Chapter 11

((We are approaching the Anati fleet,)) Alloran informed us a day later. ((They are hailing us. They wish to speak to our captain.))

It took me a moment before I realized he meant me. A hologram of an Anati appeared before me. "Would you please be so kind as to identify yourself before we are forced to destroy any traces of your existence?"

That took me a moment, too. "I'm Cassie." I gave him my last name.

His stalk eyes stretched to their maximum and his five main eyes widened. "An Animorph? Here?"

"Ah, so you've heard of us."

"You are heroes to us. We fought the Yeerks, too. The war cost us nearly half of our population. But you humans…you defeated them with only minuscule losses. Please, come aboard our ship so that we may feast on you."

((Feast on you?)) David asked.

((I am certain it was a mistranslation,)) Alloran assured me. ((The Reliquary's translation software was written by humans and I have not yet had time to correct its errors.))

What could I say? "We'll come."

"We will prepare the finest hangar on our ship for you, Cassie the Animorph."

"Thank you. Do you have a name?"

"No. You find that peculiar, I think."

"A tad," I admitted.

"You know that the Anati is formed of three parts?" he asked. I nodded. "I do not name my…legs, you would say…as any different form my…my head or my…my hand. We are one and we are strong. Such is the Anati way. Our people are one and we are strong. So we do not name ourselves. We call ourselves Anati; that is all the name we need."

((Uh…are they commies?)) David wondered.

((By technical definitions, no. However, according to what I understand of the common human usage of those terms: yes,)) Alloran answered.

"Does it matter?" I asked, trying to pretend I was the leader. "Alloran, dock us with the Anati flagship."

The Anati ship was divided into three parts, like the Anati themselves. The main body was a semisphere, flat on the top and round on the bottom. The top was clearly designed for war, even though the entire ship was a pale pink.

Weapons were mounted in a neat circle around the perimeter. They looked like the Anati claws. Definitely cannons of some kind. There were clusters of what looked like Anati eyes here and there. Five holes formed a ring. Out of the top of each hole protruded another claw.

((Those are where the Anati launch their ships,)) Alloran informed me. ((The claws are sonic-pulse weapons. They emit a very high-pitched pulse that will stun or kill any who it strikes. It is usually placed on a narrow beam so as to avoid unnecessary casualties.))

Below the sphere was what looked like an Anati head. It was definitely the control bridge. The four stalk eyes that spread out from it looked like they were engines. Alloran confirmed that.

Clinging to the outside of the sphere was what looked like smaller versions of the ship. They hung on by their stalk eyes. On those ships hung even smaller ships that looked the same. The ships got of increasingly small quality until I was sure no more Anati could fit on them.

((That's a lot of ships,)) David whispered.

((Yes. According to my calculations, the Anati fleet numbers approximately ten thousand.))

"The Helmacrons and Garatrons wouldn't stand a chance. The Anati will never retreat; not with this much of an advantage. What can we do?"

((I say we go in,)) David said. ((Maybe we'll find something. If we can disable the Anati ship, maybe we can stall them until the others take care of the Helmacrons and Garatrons.))

I smiled. This was a huge step for David. He was willing to trust the others. He probably didn't realize what that meant, but I did. He was one step closer to coming back.

Which meant that I was one step closer to getting away.

Chapter 12

There was an Anati waiting for us when we docked. I was a little nervous, but Alloran handled it very well. ((Cassie, I am afraid that my initial estimates as to the number of Anati ships were inaccurate.))

"Okay. What do you think?"

((I neglected to calculate the number the Anati could store inside these hangars. The real number may be anywhere from ten thousand to approximately fifteen thousand.))

Oh. That wasn't good.

I tried to be friendly to the Anati but I don't know if I succeeded. It's hard to tell with aliens. "Thanks. Do you have a leader I could speak to?" I didn't know if they would have a captain. If they were as collectivist as Alloran suspected…

"We have a leader."

"Oh. I didn't know. I figured that since you didn't name yourselves, you might not put one of you above the other."

"Our leader is not above us, as you say." Alloran was translating his words for me, but I find it's easier to write it this way, with the Anati speaking. It avoids confusion.

"The Anati are parts of a whole. But just as the Anati…head…controls the body, our leader controls us. The whole cannot move without direction from the one."

