Well, here's the part where you get to see how this all turns out. Enjoy!


Chapter 16

We were back on the Reliquary, all six of us. The Visser, Guraff, and David were on the Blade ship. Guraff and David managed to convince the Visser not to attack us because the Anati fleet would rip the Blade ship to pieces.

Fortunately, Alloran really had fixed the microwave, so Marco wasn't disappointed. Soon, we were sitting around the table, eating pizza rolls.

Tobias looked form me to Alloran. "Okay. Now that it's just us Animorphs, what were you really going to tell us, Cassie?"

Suddenly, I wasn't so sure about this. They weren't the most forgiving bunch of people. Still, I had no choice now. "David's back on our side."

"No he isn't," Marco answered casually, like it was nothing. "Not a chance."

Rachel nodded. Tobias didn't. Instead, in a level, even tone, he asked, "Cassie, is this a joke?"

I shook my head. "Alloran and I convinced him to turn back. I think that might have been what the Ellimist hoped to gain by putting him on my team."

"No way," Rachel insisted. "David's a traitor, Cassie. I don't care if he says he's on our side, he's not."

Marco nodded. "He's playing you, Cassie. You're a good person so you want to believe him. And Alloran doesn't know him. Even if he really thinks he's on our side, he'll turn again when things look bad."

Jeanne was silent. I had expected her to be. She didn't know David. Tobias was being quiet, too. "Tobias, what do you think?" I asked him.

He thought for a moment. "I think we can sit around all night arguing whether or not he's really on our side. But that won't solve anything. What we need is proof. David said he'd stay with the Yeerks as a spy, didn't he? That's why he isn't with us right now."

"Right."

"Well…Marco and Jeanne, why don't you tell them what you told me and Rachel?"

Marco nodded. "You know that the Visser had to feed while we were with him. Well, when the Yeerk was in his pool, Ax and I had a little conversation."

I saw Alloran look away. I put one hand on his arm. "What did he have to say?" I asked.

"Mostly that he wished there was some way we could kill him," Jeanne answered. "But there was no way to go about doing it."

"So then he told us about something the Yeerks are up to," Marco answered. "They're smuggling something on to Earth to help them with their invasion."

((What are they smuggling?)) Alloran asked.

"Taxxons."

I didn't like the sound of that. Taxxons were big worms, about ten feet long and so thick you couldn't wrap your arms around one. Even if, for some reason, you wanted to. They have rows of needle-like legs and one big mouth at the top of their heads. They've got four eyes for a face and that's it.

They're monsters. They'll eat anything at all. That includes other Taxxons. That includes themselves. I've seen it happen. Once, Ax chopped a Taxxon in half and the top tried to devour the bottom. That's a nightmare I'll never outgrow.

Marco continued. "The Visser's getting a shipment of Taxxons delivered to his Blade ship when he gets back to Earth. We're thinking we should cause a little trouble."

((But if Prince Aximili told you this, surely the Visser will know that we will attack and he will take precautions,)) Alloran noted.

Tobias nodded. "Yeah. Things will look pretty bad for us. If David sticks with us then, I'll believe he's come back. I wasn't even going to go after the Taxxons until now."

I nodded. "So we'll go after the shipment. I'll tell David it's time for him to help. If he comes, he's with us."

"And if he makes any excuses, he's David," Rachel finished. "How much do you want to bet we'll not be coming home with a new Animorph?"

"How much do you want to bet we'll not be coming home at all?" Marco replied.

"We'll escape, at the very least," Tobias assured him. "I got a little present from the Helmacrons. A shrink ray. In an emergency, we use it. The Reliquary will be totally invisible. It'll get us out of trouble."

"So that way, we won't just be outnumbered and outgunned, we'll be tiny, too," Marco said brightly, forcing a smile. "Am I the only one who thinks this is insane?"

"You're the only one who won't shut up about it," Rachel muttered.

Jeanne sighed. "Marco, just enjoy your pizza rolls. Think of it as a last meal."

