two stories. Built of large posts maybe half the height of telephone poles. With a mesh net for climbing, a fireman�s pole, a wide metal slide. And intricate covered catwalks. Far cooler than anything I�d ever played on.

The playground itself was surrounded on two sides by trees, with an open playing field at the farend, and the community center wall defining the left side.

We�d spotted guards atop the community center, guards in the woods, guards pretending to sit idly on the bleachers behind the batting cage.

A least eight human-Controllers were watching the playground. A lot of security for a jungle gym at night.

A person was approaching, a man, feet crunching across the wood chips.

<It�s Tasset,> Jake said. He was in owl morph, with eyes that saw through the night like it wasnoon on a cloudless day. <From the sporting goods store,> Jake whispered. <One of our known Controllers. ID�d him at the Yeerk pool.>

<Okay, we�ll follow him in,> Cassie said. <Just tell us which way.>

<Yeah, �cause, see, we�re blind down here.>

Marco, Cassie, and Rachel had stayed in fly morph. They would try and enter the tunnel. And come back out again.

Ax was out of camera range behind some trees. He was standing between two guards, not twenty feet from either of them. Needless to say, he was standing very still.

<You should see a row of square lights,> Jake directed. His owl morph was better for this kind of night work. I could see the flies. Jake could SEE them. <Those are the windows of the communitycenter. Keep those on your left. Okay, now I�ve lost one of you. Never mind, got you back. Close up.Stay together. Drift a little to the right. Now just hover there.>

I landed soundlessly on one of the jungle gym poles and perched still as a statue. I had seen the camera angles and knew where to be to stay out of view.

Tasset stooped and disappeared under the slide.

 said Cassie. <He�s blue and green and there are about ninety pictures of him, but I definitely see him.>

Cassie and Marco flew behind Tasset. The cameras would never pick them up. But there might be other dangers. There were always other dangers.

<Red lights, I think,> Marco called. 

I felt the featherlight touch of Rachel landing on my back and nestling down under the feathers.

I heard a faint cascade of beeps coming from below my perch.

Dee-deep.

Dee-dee-dee-dee.

Tasset moved out from under the slide and crouched to enter the adjoining concrete tunnel.

<Come into my lair!> Marco joked in a Drac-ula voice. <Moooah-ha-ha-ha!>

The tunnel was large, like one of those big concrete sewer pipes. You couldn�t quite stand up in it, but you didn�t have to crawl, either.

Tasset was about to go in when two other Controllers poked their heads out of the tunnel. Hebacked up to let them pass. Which they did. Silently.

<Now we�ve got traffic,> Jake said.
Ax spoke up for the first time. <Prince Jake, I see additional humans approaching. I may have to withdraw.>

<Do what you have to do, but stay close for the big finale. You may need to remove one or moreof the guards,> Jake said tersely. <Marco? Where are you and Cassie? You�re out of my line of sight.>

<We are right behind this guy�s big butt,> Marco said. <And we see light at the end of the tunnel.>

<Good grief,> Rachel muttered. <This is so not the time for your feeble attempts at being funny.>

Rachel always teases Marco. That was nothing new. But there was a deeper note of stress in her thought-speak voice.

<He�s not kidding,> Cassie said, surprised. <There�s an intense light. Although I�d say it�s more toward the middle than the end. Looks like another control panel. Yeah. There! I�m landing on it! I think Tasset�s punching in a code word, but � Yah! Whoa. He just punched whatever number I was sitting on.>

I heard a sound like a pneumatic pump, or a seal being broken, then a rush of air.

Psssst.

Woooooosh!

<Ahhhhhh!>

<Yeeeeooooow!>

Two flies shot out the near end of the green tunnel, back to where they�d started.

<Yee-hah!> Marco exulted.

<There�s something in there, all right,> Cassie said.

<With a serious pressure diff going. That was one heck of a ride!>

<Okay, back out,> Jake ordered. <Cassie? Marco? You guys are done. Ax? Are you set?>

I heard a faint �Fwapp!� from the trees. Followed by a crumpling sound. A human would not have heard either noise.

<Yes, Prince Jake. I am in place. There is one less guard.>

<Okay, me and Cassie wish you all luck, and we are motoring on outta here,> Marco said. Then he laughed. <The Yeerks have no respect for our intelligence, do they? Like we wouldn�t know this was a trap? Like we�d think a sewer pipe in a playground was a sensible entrance for the Yeerk pool?>

<A setup,> Rachel said. <Bait. Maybe they figured that even if we sensed a trap we couldn�t resist.>

<Yeah, and it turns out they were right,> Cassie said darkly.