He led us through the corridors of his ship. The hallways were weird, twisting at odd angles. ((This is to make the ship difficult to navigate,)) Alloran explained. ((Someone attacking the ship would have difficulty finding anything.))

So the Anati were battle-smart, too. Definitely not good.

I was nervous on the ship. And when I'm nervous, I make small talk. "What's it like to be you?" I asked the Anati. "I mean, what is it like to be three creatures together?"

"I may as well ask you what it is like to be so alone. The thought of being a human makes me sad."

I looked at Alloran. He shrugged, a habit he must have learned recently. ((That is what he said,)) he defended himself.

"We humans try not to be alone," I answered him. "We make friends, have mates, form families. We surround ourselves with others. But we're never connected the way you are, I don't think. Do your other parts argue with you or anything like that?"

"I have no other parts. The Anati are the Anati. Does your hand disobey you?"

"Sometimes my mouth does," I joked. I didn't expect him to get it. I was wrong.

He laughed. "All make mistakes, Cassie the Animorph. The forgiving of mistakes is a great ritual for us. It is the most joyous of occasions."

((Is it nice to be forgiven?)) David asked. ((I mean, do you really feel better?))

The Anati turned three eyes to look at him. "All are one. To be in need of forgiveness, you must do something to separate yourself from the whole. Let me ask you…"

((Rat,)) Alloran supplied.

"Human," I insisted.

"Let me ask you, human. If you lost your arm…but no, you do not have a human body." I think the Anati smiled, but it was hard to tell because it's mouth was by my knees. I forgot to mention, but the Anati came up to about my waist, with his claw reaching to the top of my head.

"If your human body suddenly reappeared, would you not be joyful? That is how we forgive mistakes. What was lost has been regained. There is nothing greater to celebrate."

"What does it feel like?" I asked. "Have you ever needed to be forgiven?"

"All make mistakes," he repeated. "Have you not done things for which you need forgiveness, Cassie the Animorph?"

"Yeah. Too many things."

"That is not true," he told me. "There is no number of sins that the whole cannot accept. There is no sin so great that all working together cannot handle the burden. Andalite, do you not need forgiveness for some things?"

((Andalites do not ask forgiveness. We do what we must.))

"You may not ask forgiveness, but that does not mean that you have no need of it. I fought by the side of many Andalites when your people came to help us against the Yeerks. There were many who wished to be forgiven."

"Where they forgiven?"

"Of course. Forgiveness takes only two. One to forgive, and one to be forgiven."

((Can you always find two? When you're dealing with non-Anati, I mean?)) David asked.

"There is always one willing to forgive. What is harder to find is the one to be forgiven."

"If…let's say one of you was a traitor. Would you forgive him if he asked you to?" I asked

"If he truly was sorry for what he did, we would. At the end of the war, the Yeerks asked us for forgiveness."

"What did you do?"

"Those who truly wished to be forgiven, we forgave. But the ones who were only trying to save themselves, those we destroyed. We have no greater sin than that of feigning forgiveness or the willingness to be forgiven."

"And you do these ceremonies with non-Anati?" I asked.

"With anyone."

I glanced at David. I couldn't read expression on his rat face. Or in his eyes. I didn't know if this was sinking in or not, but I think the Ellimist's plan was going to work. My plan, too. If there was every a place where David could find forgiveness, it was here.

Chapter 13

I couldn't tell the difference between the Anati leader and any other Anati, which might have been intentional. Nevertheless, they promised he was the leader, so I assumed he was.

"You are a long way from home, Cassie the Animorph," he said to me. We were in his 'office.' It was surprisingly like any other office. A desk. A weird chair designed for the Anati so that it didn't end with them 'sitting' on their heads. There were a few pink disks on the desk that I think might have held battle plans. Everything in sight was pink. "Why have you come to us?"

"I'm told you're about to make war on the Helmacrons and Garatrons," I answered.

"Garatrons have become involved? That is a mistake on their part. They are fast but not faster than our sonic cannons. Have you come to help us, Cassie?"

"No. We came to stop you. What did the Helmacrons do? Surely there is a peaceful solution."

"The Helmacrons insulted one of us."

((That's it?)) David demanded.

"To we Anati, that is a grave crime, rat-man. When you insult one Anati, you insult all. You insult our race, our home, our planet, and everything we believe. We cannot allow such a thing to happen."

"What about forgiveness? You seem to be pretty big on that," I pointed out.

