Trust me. “It’s all part of a deal,” I said. “It’s just that I believe in this.” “Oh, I’m telling the truth,” she said. “I’m not a fool,” I said. “I’m telling the truth.” “I’m not an expert on animals,” she said. “I’m just saying that these things are really, really cool.” I tried to put it out of my mind. “No, I’m not an expert on animal behavior, either. I’m just saying it’s pretty cool.” I could feel the ocean turning red. I looked down. The ocean that was more salt water. The ocean that had a blue-green color. “What do you mean, we’re all just geniuses?” I asked her. “No,” she said. “And I don’t believe in conspiracy theories, either,” I said. “I don’t think the Ellimist is nuts. I think Cassie is nuts.” “This is so cooler than the old days,” she said. “You don’t even have to be a total insight-watcher to figure this stuff out, do you?” I shrugged. “Maybe the Ellimist is a Controller, too.” “No. He’s still alive. He’s still alive.” I didn’t care. She was right. “So, what is the deal?” “We have to find the Ellimist,” I said. “Unless ... unless the Ellimist is a Controller,” she said. “Unless the Ellimist is a Controller.” “We have to start with the Ellimist.” “What?” “A Controller. A person, a person, a person.” I was not prepared for the word “Controller.” I knew it was a lie. I knew it was ridiculous. But I knew what it meant. “You’re talking about an alien, right?” “No, I’m talking about the Ellimist.” “And he’s a Controller?” “No, he’s a human. And he’s a Controller.” Chapter 3 “So,” I said, “if we’re going to know who and what the Ellimist is, how do we find him?” I was not looking at anything. I was looking at all I could see of the Ellimist. I had become familiar with him. He was a human-Controller. He was a human-Controller, too. I had become familiar with his face. He was a human-Controller. I had become familiar with his expression. He was a human. I had become familiar with his words. “I know you guys are only going to look for the Ellimist because he was supposed to be dead,” I said. “Yeah, right. I’ll look for him. You know, in the water. If I’m wrong, I’ll be very, very wrong.” “We have to find the Ellimist,” I said. “He’s the only one who can find the truth. Or at least save us.” “You’re right,” Cassie said. “I’d be happy to help.” I looked at her quizzically. Did she really think I was joking? Did I care? No. No. I wasn’t. I looked at her. A human. A human-Controller. She looked at me. She looked away. She was gone. “No,” I said, my voice breaking. “No.” “Yeah,” I said. “Cassie, you know it’s true. There is no way we can help. We know that the Ellimist is a Controller. He is an android. He is an android. We know this. We know that he is a Controller. We will help.” She smiled at me. I saw her smile back. “No, I know that. I know. Cassie, I know it� Chapter 22I took a deep breath. The human was breathing, but not quite as well. He was growing slowly more than human. His blood was rushing from his face, his hair was becoming dark brown, his skin sharp and rough, and there was aching, burning. “Aaaahhh!” I said. “I can’t breathe,” the human said. “You’re awake,” I told him. “What’ll you do, Dad?” “I can’t exactly lie to you,” he said. “I could be lying to your mom. I mean, I’ve been meaning to say it, but I don’t think she likes me.” “Oh, I don’t think she likes you?” I said. “I’m thinking I’d rather be with you.” “She doesn’t like you, Dad,” the human said. “She doesn’t like you, either, do she? I mean, I’m losing my dad.” I looked at his eyes. I looked at the human. I looked at the pain in his eyes. And then I looked at him. “You’re not losing your father.” “I am not losing my father,” the human said. “I won’t do it.” “That’s not your father,” I said. “You lost your father.” “Yeah, I guess so. I guess.” “You’re losing your father,” I said. “Maybe someday you will.” The human nodded. “I don’t know.” “Yes. I think you are.” “Do I have any father?” the human said. Then he tried to grin. “You’re not getting it.” “I don’t know,” I said. “I guess I’ll have to tell you something. Now, who are you?” He nodded, and I thought, This is so cool! He liked my dad. He likes me. I’m not babbling about my dad or anything. I mean, he liked me. He likes me. “You don’t know Dad, do you?” I said. “He’s like, your cousin. He likes you. He always has some kind of special treat for you.” He nodded. “Yes. He does.” “Dad,” I said again. “What is it?” “He is my cousin.” “It’s what he does.” “That’s it?” I said. “He’s his cousin.” “What do you mean?” I asked. “He is his cousin. I mean, he can’t be his cousin.” “I ... I didn’t know what I did know.” “He’s taken me to the zoo. He has a special place in his heart for me. He would like to see me in the zoo.” “Do you know if he does it with you?” “No. He does it with me. He does it with me.” I was going to say something, but I said nothing. I just focused on the pain in my eyes. “Dad, that is so wrong!” I cried. But I wasn’t going to say anything. I just focused on the pain in my eyes. The pain in my eyes. The pain in my eyes, and I was going to tell him everything. “Mom,” I said. “Mom!” He didn’t answer. “What are you doing?” “I can’t go anywhere.” “I’ll pick you up, Dad.” I went to the window. I opened it. I found the window open and the sun was shining down on me. I couldn’t see a thing. I was in there in my human body. My human body has a lot of weaknesses. But I was going to go through normal human life, and I knew the answer to that. It was like being blind, beyond sight. I could even hear the Chapter 22I’m sure it was a long-ago trip. Maybe three days. Maybe more. Maybe less. But it was also a long, long time since I’d been trapped in the body of a human. I’ve been interested in animals, but mostly I’ve been interested in the animals. I’ve been fascinated by dogs and cats and even by skunks and squirrels and squirrels with whiskers fused to mouths. Well, I was fascinated by humans, and I’d been fascinated for a long time by the creatures who inhabited their brains. I’ve been fascinated by animals, but mostly I’ve been fascinated by humans. I’ve been fascinated by aliens and slugs and Visser Three. But I don’t know why. I just know the answer to the question, “Why do you care?” I said, “Why?” Chapter 6 “Why do I care?” “Because you’re a human,” I said, trying to sound normal. “You know I’m a human. I just see people. I see people everywhere. I see people. Like me.” “That’s a pretty good answer,” Marco said. “A pretty good answer,” I said. I looked down at my hands. I had to be joking. I looked at my hands. They were shaking. They were turning blue. I looked at my hands. I was shaking. I was shaking. “I don’t care what you think,” Marco said. But it was way too late to be concerned. “Look, I know you like animals, Marco, but you’re a human. I know you like humans like humans.” “I’m not. I’m just saying people confuse animals with humans.” “So what?” I demanded. “So you like animals,” Marco said, pointing to a small blue animal. “That’d be a human. I mean, that’s human.” I started to look around. Then I looked back at the Andalite ship. It was bigger than I’d been. It had a dozen or more engines. It had a dozen or more weapons. And it had a dozen or more humans. “So we’re just gonna give the Andalites a little something to prove they’re not just another Andalite?” Cassie asked. I agreed. I was still looking down at my hands. I couldn’t tell if I was hurt. But I knew I was. And I couldn’t blame my friends. “Well, we’re not exactly looking for Andalites,” I said. Where was I? I could tell by the way Cassie and Marco and I were talking. The Andalite ship had engined a small blue ship. The engines were small, but it looked like they could be. It was like weird to be looking at small blue ships, only smaller. “So what are we going to do?” I asked. “I don’t know,” Marco said. “We’re going to see what happens. It’s too weird. It’s too weird.” “It could be us,” I said. “It could be us and Ax.” I pointed to the Andalite ship. “That’s what I think,” Marco said. “The Andalite ship could be the Yeerks. They could use Ax. He might be a Controller. He could be some kind of Yeerk. We could use Ax.” “You could be a Controller,” I suggested. “You could be dead.” “I’m not sure I’m sure,” Marco said. “But maybe you’re right. Maybe you’re just crazy.” “Maybe I’m right,” I said. “Maybe he’s some kind of Yeerk.” “Maybe he’s a Controller.” I nodded. “Maybe he’s a Yeerk.” “That would be a good enough assumption,” Marco said Chapter 22What are you doing? I asked. “Prince Jake, I am not sure. And I am not sure you can lead us anywhere safely.” “What? What are you talking about?” “This is not