Chapter 52

Jonathan's piece was devastatingly close. He hunched over the board with a determined glisten in his eyes not hidden by the reflection in his glasses, dice clutched firmly in hand as he begged for anything other than seven. The rest of us waited, eagerly anticipating the eruption of emotions that would occur, were the magical number to appear.

"If it's a seven, I'll… I'll…" He seethed with restrained passion.

"Just throw the dice!" Clarissa ordered, growing frustrated with the wait.

Under her pressure, Jonathan lifted his fist, unfurled his fingers and let the two square objects clatter onto the board. They bounced, spun and soon settled to a stop.

A three. And a four.

"No!" Jonathan cried. "I can't believe it! It's… I…! No, I just can't…!"

Jason sat back, gleaming with satisfaction. "Pennsylvania Avenue. That's a lot of money you owe me."

Jonathan shook his head in defeat and drooped to look at his meagre collection of mortgaged properties. "Gosh darn it! I'm out…"

"Sorry, man," Jason shrugged. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll let you stay a night in Baltic Avenue."

That did nothing to lift Jonathan's spirits and he reluctantly removed his piece from the Monopoly board. "I always lose…" He huffed.

"That's because you plan too much," Zak replied in his smooth, deep voice. "You gotta buy everything you land on."

Zak was Clarissa's boyfriend. He lived with her at her place, the same place where we were indulging in the game of Monopoly to pass the time. He was the male equivalent of Clarissa: Well-kept, tanned and slick. His perfect dark hair was gelled back, his stubble exactly the right length. He was also incredibly well-toned and certainly wasn't afraid to show it off. He wore incredibly tight shirts. He didn't seem at all out-of-place in Clarissa's home, a den of fragrances and perfumes, grooming gadgets and the occasional piece of gym equipment, complete with leather furniture and modern décor.

He didn't like when I outperformed him in the muscle department. I would deliberately tense my muscles at convenient times just to put things in context. It was all in jest, and we got on very well.

Clarissa, sat very close to him, was next. A devious grin shone from her as she inspected her two purple properties, the most expensive on the board. "You know what? I'm going to have some hotels there. I think they'd look pretty."

Jonathan, as the designated banker, obliged when she handed him the right amount of fake money by handing back two red pieces of plastic that signified hotels. She placed them neatly above the properties.

She rolled the dice, her eventual position on the board being of no importance. Next was my turn, and Zak was keen to point out what lay ahead. "Hey, Taku. You might not want a three or a five, if you know what I'm saying…" He grinned, pulling Clarissa close as they both admired the new hotels that stood proud in my path.

I took the dice in hand. "I won't land on them." I said in defiance, releasing the dice to the table and watching them dance.

Three. What rotten luck.

My Human friends cheered in their amusement while my shoulders dropped. Clarissa, eager to receive her winnings, moved my piece forward with a mocking laugh. "Looks like you're the first guest, Taku! Let's see…" She picked up the property card from her organised ensemble. "Ooh, look at that!"

She held it forward so that I could see the damage. I didn't have enough. As I scrawled over my own pile of cards and money, I realised the extent of my issue.

"Pay up, lizard!" Clarissa prodded.

"That price is a little extortionate," I complained, moving my arms away from the table. "I'd rather sleep somewhere else, if you don't mind."

Clarissa raised an eyebrow, an expression of confusion. "You landed on my hotel, Taku! Give me my money!"

"But I don't want to stay there! I'm sure there's a tree in the area that I could stay in."

"You… No, you have to pay me!"

"You can't force me to stay at your hotel. That's illegal! You have to go to jail."

She shook her head with incredulity. "You'll go to jail if you don't pay for the hotel you're staying in!"

"You can't charge that much money for a hotel that close to a train station!" I argued, pointing to the station in question. "I won't get any sleep with all the noise!"

"He's got a point, Clarissa," Jason added. "I don't know why you built a luxury hotel so close to a train station."

"Only a fool would do that!" Jonathan concluded.

Clarissa was speechless, even more so when I reached over and placed her piece in the jail square. "Daylight robbery." I explained.

Things were about to erupt into yet another board game-related argument, but the television in the corner of the lounge caught our attentions simultaneously. Though it was far on the other side of the combined living room/dining area space, it was loud enough that it could steal our concentration. A large sofa in the way, Jonathan, who had been sat at the edge of the oak dining table, had to turn around and stand to get a good view.

The whole purpose of our gathering was not to play mindless board games, but to await a decision. Finally, FOX's breaking news banner flashed up onto the screen and the Monopoly argument was pushed down the priority ladder.