"We have asked them to apologize. We were met with more insults and arrogance. The first step towards forgiveness is humility. The Helmacrons have none of that."

I knew he was telling the truth. I had met the Helmacrons first hand. They're smaller than a grain of sand but more arrogant than the Andalites and Yeerks combined. They think they're the masters of the Galaxy.

"They will not be forgiven, Cassie, and we cannot let the insults stand."

((So you're going to annihilate their entire race?)) David asked. ((Even I think that's going a bit far.))

"We have no wish to kill them all. We will kill enough that they will be sorry they insulted us. If we cannot make them ask for forgiveness, we can make them regret."

"You can't fight them," I insisted. "They have a powerful weapon. If you destroy them, the weapon will go off and kill you all."

"That is of no importance to us. We have sworn to avenge this insult even if the price is our lives."

"But you'll destroy the Garatrons, too," I insisted.

"If they side with our enemies, then they are enemies as well. Unless they ask for forgiveness, they will be ended."

((While I understand and admire your commitment to your honor, is this not going a bit far? If you kill these Garatrons, the entire race will collapse within three generations.))

"You do not seem to understand the Anati way, Andalite. If you are a friend, we will fight with you to the very end. Your people know that. And, as the Yeerks can tell you, if you make enemies of us, we will fight against you until you are gone or we are. We do not believe in middle ground."

"How can you not believe in anything in between?" I demanded.

"Can you compromise between sin and virtue? What is right is right and what is wrong is wrong. It is as simple as that," the Anati told me.

"But how can destroying two races over a petty insult be right?" I pressed. "How can that be justified?"

"It cannot. We are sorry that we must do this but it must be done. They have wronged us and unless they ask us for forgiveness, they must be ended. When it is all over, we will ask for forgiveness."

"If you kill them all, who is there to forgive you?"

"If there is no one, then we will die from our shame. It will be the end of the Helmacrons, the Garatrons, and all the Anati aboard this ship."

((This is nuts,)) David said. ((We're talking about thousands, maybe millions, of lives. Yours among them! How can you throw that away over an insult?))

"You no longer wear a human shape. I know about the morphing technology. Why did you throw away your human shape, morpher?"

((I didn't. It was taken from me.))

"As were our lives when we were insulted. Now we go to take them back."

"I just can't understand this. Do either of you?" I looked from Alloran to David.

((This defies all logical sense,)) Alloran answered. Privately, he added, ((These Anati seem as imbalanced as the Helmacrons. This is taking their honor to obscene levels.))

"Perhaps you would understand if you were one of us," the Anati suggested. He looked at David. "Are you still able to morph? I have heard of one who can morph even though he was trapped long ago."

((I can morph,)) David answered.

"Then morph me. Perhaps then you will understand why we must fight."

Chapter 14

It should have been easy. Morph an Anati. But there was a problem. The Anati was not a single creature. It was three different ones put together. That meant that each of us would have to morph a different part.

We knew that the head controlled the rest of the body, so we had to decide who would be the head. "Okay, so one of us will have to be the head. I'm thinking we flip a coin," I said.

((Why flip a coin?)) David asked.

((Yes, how does that aid us in decision making?)) Alloran questioned. ((What is the significance of this ritual?))

"It's not a ritual, Alloran. You'll see how it works." Except that we couldn't find a coin. We needed a new plan.

((Rock, paper, scissors?)) David asked.

"You don't have hands," I pointed out. "I have an idea." I turned to the Anati. "Think of a number between one and five."

"I am unfamiliar with human numbers."

"Okaaaaay…Alloran, pick a number between one and five," I decided.

((Four.))

"No, don't say it out loud."

((I am sorry. This is confusing.))

"It's not supposed to be! Okay, okay…Eeenie, meenie, minee, moe… Catch a tiger by the toe…"

((That sounds like a very dangerous instruction, Cassie.))

((I tried that once. It's not smart.))

"Everyone shut up!"

"It seems to me, Cassie the Animorph, that you should morph my…head. You appear to be in command."

"Really? I appear to be in command? If you say so. Fine, I'll morph the head."

((In that case, I want to do the claw,)) David decided. ((That thing looks pretty nasty.))

((Then I shall morph the legs.))

"Okay, now that we have that covered, we can get to this."

