April 20, 1999 12:00 PM

It was Tuesday. Today started out as any other day. We, the Animorphs, haven't had a mission since we foiled Visser Three's attempt to take the head leaders of our planet. That was a month ago. Which was good, I need the down time. Adjustment time. I had my little episode with the Dayangs, but that was two weeks ago.

It did leave me with a souvenir to work on.

I lived with Aximili now, had been for a month. We each have a computer. Mine's a Hewlett Packard. His is a Mac. The Scoop we live in has a roof that covers my half and most of his. We have one TV. Aximili's computer tapes everything on every channel. I can watch Friends now and Who's Line? later. Except today was Tuesday, not Thursday, and nothing good ever airs on Tuesday. Unless they move Fraiser back in that time slot, but why would they do that?

My computer, when I'm not chatting with ladies and surfing for porn, is usually devoted to that blasted chip I took from Thanatost-0.

I've learned a lot about computer architecture and computer programming in the last few weeks. I've had a lot of time on my hands. Maybe I wasn't out scoping for controllers like Tobias. But at least I didn't stop in the middle of it to watch The Young and the Restless.

Come on, I'm late. I don't want to miss what happens. Tobias said, fluttering on to a perch we made for him.

"Keep your feathers on you, Bird! Blue has been trouncing me, but this time I've got him." I pleaded. I've gotten accustomed to calling Tobias and Aximili "Bird and Blue" respectively. They didn't seem to mind. "Besides we're on the last lap and I'm dogging it, because my back teeth are floating."

Of course he's trouncing you. He's Toad, the light weight. You're Bowser, the heavy weight. Of course the light weight is going to beat the heavy weight. They're faster!

"Hey! Excuse me, Dr. Mario Kart 64, but this is my course! You see this? Bowser's Castle. This is all me. So what, he's beaten me on half the Star Cup, all of the Flower Cup, and most of the Mushroom Cup."

All of the Mushroom Cup. Aximili corrected.

"I beat you on Moo Moo Farm, damnit!"

The second time. I beat you the first time.

"Ok! You know we crossed the finish line simultaneously. It only said you won because you're Player One!" I said very defensively.

I still won the first time.

On our Television screen, Bowser crossed the finish line. Behind him, Toad crossed the finish line..

"Ah yeah! Big Bad Turtle Guy—1st Place! Loser Fungus Boy—2nd place! I am the man!" I yelled triumphantly as I got up and did a dance.

Don't you have to go?

"That's why I'm dancing."

After I "watered" the trees, Bird and Blue were watching their soap, so I went to work on my own little project. Aximili couldn't see what I was working on because I had put in a wooden partition between us.

I booted up my computer and then tried out my new "device". I made something that, theoretically, should read the Thanatost's CPU and display it's coding on screen.

I opened up the program in Windows. There for me to see was the Thanatost's programing in simple 1's and 0's.

I didn't understand it at all.

"This could take forever." I mumbled to myself.

Oh! My! Aximili shouted in horror.

Jesus Christ! Tobias shouted in equal horror.

"What's the matter? Did the two hot lovers find out they were brother and sister?"

David, you should look at this. Tobias said.

I came around my little wooden fence and looked at the TV. Bird and Blue's soap wasn't on. Instead News coverage. A lot of teenagers. Crying. Afraid.

"Yeerks?"

I wish.

Aximili was changing channels. It is in on 95% of the network channels; 30% of the cable channels.

"What the fuck is going on?"

Aximili kept it on CNN. That's when I saw the headline. School Shooting in Littleton, Colorado.

"Yeah, I used to live there." I said.

Really? Tobias asked.

"Yeah. First Grade for about five months. One of the few times I was glad Dad moved us away. One, I hate not being near some body of water. Two, I was suspended for beating up this Third grader. Eric Harrold, or something."

You beat up a Third grader? At first grade? Tobias asked.

"Well, he took my ball at recess."

David, was the name of this child you abused Eric Harris? Aximili asked.

"Harris!! Not Harrold. You're right. Yes, it was. How did you know?"