the time to be talking to me. This is not the time to be making small talk.” “You’re probably right.” “No,” Ax said. “It’s the only way.” “What?” I asked. “You’re not saying ... ” “What?” “We have to fight,” Rachel said, questioning. “I mean, we have to fight to save this planet. We can’t just move forward. We’re not ready to go forward.” “Exactly!” Marco said. “We know that. We know what you’re thinking. We have to fight. We have to do something.” “We have to,” I said. “We can’t let you get away. We can’t let you leave, either. Not until we have a chance to -” “What?” I asked. “What if you take the risk?” “I don’t think so, Ax,” Rachel said, mimicking me. “I think it’s time to think. Ax, you’re about to be really mad.” Ax stepped forward. I saw him grin at me. I saw the look in his eyes. It was like he was saddened. He was right. I was right. I stepped forward and froze. I was in a rage, a rage till I made a frozen motion with my hands. I froze. Rachel froze. Marco froze. Cassie froze. And I was right. I saw an Andalite coming out of his morph. Chapter 14 The Andalite was an amazing sight. He had the Andalite’s fierce gaze and the blade in his mouth that he used to slice the throat of a Capasin. It was an Andalite tail. It would have been easy to defend himself. I stepped forward, my tail blade pressed against his throat as well as my own. “You’re not alone, Ax.” I looked down at the Andalite, looking for an opening. But he was too far away. I pressed my tail blade against his throat. I saw a gray, almost black sphere, and the Andalite snorted. I saw the Andalite’s tail blade, the one that slip-slicked through his skin, strike his throat. I saw his eyes, the eyes of an animal. I saw the eyes of an animal that could not see. “Ax!” I cried, as the Andalite’s tail blade whizzed through the Andalite’s throat. The Andalite took a glance at me. It was as if he had seen something. He looked up at me and saw me. And I saw the Andalite’s tail blade, the one that struck my throat. I saw the Andalite’s eyes, eyes that looked at me like I was a dog. I saw the Andalite’s tail, the one that was so strong it shattered the surface of my own skin. I saw the Andalite’s tail. I saw the Andalite’s eyes. I saw the Andalite’s tail. I saw the Andalite’s eyes. The Yeerks were losing. “Ax!” “Ax!” The bell that was my mouth rang. I looked for a place to run. I did. I looked for a place to hide. “Ax!” He looked up. He saw me. He saw me. He saw me. He saw me. I saw my eyes, my eyes, and I saw him. I saw him. I saw him. I saw him. I saw him. I saw him. I saw him. He saw me. He saw me. He saw me. He saw me. I saw him. I saw him. He saw me. The Andalite saw me. I saw the Andalite. I saw the Andalite. But I saw him Chapter 22How do you know if a creature is sentient? I looked around at the world. How did you know when it was time? How did you know if there were other sentient beings around? And how did you know that the creatures who invaded your home were not sentient? It was a long, long trip. It was time to change places and live in peace. To be on Earth and be able to speak freely. But the answer was there. I kept trying to make sense of it, but I couldn’t make sense of it. I told myself. “Yes,” I said. “I will.” Tobias said. “You’ve seen it all,” I said. “That’s what humans say when they see an entire species that they don’t like. That they’re like, at least when it comes to species.” he said. I nodded my head slowly. I wasn’t sure I could. And then I saw the similarity in sounds. Humans are very good at reading facial expressions. I laughed. I was more at ease using my mouth. Humans are very good at interpreting speech. “What is it?” I asked Tobias. Tobias said. “We have spoken a lot,” I said. “I knew it was you.” Tobias said. Tobias is known to enter dreams. He was in a dream and I was in a dream. I guess it was his human mind that was in the dream that caused the sleep. I guess I’d had a good time. I was in a dream. I was falling asleep. I didn’t know how. I guess I was about to jump off the bed. I peeked out of the opening of my room. I focused my eyes and tried to make sense of the light. I saw a little girl with a face. She was asleep. I saw her face, too. I saw her eyes, eyes that had not opened and looked away. I saw a little boy eight years old. And I saw the way his ears shivered at the sight. I was in a dream. I was falling down, down from that eight-inch height. I guess falling from that height is a little like falling from a football stadium. You fall down, but you fall down fast. The light was coming from inside my room. The light was falling faster than I could see. Tobias said. Tobias said. I said. Tobias repeated. Tobias said. Tobias said. I said. We went to the bathroom. I did. I began to demorph. I had to. But I was tired. I was sick. I knew the pain. But I couldn’t think. I thought about it, and I knew then that sleep was another human emotion. And the human mind was Chapter 22Chapter 16 “You’re either going back to work for me or you’re going to the Yeerk pool.” “You know, it’s just not my fault that the Yeerks won, isn’t it?” “No.” I tried to sound casual. “The Yeerks are not my fault.” But I was too serious. “I know. I know. I have to make it up to the Yeerk pool.” I was still trying to sound casual. “We’ve been fighting all day,” I said. “But then the Yeerks are here. We’re going in. We’re going in very, very slowly. We aren’t going to let them lose us.” “Yeah,” Jake agreed. “It’s not like we could do it, right? We have our own problems.” “We’re going to try to save ourselves,” I said. “We have our own problems.” Jake turned to me. “You’re right, Jake. We’re going to try and save ourselves.” “Yes, Jake. We have our own problems.” “But,” Jake admitted, “we don’t have the money to do that. You know, we have to keep the money in our pockets.” I couldn’t answer him. I’d had enough of Jake. He was a coward. I was an idiot. I was the one who’d done enough. I had to save my own people. I told Jake what was happening. He started to run. He was running from the Yeerks. “Just try and keep it together,” I said. I tried to sound like I cared about saving myself. But Jake would push me. It didn’t work. “Don’t worry,” he said angrily. “It’s just that we have to get other people out.” “So, who’s going?” I said. “I mean, I’m not your big hero act, Jake.” Jake shrugged. “Yeah, well, you’re the one with the big guns.” “So be careful,” I said. “You’re the one on the ground.” Jake nodded at me. “I am.” “Okay. So exactly who’s going?” I asked. “We’re thinking you’re the only one, Rachel. So be ready for any questions.” “What?” “You know, it’s a little late to be ready for the big question,” I said, looking at Jake. “But if you are, I’m going to assume you are.” Jake sighed. “I’m not ready, Rachel. I’m in a hurry. I’m going over to the Pool ship. I’m going to get you to the Yeerk pool.” Chapter 17 “So, what’s the plan?” I asked. Jake shook his head sadly. “I’ve been telling Jake I don’t like the way he feels about you. I thought you were going to be okay. But now you’re in your own body. You’re in control of yourself. I mean, maybe you’re the one with the weapons, but you aren’t.” I smiled. It was not a smile I was happy about. “We’re going to go,” Jake said, pulling me into a hug. “Okay, Rachel,” I said. “Now. Let’s talk.” “We’re going. What’s the plan?” This time I had to resist the urge to gag. “I guess we’re going to go,” I said. “We want to go.” I smiled. It was like that was the first word I would say. “Yeah, we’re going. So we hope we find some of the Yeerks. But we’re not going to ask you how you’re doing. We mean, we’re not going to ask you what’s bothering you. Chapter 22“It’s a little bird, isn’t it?” “No,” I said, backing away from her. “It’s not a bird.” “No.” “We have to get out of here,” I said, trying to sound confident. “It’s time.” Tobias interrupted. “No. We had a plan. We knew it was our only chance. We were going to do anything. We knew we couldn’t let this happen.” “We’d have to morph. We were going to catch the Ellimist.” “No problem,” I said, trying to sound confident. “I’m just going to tell you what I found. The Ellimist has a way. It’s called a power source. It has a definite power source.” “So?” “So what?” “So what is this power source?” I asked. “What is this?” “What?” “Okay,” I said. “You don’t want to tell me what it is?” “What is a power source?” I said. “A power source? What power source?” “What power source?” “What power source?” “What are you talking about?” “What do you mean?” I was not surprised. I had been expecting the answer. “What is a power source?” “You know, Rachel?” she said. “You