Chapter 17

The next day, we were close enough to Earth for me to call Ronnie. I didn't want to do it with everyone there, but Ronnie needed to know what I decided. But I had to tell the others first.

"Hey, guys, there's something important I need to tell everyone," I said as we were gathered around the table again. Rachel had made us breakfast. Now, Rachel's good at a lot of things. Not cooking. I envied Alloran right then. Her cooking…well, it reminded me of the animals back home in my barn. The live animals in my barn.

Of course, no one told her. Jeanne was too polite to say it. Marco was too scared. I was too nice. And Tobias and Alloran were far too smart to tell her the truth. So we just grinned and prayed it wouldn't accidentally kill us all.

"What is it?" Jeanne asked.

"I'm…Ronnie proposed."

Rachel actually screamed enthusiastically. "Oh, Cassie, that's so great! When's the wedding? How many? Oh I can't wait. This will be the best thing ever!" Rachel went on about it for the next few minutes.

Marco used the distraction to dispose of his food. Jeanne joined Rachel in the celebration. Alloran, of course, already knew. I watched Tobias. He didn't react. Somehow, I knew he had already figured out what I had figured out.

When Rachel and Jeanne finally calmed down, Tobias fixed me with his hawk-like stare. "Cassie, would this mean that you're leaving the war?"

His tone was level, even. He understood. I nodded. "Yeah. Ronnie…he said it was the war or him. I thought about it. It's one of the hardest choices I've ever had to make, but—"

"But you decided to take the easy way out," Tobias interrupted. Suddenly, I realized that he wasn't speaking so levelly because he understood. He was angry.

Everyone was quiet now. They looked at me. "It's not like that. Listen, this wasn't easy."

"And yet you made the easy choice."

"It isn't easy," I repeated. "Look, I hate the thought of leaving all of you but I love Ronnie."

"And that's what's important?" Tobias asked. It was almost a hiss.

Surprisingly, it was Marco who jumped to my defense. "Wait a minute, Tobias. Look, I'm not happy about this either, but Cassie deserves to be happy."

"There are more important things than her happiness."

"How can you say that?" I demanded of him. "You, of all people! How can you sit there and condemn me for choosing love over war?"

Then, I saw something in Tobias' eyes that I've never seen there before. He was angry. And not angry like he sometimes got when he saw Yeerks or bullies. This was angry like how Rachel got angry.

"Because I chose war over love every single day. Every single morning I woke up and had to decide just what was important: me or everything else. And now you have the nerve to sit here and ask me how I can condemn you?"

He shot out of his seat, standing up straight. I never realized before just how tall he was. He was more than six feet tall. And I never realized how cold his eyes could be.

"How the hell can you call yourself one of us? How the hell can you call yourself a human being!? To sit down and decide that the whole human race can go to hell as long as you're happy? You are the worst kind of person, Cassie. You're nothing but a selfish coward! You're willing to sell the while species, the whole GALAXY just for Rodger Chaplin!"

"His name is Ronnie Chambers," I interrupted.

"And your name might as well be Esplin! That's the only person who would do something like this. Him or David. No Animorph. Never one of us. So you know what, Cassie? Just go. Leave. Never let me see you again! You and Ronnie or Rodger or Richard can both burn in hell for all I care!"

I have seen Tobias sad. I've seen him in his rare happy moments. I've seen him angry. I even saw him when he learned that his mother was still alive. But I have never seen him furious. Not like this. Not in a screaming rage.

Honestly, I was scared. I have been scared by people trying to kill me. Now, pretty much nothing else scares me. I was afraid of Tobias right then because he looked like he might kill me right there with his bare hands.

His head darted around. He was looking for somewhere to go. Anywhere but here. He couldn't look at me anymore. He wanted to get out of there before he did something he'd regret.

He stormed off to the bathroom, the only room that could be sealed off from me. There was something final about the way he slammed the door. Whatever friendship we had, it was over now. I had done the only unforgivable thing in his mind.