<But there are two levels of security, over and above the guards,> I pointed out. <That seems meticulous, doesn�t it? Code-activated panels under the slide and in the tunnel? If they want us in, why make it complicated? Not the easiest thing to infiltrate.>

<Unless we were to forget stealth,> Rachel remarked, with growing excitement in her tone, <and go with the old standbys.>

<What are those?>

<Force and surprise,> she said. Then she laughed self-consciously.

Marco said, <You know, Rachel, when you�re in fly morph, talking ruthlessly about guerrilla warfare, and force and surprise and all, I just find it so exciting, and yet disturbing. You know? Like a Britney Spears video with tanks.>

<Well, okay, it�s a trap,> I said. <A trap is what we came for. Let�s just get this over with.>

Nobody said anything. Everyone knew that�s what needed to happen. We�d discussed it. Planned it. It was just that none of us had ever willingly surrendered before.

Another Controller walked out of the community center and started across the wood chips, toward the slide.

<Okay, Tobias. You ready?> Jake asked.

<Can�t say I�m looking forward to it,> I said. <But yeah.>

<Rachel?>

<Me? Who do you think you�re talking to?> She feigned surprise at his question. <Bring on the ambush!>

But I heard the struggle in her voice. She was masking concern. Why? Rachel never worried. At least not about herself.

<Tobias?> she said softly in private thought-speak.

<What is it? Do you want out?>

<No, of course not. It�s not that.> She paused. <Listen. Um. You take care of yourself. I mean � be careful. Okay? Whatever happens? If it comes down to it, save yourself and forget the stupid mission.>

I smiled inwardly. She was concerned about me. If I had been human � looking into Rachel�s eyes, feeling her next to me, I might have � But she was a fly on my hawk body. Which was good. I could keep my cool. A hawk�s feelings aren�t exactly visible to others.

 I said simply. Then added,

Oh, Tobias has a lot to lose. Also, how are they going to get past the access codes?

# ? Dec 9, 2021 03:15

Strom Cuzewon: Jul 1, 2010

quote:

<Saddam without twenty-eight places, the special Republican Guard, and a jar of anthrax? Stop the flattery, man. You�re making me blush.> We both laughed. It felt good to hear Jake say i was indispensable, but: with Jake you could never be sure anymore what was sincere. And what was just expedient.

What I love about this is it's probably genuine, but the nature of leadership poisons all of Jake's interactions. It's crushing.

# ? Dec 9, 2021 17:07

mind the walrus: Sep 22, 2006

Too often in kid-lit (and frankly adult lit) you get a lot of morality plays about leadership being hard or you arrive with a fully-formed leader who exists in the narrative to prove a point or worldview, but Jake is one of the only examples I know of where you really see the arc and he's owning the role the way an actual human being would.

# ? Dec 10, 2021 01:53

Mat Cauthon: Jan 2, 2006; The more tragic things get,
the more I feel like laughing.

What book is it where Ax gets so pissed at Jake that he deliberately foregoes calling him "prince"? Always felt like that was a nice moment of demonstrating just how alienating Jake's decision making could be to a literal alien raised in a warrior caste.

# ? Dec 10, 2021 01:59

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

It was just a couple books back, where they kidnap Chapman

# ? Dec 10, 2021 02:03

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Chapter 11

quote:

<Everyone out. Everyone but Tobias and Rachel,> Jake ordered. <Ax? Be ready. I�m going for the lights.>

An owl, silent as a ghost, flew overhead, swooping toward the community center building.

The Controller approached, ducked under the slide.

I heard the flickering LEDs.

Dee-deep.

Dee-dee-dee-dee.

<Yeah, we�re in it dee-deep, all right,> Rachel muttered.

The faint electronic chime met my ear just as a ripping gust of wind rose up and whistled through the jungle gym.

Sheeeewooooo.

A cold wind that ruffled my feathers and sent a chill down my spine. I lifted off. Powered my wings to gain altitude. A rope banged a hollow note on the metal flagpole. The leaves on the trees rustled and swished with the air. And the emcee�s voice from back at The Sharing�s celebration rang out above it all.

�Pride in our work � dedication to the task at hand � never, never ceasing. We will reach our goal.�

Thunderous applause.

The Controller disappeared from view, into the tunnel.

<Jake! Ax! Now!> I yelled.

Ax erupted from hiding, galloping madly toward the tunnel.

I spilled air from my wings and fell into a dive, gaining speed every instant.

<Hang on!> I yelled to Rachel.

We shot toward the earth. Aimed for the tunnel.

�Andalites!� a guard cried, startled.

Ax shot into the tunnel.