We each put a hand to a different part of the Anati. We have rules against morphing sentient creatures, but the Anati had asked us to, so we didn't let that stop us this time.

I concentrated on the weird pink head and the changes started. The first thing to change was my color. My skin stayed the same texture, but it turned the same pink as the Anati. So did my hair. "I look like Rachel if she died her hair and got a really bad sunburn," I decided. Then things got odd.

One. Two. Three. Four. The stalk eyes shot out of my head, wriggling around like snakes. David described it best when he whispered, ((Medusa.))

Then, my body pulled in on itself. My arms melted into my body. My legs fused together. My entire body sucked in till it was the same thickness as my neck. Then, it sort of retracted until my feet were just below my neck. My toes fused together and then the third foot grew out like a massive tumor.

POP! A new eye appeared just above and between my original pair. POP! POP! Two more eyes appeared, completing the five-eyed cluster the Anati heads had. I had nine eyes in all, now, and four of them waved around on stalks, seeing everything!

All the while, I could feel the disturbing sensation of my insides changing. Morphing never hurts, but it does feel weird. If it hurt, you'd die before you were halfway done.

In this case, the most disturbing sensation was my organs. Most of them disappeared, since they were no longer needed. My digestive system became a lot less complicated. Now, I would eat food and then almost immediately regurgitate what I didn't need to eat. My mouth widened into an O and then moved to the top of my head. I reminded myself of a Taxxon. The ring of needle-sharp teeth didn't help much.

Finally, it was complete. Last came the mind. I didn't get the memories of the Anati (thank God) but I did get his instincts. The one that surprised me most was the fear.

I was small and weak in a world where the small and weak were destroyed. I was alone when there was strength in numbers. Something needed to be done. But what?

I saw David and Alloran. Alloran's morph had been about the same as mine. His legs changed to those of the Anati and the rest of him just sort of disappeared. He stood there, probably as scared as I was.

David had turned into the claw. I didn't watch his transformation because I was too busy watching myself and Alloran. Now, I paid complete attention.

The claw had a sort of carapace, like a lobster. That opened up and a dozen needle-like legs unfurled. David started to crawl around. Something occurred to me then. What if the claw was a predator? I was definitely prey.

But then the claw reached Alloran. David used his little legs and climbed up one of the legs. A bunch of tendrils came out of the rear end of the claw and met with a similar bunch from the legs. They entwined and then pulled together. Then, they seamlessly fused together.

Alloran walked over to me. David plucked me off the ground and rotated me so I was upside-down. I expected to be disoriented, but the Anati eyes rotated with me, so everything was still right-side up.

David pressed me against Alloran's underbelly. My feet found a hold somewhere. I fused with him. And suddenly, all the fear was gone. It was replaced with a feeling of peace. No wonder the Anati seemed so wise. They had a natural peace like…like a whale.

((Whoa,)) David gasped. ((I've…I've never felt anything like that before.))

((Me neither,)) I agreed. I was out of breath.

((It was very powerful,)) Alloran agreed. ((But now that we are together…I can see now.))

((You couldn't before?)) I asked.

((No. I was deaf and blind before David attached you to us. Now, everything is different.))

((Yeah, same here,)) David agreed. ((I couldn't see or hear anything. I just felt…something. It was like…like there was something I had to do so I did it. And the next thing I knew, here we are. I'm…I'm not afraid anymore.))

((It feels great,)) I agreed.

((No, you don't get it. I'm a rat, Cassie. A prey animal. I'm always afraid. Always. But right now…))

((Perhaps we have not fully controlled the morph,)) Alloran suggested.

((Maybe we shouldn't,)) I answered. ((We're trying to see things the way the Anati see them.))

((I see it now,)) David answered. ((I get why we have to fight. The Helmacrons insulted us. This other Anati here? He's as much a part of me as you guys are. And if anyone even looked at you guys funny I'd tear his eyeballs out.))

I agreed. I suddenly felt fiercely protective of the other two. ((I'll let you know if anyone's coming,)) I said. ((I'll see it and I'll let you know. No one will surprise us. Now while I'm on the job!))

((No one will lay a hand on you two,)) Alloran promises. ((I will keep you safe from harm. I swear it!))

Chapter 14

"Do you feel it?" the Anati asked.

((Yeah. We feel it,)) I answered. I didn't have to ask what he meant.