I looked to the others. Rachel looked furious, but not nearly as angry as Tobias had been. She just shook her head at me. Then, she stalked over to her bed and threw herself down, staring at the wall.

I turned to Marco and Jeanne. "Marco…"

He shook his head. "I can't hold it against you, Cassie. I can't be a hypocrite. Back in the beginning, I wanted out. I almost left. I would have if I hadn't found out about my mother. I can never hold it against anyone who quits. Just as long as you don't betray us."

Jeanne nodded. "I don't know what to think, Cassie. I don't blame someone for not fighting a war. But I don't understand how you can do it. I guess it just isn't as personal to you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, of all of us, this has affected you the least. Jake lost his brother and, for a time, his parents. Marco lost his mother. Rachel lost her life. I lost my past and my family. Tobias lost everything. Who did you lose, Cassie?"

I couldn't answer her. I knew I had suffered through things in this war. I did. Maybe no one I really loved had died, but there were losses.

I looked at Alloran. He shook his head. ((I have already forgiven you, Cassie.))

I nodded. "I know. Do you think Tobias and Rachel will?"

He was quiet. Then, he whispered his answer. ((If you talk to her, if you give her some time, Rachel might.))

"And Tobias?"

((No.))

Chapter 18

We were close enough to see Earth now. According to the Reliquary's sensors, the Blade ship was hiding behind the moon. There was also a Skrit-Na transport loading a bunch of Taxxons onto it. Both would have been invisible to normal technology, but Alloran had rigged up scanners that were as good as anything the Chee might have made.

Tobias edged the Reliquary close to the moon. We were invisible as long as we stayed against the stars. "Okay, here's the plan. I'll swoop in. The rest of you board the freighter. We know the Visser's expecting us, so he'll probably have his boys hiding on the moon, ready to attack. I'll handle them, but get back as soon as they show so we have a way out. Alloran, your job is to try to get David to join us when things look nasty. If he makes any excuses, he's dead to us."

He gave that job to Alloran. He wasn't even going to acknowledge that I existed. At least he didn't look like he was going to hit me. Of course, it was Tobias. When normal people would be gritting their teeth or screaming in rage, he looked calm because he forgot how to make facial expressions.

We swooped in on top of the freighter. Tobias fired off some of the Reliquary's cannons but he didn't hit anything important on the Blade ship.

We landed on top of the Skrit-Na freighter. You know those flying saucers you see in movies? Now you know where those came from.

In our battle morphs, we spilled in through a hatch in the floor of the Reliquary/roof of the freighter. Oddly enough, there were no Skrit to be found. Or any Na. Or Taxxons. Just the Visser, a lion I recognized as David, and a half dozen Kelbrid.

((Not the trap we were expecting,)) Marco noted.

The Visser laughed. ((Amazing. Guraff thought that not even you would be so foolish as to act on information my host gave you. But I knew better.))

I felt a familiar fear wash over me. There was an evil that permeated the air around the Visser. He had Ax's body, but there was a different feel around him. I could almost see the evil rolling off of him like fog. Even after all I've been through, he still scared me.

Guraff's voice chirped over the intercom. "Visser, I request permission to engage the Reliquary with the Blade ship."

((Go on,)) the Visser urged. ((We shall finish them all in one stroke.)) When he said stroke, he chopped his tail forward. The Kelbrid came at us.

I felt the ship shudder as both the Blade ship and the Reliquary detached. "Sorry, guys," I heard Tobias say over the intercom. "If I just sit here, he'll toast the ship. This won't take long. Just hang on till I get back around."

Over the freighter's intercom, I heard Guraff again. "Let us see if you fly as well as you claim, young beast!" He sounded pretty happy.

"Guraff? I fly better."

By this time, the Kelbrid were on us. This was not good. Marco was a gorilla. Rachel was a grizzly. Alloran was his Andalite self. I was a wolf. Jeanne was a leopard. We had enough power to take on the Kelbrid. Maybe. If we were lucky. But then the Visser started morphing.