I veered a violent right, just a few feet from the playground. Into the tunnel. Insane! Too fast! No way to control my speed!

Wings and tail straining, straining, catching all the air I could catch, straining to absorb the energy of my own momentum.

A circle of white light. The silhouette of a man. An Andalite, bent low, tail whipping.

FWAPP!

The Controller dropped.

Man, Andalite, a circle of light, beeping panel, wings flapping, the grainy curved walls of the tunnel, all in millisecond flashes.

<Ax! Go! Go!>

He shot away just as I blew into the tunnel, banked into a turn that nearly ripped the ligaments out of my wings, and shot through into the circle of light.

From outside a voice roared, almost hysterical. �Andalites!�

<Now, Prince Jake!> Ax cried.

Outside the lights of the playground were snapping on. Outside Ax, now clearly illuminated, was running for his life, pursued by all the guards.

That was the plan. Ax risking his life for no purpose but to make it all look real, to make it all seem as if I�d been trapped in the midst of a genuine attack.

Ax might die. For the sake of realistic drama.

The door slid closed.

Psssst. Click. I could feel it seal tightly shut.

Darkness. My eyes saw nothing. But I heard �

�Ahhhgggg-ggghhhha. Ahhhgggg-ggghhhha.�

My heart skipped a beat. I knew that sound. The throaty, heavy breathing of Yeerk-infested Hork- Bajir. Pumped up. Ready for action.

<Are we in?> Rachel called.

<We�re in all right,> I whispered. <And we�re not alone.>

Honestly, my favorite part of this chapter, the Sharing emcee, giving the speech how the Sharing is always dedicated and won't stop until they reach their goal, and the public crowd, ignorant of their real goal, applauding their dedication.

Chapter 12

quote:

Lights on!

Massive, spiky shapes. A wall of seething Hork-Bajir. Three dozen, maybe more. Waiting for me in the brightened passageway.

And a girl. A human. For a millisecond I thought � No, no, of course it wasn�t Rachel. This girl was a couple of years older. Tall, thin, blond. Sleek chinos, leather loafers. A knit top even Rachel would admire.

Preppy.

Supermodel.

Yeerk.

I was speechless.

�Only one of you? And in bird morph?� she sneered. �Oh, well,� she continued confidently. �With one in hand, we�ll soon catch the others.�

Chapman cleared his throat. I hadn�t even noticed him, standing there right next to her.

�A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,� he offered, smirking.

�Shut up, Chapman,� the girl said calmly. �You sound like some pun-spouting villain from a Batman movie.�

�Yes, ma�am. Excuse me, ma�am. I mean, sub-visser.�

Sub-visser?

She stared at me like she could see right into my mind. Like she knew who I was, what I was.

And wanted to hurt me because of it. I swallowed hard.

<Tobias, what�s going on? Why aren�t we moving?> Rachel was all energy. <Put up a fight! Let �em know you don�t want to be here. Come on, play the part.>

Right! She was right.

I let out a screeching cry. More for effect than for anything else. Hoping to scare them. They shuffled a bit as I flapped up. And then, airborne, I lunged at the nearest monstrous mass.

�Galaash! Ahhh!�

My outstretched talons gouged his eyes. Wrist blades slashed the air around me.

The blade sliced an inch off my tail. I couldn�t steer. I struggled to compensate with wing angle, to circle back and strike again.

Whaack! Wummph!

<Ahhh!> Something hard hit my head. The sub-visser�s arm!

<What!> Rachel yelled.

I crumpled to the floor. Facedown in a heap. <We�re down. I �>

I tried to shake off the impact and raised my head from the stone. There was the sub-visser, standing over me. Her right arm gleaming a pearly, plastic white. Artificial! She�d struck me with an artificial arm.

�Didn�t think we�d be waiting for you, did you, Andalite?� she said coldly. �Well, here we are. Surprised? I hope so. I love surprises, don�t you?�

Chapman laughed appreciatively.

�Oh, did I forget to introduce myself?� She brought her hand to her cheek in a motion of mock surprise. �So sorry. I�m Sub-Visser Fifty-one. Second-in-command to Visser Three in this part of space. Call me Taylor.�

�Her host name,� Chapman explained.

�Shut up, Chapman!� she snarled and stamped her foot like any spoiled kid.

It was a bizarre performance. The usually glowering vice principal was fawning over a teenager from the pages of a J. Crew catalog.

