Chapter 16 (Joe)
I sat patiently waiting for whatever was going to happen to happen. They took their time about it. First Tom got taken away and then Emma. They didn't send anyone else in with me. I was alone and stranded in a place I knew nothing about.
Human. I snapped my head up to catch sight of Visser Three glaring down at me. Merely a human. What do you know? How were you able to extract Minoi-Seven-Two-Nine in the manner you did? Is it Andalite technology?
I watched his authoritative figure. Just by looking at the way he stood you could tell he had nothing to be afraid of. Nobody in a higher position than he was. Or nobody of any direct threat to him. And that included me.
Answer me.
"What makes you think I should answer to you?"
Need I remove another piece of your pathetic body to prove my point? The Andalites are not worth protecting. They are scum, the bane of the universe. They will loose and we shall have complete control. Only a fool could fail to see that.
I didn't say anything. I don't think he expected me to. He could tell I was at the end of my tether. He turned to the nearest Hork-Bajir. It wasn't like he had nobody to choose from. I'm guessing at around a dozen of them standing there. Take him. Immediately, two of them threw open the door and charged in. I didn't have enough time to get to my feet, they just each grabbed an arm and dragged me along on my back. As I was dragged past the Visser he sort of smiled at me with his eyes. I know it sounds crazy but that's what he did, I swear. You shall soon learn to never keep information from me little human.
Two more Hork-Bajir joined the two at my arms and grabbed my feet. I twisted and squirmed but I'll tell you one thing about Hork-Bajir, they have one hell of a grip. Most of the people we passed pointed and laughed at me, nudged their friends and whispered behind their hands. The people in cages either screamed or wept. I think that was what they usually did though, and nobody took any notice of them.
We were headed toward a big building, almost like an office block. We went in, turned a corner and ended up in this dark, little room. The Hork-Bajir at my feet let go and the other two slammed me against a wall by my shoulders. For a moment I had the breath knocked out of me. I tried to curl myself up but couldn't, so I just stood there feeling like my lungs had been flattened.
Cover your eyes little human, mocked the Visser. You may not have seen this sort of thing before. He said this knowing full well that both my wrists were pinned and I couldn't cover my eyes even if I had wanted to. And trust me, I did want to. Anyway, I was curious.
The Visser started to change. At first I thought my eyes were going funny, but that was before both his front legs were suddenly sucked into his chest with a disgusting squelching sound. Two human Controllers who had come in with us held up the Visser as his back legs weren't strong enough to hold him up properly yet. His tail was the next thing to go, with a grating sound as his spine shortened to absorb it. His blue fur was changing too, from blue to a red purple type of colour. And it wasn't exactly fur any more, it was hardening into a kind of shell. Like an armadillo, or a suit of armour, like scales. I suddenly noticed that the hooves had melted away, into feet like yours or mine. Five toes and five toenails. Rather long toenails, but toenails nonetheless. Over his stomach and chest, the plates were a dirty cream colour, just like the palms of his hands. His knees gave a sickening crunch as they reversed direction. At this point he managed to stand upright on the strengthened legs. His eyes were changing. They were like a human's eyes, like spheres, but they were black. No whites, just a total, utter, complete black. Like a pit.
Basically, he looked like a tall human, with purple scales and black eyes. Then, taking me by surprise, two things shot out of the back of his neck. Like long, purple tentacles. Forget those two out of Day of the Tentacle, I am talking long whip-like things. And they were coming towards me.
I think he was done changing.
Do you like it? The Visser took a step towards me. I tried to push back, but I had a solid wall behind me. No? I had hoped to impress you. These, he waved the tentacles close to my face, are very pleasurable limbs. Almost like an Andalite tail, except that I have two of them. He took one of them under my chin and pushed my face up with a surprising force. He was forcing me to look into those black wells. I screwed up my eyes. You take no pleasure in my appearance? I felt the tentacle slide away from my chin and ventured opening an eye. The Visser was pacing the tiny, darkened room as though contemplating something. Then he returned his attention to me. Do you know what Balyma use these for? He waved them in front of me to emphasise the question. He didn't wait for the answer. He knew I didn't. Only the males of the species possess them. When they are courting a female, they will subdue her by applying them, here. He whipped them up against my temples. I took a deep breath, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. Of course, the species is not sentient, and do not realise the full potential of them. These can discover anything about anybody. They can manipulate a person's subconscious and force them to reveal things that they didn't know they knew. He paused for a moment and sneered at me. Even the servants of the Andalite filth.
I felt a sudden throbbing pulse through both temples. At that moment I became lost to the world.