know, Rachel,” I said, “I don’t think I’d want to know.” she agreed. She was right. I felt a wave of recognition. I felt like I had met a true hero. I looked at Tobias and Rachel. I could not look at them, but I knew they would all look at me. I smiled, not for the first time. Rachel said, then said, I cried. I had been morphing into a Taxxon. I had been morphing into Jake. I had been morphing into Rachel. But now, as I lay in a pool of blood, I was beginning to demorph. I knew I had to get away. But I couldn’t do it alone. I knew that if I went into morph I’d be killed. Cassie, Tobias, and I were all with the Taxxon’s mother. We’d be trapped. The Yeerks knew they’d be killed. I called. Jake said. Jake said. she said. I said. Rachel said. I did. I spread my arms wide, out over the pool, out into the dark. I could feel the blood draining into the water. Hork-Bajir are often in the water. I felt the blood draining into me. I felt the blood of a shark. I felt the blood of a dolphin. I was in morph. In water. And I was deep. Deep enough for me to be using the water as my pool. I was going to lead the Hork-Bajir and the Veleek to the Yeerks. I felt the Hork-Bajir’s senses. The blind, almost deaf eyes. The eyes of a guide dog. I felt the skin of a grizzly bear. I was in morph. In water. And I was going to lead the Hork-Bajir and the Veleek to the Yeerks. I could feel the Hork-Bajir’s instincts. The Hork-Bajir’s DNA. I could feel the Hork-Bajir’s DNA. I didn’t need to know. I was in control of my morph. Chapter 25 I was in the water. I was in the water when ... when the Hork-Bajir and his brother, the Warden, came diving out of the pool. I looked up. I could see the elephant, its massive head, looming back. I saw the Hork-Bajir’ Chapter 22“I have a message for you, world!” “What?” “You can’t!” “No!” “I have a message for you, world,” I said. “I have a message for you,” I said again. “I have a message for you.” “What?” “You’re a coward,” I said. “You’re a coward, and you’re a coward.” “What do you mean, ‘A coward?” “You’re a coward,” I said. “I have a message for you,” I said. Chapter 14 The next day, it was Marco who said, “Look, I’m just asking you, man,” I left the house and went over to Rachel’s. We went up to the barn. It was dark. And we were out walking along the lawn. “What is it?” I asked Rachel. “What is it?” Rachel asked me. “It’s the poor man. The poor man is going to get himself and his parents killed.” “Why?” “Because he’s scared,” she said. “He might be able to communicate with his parents.” I stopped walking. I was probably going to go over to the barn to see what was going on. But I couldn’t see Rachel because she was blind. “Okay. Just leave it at that,” Rachel said. “Yeah,” I agreed. I was looking at the barn from Rachel’s point of view. But I had to think ahead. We’d been walking home from the mall, and I could smell the fresh, tasty wafts of cinnamon buns. I turned back to Rachel. She was so confused she almost cried. “I have to go on this mission,” she said. “I know I’m not going to be able to speak for the whole time I’m here. I’m not going to be able to tell you what to do.” I don’t know if she wanted me to live or not. I have to think ahead. I’m not ready to rush, or else I’m going to rest. Rachel is the mother of all Animorphs. She’s the one who told me to keep track of the time. She always kept track of time. “I’m going home,” she said. “I’m going to the mall and I’ll be back.” I went to the mall like I always do: walking, talking, and hanging out in the mall. “Come on,” she said. “You can wait a little while. I’ll be back.” I could see the way to the mall. I could see the mall. I’d have to wait till Rachel came back. But then I knew. I knew I was going to the mall alone. “I don’t know,” I said. “I guess ... and then it’s all going to be me. I mean, I could go to the mall alone. I mean, there’s no way I’d ever be Rachel.” Rachel’s eyes were all focused on me. Her eyes were staring back and forth at the sky. I glanced up and saw her stalk eye watch me. I saw the way she was looking at me. At me, at the way I was looking at her, watching the way she looked at me. She was looking at me. At me, she was looking at me in her own little way. “Oh,” I said. “I don’t think Tobias is all that interested in this, is he? He’s just me. I’m just him.” “Me?” “Yes.” “So what are you up to?” “Um, I didn’t know.” “Me?” “Uh-huh.” “So, you’re going to the mall alone?” “Yes. I am. I have already been.” Rachel’s eyes went wide. “She’s going to the mall alone? Chapter 22BRIAN. I touched down with her. Then I morphed to human. “Hey! You guys are late. You guys are late.” “Honey, I’m late. Um, I’m not in school. I’m just trying to save time.” “I can’t,” she said. I sighed in relief. I was wearing pads. I was ready to get dressed. I was also ready to go into the other compartment. But I was worried about the others. I went down the stairs. I’d be ready to go back to Cassie in a few hours. I’d have to stop going to school. I’d have to morph back to human. I wish I could think about that. It would have been nice if we’d had a little break. Maybe we’d have rested longer. Maybe after this long trip we’d have had some serious fun. “Oh, man,” I said. “We just met. I looked okay.” I spread my arms. “Sorry.” I wanted to go back to work. I wanted to tell Jake that I was okay. And then I could go to school. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Like I was going to die. I figured maybe a little too much sleep would work. So I went downstairs and stood around the corner. I wasn’t sure if I could morph back to human morph. But I could definitely feel the awful stench of the garbage. I could definitely feel the awful smell of the garbage. “You know, I don’t know why I’m taking you guys. I mean, we’ve got homework tomorrow, right?” I said. Tobias was in his usual spot. It was near the garbage. I knew it was normal. I mean, he was there to check out and he’d just been getting ready to leave. “Okay,” I said. “Let’s do this.” I focused on the DNA in my mouth. I began to form the pattern. I began to shrink. I didn’t like the sound of this. I didn’t like the feeling. I felt a strong, strong tail-wind, like I was going to slam my teeth into something solid. I shrank, and then, I shrank again. I was a huge, huge, huge, huge, huge, huge, huge, massive ... I was shrinking! I’d be a big, huge, huge! I felt the shift in my shape. I felt a new tail-wind rising up behind me. Then I felt a tail- wind that was coming closer. I was a gnarled mass of fur. I could only imagine how big that was. It was like ... it was like something was poking me. I could see a half-finished door. I couldn’t see the door. I couldn’t see the shadow the door had. But I knew something was wrong. I’d just been shrinking! I was a huge, huge, huge, huge ... I stopped shrinking. I stopped shrinking. I could feel the tail-wind growing. I could feel the fur growing. I began to shrink. I could see that something had gone wrong. I could see the fur growing. I began to shrink. I was close to a foot long. I was almost an inch long. I felt the fur draining away. I could feel the tail-wind coming closer. I felt a huge, massive tail-wind coming closer. I opened my mouth. I opened my mouth. I was shrinking. Tobias cried. I made a sound like a cry of pain. I said. I felt the fur in my mouth shrinking. I felt the fur begin to thin. I felt the fur begin to thin and shrink. I had to warn you. The smell of the garbage. The smell of the garbage. The smell of the garbage. I was shrinking. The door to the other compartment had been opened. I could see the window blocking my view. I guess it was because the other compartment was empty. I opened my mouth again. I was halfway to being an inch long. “It’s okay, Cassie. It’s okay.” Tobias said. I closed my mouth Chapter 22We are a race. We are a race to get the Hork-Bajir taken alive. Or, at least, to the Yeerks. I am unable to tell you my exact words. I do not know how they will feel about me. But I will remember them: I am the son of a Hork-Bajir warrior and a Hork-Bajir soldier. They will remember me. I am the son of a Hork-Bajir warrior and a Hork-Bajir. And they will remember me. I am the son of a Hork-Bajir warrior and a Hork-Bajir. I am the son of a Hork-Bajir warrior and a Hork- Bajir prince. Ax said. Rachel said. I looked at the two Hork-Bajir who were waiting in the tunnel. They looked at me and said, Jake said. I said, Chapter 22 I said. he said. I looked at him. He began to morph. He rose up off the ground. He was huge. He was too big to be a normal human, but he was huge. I felt the same way about him. Huge. Huge. I thought