His blue fur turned orange. Then, black stripes started to grow as well. I knew what he was doing. It helped that he decided to let us in on the secret. ((Do you remember how long I admired this morph?)) he asked. ((And now that Jake is dead, I see no reason why I cannot have his morphs. After all,)) he added with a laugh, ((Marco got his stereo.))

It was sick and wrong. But I didn't have time to worry about it. A wolf is maybe a match for a Kelbrid. Kelbrid: seven feet tall from end to end. A cat's legs beneath a gorilla's chest. One long arm ending in a ten-fingered hand. The other, a horribly muscled thing with a foot-long stinger at the end, covered with an anesthetic poison. Black, leathery flesh covered their bodies, as if they had evolved to look sinister.

A flat jawed crocodile-like head snapped at me. Cats ears, swept backwards, were on either side of the head. Thin whiskers dangled from beneath their powerful jaws, probably sensing vibrations in the air to make up for having no eyes.

Kelbrid are fast. Almost as fast as wolves. The key word being almost. I was faster, but their hide was armor. No glancing blows would work here. I had to go for the killing shot or I'd get taken down.

Jeanne wasn't in a good situation. The leopard was an ambusher. She was circling a Kelbrid, looking for an opening she probably wouldn't find.

Marco was fighting off one Kelbrid. They rolled on the floor, Marco trying with all his gorilla strength to keep the stinger from reaching his throat. He was just barely succeeding; that's how strong that Kelbrid arm was.

Alloran was dodging the strokes of a Kelbrid. It was narrow. One solid blow, maybe even a glancing one, and Alloran would be down and helpless. He lacerated the Kelbrid with dozens of slashes, but they meant nothing to these monsters.

Rachel was fighting two of them, but she was weakening. The bear was the strongest morph we had, but the Kelbrid poison made it weaker. She couldn't last long.

The Visser circled the fight, pacing. ((Who to destroy first… Marco? He would be no match for a tiger. Rachel? No. The bear is stronger. It has no style, though, and I have acquired something of a flare for that. You can see it here. In the old days, I would have just ambushed you with an army of Bug fighters.)) Then, his eyes locked on mine. ((Ah, Cassie. The wolf. Yes, that would be most amusing.))

Then, I heard a different voice. ((Hey, you ever wonder who'd win in a fight between a lion and a tiger?))

Chapter 19

Esplin stopped cold and glared at David. ((You are betraying me, David?))

If lions could smile, I swear David did. ((It's kind of what I'm famous for.)) Then, he struck.

Esplin went down. Hard. A tiger is a strong animal, maybe as strong as a lion. But you just can't have a full grown male lion drop itself on you and remain standing.

The Kelbrid paused, distracted. That was the opening Jeanne and I needed. Almost at the same time, we lunged. My teeth bit deep into my Kelbrid's throat. I felt his blood spurt in my mouth.

It burned! They were like acid inside. But I still held on. I jerked my head back and forth until the Kelbrid stopped moving. Out of the corner of my eye, Jeanne did the same.

Alloran's Kelbrid fell to the ground. Its head landed a few feet away from the rest of it. My wolf ears heard a sickening CRACK as Marco snapped his opponent's neck.

Rachel actually picked up one Kelbrid and hit the other one with him. Then, with a roar, she broke the Kelbrid over her knee.

((Guraff!)) the Visser bellowed.

"I am on my way…. You may want to take a deep breath, Visser." We all took that advice. One wall of the freighter blew open. The Blade ship hung in the opening. A ramp extended down from it. Hork-Bajir and Kelbrid bounded out, each wielding a Dracon beam. That wasn't something we could fight.

All of the air was instantly sucked out. And it was cold. Freezing, really. We would be dead in moments. Everyone would. Then, the roof ripped off and the Reliquary appeared. We leapt aboard. All six of us.

