Chapter Two ~ A Plan And A Vote
That afternoon, a meeting was arranged at the barn. Saturday afternoon. Homework done, excuses prepared, alibis primed. The usual - trickery, lies and deception. Ax stirred restlessly, shadowed by the uneven light filtering through the rafters of the barn. Rachel and Marco lounged on opposite sides of a hay bale, Cassie fussing over a mallard with a broken wing. Tobias, scouting for signs of Jake, called down from his position in the sky.
Here he comes - in all his leaderlike glory, fashionably late, on his rusty squeaking bike that technically belongs to Tom
Jake pushed open the wide doors of the barn and wheeled his bike in. "You lot come up with any ideas yet?" he asked, by way of greeting. Marco grinned sardonically (which is really the only way he is capable of grinning) (Damn! I wasn't going to put the sarcastic smart-ass brackets in this story) (Too late) and offered, "Absolutely. We hide under our respective beds and whimper, let Visser Three achieve the position of Emperor, and take over the universe."
Rachel jumped up, animate. "While Marco's embarking on his regular journey of wimping out, let's recap. As we all know already, (yes, I know, they know the background history already, so why is she saying it? For the benefit of the reader - that's you - of course) Visser Three, through Chapman, has a sneaking suspicion that we are not Andalite bandits. Of course we cannot allow him to discover the truth. Chapman thinks that Ax is an Andalite in morph. So himself - and Visser Three - are on hand for the next time that Ax comes to school. Which is when?"
Cassie raised her hand like she was in school. "Monday."
"Right," nodded Rachel enthusiastically. "Monday. And Ax can't back out or they'll suspect. And if he does even one thing - one ditty little thing - out of the ordinary, they'll take him. And they'll know." She glared at Ax like it was all his fault (which it was, in a sense)
Marco, his sense of paranoia by now honed to a laser-sharp intensity, interjected, "But wouldn't they take him anyway?"
Ax snapped, Kindly refrain from talking about me as if I am not here
He was ignored. Tobias reasoned, They think he's street trash. A waste of a Yeerk. He's safe as long as he plays the part
There was a pregnant pause. Ax spoke (sort of) into the silence. I have a possible solution. I could attempt to learn human 'street trash' habits, to apply them in school on Monday. You could teach me. I would also have to spend the day largely away from you, so that we shall not be connected
Marco stared. Cassie stared. Rachel stared. Even Tobias stared with fierce, jewel-bright hawk eyes. Only Jake remained impassive; his normally mask-like face suddenly rippling with concealed emotions. Rachel noticed this, and with only an abrupt motion of Jake's hand as a warning, they rose and walked out. The door closed behind them, cutting off Marco's astounded, "You're insane" but not managing to stop Ax's cool, I am indeed. Thank you very much, Marco (He was being sarcastic. I think)
Jake turned to Rachel. "I don't like this at all." he stated flatly, emphasizing the last two words. "Ax?! Loose at school with Chapman and Visser Three on the prowl?! Without us to watch over him?! Even you wouldn't consent to something as crazy as that, would you Rachel?!"
"Sure I would," found it's way out of Rachel's mouth. Then, off her cousin's look, "Of course not!"
Jake perused on, the words seeming to be more for himself than Rachel. "If Ax screws up - we'll all be found out. The only other way is to somehow silence him if he is taken."
Rachel gasped. "You wouldn't do that, Jake. You couldn't. not to Ax…" her voice trailed off.
Jake muttered, "Why not? It's what Ax would want. You've heard him countless times. He'd rather die than become a Controller. Taking one's own life… that's the worst form of self-damnation. Mercy killing - at least that's dying with honour."
Rachel slapped him.
Jake swayed on the spot. "What was that for?" he snarled.
Rachel stood her ground. "You're too wound up, Jake. You're not thinking with your heart. Look me in the eye and tell me, that if Ax was captured, could you kill him?"
Jake looked away. Then back to meet Rachel's cool blue ones. "Where there's life there's hope," he whispered. "Cassie told me that once."
Rachel smiled grimly. "And damn right she was too. Come on. Let's go back inside."
They re-entered the barn to find everyone sitting solemnly on the bales, looking like they were at a funeral. "A vote," said Jake hoarsely. "Ax, you can't vote. Who wants to go for teaching Ax the human ways? It'll need the rest of today and all of tomorrow, and it won't be pretty. Well? You have five minutes to put a piece of hay in the trough in the corner. Then I'll count them."
The final count of pieces of hay in the trough was six. "Ax, I said you couldn't vote on this one," Jake scowled. Ax looked affronted.
I assure you that I held true to your instruction, Prince Jake he said stiffly. Marco came to his defense in the nick of time.
"Oops, sorry Jake. I put two in," he grinned. "I'll teach Ax. It's not like I have anything better to do. I mean, HBO is great, but I've seen the same movie six times to date."
Rachel offered, "I'll help tomorrow. I don't want Ax talking like Marco or someone similarly lame. He needs a balance." Cassie and Tobias had similar suggestions. Ax began melting into his familiar human shape, while Tobias led him outside. Cassie and Marco followed. Only Jake and Rachel were left in the barn.
Jake rubbed his temple, feeling old and weary. Rachel racked her brains with something comforting to say or do, but wound up patting Jake awkwardly on the arm as she examined the worry lines on his forehead. "Things will work out in the end, Jake," she murmured. "They always do."
"I guess," came the return, not sounding entirely convinced. "But there will be one time that they don't - and what if it's now?"