Video footage appeared after the banner, displaying the Andalite Ambassador speaking to reporters outside the grounds of the embassy. He looked stressed and rushed, bouncing between reporters like he just wanted to get away. The news anchor spoke over the camera footage, "Breaking news from D.C. about the Andalite alliance now. After about three hours of discussions, representatives of Humans and Andalites have concluded that the treaty of allegiance will end with immediate effect. The Andalite Ambassador has given orders to evacuate Andalites from the planet, and hopes that all citizens and officials will have left within ten days. This comes after yet another fatal attack on an Andalite veteran just two days ago in Seattle.

A column of writing took the place of the footage. "The Ambassador has released this statement to the public, saying 'It's a shame that we come to this decision, but in light of recent events the alliance between our peoples had to be taken into consideration. After tireless debate and negotiation, the respective parties have agreed to part ways. The decision has been made with both races' best interests as a focal point, and this is the right thing to do as we move forward. Our thanks go to the Humans who welcomed us and showed us their home with open arms, but now, we must go.'"

The screen cut away to video of an angry mob. They were protesters with signs and painted banners, marching down the streets of New York. There was still so much anger dedicated to the Andalites and their leaving would likely do nothing to dampen the flames.

The Andalites would all be gone in a matter of days.

The atmosphere around Clarissa's dining room table had shifted for the worse. As the story on the television unfolded, looks of concern deepened. Zak, a little less connected to the situation, offered drinks. He, Jason and Jonathan opted for beer and Clarissa asked for wine.

They saw it as a necessarily bad thing and I could understand why. Deep inside, though, I couldn't stop smiling.

"Are we finished with Monopoly?" Clarissa asked. We said yes and she started to pack it away.

"So they're going," Zak said to us all. "I probably seem, you know, stupid, but what's that going to do?"

Jonathan readjusted his glasses but kept his focus on the television. "We're never going to see their technology. Warp drives, Z-space thrusters, virtual reality helmets… They'll take all their technology home with them."

"Did you think they would ever give that stuff to us?" Jason asked insightfully.

"Well, they gave us some stuff!" Jonathan replied.

"Like what?" Zak asked.

"Like… Like those fragrance things. They're everywhere now!"

"Fragrance things?" Jason pondered. "You mean those air freshener things they gave us because they said that Humans smell bad?"

"And the new safety gear they put in cars now that saves people in crashes."

"They only gave us that when that one Andalite died in a car crash in 2005," Jason informed. "Let's face it, man, they only gave us stuff if it benefitted them. They were never going to give us anything big."

Jonathan clicked his fingers. He had a better example. "The morphing power! They gave us that!"

"I think that was part of the first treaty as reward for basically stopping the Yeerks. They gave it to some government officials for the military. Then they took it back because they thought it was getting out of hand."

"Oh yeah," Jonathan sighed. "I forgot about that."

Clarissa sat on the edge of the sofa, which was positioned just away from the dinner table, facing the television. "Don't, like, forget the main reason why it's important."

Jason nodded in recognition. "Taku's got to get home someday."

Zak took that idea in. "Damn. So only the Andalites can take the Hork-Bajir back to where they came from?"

"Unless some other race capable of hopping galaxies comes along and picks us up." I said.

"Well," Jason exclaimed, dropping both hands loudly onto the edge of the table. "This sucks."

Jonathan had flinched, not expecting the table slap. "It can't be all bad. I mean, they have a home here."

"A borrowed home." I corrected.

"So what are we going to do about this?" Jason asked.

"Hope that Yellowstone waits a few centuries to finally erupt."

"You may not be in Yellowstone by then." Clarissa suggested.

Jonathan had to turn sharply in his chair to look directly at me. The bright lighting above the table bounced back off of his glasses. "Oh, that reminds me. I managed to book travel to NYC on the 3rd. I forgot to mention that earlier."

"Some good news!" Clarissa chirped with relief. "I love going to NYC."

Zak grinned and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Maybe this time you'll take me with you."

"Maybe. I guess I do need someone to carry my shoes."

"You normally have at least three people for that," I joked. "One more can't hurt."

Jason took a sip from his beer. "How many interviews on this trip?"

"Five," I answered. "Spaced out over eight days. We need to make another effort to sway public opinion, especially with the Andalites leaving."

Jonathan hummed pessimistically. "The Andalites may have made things a lot harder for us. If the Hork-Bajir are staying permanently, people might not want to give you Yellowstone forever."

"Exactly," I replied. "So I'm going to do more public speaking. We need to get more people on our side, and we need them to speak up."

Clarissa asked, "Why don't we ask CrescentCreations to go back to that part of the park that would be removed?"

Jason sat up, puzzled. "Yeah. Why did you want them moved, anyway?"

I had not yet explained my reasoning to Jason, and frankly, I thought he would never be too bothered by it. "I don't think it's necessary."

"Why don't we invite more shows to come in?"

"I don't think it would make much difference."

Now Jonathan looked puzzled as he gazed up at me wincing in the light. "But Taku, it's an established fact that more publicity will get more attention from people. Maybe it's a good idea."

"That may be so, but I don't want my people constantly harassed by film crews."