((We all feel it,)) David agreed. Then, ((Okay, where are these Helmacrons? I'll show them what happens when you mess with us.))

I tried to sort out what I was feeling. I was the head. It was my job to think. What was this I was feeling for the others? It reminded me of…of Ronnie. I knew what it was now. I loved them.

I loved David and Alloran.

It wasn't the same way I loved Ronnie. It wasn't romantic love. It was something that went even deeper. This was the kind of love you'd feel for a parent or a child. I'd die for them. In a heartbeat, I'd die for either of them.

And the Helmacrons had insulted them. I couldn't let that go. The Helmacrons had to pay!

But they could be forgiven. They didn't understand. They didn't feel love as we felt it. If they asked it, we would forgive them. I could forgive anyone for anything.

I've never before been something so intrinsically loving. I've been a dolphin, which was happy to its very soul, but it didn't love. Only a sentient creature could love like this.

I felt a trembling in my soul. It was David. He was the claw, so he couldn't cry. But he wanted to. And he cried in his soul. Softly, he whispered. ((I'm sorry, Cassie. I am so, so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you.))

And then, a voice I didn't quite expect. Alloran. ((It is okay, David. No one blames you. You panicked. Everyone panicked. No one is to blame.))

((Please, forgive me. Everyone forgive me! Cassie, let's have one of their ceremonies. I want to be forgiven.))

((I want to forgive,)) I answered. I turned my head to the Anati, my brother. No, not my brother. My self. ((I want to have a forgiveness ceremony. I want to forgive David.))

((I want her to forgive me,)) David almost yelled. ((Please, can't we have a ceremony?))

"Of course! There is nothing we would like more. Everyone will be summoned. I will instruct you in how to proceed," he added.

I/we was/were led to a grand chamber in the center of the ship. We spent a moment rehearsing the lines. Then, once everyone got there, it was time.

David spoke first. ((I have done wrong. I am a traitor. I turned against my friends. I tried to kill them. I tried to scare them. I tried to make them obey me. I am sorry. I am so very, very sorry.))

It was my turn to speak. ((David wronged me. He tried to kill me. He tried to scare me. He tried to make me obey him. But he is sorry. He has seen that he was wrong. He wishes to be part of the whole again. I forgive him.))

The lead Anati spoke slowly, reverently. "What was done is done. What has passed has passed. It is done, passed. No longer does its shadow hang over us. We welcome back this human, David." He turned all his eyes on us. "Come, David, and join your family."

And then we had a massive feast. It had already been prepared to celebrate my arrival, but now it was so much more important. Now it was a feat of forgiveness. We celebrated David's return.

I ate. David and Alloran tasted what I tasted. ((Oh, this is so good,)) David moaned.

((It is even better than engine oil,)) Alloran agreed.

((You drank engine oil?)) I asked.

((Once, when Prince Tobias was busy. My uncle had told me it was delicious and I wanted to try for myself. I know I should not have done it, but…))

((We won't tell,)) David promised. ((And yeah, this is way better than engine oil.))

We celebrated for an hour before Alloran told us, ((We will have to demorph soon if we wish to avoid remaining in this morph. I… I have enjoyed it, but I have a duty to my Prince and my people.))

((Yeah,)) I sighed. It was sad. I knew that, when we demorphed, we wouldn't be this close again. I had to talk to them first.

((Guys…I'm going to leave after this. Once this mission is over, I'm going to marry Ronnie. I'm out of this war.))

I expected Alloran to say something different. I thought he'd talk about duty or honor or bravery. Instead, he just said, ((I understand. You love Ronnie like we love each other right now. I could not refuse a request from either of you now. I do not blame you for leaving, Cassie. It is already forgiven.))

((But won't that put the Animorphs down a member?)) David asked.

((David…I want you to come back. I've forgiven you and you've forgiven yourself. I want to quit but I can't unless you agree to take my place.))

He was silent for a minute. Then, ((Okay. I'll do it. Just for you, Cassie. But will the others accept me?))

((I will make them,)) Alloran answered. ((I will make Prince Tobias see that you are not the man who betrayed them. You are one of us.))

Demorphing was the hardest thing I've ever done. I tried to pull away from the other two but I just couldn't. I was like a mother pulling an overturned car off of her child. My strength to hold on to them was beyond physical limits.

So we had to demorph without detaching. That meant that, when we were done, David was on Alloran's back and I was lying under him. After what we had just been through, it was just a little bit awkward.