I saw a shadow of the Andalite tail in my mind, but I couldn’t see it. I felt the tail as well as I felt the tail in me. I began to shrink. But it didn’t last. I was shrinking, but it wasn’t as easy as it had been with the hollow, long Hork-Bajir bones. I said. he said, as if I’d ever asked him to do it. He was morphing, but the Hork-Bajir had him and the two Hork-Bajir were shrinking. It was like morphing to tiger. I said. I felt the changes begin. I had been shrinking very slowly, but I was shrinking. I could feel the tactical muscles in my mouth and nose change, and my human body began to shrink. I saw myself through the eyes of the Hork-Bajir. I saw myself through the eyes of a Hork-Bajir. I saw the eyes of a Hork-Bajir. I saw myself through the eyes of a human. I saw the body of a Hork-Bajir. I saw myself. I saw myself. I saw the Andalite. I saw the Andalite. I felt the shifting and shifting of control. I felt the sense of pain and the sense of hunger and the sense of power and the feel of strength. I felt the morphing, the power, and the power. I felt the morphing, the power, and the power. I was changing. It was a terrifying process. It was a shocking, shocking, shocking thing. I was morphing back. Back into human form. I called. I said. I had morphed back. It was like morphing into a bird. That would have been the first time I’d seen a bird that I knew. It was like morphing into a dolphin or a shark, only without the fact that they had mouths and heads and tails. I couldn Chapter 22Marco!> I looked up at him. he said. I followed Marco up to the boy. I could see the difference between him and Marco. Marco had a different look. He was a little more serious, more concerned with the boy. she said, Marco said. Chapter 3 Rachel yelled. I said. I had just gotten home from the mall. I figured I’d go shopping. I’d check out the mall and see if anything was up. But then I heard this noise. A kind of sound I couldn’t quite identify. I think it was footsteps. I didn’t know if footsteps were footsteps, or footsteps that big! I rolled my little monkey eyes. I was surprised to see that footsteps were everywhere. I mean, I could see footprints! I could see them when I looked closely. No way! There must have been hundreds of them. Or maybe tens of thousands! I looked to where a huge, hideous foot appeared. I looked in the direction of the foot, and I saw it up close. Jake said. Jake said. I said. I said. Tobias asked. she said. Rachel asked. Ax said privately to me. I said. I called again. “Yes,” he said. “I’m in all right.” “He’ll be okay,” I said. “He’s just going to put his foot down on the table.” Erek looked at me. “Erek, I know you aren’t going to like the way we are, but we have to try this out. Here’s the deal,” he said. “Marco goes to the gym and he’s supposed to show us the ways.” He was right. I went to the gym and I realized that I didn’t like the way Erek was going to go. He was supposed to be a warrior. I had a better answer. “Hey, you’re not going to like what we are,” Erek said. “You’re not going to like our school. And you’re not going to like us for not having been able to use our morphs.” “Yeah,” I said. “I hate being a warrior.” He shook his head. “That’s not it. It’s not about wanting to be a warrior. It’s about wanting to be a warrior. That’s maybe it’s just what you want, isn’t it? Putting your foot down on the table and thinking about school, like you’re a warrior is all for it.” Erek laughed. “I’ll be there.” I started to say it, but it was impossible. I was talking to the Erek I’d met in school. I was talking to a person who was not even the same person as Erek. Jake, Erek, and Cassie were all in morph. Each of us was a different person, and all were separate beings. “It’s not about me,” Erek said. “It’s about who you are.” “Okay,” I said. “You’re a Controller?” Erek stared at me. “No. I mean, who are you? Tom? Is he a Controller?” “You are a kid, Erek.” Erek looked at me. “That’s a lie. Of course not.” I looked away. I knew what he meant. But I didn’t want to believe it. I started to cry. “You’re not,” I said. Chapter 22KUWAIT! KUWAIT! “Don’t listen!” “HrrREEEEE-EEEE-EEEE-eeee-eeee-eeee-eeee-eeee!” Chapter 20 The Yeerks were everywhere! They were everywhere! They were everywhere! I could see them everywhere! I could see them everywhere! I felt like being a warrior was a part of some cult. And I felt like I could see every single thing that was happening. But I couldn’t see them. I could see them. I saw them everywhere. I could see them! I felt like it was my fault. I should have been glad to do something. I should have been glad to see that whole human race get together. But I didn’t. If I had, I would have told them. I would have told them later on. I could have been cool with the idea. But I couldn’t. Not right then. I could have been like, “Tobias, I think you know the place.” “The Yeerks are in the woods.” “The Yeerks are here. They’ve infiltrated the forest.” “They’ve infiltrated the forest.” “They’ve infiltrated the forest. They’ve infiltrated the trees. They’ve infiltrated the grass. They’ve infiltrated the trees.” “It’s a trap,” I said. “They’re following us. They’re following us.” “They’re following us,” Marco said. “They’re following us!” I looked at Ax. He looked at me. I didn’t know where to turn. I swooped down, down, down, down. I could feel the air rushing up against my wings. I could feel it around my talons. I could feel it as I flapped my wings, not knowing how to control the powerful force that is the wind. I flapped with all the power I had. I flew, with all the power of my tail, and I fell. Down, down, down. The wind was cool, but not terribly strong. I was not going to let them find me. They were going to catch me. I flapped my wings, and the wind lifted me up and up. Down I came, up, up. Down, down, down. I landed on the ground in a heap. I was confused. I was down, but not out of it. Now I could see the darkness! I could see the ground, dark with the rain, the darkness. But I could not see the Yeerks. I could not see them. The rain was falling, and I could see the ground. I could see the orange-and-red-striped fur of a human, of course, and the huge tail of a shark, and the massive, curved beak of a human. But I could not see them. I saw the human. He was in my world. I saw the world, the way he saw it, seeing the way it all worked. I saw the Yeerk host. He was the one who had been in my tail, not the other way around. He was the Yeerk who had been in my tail. I had seen him. I was going to make him a Controller. He was the only Controller in my universe. I knew it. I knew. I had seen the Yeerk in my tail. I had seen it, inside my own mind. Chapter 21 Down and down. Down and down. Down, down, down. I was a dolphin, a whale, a tiger, a shark, a tiger. I was forever. I could see, I could feel, I could feel the dark, awful universe. I knew it. I knew it. People say I’m very cool, very cool, but I just can’t get it, I said to myself. I smiled a little, I really did. I was a dolphin. I was cool with the world. I had no choice. I had to be cool with the world. I knew the perfect moment. I had to be cool with the world. I had to be cool with the world. I found a place where I could live. I found a place where I could live. I found a place where I could live. I found a place where I could live. I found a place where I could Chapter 22“I don’t know, Jake,” I said. “I don’t know. I just know. We’ve got to do this!” I looked around the circle of trees. We had reached the edge of the forest. Jake and Rachel were running in, following the direction of the trees. They were a couple of hundred yards away. “What’s happening?” “It’s ... it’s ... it’s ...” I tried to form a mental image of it. “The human-Controller is running toward the trees. And he’s running for the trees.” “Don’t worry,” I said. “I’m going to distract him.” I heard the sound of a tiger’s roar. It was coming from behind. I tried to find the sound of it, but it was too far away. I couldn’t find it. I wandered along the ground, trying to find the sound. And then ... Suddenly I realized that a tree had burst into the forest. “Tiger!” I heard the sound of a tiger’s roar. “Tiger!” I heard the sound of a tiger’s roar. Chapter 17 “Tiger!” I heard the sound of a tiger’s roar. “Tiger!” I heard the sound of a tiger’s roar. “Tiger!” I heard the sound of a tiger’s roar. I followed the direction of the tiger’s roar, but there was nothing to be seen. And I wasn’t going to find a trail. I saw two large trees clustered together. They were taller than I was. They had a high, flat, brown plain covered in brown branches. The branches