Aximili only pointed at the screen. I looked where they showed the pictures of the suspected killers. I recognized one.

"Oh. God."

I was still thinking about that. It was later that evening around 6:00. When the sun started to set. Tobias was turning in for the night.

Hey man. Relax. Tobias said, sounding very surferish.

"I knew that dude. And he fucking killed people."

We kill people.

"This is a war. This is different. Eric and his friend killed people out of hate. You shouldn't kill out of hate."

Maybe you should remember that the next time you're up against Visser Three.

"That dude's fucking evil, alright? How can you compare me to those two . . . . monsters?! They killed innocent people. Innocent."

Soldiers can't be innocent?

"No." I said flatly.

Tobias was silent for a while. He preened his feathers, a sign that he wanted to change the subject. I feeling a flight. Wanna join me?

"Ok. I acquired a bunch of animals last month. I tested them all out and practiced my morphing, but this will give me a chance to actually use it." I said as I started the morph. Usually, when I morph birds, I morph the wings first. I shrivel my arms and sprout the wings out my back. But this time I decided on the face. The slender beak. The piercing eyes. The feathers that sprout up like a crown. My shoulders and arms dissolved into the wings that hung majestically like a judge's robe. My legs shrank and elongated into talons. I grew tail feathers.

A great horned owl. Nice.

We flew towards the mountains. I recognized this route. Are we going to see Jara?

Yeah. I don't know, but when I introduced you to him last month we were in such a damn hurry, we didn't stay long to visit. Ever since then, I've been meaning to go there and visit. His kawatnoj should have been born by now.

My translator interpreted kawatnoj as children. Jara's a daddy?

Yeah. How did you know what kawatnoj meant?

Oops. Well, I figured you weren't talking about a pet. So many secrets. They didn't know about the Thanatost. Or my whole adventure with the Dayangs. I wondered if I should tell them. If I did. They would ask about my project with the CPU. And I'm not sure I'd want that. Yet. Although I could tell Jake the true name of the Yeerk who captured his brother.

As, we flew into the valley, I noticed that Tobias was having to flap harder to stay in the air. He would have to stay the night in the valley.

As we floated above the valley we saw a small hork-bajir, leaping around the trees. A free, hork-bajir child. The child ran to a hork-bajir adult I recognized. Jara Hamee. According to Aximili and Tobias, in December 1998, Tobias and Rachel stumbled upon Jara Hamee and his wife, Ket Halpek escaping the Yeerks through a forest secret entrance. Tobias and the other Animorphs helped him and his wife escape. Since then, others have escaped apparently. Many others.

Tobias and I flew into a large elm tree. We landed on some branches and looked up to see Jara.

Hi, Jara. Tobias said.

Hey, big guy. I said.

"Hello, Friend Tobias. New Friend." He greeted. Obviously he forgot my name. "Work almost done. Tobias and friend welcome to night fire."

As night fell, the Hork-Bajir ceased to work and gathered around a fire. I demorphed, but Tobias stayed as he was. I was curious to what they were doing, so I took a seat by the fire. I was looking for Ursa Wulvef, but I couldn't find him. I wanted to thank him for his great form.

My only altercations with Hork-Bajir have been with Hork-Bajir Controllers. Vicious fighters, they are.

These real Hork-Bajir were very peaceful. Slow, but peaceful.

"Eat Bark?" Jara offered to me and Tobias. "Good Bark."

No, thank you.

"That's all right. I'm all full from a bouquet I ate earlier."

We don't want to keep you all awake if you're ready to sleep.

"Sleep?" said Jara's wife, Ket Halpek. "No Sleep. Tell story."

"Story?" I asked a little apprehensively. You know those kids in class that take forever to read something aloud? That's kind of how I picture the Hork-Bajir, but maybe I'm wrong.

What stories do you tell? Tobias asked with equal apprehension.

"Story of Father Deep?" Ket suggested. "Story of Mother Sky."

"Story of Jubba-Jubba." Another hork-bajir suggested.