Thankfully, they accepted that response. The conversations settled to a more informal tone from then on, and when football began on the television, the male Humans retired to the sofa to shout obscenities and drink far more alcohol than would ever be prescribed. Clarissa flitted in and out of the action, mostly to moan about how much she hated watching football. She would sit with Zak more often than not, but other times she would indulge in small talk with me.

I was sat at the dinner table still, going through some papers. The guys admonished me for being boring, but football and beer really wasn't my "thing", either. I was just getting through some forms when Clarissa came back over to check on me.

She looked over my shoulder as I scribbled a final signature down. "Finished yet?"

"Not quite. Always so much of this to do. How do you Humans not go insane?"

"I avoid paperwork. And, unlike you, I don't read every last bit of all the contracts and agreements bits, you know." Seeing a conversation unfold, she pulled out the seat beside me and sat down, placing a half-empty wine glass down before her.

"I like to be certain about everything," I chuckled. "Maybe that's a strength. Maybe that's a weakness."

"You're doing okay so far. You know, when I first saw you going out into the public and doing, like, interviews and all that stuff, I really thought you'd struggle."

"I am struggling…"

"Not as much as I thought you would," She clarified. "You're doing okay. Better than okay."

I was flattered. "Thank you. I have a great team with me."

She smiled warmly, and as I flicked through to my next page, she fingered through the other bits of paperwork. "So what is this? These for the interviews?"

"Yes," I said, finding another signature line to christen. "All the usual forms to fill. Security stuff, too."

She found something that she must have thought out of place and she removed it. "Don't think you'll need this anymore. Want me to get rid of it?"

She turned the paper so that I could witness the content. Symbols belonging to the Andalite language were printed on it. "Ah. No, I'll keep that, thank you."

Clarissa was perplexed. "Why? If they're not going to be around, why do you want to learn the language?"

"I like to know things."

She narrowed her eyes, trying desperately to figure me out. "You like to know things, huh."

I nodded. "Yes. You liked those pink high heels that you bought last year, but you've never worn them. Maybe I'll never need the Andalite language, but I would like to have it."

"Okay, okay," She laughed, holding her hands up defensively. "And I did wear those high heels. You just weren't there to see it."

"I believe you."

"Good. I believe you, too."

Neither assurance of belief was compelling.

"Is Zak coming to New York?" I asked.

"If there's enough room on the plane for both of you."

I laughed and put down my pen for the moment. "Maybe we need to upgrade. We'll need a hotel near to a gym, too."

"Way ahead of you, Kelmut," She giggled. "I've made sure we'll get a good one."

"Does Jonathan know? He's booking."

"Yeah, I told him."

"Ah, that reminds me," I said. I looked past her to the sofas. "Jon!"

His head popped up over the leather upholstery. "Yes?"

"Could you come over here for a second, please?"

In his usual misplaced haste, he sped on over, standing at the end of the table beside Clarissa, blocking my view of the television.

"Have you booked the hotel in New York?" I asked of him.

He shook his head and readjusted his glasses with his index finger. "Not yet, Taku. Why?"

"Good. We need to cater for another Hork-Bajir. My brother is coming."

Clarissa's head spun towards me. Jonathan scrunched his nose in mystification.

"You have a brother?!" He squawked.

That got the attention of Zak and Jason, their appeal to football temporarily put aside. "What about his brother?" Jason asked from his seated position beside the blind-covered windows.

Jonathan, still reeling, replied, "He says he has a brother."

"You didn't know?"

"Uh… I… no!"

Jason moved past that particular line of inquiry and got straight to the point. "What's happening with Taku's brother?" He asked Jonathan, taking another swig of his drink.

"H-he's coming to New York." Jonathan said, still not overly sure that he was correct.

"He's coming to New York?!"

"Why is he coming to New York?" Clarissa demanded.

"Is there a problem?" I retorted.

Jason repeated the question. "Why is your brother coming to New York?"

Clarissa thought to add, "You remember what happened the last time you took you took someone you knew along for a ride?"

"Yes, of course I do. I won't be so careless on this occasion."

"So… why are you bringing your brother?" asked Jonathan, pressing for the answer.

"I need one of my people to help," I explained calmly. "One who isn't a seer, who better represents Hork-Bajir."

"You're serious?" Clarissa blurted.

"Yes. I'm serious. Can you arrange that, Jonathan?"

He blinked at me, fiddling with the top button on his white shirt. "I… I guess I can, Taku. Yeah, I can do that."

"Thank you. I'll introduce you to him before we leave, assuming that he would like to join us. I don't see why he wouldn't."

"Okay…" Clarissa mumbled. "I hope you're, like, sure about this."

"I'm absolutely certain," I grinned. "My brother is exactly the person that I need."

Zak, so far left behind by the conversation, leant forward into my line of vision, beer in hand. "Taku has a brother?"