We demorphed as soon as the hatch was closed. My teeth had been burnt out by the Kelbrid's blood. So had Jeanne's. The others needed to get the poison out of their systems. David had some nasty wounds from the Visser's morph.

One by one, we turned to look at him. He was a little white rat. Helpless now. He had delivered himself into our hands, trusting us. Just like we had trusted him.

Then, the Blade ship rose before us on the view screens. The Visser stood on the bridge. He looked pretty ticked.

((The day will come, Animorphs. I will have you. All of you. Especially you, David. There is a special place in my torture chambers for traitors. Ask Marco's mother.))

"Tobias?" Marco began. "Fry this creep."

Tobias still didn't smile. "Yes sir."

The Visser turned to Guraff. ((Can you defeat him?))

Guraff smiled a Hork-Bajir smile. "Not yet, Visser. Not just yet."

((Then why are you smiling!?))

"It has been a long time since I had a worthy foe."

((Sometimes I just don't understand you, Guraff.))

"And I you, Esplin." Then, Guraff's eyes locked on David. "David. The only thing I cannot stand is a traitor. You have no honor. You are a rat inside and out. If we ever meet again, I will kill you."

Then, the Blade ship turned and flew away. Tobias didn't pursue. We had more pressing matters. He turned to David. "So, David. You're back with us now. Is that what I'm to understand, guys?"

Rachel nodded. "Yeah. He jumped into the fight. He could have stood there and let us die. But he risked his life to save ours. Maybe he really has changed."

"What do you think, Marco?"

"I'm with Xena. The David I know wouldn't have done that. I don't fully trust him, but maybe it isn't too late for him after all."

Tobias nodded. "Okay then. David, you're an Animorph again. But you're on probation."

((What does that mean?))

Tobias's mouth twitched into a smile. "I haven't decided yet. Something about adult supervision, I think."

I smiled. "So you're back up to six Animorphs. Are you happy now, Tobias?"

His anger returned so quick I jumped. "You think that's why I'm angry? You think this is about numbers? This has nothing to do with that! You're supposed to understand people, Cassie? Figure it out! Alloran, drive this thing home. And then, Cassie, I want you off of my ship and out of my home. I don't want to see you ever again."

He stormed off to the bathroom again. David turned his rat face to me. ((Was that really Tobias?))

I nodded. "Yeah, that's him."

((Wow. He didn't even get that angry when I tried to kill him. Still, I guess I can't blame him. You can't see why he's so upset?))

"No. I thought was because he was losing a warrior. Now…now I don't know."

((Oh. I know.))

"What is it?"

((It isn't that he's losing a warrior. It because he just lost one of his only friends.))

Chapter 20

In spite of everything, I went to the Reliquary the next day. I needed to talk to Tobias and Rachel. Of all the Animorphs, I thought they would understand.

Alloran was outside, grazing. He saw me. ((Cassie? I do not think Prince Tobias would like you being here.))

"I know. Can you get Rachel for me? I need to talk to her before I go back home."

He nodded and then obeyed. It almost surprised me that Rachel came out to meet me. "Okay, Cassie. Talk. Tell me how you can do it."

"Rachel, I thought if anyone would understand it would be you and Tobias. You know how I feel about Ronnie. If Tobias asked you to give up the war for him, would you do it?"

She was quiet for a moment. We were deep in the forest, in a little clearing. Finally, she shrugged. "I don't know. I'd have wanted to, I know that. But I'm needed here. We have to fight, Cassie."

"That's why David's here. You aren't losing a warrior." Then I remembered what David had said. "And you aren't losing a friend."

Rachel shook her head. "My friends wouldn't leave me in this. They wouldn't walk away while I still fought I died for this, Cassie. How can I forgive you for walking away? This war cost me my life!"

"I know. And if it had cost me mine, I'd be able to accept that. I can let it take my life. But I can't let it take Ronnie. Rachel, you know what it's like to love someone more than life itself. You and Tobias are lucky. You can be together through all of this. Not Ronnie and me."