Jara looked at Tobias, and smiled shrewdly. At least that's how my translator interpreted it as.

"Story of Yeerks and Andalites." Jara said. "Story of War."

I leaned closer.

"My father-father was a seer" Jara said. "Seeing far. Knowing much. Not like other Hork-Bajir. Not like Jara Hamee and Ket Halpek. Like . . . like Tobias. And friend of Tobias. Seeing far. Knowing much. Father-father learn story of Andalite. Learn story of Yeerk. Give story to Jara Hamee."

"Do tell, do tell." I said.

Yes, we would like to hear the story of the Hork-Bajir war with the Yeerks.

Jara Hamee began to rock. Soon he wove a fascinating yarn of war. There were three sides to this story. I felt a familiar presence that made me think of raccoons, and I heard Jara's words as if they were coming from the actual people involved. A Hork-Bajir named Dak Hamee. An Andalite named Aldrea. And Yeerk named Esplin.

I shivered when I heard his name for some reason.

It was near sunrise before Jara finished his story. The other Hork-bajir were asleep.

That's an amazing story. Tobias said. Not exactly a happy one, though.

"Yes. Good Story. Sad Story." Jara said. "Father tell Jara Hamee. Father-father tell father. I tell daughter." He said as he looked at the young hork-bajir currled up next to her mother.

"This is your kawatnoj, eh?" I asked.

"Yes. She is different."

What's the end to your story? Tobias asked.

"Story have no end. Stories go on." Jara said jovially

I guess you're right. Besides, I guess I don't want to know the next part of the story. It was pretty sad. Too easy to see my own people going the way of the Hork-Bajir. Still, I wish I knew what became of Dak and Aldrea. And even Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six.

"Jara know that. Dak Hamee and Aldrea daughter of Seerow live. Have child. Then die."

The child was your father?

"Yes. Dak and Aldrea have son. Son called Seerow. In honor of Seerow. Not Hork-Bajir name."

No, I kind of figured that out.

"Son Seerow have son. That son, Jara Hamee!"

Well. There you go then. And Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six?

Jara looked shrewdly at Tobias. "Tobias know Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six."

Well, I didn't. I shot a questioning look to Tobias, who shot a look at me. It was then I realized.

"Son of a bitch! I knew it!"

Visser Three?

"Visser Three." Jara confirmed.

"Mother-fucker!" I grumbled. "Alloran is his host, right? The one who made the virus. Esplin's host killed thousands of Hork-Bajir, no?"

Ket and her daughter woke up.

"That guy deserves a thousand deaths." I ranted at Alloran's evil genocide. "A sentence he may have just as well paid for."

Thanks for telling me the story, Jara. Tobias said. I guess . . . . I guess we can hope that someday there will be another Great Hork-Bajir seer like Dak Hamee. Maybe he'll be luckier, huh?

"Yes." Jara said.

"Yes." Ket agreed.

Let's go, David.

"Wait, I want to meet this daughter." I said. I don't know why I did, I just did.

A four-foot version of the seven-foot monsters presented herself to us. I noticed it had only two horns on her head like her mother.

"This is daughter Toby Hamee. Named after Tobias."

Wow. That's an honor, Jara and Ket. Tobias said as his feathers rustled. But it's kind of a strange name for a Hork-Bajir, isn't it?

"Especially a girl." I commented, which got myself a look from Tobias. I decided to start my morph to Golden Eagle.

"Yes." Ket agreed. "Strange name."

"Good name." Jara said. "Toby is different."

"Yes." Ket agreed. "Toby is different."

Tobias was about to lift off when I asked.Different? Do you mean . . .?

"Yes, David, friend of the Hork-Bajir. Yes, I am different."

You look very mature for being only four months old. When were you born?

"I was born when Mother Sky's melon was at it's highest. One hundred and seventeen days ago."

I did the math in my head. Then your birthday according to Terra Firma was . . . . December 25.

Christmas! You were born Christmas day? Tobias marveled.

Toby only smiled.

That's got to be a good sign.

Let's just hope she ends up better than our savior did.