had become branches. There were no trees in the plain, just tall grass and low-lying trees. I went through the trees, trying to find the sound. And I didn’t. “Tiger!” I heard the sound. “Tiger!” I heard the sound. “Tiger!” I heard the sound. I followed the direction of the sound with my eyes. I could see the branches of a tree that was about a quarter of an inch high. I could see the branches of a tree that was two feet high. Then I saw the sound. It was thick. It was loud. It was loud, like someone was rushing to push something down. The sound was coming from behind me. It was like someone was pushing a road that was two feet high up. “Tiger!” I heard the sound. “Tiger!” I heard the sound. “Tiger!” I heard the sound. I followed the direction of the trail of sound. It was coming from behind me. I could see the big tree that stood in the middle of the forest. There were no trees there, just tall grass. I could see the high- gravel-looking plain of grass. The trees were high up. And there were many large rocks. I followed the direction of the trail of sound. But it was blocked by a thick shadow. It was as if someone was racing around, picking up something and then stopping. I followed the shadow. It was coming from behind me. I could see the shadow move higher and higher. The shadow was very long. It was a long shadow. It was fast. It was the size of a dark horse. It ran fast and it was strong. I followed it. It came up beside me. I could feel its weak spot. I could feel its strength. I could feel its weak spot. I could feel its weakness. I followed the shadow. It came up beside me. It was very close. It was a very close race. And it was very big. And it was very dangerous. I went into the shadows and followed the shadow, which I could see. It ran on the dirt. And I followed. It ran on the dirt, all alone, so that I could see clearly, could see. It ran on the wind. It ran on the wind, and now it was not afraid of anything. “Tiger!” I heard the sound of the wind. I followed the direction of the sound. It went way up, coming so fast that I had to try and follow it, and there I was, in the dark. It was like looking at a picture. It was like looking at a movie, only a little Chapter 22I have a pit bull. He’s dying, he’s dying, he’s dying, I see the light ... Chapter 9 Jake said. But it never does. Jake has a natural talent for this job. He can tell when something is wrong. When Jake thinks he’s going to get a good look at a steer he’s not going to touch. I saw the light. It was a dark spot in the dark. I saw the light of a small, unseen thing. I looked up. Jake was there, I saw him. I’d have to morph. And the rest of the Animorphs would have to stay in wolf morph and steer. Jake said. Cassie said. I said. Jake said. I said. I pressed. I said. Marco said. It was my fault I had morphed in the first place. “We’re in steer morph and I’m in bear.” I was still trying to think of a way to get out. I might have to morph. I might have to go back to human form. But the only way I could actually turn myself around was to come up from human again. I was out of the pit, out of the human form, and I was looking at the polar bear in human form. I was looking at a very, very strange animal. Jake said. < Chapter 22It was such a pity. I was going to be seeing the world the way I used to. I was going to be making a name for myself among the Animorphs. Maybe the Yeerks would consider me a traitor or a danger to their plans. Maybe they would consider me a hero. Or worse. I could have done it! I could have fought! I could have fought my way out of this hellhole and back to Earth. I could have walked away from the fight. Maybe I could have done it. Maybe I would have been able to tell my story to my fellow Yeerks. That I was the hero. That I had fought the Yeerks to the very end. That I had helped free the Andalite prince, the only Andalite-Controller. That I had wrestled the Andalite from the Yeerk pool. That I had saved the lives of my fellow Yeerks. That I had led the Yeerks to the Andalite prince. That I had given the Andalite a way out of the nightmare. I was the one who had come to his rescue. The one who had saved my life. Chapter 18 I had fought the Yeerks and the Andalites and rescued the only Andalite warrior. I had been the one who had survived the final battle and, at last, the day when I would die. I had found a way to stop the Yeerks before they could get control of the morphing technology. I had done what I had to do. I had fought to the very end. But I had also done what was right, in the eyes of the law, and the best interests of the human race. What was I wrong to do? What were I and what were I? I was not the only one who had felt the sense of urgency that comes from fighting. Even now I felt the same way. The Yeerks were on guard. They were preparing to attack my home, maybe in a second bushes, with my fellow Andalites in tow. I was there. I was alone. The Yeerks were preparing to invade. I was there. I was alone with the Animorphs. The Yeerks are not a species you want to know about. Not about the Yeerks. Not about us. I was the only Andalite who had been born into a great and terrible battle. Only the Andalites could fight like us. And the only Andalite to be killed in battle. The Yeerks knew I was a human. They knew I was Jake. They knew that I was Jake. And they know that I was the only Andalite-Controller who had ever survived the invasion. They knew that I was the only Andalite-Controller to be captured by the Yeerks. They knew that I had been in morph, with the help of the power I once had, for many years. They knew that I had a brother, Elfangor, who was the only Yeerk with such power. We know that Elfangor, the Andalite who had killed Prince Jake in battle, had been taken prisoner. They knew that in the Yeerk pool, where he was being held, a host body where Yeerks could live without being controlled, he had survived and had become a full member of the species called the Gedds. We know that the Yeerks had not known that Elfangor had been taken prisoner. We know that the Yeerks had used him as a slave. They knew he had survived, and that he had become a full member of the species called the Hork-Bajir. They knew he had been a great hero. They knew he was loved and respected and feared. They knew he had caused great pain. They knew that he had given his life for the sake of the entire species. They knew he was missed. The Yeerks knew he was loved. They knew that he was a part of them. They knew he had lost his brother, Elfangor, who he knew, but who he knew would never, in the future, return to live with the two of them. They knew he would never, in the future, see another of his children. They knew he would never, in the future, see another of his children. They knew he loved them. They knew that he would never, in the future, see another of their children. They knew he would never, in the future, see another of his own children. Chapter 19 I woke up screaming. I had been in my room and gone to my room, to my room, screaming. Chapter 22The first day of school is a pretty boring one. My math teacher was teaching me the theory of algebra. It was an honor to be near her classroom. I was hooked. My algebra teacher was testing me. Only I was too excited to resist. “Arbron!” I cried in my best boy voice. “Arbron, the first Arn!” I didn’t have to explain what I was doing. I knew what to do. I knew what to say. “I’m not losing sleep over this,” I said, trying to sound cheerful. “Nothing scares me more than this.” “Yeah,” Jake said. “I’ll be back.” Chapter 3 “I’m not dead!” I said. I knew then what we would get back from the trip. We’d keep track of time, of course. It was a challenge, a challenge. We’d try to keep the time limit in mind. But we’d be relying on our friends. We’d try and keep the battle lines in perspective. “No,” I said, feeling like the only sensible thing I could do. “Don’t do anything stupid.” “I’m going in,” I said, patting myself on the shoulder. “I have to go.” I’d chosen to go. So I was going. We were going to take a little shortcut for the Arn who, as usual, did not like to go farther in an open space. I had hoped that Arn were brave, brave-looking, brave-looking herbivores. Well, that was not always the case. The Arn were also very smart. But not as smart as the Yeerks. I was going in and I had been hoping to find the way. I was going to blow the Yeerks away with my accuracy. But I was going to miss the Yeerks. I had. I mean, I was going to miss the Yeerks. So I told them about me and I told them I was going to blow the Yeerks away with my accuracy. But then ... I heard a sound. It was a