"Why not? Can't you ask him to join us? Tobias would let him if it kept you around."

I shook my head. "This was never meant for him, Rachel. I don't think it was ever meant for me. I'm not strong enough for it."

"Cassie, you're one of the strongest people I know. Only you have been able to hold onto your beliefs though all of this. That takes a strength I can't even imagine."

"But it isn't enough. How can anyone do it, Rachel? How can you give up what you love more than life, more than anything? How can you throw that away to fight a war you hate? And if you do throw it away, how can you live like that? How do you do that and not destroy yourself?"

After a moment, she answered, "I don't know."

I took her hand in mine. "Rachel, you're my sister. I love you. I don't want to leave you like this. Not with you hating me. I can't take that."

She shook her head. "I don't hate you, Cassie. I could never hate you. I'll still be here for you. And if you want any help preparing your wedding, you know where to find me."

I hugged her. She isn't a hugging kind of person, but she made due. "I know. Thanks, Rachel. Thanks for everything."

I turned to leave. Tobias was standing in the shadows not far away. Alloran was next to him. ((I thought the two of you might have something to say to each other.))

Tobias shook his head. "I've got nothing to say to her."

Rachel looked at Alloran. "Alloran, let's go and…be not here. Sound like a plan?"

((Yes, that sounds like a very good idea.)) They disappeared into the woods.

"Tobias, why can't you understand? I—"

"That's the thing, Cassie. I do understand. I completely understand. I know exactly what this decision is. I know just how easy it is to walk away from this to be with the person you love. What I don't understand is how you can actually go ahead and do it."

"How can I do anything else? I love Ronnie more than anything. How can I walk away from him? How can I give up what I love for what I hate and not destroy myself? How can anyone do that?"

"Why don't you ask my father? He left my mother. He left me. To go and fight a war he hated. Because he was needed. And now you can't ask him because he's dead. He died for this war, Cassie. He gave up everything he loved just to die in a pile of rubble in a failed construction site with only five random kids to hear his last words.

"Or why don't you ask me? Every day, I had to decide what I was. Was I Rachel's boyfriend? Or was I a warrior. Every single day, Cassie, I had to pass up the girl I loved. I had to look at the pain in her eyes every time I morphed back to hawk. Every. Damn. Time."

"I can't do that, Tobias! Can't you see that? Not everyone is as strong as you! Not everyone can be so strong all the time! I'm only human, Tobias. I don't know what you are that you can do that without destroying yourself but it isn't me."

"Who says I'm not destroying myself?" he hissed. "It kills me all the time! Every day was hell. Every time I make a decision like that, it kills me."

"Then how can you do it?"

"Because the decision either kills me or it kills everyone else," he answered.

"And that's enough for you? Does it really help you sleep at night just because you tell yourself you're doing what you have to do?"

"No. But I'd rather I take the burden than the rest of the world suffer for it."

"I'm just not that strong, Tobias."

"No. No, you aren't. You're weak, Cassie, and foolish. This won't protect Ronnie and it won't protect you. Will you really be able to sleep, knowing that you abandoned us for your own selfish gain? That= is something I wouldn't be strong enough to handle."

He turned to leave. "Tobias, please. Isn't there any way you can forgive me?"

He turned back to look at me. "No. No, there isn't. Because when it really got tough, when things really got hard for you, you ran away. And there is no way I can ever forgive that."

"So…so we'll never be friends again, will we?"

"I'd sooner be friends with Esplin. At least he's no coward." He started walking away again. "I never want to see you again, Cassie. Never again."

After that, I flew back to the motel Jeanne, Marco, and I had been living in. I went to the phone and dialed the number. "Ronnie? It's Cassie. I'm coming home."