That afternoon, a meeting was arranged at the barn. Saturday afternoon. Homework done, excuses prepared, alibis primed. The usual - trickery, lies and deception. Ax stirred restlessly, shadowed by the uneven light filtering through the rafters of the barn. Rachel and Marco lounged on opposite sides of a hay bale, Cassie fussing over a mallard with a broken wing. Tobias, scouting for signs of Jake, called down from his position in the sky.
Here he comes - in all his leaderlike glory, fashionably late, on his rusty squeaking bike that technically belongs to Tom
Jake pushed open the wide doors of the barn and wheeled his bike in. "You lot come up with any ideas yet?" he asked, by way of greeting. Marco grinned sardonically (which is really the only way he is capable of grinning) (Damn! I wasn't going to put the sarcastic smart-ass brackets in this story) (Too late) and offered, "Absolutely. We hide under our respective beds and whimper, let Visser Three achieve the position of Emperor, and take over the universe."
Rachel jumped up, animate. "While Marco's embarking on his regular journey of wimping out, let's recap. As we all know already, (yes, I know, they know the background history already, so why is she saying it? For the benefit of the reader - that's you - of course) Visser Three, through Chapman, has a sneaking suspicion that we are not Andalite bandits. Of course we cannot allow him to discover the truth. Chapman thinks that Ax is an Andalite in morph. So himself - and Visser Three - are on hand for the next time that Ax comes to school. Which is when?"
Cassie raised her hand like she was in school. "Monday."
"Right," nodded Rachel enthusiastically. "Monday. And Ax can't back out or they'll suspect. And if he does even one thing - one ditty little thing - out of the ordinary, they'll take him. And they'll know." She glared at Ax like it was all his fault (which it was, in a sense)
Marco, his sense of paranoia by now honed to a laser-sharp intensity, interjected, "But wouldn't they take him anyway?"
Ax snapped, Kindly refrain from talking about me as if I am not here
He was ignored. Tobias reasoned, They think he's street trash. A waste of a Yeerk. He's safe as long as he plays the part
There was a pregnant pause. Ax spoke (sort of) into the silence. I have a possible solution. I could attempt to learn human 'street trash' habits, to apply them in school on Monday. You could teach me. I would also have to spend the day largely away from you, so that we shall not be connected
Marco stared. Cassie stared. Rachel stared. Even Tobias stared with fierce, jewel-bright hawk eyes. Only Jake remained impassive; his normally mask-like face suddenly rippling with concealed emotions. Rachel noticed this, and with only an abrupt motion of Jake's hand as a warning, they rose and walked out. The door closed behind them, cutting off Marco's astounded, "You're insane" but not managing to stop Ax's cool, I am indeed. Thank you very much, Marco (He was being sarcastic. I think)
Jake turned to Rachel. "I don't like this at all." he stated flatly, emphasizing the last two words. "Ax?! Loose at school with Chapman and Visser Three on the prowl?! Without us to watch over him?! Even you wouldn't consent to something as crazy as that, would you Rachel?!"
"Sure I would," found it's way out of Rachel's mouth. Then, off her cousin's look, "Of course not!"
Jake perused on, the words seeming to be more for himself than Rachel. "If Ax screws up - we'll all be found out. The only other way is to somehow silence him if he is taken."
Rachel gasped. "You wouldn't do that, Jake. You couldn't. not to Ax…" her voice trailed off.
Jake muttered, "Why not? It's what Ax would want. You've heard him countless times. He'd rather die than become a Controller. Taking one's own life… that's the worst form of self-damnation. Mercy killing - at least that's dying with honour."
Rachel slapped him.
Jake swayed on the spot. "What was that for?" he snarled.
Rachel stood her ground. "You're too wound up, Jake. You're not thinking with your heart. Look me in the eye and tell me, that if Ax was captured, could you kill him?"
Jake looked away. Then back to meet Rachel's cool blue ones. "Where there's life there's hope," he whispered. "Cassie told me that once."
Rachel smiled grimly. "And damn right she was too. Come on. Let's go back inside."
They re-entered the barn to find everyone sitting solemnly on the bales, looking like they were at a funeral. "A vote," said Jake hoarsely. "Ax, you can't vote. Who wants to go for teaching Ax the human ways? It'll need the rest of today and all of tomorrow, and it won't be pretty. Well? You have five minutes to put a piece of hay in the trough in the corner. Then I'll count them."
The final count of pieces of hay in the trough was six. "Ax, I said you couldn't vote on this one," Jake scowled. Ax looked affronted.
I assure you that I held true to your instruction, Prince Jake he said stiffly. Marco came to his defense in the nick of time.
"Oops, sorry Jake. I put two in," he grinned. "I'll teach Ax. It's not like I have anything better to do. I mean, HBO is great, but I've seen the same movie six times to date."
Rachel offered, "I'll help tomorrow. I don't want Ax talking like Marco or someone similarly lame. He needs a balance." Cassie and Tobias had similar suggestions. Ax began melting into his familiar human shape, while Tobias led him outside. Cassie and Marco followed. Only Jake and Rachel were left in the barn.
Jake rubbed his temple, feeling old and weary. Rachel racked her brains with something comforting to say or do, but wound up patting Jake awkwardly on the arm as she examined the worry lines on his forehead. "Things will work out in the end, Jake," she murmured. "They always do."
"I guess," came the return, not sounding entirely convinced. "But there will be one time that they don't - and what if it's now?"