screaming. I had been in that scream before. I was supposed to be sitting in the barn. I was going to be the first to the far side of the barn. I heard a sound, too, but it was far away. It was the sound of a very large creature. It was a whale, I think. I heard it, too, but it was far away. It was a dorsal fin, a very large, very strong, very powerful creature. “Gheer,” I said, trying to sound friendly. “Who is this?” “It’s a whale,” I said. I heard the sound again, but at a distance. It was the sound of a very large creature. I heard it, too, but it was far away. I heard it, too, but it was far away. I heard the sound, too, but it was far away. I heard it, too, but it was far away. “I’m sorry,” I said, absently, “but I’m not sure I like this morph.” The Arn had broken in and the Yeerks had killed about ten of us. “Gheer,” I said, slowly, trying to sound friendly. “Who is this?” “A male. A common male.” “Yes. A common male.” “A male.” “I have been looking for you.” “Yes,” I said, slowly, slowly, trying to sound friendly. “I am here. I’m hunting you. I’m not going anywhere.” “Yes,” I said, slowly, trying to sound friendly. “I am here.” “Yes,” I said, slowly, trying to sound friendly. “I am here,” I said. “I am here. I am here.” We were in the barn at night. I was lying on my side of the bed. I don’t know if I was able to see, hear, hear. I heard my own breathing. I heard my own breathing. “I am here,” I said. “I am here.” � Chapter 22Rachel, you are a true hero.> I said. she said. I said. Ax said. I said. Marco said. Tobias commented. he said. Cassie asked him. Tobias said. Marco said, I said. I felt like I should have said, I was not going to say that. I thought maybe that would just make her madder. Then I heard the sound of Jake’s voice. He was on the other side of the barrier. He was yelling. He was yelling about the Yeerks. I heard Rachel cry. Jake said. Rachel yelled. I asked. Jake said. I said. Jake said. I said. Jake said. I agreed. Jake said. Marco said. Jake said. Jake said. Tobias said. I agreed. Jake said doubtfully. I said, Jake said, taking in the scene. I admitted. I said, he said. Tobias cried. Jake asked. Tobias said. I said. The bus pulled up. I went through the front door. I started to move to the rear of the car. I went through the front doors of the car and out into the parking lot. I passed through a small, less wide, open door. Then I passed a small, quieter side door. Then I passed a larger door. I had to morph. The truck was coming from the mall parking lot. The driver was going to pull me out. I had to morph. I tried to resist. I tried to resist. I chose the last few seconds to leave the morph. I was going to go into the mall. But I demorphed. I was going to go into the parking lot. I was going to go into the mall. I didn’t even want to be there. I just wanted to go into the mall. Chapter 19 I went inside. I was afraid. I was scared. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. But I didn’t. “Cassie, I think I can’t go.” I collapsed onto the bus. I tried to get up. But I was exhausted. I couldn’t do it. But I couldn’t drag myself out of it. It was so far past me. I could feel the air break from the rain. I could feel the van seep into the rain. It was like something had hit me. Like a hurricane. Like something had swept in. I felt the air tighten around me. I was not scared. Or really, scared. I was angry. And I was mad. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. I tried to think. I wanted to cry. But I didn’t. I tried to think of why. But I couldn’t. I felt the van pull away from me. It was like the weight of the world had reached me. I couldn’t go down into it. I tried to think of my dad. I tried to think of my mom. I tried to make it seem like I was being forced to do something. But I couldn’t. It was like there was no room in the world. No room at all in my brain. I couldn’t go down into it. I could not go down into it. Then, I felt the wall. I could see from the Chapter 22I know it sounds corny, but when Jake and Rachel are gone, that’s the end of the world. They’re gone. They can’t be followed. And the Pemalite crystals are gone. Tobias said. I said. I was too tired to care about anything else. Not anymore. I said. I said. Jake said. Rachel said with a laugh. Jake said. Marco asked. Jake said. I asked him, he said. I said. Chapter 22“So.” I said. “So what do you think?” “I don’t know,” Cassie said. “I’m glad we’re all together. I mean, I’m the boss of this group.” “I’m glad we’re all together.” Rachel said. “I guess we should all be together,” I said. “Let’s just get this over with.” “What?” Cassie asked. I shrugged. “I’m not sure it’s any biggie. I mean, I know how stupid and crazy this whole thing is. My mom had me eat the dog with the sauce, and I’m not crazy. But I’m not crazy.” “You could always just eat the dog,” I said. “You think I’m crazy?” Rachel asked, pointing at me. “Yeah.” I told her I was mentally ill. “So I’m not crazy.” “Yeah.” “You could always just eat the dog,” I said. I was still nervous. I’ve been fried and eaten now ever since I was born. “I mean, I could just eat the dog.” Rachel asked. “I have a dog. I’m not crazy.” Rachel looked at me, eyes fierce. “You, too, Cassie?” “I have a dog,” I said. “I’m okay.” “Like you’re okay?” Rachel asked. “I have been in a fight before,” I said. “I’m okay.” Rachel almost laughed. She was still laughing when she saw Cassie. Even now she was scared. I guess “Oh, man,” I said. “Oh, man. I mean, I’m not crazy.” “It’s a very complicated thing for you to do,” Cassie said. Rachel looked at me. “I can’t even throw up. I’m not crazy.” I was feeling a little overwhelmed. I guess I was, too. It felt like the whole world was just watching me. “Look,” I said, “I’m not crazy. I’m not crazy!” Rachel nodded like she understood. “Oh. Oh, man,” I said. “I’m not crazy.” Cassie nodded again. “Yeah.” “Yeah,” I said. “Why do you even say that?” “Because I am crazy.” “Why do you even say that?” Rachel shook her head. “Because I am crazy.” Cassie said, “You think you’re going to get killed just because we’re all nuts? Like you’re going to get killed because we don’t have a plan? You would be so much more likely to get in combat than I am, and you’d be so much more likely to get killed. I mean, it would be so cool. You would be just like ... you know, like I could be like all of you, and then you’d have your butt kicked. If I were you, I wouldn’t be so sure. I’d have to be like, like, you know?” Rachel looked at me with her big, deadly canine eyes. “I have a plan. I can’t let you get killed.” “Ah, yes, I have a plan.” “The plan is for us to infiltrate the Yeerk pool and get to know each other better. To get to know each other better.” “So you see, the plan is for us to infiltrate the Yeerk pool, get to know each other better, then -” “What?” “So you see, the plan is for us to infiltrate the Yeerk pool. So we are all the same. We are all the same.” “So we are all the same,” Rachel echoed. “We are all the same.” Chapter 24 “We are all the same,” I repeated. “We are all the same.” Chapter 22I am not talking about a trip to the mall. I am talking about a trip to Earth where you have to deal with your reality as an Earth animal trapped in a morph. I am talking about the trip to Earth where maybe the entire planet is a nightmare. When you morph an animal, you have to move in space. You have to be near a place, a place that seems so real it doesn’t belong. You have to be totally free. And you have to destroy something that is your DNA. I’ll say it - you have to destroy something that is so real it doesn’t belong. You have to destroy an animal, and you have to destroy an entire species. I have morphed monkeys. I have morphed wolves. I have morphed elephants. I have morphed some kids. I have morphed geese. I’ve morphed horses. I’ve morphed bats. I’ve morphed snakes. I have morphed peculiar snakes. I’ve morphed flies. I’ve done things that are totally bizarre. I’ve done things that are almost comical. I have done things that are totally insane. I have done things that are totally impossible: things I’ve morphed animals I know really, really well. I have been an Animorph for thirty-two of my life. I’ve morphed and morphed, and I’ve morphed and morphed. I’ve morphed and morphed, and and morphed, and morphed. I will never, ever forget it, for a long time. I will never, ever forget that moment. Chapter 20 I was morphed, I told myself, and I began to demorph. I felt myself shrink. I was at an intersection. I was a point in space and time. It was for no reason that I even saw the point of using myself. It was just a point of space and time. I