�Nothing to say? Speechless?� Taylor taunted me. �Come on, I�ve always wanted to talk to an Andalite. Trade a little banter with the high-and-mighty self-appointed lords of the galaxy. Do you think by staying silent I�ll somehow be convinced you�re an actual bird?�

She laughed. �No, no, friend Andalite. We�ve seen the red-tailed hawk before, haven�t we? I said, haven�t we, Chapman?�

�Yes, Sub-visser!�



�Oh, good, it does speak,� Taylor said and clapped her hands.

I knew I had to �demorph� to Andalite. Act my part. Make this ruse complete. There was no logical reason for me to stay in morph.

I focused my mind on a happier time, just hours earlier. I pictured Ax. I became Ax.

This time the tail came first. I felt it push out of my feathers and begin to grow, thick and wide, into its natural arc. Felt the blade emerging at the end. How I must have looked! A blue-tailed hawk.

The nearest Hork-Bajir started, ready to grab me where I lay. Taylor motioned them to hold. And leveled her artificial arm. Straight at me.

From the palm of her hand came a hissing noise, louder and louder, until � Shooopooof!

From her hand exploded a spray of white, blinding particulates.

<Ahhh!> I cried. Stinging pain that seemed to coat my body.

<Ohhh!> Rachel felt it too.

Chapman and the Hork-Bajir tried to back away. Too late. The Hork-Bajir clawed at their own eyes. Chapman writhed, as if he was crawling with ants.

�What the -� he yelled, then fell silent.

Taylor smirked, unaffected.

Then, slowly, the pain passed and I felt � nothing. No feeling at all! My mind raced, but my body wouldn�t respond. I fell back to the floor with a thud. Unable to move. Frozen in mid-morph.

Paralyzed!

<What�s going on?> Rachel cried. 

<She shot us with a gas or something. She got Chapman, too. And a half-dozen Hork-Bajir.>

They were falling to the ground like giant dominoes.

Thud. Thumpf.

Taylor�s lips formed a broad, sinister grin.

�Surprise!� She laughed to herself, standing tall. Unfazed by the gas. �So sorry for you all. Looks like I�m the only one who remembered to take the antidote in advance. Oh, wait. Did I forget to tell you all?� Her laughter stopped abruptly. �Gather up these fools,� she ordered, motioning to the remaining Hork-Bajir.

Then she walked over to where I lay and smiled again, eyes aglow with self-satisfaction.

And she called out, loudly enough so her henchmen could hear: �And pick up the Andalite filth, too. We have a special place all picked out for him.�

Strong arms hoisted me off the floor by my Andalite tail. I was powerless to resist. Or even move a muscle.

<Tobias!> Rachel screamed with frustration. <I�m losing my grip! I can�t hold on!>

I felt a stab of cold terror. No. No, if Rachel and I were separated � No one to bring word of the Anti-Morphing Ray�s location to Jake. No one to bring rescue. And Rachel? Left here, unseen, a fly? Paralyzed in morph? My God, she might never �

<Rachel! Try to demorph! Now! Do it!>



<You want to be trapped as a fly? Forget the mission! Rachel!>

<Tobias! I�m slipping off your feathers! I�m falling!> It sounded like she was starting to cry. Not a sound I�d ever expected to hear.

Minutes into the mission, and we were finished. Trapped. No way out. No help waiting.

A heavy metal door clanged shut. I was in a dark corridor. Another Hork-Bajir held up a metal box, and the first one crammed me into it and sealed the opening shut, blacking out any hint of light.

<Rachel! Rachel!>

Bumps and jolts as the Hork-Bajir knocked the box against his leg with each step.

<Rachel! Rachel! Demorph! If you can, oh God, demorph!>

No answer. Silence in my head.

I was alone.

Cold of Taylor there not to even give her own subordinates the paralysis cure. Also, random thought, but why is Chapman not a subvisser? He's a senior official in the Sharing, reports directly to Visser Three, is often made to abandon his usual role to, say, run a construction crew or be V3's lickspittle sidekick. Give that Yeerk a raise.

# ? Dec 10, 2021 04:33

Pwnstar: Dec 9, 2007; Who wants some waffles?

If Chapman got a promotion he couldn't be pushed around as much so they give him the duties of a higher rank but none of the authority.

# ? Dec 10, 2021 07:48

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

Every operation he's led has ended in animal-driven failure, and you want to PROMOTE this moron?

# ? Dec 10, 2021 07:52

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# ? May 28, 2024 05:05

ANOTHER SCORCHER: Aug 12, 2018

Taylor clearly got her degree in management from the Visser Three School of Leadership.

# ? Dec 10, 2021 08:24

The Something Awful Forums > Archives > Comedy Goldmine > Let's Read Animorphs! The Whole Series! Ch-ch-ch-chaaanges

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