And now, to leave you with some words of wisdom from Streetlight Manifesto:

"Take-backs and sweet regrets, that's all that we have left
No one is looking out for anyone but number one
One to one, two to dance, we all get our sweet romance
Though sour grapes will turn to wine its all just vinegar with time
And oh, I want to know, we all want to know
How can anybody treat somebody so?
She said it hurts too much
I said it will never hurt enough
No one will ever see these cuts
No one will ever call this bluff
But that's just the way that it goes
And when he left us he said, "It's not so bad"
That motherfucker he took everything we had
And when I'm thinking back, I'm counting all the ways
Nobody helped us so we dreamt of better days
And we sang: "Yeah that's just the way that it goes"
Yeah, we used to be in love (my love!), but now we're just in like
And we broke all our promises and baby that ain't right
Because you don't know what it's like to lose it all
Take it back, take it back because you don't know what it's like to be on the receiving end of it all"

On the Receiving End of it All


A note to the rest of you. If you felt that it was kind of too easy for Cassie to turn David back to the Animorphs, remember that there were other forces involved. The Ellimist, mostly, but also the powerful connection of the Anati. And that David is, at least partly, a human being. And he has had a lot of time to regret what he's done. Or maybe I'm just messing with you and he's still working for the One. After all, why would he run off with people who trapped him as a rat rather than help the guy who fixed him? You know I'd do it.

And to all you Cassie fans: don't worry, this isn't the last we'll see of her. I left her alive for a reason, after all...

*cackles and disappears in a cloud of smoke*

*reappears* Oh, and...

...Don't miss the next installment of the Animorphs series:

62: The Prodigal

We took Marco's car to the mall. A car is a human vehicle that…well, I suppose that by now, even Andalites are familiar with such common human technology. And I certainly do not need to explain what the mall is. Any Andalite who has ever visited Earth has been to the mall.

We stopped to eat at an establishment known as McDonald's. I was slightly confused because I had seen the same establishment in other places such as the Animorphs' home town and on the Andalite homeworld. "Marco, how can Mr. McDonald be everywhere at once?"

"What?" He was clearly as confused as I was.

"I have seen places operated by Mr. McDonald before. How can he maintain all of them?"

Marco seemed to be thinking. Then, he smiled. I think it was a sign of amusement. "Al, McDonald isn't a person. He's more of a symbol. He owned the first McDonald's and a few of the ones that came after that. He's dead now. Someone else owns all of this."

"Then why are the restaurants still named after McDonald? They are no longer his."

"That's just the way things go," Marco shrugged.

"Humans are very confusing."

"You bet we are. Now what do you want to eat?"

Another human peculiarity: food. Other races eat, of course; even we Andalites absorb nutrients through our hooves. But no other races have the sheer variety of consumables that the human race has.

And yet they have deemed it wrong to eat some of their most delicious foods. Motor oil, for example, is not a viable option for food at a McDonald's. Chicken, however, is completely acceptable. Perhaps it is because there are many more chickens than there is oil.

Jeanne shook her head. "Marco, he and David will eat everything if we do not stop them. Just order for them. David, Al, and I will find a table."

Marco sighed. "Since when do I do the grunt work?" Jeanne whispered something in his ear. I did not know what she said, but it seemed to have an odd effect on Marco. His face reddened and then he smiled. "Well, when you put it like that…"

We sat in a booth near the rear of the establishment. David darted his head around nervously. I do not know if he was really nervous or if it was just his rat instincts. "We shouldn't be here. Didn't I tell you it was a Yeerk pool entrance?"

Jeanne shrugged. "We cannot avoid every entrance. Just act natural. We are safe in a public place."

Marco returned and obviously noticed David's uneasiness. I myself was a bit uneasy. I was not afraid of doing battle here, unlike I believe David was. These were Human-Controllers; no match for us. I was only worried about what would happen without our Prince to give us directions.

"What's with him?" Marco asked, nodding his head to David.

"Slugs," David sighed.

We ate in silence after that. I tried very hard to concentrate on my food. It was difficult to eat as a human. I attempted to eat at a stately pace like the others so as not to attract attention. Still Marco said to Jeanne, "Look at Al rip into that. What he saw must have really freaked him out."