was an android. I was a living, breathing being. I was a living being. I was alive. I was not a human, and I wasn’t going to be. It was not a coincidence that I was moving toward the point where I had first morphed. I was not a human being. I was a living being. I was alive. I felt myself go down. Along the lines of time and space and time and space and space. I felt myself shrinking and shrinking, as my human body was no longer my body. I was not a human being, because I was a machine. It was not my imagination that I saw. It was my brain that was involved. I saw time and space and space and space and space. And I saw a way to get to the point when I had morphed. I saw time and space and space and space. And I saw a way. I saw the way to get to the point when I had morphed. I saw the way to get to the point when I had morphed. I saw the way to get to the point when I had morphed. I wanted to say something, but I had to say something. I was not going to tell you how to move your body. I had to tell you. I had to warn you. But I had been wrong. I was in control. I was in control of myself. I had created the machine. I was in control of myself. I was in control of time and space and time and space. I saw myself, I saw my own body, I saw my own body as it happened. I saw my own body as it happened. I saw time and space and space and space. I saw my own body, my own body as it happened. I had the power to move the Time Matrix. I had the power to move the Time Matrix. I saw my own body as it happened. I saw my own body as it happened. I saw my own body as it happened. I saw my own body as it happened. I saw time and space and time and space. And I saw a way. I saw a way to get to the point when I had morphed, I saw a way to move in time. I saw a way to get to the point when I had morphed. I saw a way out of this time and space of being nothing but a time machine. I saw a way out of this time and space of being nothing but a time machine. I saw a way out of this time and space of being nothing but a time machine. I saw a way out of this time and space of being nothing but a time machine. I saw a way out of this Chapter 22They call themselves The Sharing. They have a Yeerk base. They have a Yeerk pool. They feed on the pool. The Yeerks’ relationship with the Yeerks is very close. They have a Yeerk family. They’re physically different from us. They have more in common than we have. They’re more physically capable. They’re also more moral than us. They believe in freedom. They believe in peace. And they believe in human rights. “They’re just like us,” I said. “We’ve all got our own agendas. We have our own personal ideas. I guess that’s how it always is with this species.” “It’s okay, isn’t it, Rachel?” Marco said. “It’s been way too long since we have a good puppet.” “Rachel!” I cried. “Rachel, are you okay?” Marco asked. “I am,” I said. “What are you saying?” Marco asked. “I’m saying that we’re not going to let this happen,” I said. “We are the original and generally our strongest, right?” “What ‘original� is you?” Marco asked. “You’re saying that we should let the Yeerks take over the human race?” “We’ll let those humans take over. They won’t have all the human rights,” I said. “But we’ll make sure of that.” Marco was right. And I was right. I didn’t want to let that happen. I just didn’t want to let it end up happening in the best way, and I wasn’t sure I could. “What now?” I asked. “What now? What now? What do you think you’re doing? This is so beyond any of your dreams.” “That’s what I said,” Marco said. “What are you talking about?” “This is what I saw. I saw the way you were racing toward me, racing to the Yeerk pool. I saw you pull out of the trap of your own making. I saw you chase after me. I saw you run. I saw you walk away.” “So, what you’re saying is that we can’t let them take us over?” Marco smiled. “No. We know that. We know that. But ...” “What?” I asked. “I’m saying that we should let the Yeerks take us, right now. That’s it. We’ll let them take us.” “I’m still not completely sure we should do it,” I said. Marco nodded and I looked at each other. “Okay. That’s it. I’m going to say something. We’re going to take you. And we’re going to take you, all of you.” “Rachel, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but you’re right. You’re thinking something else.” I looked at Marco. He looked at me. “You know what?” Marco said, his voice firm. “I really don’t like the way you’re doing it. I don’t think you have the self-control to do it.” “I know, Marco,” I said. “I’m sure you’re just saying you have to do it.” Marco looked at me like I was stupid. I snorted. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I was trying to be brave. I’m sorry. I was just feeling a little scared.” “You were scared,” Marco said. “You were afraid, too. You were afraid of what I would say. I didn’t know how to comfort you. I didn’t feel like I had anything I could say to you. I just felt like I had to do it.” “Jake,” I said. “You’re right.” Marco laughed. “I was right. I was right.� Chapter 22I remembered the past. The past of Cassie’s parents. The past of her father, the war hero, the war criminal who was killed trying to save his adopted people. My dad’s name was Tom. Chapman. Chapman’s real name is Chapman Busch. My dad’s real name was Chapman Busch. I remember feeling sorry for myself. For my dad. For my friends. For me. But I also remember the terrible thing. Chapman was almost alone. I knew he would never be able to call himself Chapman Busch. He was trapped. It was my dad’s fault. My fault that he was trapped. Chapman was trapped, too. I was like, “Okay, I’ll just tell you guys and tell you guys,” I said, trying to sound casual. “I’ve been going to school.” “Chapman!” I yelled. “You guys all go look at these books.” “Yeah. Boy, I love books.” Chapman started to run. I turned to look back at him. He turned and ran. I could see the others running. I could see Tobias and Ax running. I could see the others running. It wasn’t just about school. It wasn’t just about school. It was about living with the night. As long as Chapman lived at the mall, I could live with the night. Chapter 10 I couldn’t. I was alone. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran for so long that I woke up. I woke up in the living room. I woke up at night. I stumbled, but I was alive. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I was an Animorph. I was Rachel. I was Cassie. I was Rachel. I was human. I was human. Rachel. I was human. I was Rachel. I was my true self. I had become something that could only exist in another universe. I had become what the dominant species should always be: a nothlit. This was what I had been: a human. I was a human, trapped in a morph. I was a human and trapped forever. But somehow, somehow I did not feel the need to be human. I had felt the need to be something that could exist in another universe. I had become something that could exist in another universe. I went back to my own life. Back to my own life. I went back to my own life. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. And then the power of the alien ship came punching through the surface of my own consciousness. It was like a virus. Like a powerful, powerful hunger. Like something that could be put off by normal human hunger. I cried in thought-speak that sounded just a little like my own heart. It was Tobias. I had been in the woods. I had seen him. I had tried to hide from him. I had fought and lost and ended up trapped. And now I was back. I was back in my own body again. I was in the woods, running through the dead night. Running through the woods, trying to hide. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. And finally, I was back. I ran Chapter 22Why is this happening?