Chapter 15

We slept aboard the Reliquary that night. We knew there was no way to turn the Anati back. We understood it now. Honestly I wasn't evens sure we should if we could.

For the first time in a few days, I was fully asleep. No more confusing thoughts were running around my head. The David issue was solved. My problems with Ronnie were solved. Everything was peaceful.

BRIIIIIIIIIING! BRIIIIIIIIIING! BRIIIIIIIIIING!

The alarm jolted me from a dead sleep. It wasn't the Reliquary's alarm, which meant that the Anati had encountered something.

I was already morphing to wolf, just in case. Alloran stood with his tail at the ready, a Shredder in one hand. David was rapidly morphing from rat to lion. We would be ready.

An Anati claw rapped on the door. "Animorphs? I do not wish to disturb your rest but we have encountered a situation in which we believe your expertise would be very useful if it is not too great of an inconvenience."

((They have a way of being honestly polite and sarcastic at the same time,)) David commented. ((It's kind of refreshing and kind of insulting. And annoying. Definitely annoying.))

We bounded out of the Reliquary. One of the Anati was waiting for us. ((What's happening?)) I demanded.

((We have encountered a Yeerk Blade ship," he answered. "Normally we would just destroy it. We have more than enough firepower to do so. But this is the Blade ship of the former Visser Three and we heard that it had vanished. We thought you might like to be contacted."

I almost laughed with relief. ((Don't worry. Some of the other Animorphs are on it,)) I told him. To David and Alloran, I said, ((Come on, let's go tell Tobias and Rachel the good news. We've got a new Animorph.))

We sped to the bridge, demorphing as we went. When we entered, we heard Marco's voice. "—pay any attention, Rachel? Insulting them is what almost got the Helmacrons wiped out."

A hologram of the Blade ship's bridge was projected in front of us. Tobias, Marco, Jeanne, Rachel, Guraff, and the Visser were standing on it. It looked like the Visser and Guraff were having a conversation, but I couldn't hear it.

Tobias saw us. "Good evening, Cassie. Alloran."

((My Prince,)) Alloran returned bowing his head and dipping his tail. ((Was your mission successful?))

Tobias nodded to Rachel, who held up a clear box with a small ship inside. It looked like a cheesy B-movie space ship. I recognized it as a Helmacron ship. "We figured it would be hard for them to fight if we captured the Helmacron fleet."

Tobias turned his attention to the Anati leader. "On behalf of the Helmacron people, I want to apologize. They are sorry for what they said of your people."

"How do you speak for their people?" the Anati leader asked. "You are no Helmacron."

"Nope. But they gave me the position of Ambassador to the Anati if I would agree to let them go after this. They no longer want to fight you and are deeply, deeply sorry for their insults," Tobias answered.

Rachel shook the box. "Yep, they're sorry. I can hear them being sorry in there." Faintly, I heard thought speak voices begging forgiveness and mercy.

"Then they are forgiven," the Anati leader answered. "I am glad we could avoid bloodshed."

"What about the Garatrons?" I asked Marco.

He shrugged. "They were easy. They're really quite reasonable once you get them to slow down and think things through. They don't want their population destroyed."

"What are Guraff and the Visser doing?"

Tobias nodded to them. "The Visser is trying to figure out what we did to ensure that he won't kill us while we're here. Guraff is helping."

"Well, I have some great news," I said.

I guess David realized I was about to tell them about him. ((Wait, Cassie. Not in front of Esplin and Guraff. I could go back to the Yeerks and work as a spy.))

I had forgiven David. Even if it was partly under the control of the Anati morph, I still had forgiven him. I had made him one of us. I would have to trust him.

"What news?" Rachel asked.

My mind was blank. Fortunately, Alloran was paying attention. ((I fixed the microwave on the Reliquary.))

"Yay! Pizza rolls for everyone!" Marco shouted, overly enthusiastic. Jeanne gave him a look like she was angry at him. Then, she started laughing. Rachel glared at the two of them, but Tobias looked from me to Alloran. He suspected something was up.

"Later," I mouthed.

((Prince Tobias will not be happy about this,)) Alloran warned me.

I nodded. I knew.

((He has not felt what we have felt. He has not shared what we have shared with David.))

I nodded again.

((This may not end well.))

I nodded a third time.