"He is as bad as David."

I glanced at David. His face was covered in condiments and trace amounts of food. In the reflection of the window, I saw that I looked no better.

Pretending to be human is hard.

"Hey," David hissed, "listen to those two guys at the table next to us."

David still had all the instincts of a rat, so he was constantly looking and listening to everything. Any sound could be a predator. I do not know what it is like to live with that kind of fear.

That is not to say that I have no fear, of course. But we Andalites have learned to ignore our fear. It is a weapon that the Yeerks have used to terrible effect before and it is not one that we could allow to work against us.

Now that I was trying, I could hear the two men. "…miss Guraff's briefing?"

"I was in the pool and couldn't hear. I didn't come to you to get a hard time about it. So, was there anything important or not?"

"Oh, you have no idea. Do you know how he started it? Guraff stood up in front of the entire pool, in his big Hork-Bajir body and said, very calmly, 'Jake is dead.'"

"No way."

"Guraff wouldn't lie to us. He's no Visser, just another soldier. He tells us what we need to know."

The second man was silent for a few moments. Then, "I can't believe it. That devil is finally gone. Any idea how he died?"

"Remember that explosion we heard about that wiped out our fleet on the Hork-Bajir world?"

"That was him?"

"Yeah. He took twenty thousand of us down with him, not to mention the entire fleet."

"Well, at least we don't have to deal with him anymore. Taking Earth should be a piece of cake now."

The first man shook his head. "You didn't hear what he said next. He told us that the guy in charge of the Animorphs now is even worse."

"Worse? How could it get worse?"

"It's Tobias, the Beast's son."

Again, the second man was silent for a few moments. "Is he as bad as his father was?"

"Guraff thinks so. He might be worse. Haven't you heard the rumors? He's insane. The Visser's host keeps telling all of the other hosts he can reach. Jake held back. He had limits, morals. Tobias doesn't."

"You believe it?"

The first man nodded. "Yeah. My host is usually in a cage next to the Visser's. The things he's told me…they're either pure fiction or completely true. And I'm leaning towards true. I was there when the young beast took out that Truck ship all by himself. Thank the Kandrona I was in a chopper. I think only five or six people survived that."

"The young beast, huh?"

"Yeah. That's what Guraff says. And to make things even worse, David turned on us."

"Well, I never liked him anyway."

"He's still dangerous. The Visser gave us orders to capture any Animorphs we can. But Guraff wants David's head on his desk. About the only thing he hates is a traitor."

"Was that it?"

"Nope. More bad news. Rachel's back from the dead."

"No way.

"It's true. Guraff had a nice long conversation with her during that little disappearing act he, the Visser, and David pulled a few days ago."

The second man sighed loudly. "Anything else?"

"Uh…yeah. Tobias isn't the beast's only son. An Andalite, Alloran-Sirinial-Fangor, is with them now."

"So, let me make sure I've got this right. Jake's gone. That's good. Rachel's back. That's bad. The beast's sons are fighting us now. That's very bad. David turned against us. That's bad, too. All in all, this is a very bad situation, you know that?"

"Yeah. Guraff, though…he seems happy about it. He's obsessed with Tobias. The young beast, he calls him. Says he's a worthy foe."

"Now I'm getting scared. Didn't Guraff once try to take on that Dome ship outside of the Taxxon world in a Bug fighter?"

"And he came out to tell the tale."

"Yeah. I'm scared."

Preview Summary

The Yeerks know everything. They know Jake's dead. They know Rachel's back. They even know that Alloran is working with them and that Tobias is calling the shots. And they're scared.

Alloran, Tobias, Rachel, David, Marco, and Jeanne have a plan to use this fear against the Yeerks. They want to prove that they can do whatever they want to the Yeerks and they can't be stopped. But Tobias may be going over the edge, and Alloran may have to make the hardest choice an Andalite can make. He'll have to choose between what his Prince orders and what his Prince needs…