> he said. He was still yelling. He was angry. He was angry, too. He’d heard everyone’s voices. He was mad. He was angry because he couldn’t stand the thought of losing his brother. Why was he mad? I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I couldn’t believe I was part of something so important, so powerful. I couldn’t. It was insane! I could see. It was insane! I felt the weight of the huge hammer begin to drop on me. I collapsed. I began to fall. It was not a good feeling. It is hard to feel the weight of the hammer on you. I fell. I fell. I fell. I was a mass of gray, flesh, muscle, and sinew. When I began, I felt a terrible, awful pain in my back. I felt a pain in my front legs that would have killed me. I felt a pain in my left front leg that would have paralyzed me. I was a mass of gray, flesh, muscle, and sinew, all in one place. “Aaaahhhh!” I cried, as I fell. I was an osprey! I was part of the big osprey family. I fell. I fell, as the last ship had come rushing to a stop. I had to resist. I had to resist! Slowly, frantically, I crawled to the ground. I stood in the middle of the mass of gray, flesh, muscle, and sinew. I looked down, down at the bones and flesh. I could see that they were growing. I could see the skin of the osprey on my back, like it was being replaced by fur. I crawled toward the ground. I looked around. I could see that my front legs were growing. I knew what was happening. I knew that the Yeerks were rushing at me, but I could not even see them. But I could know that they were rushing. I crawled toward the ground, away from the bodies of the other dead Hork-Bajir. I crawled toward the ground, away from the bodies of the injured Hork-Bajir. I was surrounded. I was surrounded by the Hork-Bajir. I was surrounded by the Yeerks. I cried, as I began to demorph. I was free. I was free. I was big, strong, strong! I was a golden eagle, the golden eagle of the sky. Chapter 22 “Anakin!” I cried, as the others began to demorph. Ax said. I said. Marco said. I admitted. Marco said. I said. Marco said. Tobias said. Marco said. Jake said. I said. Rachel said. Marco asked. Marco said. I said. Jake said. I saw Jake develop the morphing ability. It was a dangerous process. I was going to morph the first human and then I’d go out into the wild. It was risky. But even though I was going for the Yeerk pool, I was going in with the two guys. I lied. he said. I said. I said, Jake said. Jake said. Jake said. Rachel said. I said. Jake said. I agreed. I flew to the Yeerk pool. I did the dive. I did the morph. I was human. I was Jake. I felt the people around me shrink. I felt the changes begin. I felt the DNA Chapter 22Weird Planet of the Day Chapter 1 “Well, well, well,” Marco said. “I’ve been thinking.” “I guess I’ll get this over with fast,” Rachel said. “Let’s get this over with fast enough. I’m with Marco on this.” “No problem,” Rachel said. “Tobias has to demorph and we’re there on the bridge.” I nodded at her. She was right. That’s what we did. We demorphed and went down. We each took a small sting of a small crystal. We each took a small piece of the crystal. We demorphed, then we each took a small piece of the crystal. And we each took a piece of the same piece of the crystal. We each took a piece, each for the first time in our lives. And we each took a piece of the crystal that was now shrinking and shrinking. At last we were halfway to the bridge when I saw the look on Rachel’s face. “Ahhhhhhhhh!” she screamed. “I don’t think so, Rachel,” I said. “I think I’m going to have to demorph.” Rachel looked at me with her four eyes. “What is it?” “It’s a human girl.” “No.” I looked at Marco and Rachel. “I think we have to get a clear view.” “Are you crazy.” “I’m not.” I’m not crazy, either. I’m just crazy. I looked at the crystal that was growing and shrinking. It was changing the way my body was feeling. Suddenly I realized that I was becoming a bird. “That is a great morph,” Marco said. “It’s a bird, isn’t it?” “Yeah,” I agreed. “How do you morph a bird?” Rachel asked. “I’m cool,” I said. “My body is already shrinking.” “What’s the big deal about that?” “The big deal,” I said. “It’s just about a thousand times your size.” Rachel looked at me like I was insane. “You are going to have to demorph, Rachel.” “This is our first time,” I said. “We are going to do this morph.” “Yes, Rachel,” Marco said. “We are going to.” We demorphed and we each took a piece of the crystal. “Okay, who is going to take the crystal?” Rachel asked. “We have to be ready. We have to keep moving.” “I am going to morph,” I said. “I am going to become a bird.” “Yes. Yes,” Marco agreed. “I’m going to become a bird. Because you know, I’m not going to stop becoming. And I’m not going to stop morphing.” I looked at Rachel. “Rachel ... you are Rachel.” “I am,” I said. “I am morphing. I am becoming Rachel.” Rachel looked at me like she was insane. Suddenly, I saw a flash of light. I looked and saw the light that was the bird. “Oh, man,” I muttered. “That is so wrong.” “You are morphing a bird,” Marco said. I looked at Rachel. “I can’t believe it. It takes so much power to morph. It’s like a human being becomes a bird and then you're trapped, like a chicken becomes a bird and then you're a human being.” Marco laughed. “He’s a cockroach. What does he think of people who morph?” I laughed. “I’m not the chicken. I’m the chicken. I am the chicken. I am the pigeon. I am all bird.” I looked around the bridge. The weird, flying, morphing bird flew over the ship. It was looking at us in an odd form, only half human. And it Chapter 22Chapter 1 It was the night before the day of The Sharing. It was a night where Jake, his parents, and the Sharing-Controllers all went public. When the Yeerks infiltrated the Yeerk pool together, they took everyone - Jake, Marco, Ax, and the others - down. This included me. We went down to the Yeerk pool, and when we got there, we had the perfect little party. Jake, Marco, and Ax all went to the pool together. I guess everyone wanted to go, knowing they’d be there when their Yeerks were done infesting the two of them. I took a meeting with some of the other Controllers, and they all agreed to go. We all thought we were going to have a great time, but we were at a loss. We decided to go for a little exploration. We walked into the pool. There was a rail there that led to a concrete pier. It was in the water, but it was muddy. So we decided to go out in the water. I went to see if there was anyone in the water. No one. We went inside the pool. It was filled with a sort of purple-green, saltwater-green sea. It was amazingly clear. I could see the ocean through the water. But the people who filled the water probably didn’t have the faintest idea who we were. I told them who we were and where we were. I told them I was Jake. I mentioned we were all going to the Yeerk pool. I mentioned that we were all twins. And I mentioned that we’d been sitting at the same time. Then I told them about the Yeerks. The Yeerks are a race of parasitic parasites. They live in the bodies of other creatures and take over the bodies of those other creatures. They are enslaved by their own will. They have the power to become any animal they touch. They can become a whale, a tiger, a fly. They can become any animal they touch. And they have the power to morph. Which means they have the power to absorb DNA and then become any animal they touch. It is a very powerful weapon. I could see the way the Yeerks would use this power. They would use it to enslave the entire human race. It is a very powerful weapon. I told them about the Yeerks. I told them about the Andalite bandits. I told them about the Animorphs. I told them about Erek. I told them about Cassie. They all fell silent. And then they began to say. “Erek,” I said, “I know you don’t have a brother who would like to be sorry he did what he did.” They said the same thing. They said the same thing. Erek just stared at me. He looked embarrassed. He looked scared. He looked mad. Chapter 2 “I know!” I cried. “No,” he said. “No,” he repeated. “No, no, no, no,” he said again. I could tell he was angry. He was mad. He was mad. “Erek,” I told him. “I know. I know.” He just stared at me. I could still hear the tears running from his eyes. “I know. I know.” “I know,” he said. “I know.” “I will never, ever, ever tell you,” I said. “That’s enough,” he said bitterly. “I won’t let you tell your friend that. I won’t let you tell him about me. I won’t let him tell me what to do. I will tell you what to do. I will explain to you what I mean.” I rolled my eyes. “Just tell Erek.” “He’ll know. He’ll know.” “I’m not going to let him tell you anything,” he said, trying to sound like he was joking. “I’m going to tell him I was sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you. I didn’t want to hurt you. I just wanted to make sure you knew what was happening.” “You could have told him,” I said. “He could have.” “I� Chapter 22Ax?” I heard them. I heard them. And I was amazed. Chapter 25 The Yeerks turned out the lights. They did. It wasn’t a good look for Marco. I’d been hoping Ax and I could all make it back to the bridge. But Ax was safe. I’d have to turn back now. The Yeerks probably would have given me back my morphing cube. I smacked a big, old oak tree by the time Jake and Marco and I and Ax came up behind it. Jake said, I got out of the tree, of course. Even if I had to. I didn’t want to be a coward. I didn’t want to know why.