Sub-temporally Grounded
**Part 3**
I stopped again, as if someone had slapped me. I swallowed hard. "You saw him?"
"Yes," Marco snapped. "And I want to know what he's doing here."
"Don't tell Jake," I begged.
"You know, I really should."
"Don't." I turned to face him. "Please. Don't tell Jake."
Marco looked suspicious. "You're keeping secrets, Cassie. I don't like it."
"For Jake's sake," I said quickly, trying to find some way to convince him. "If he knew the Drode had been here… maybe he'd do something careless and get himself into trouble. Please, please, please don't tell Jake."
Marco seemed to think about what I'd just said. He was watching me as if he was a judge, about to decide if I was a mad killer or someone just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Okay," he said finally.
Relief washed over me. "Promise."
"I won't promise anything," Marco snapped. "I'll judge my own calls here. I'll keep quiet for now. After that, we'll see."
He started morphing the owl. It was getting dark, and the owl would be of more use than the osprey. As he lifted his wings and flapped up to the branch, he said; I'm keeping an eye on you, Cassie.
The next few days passed without anything happened. The Yeerks didn't find us again. Marco kept both eyes open, but the Drode didn't appear again, and neither did Crayak. When I 'felt' for them with my mind, I couldn't find the small, easily-hidden Drode, but the very obvious Crayak seemed to be sulking.
That filled me with a certain amount of satisfaction. I had actually caused Crayak to sulk!
I tried to get to the other reality again, to look around, familiarize myself with it, learn the laws and learn how to control it, but couldn't. Something was holding me back.
I was pretty sure what that was.
Jake was calming down again. My parents, too. They were talking about what could have been wrong with me when they thought I wasn't listening, and they kept a close eye on me, but things had definitely improved.
I wasn't having the dream-skips any more. I slept through the nights without being troubled, and life almost returned to normal.
Until hell broke loose.
I don't remember any details. Maybe I'm not supposed to. But before anyone had time to react, much less to morph and organize some sort of defense, Yeerks were everywhere.
In a matter of seconds, the camp was surrounded, overpowered, and Hork-Bajir began rounding up the prisoners.
It was happening too fast, that was my first thought. It was impossible! The Yeerks couldn't have come that close in those numbers without us noticing. They couldn't have come that fast. They couldn't have found us that sudden. It was impossible! Undoable! Illogical!
Unless…
A suspicious burnt down in my mind and created cool order where chaos had ruled.
Crayak.
Of course. This was his way of getting even with me for being too talented to fit his sense of right. This was his way to make me pay for being able to stop time.
I hurried through camp, somehow remaining unnoticed even when I brushed right past a few Hork-Bajir, and pushed two Taxxons out of my way. It was as if they weren't aware that I was there. They looked right through me. Their gazes slipped off me like water. And they didn't even notice when they took a few steps sideways to let me pass.
Crayak didn't aim this at me. He aimed it at my mind. My feelings, my thoughts, my beliefs and fears. And he used my friends as pawns to do it. Big surprise for him; I wasn't intending to play along.
I found Marco and grabbed his arm. My fingers didn't even reach halfway around his arm - he was in gorilla morph. "I need a favour," I said.
Marco pulled loose. He didn't seem to realize that suddenly, the Hork-Bajir were leaving him alone as well. He kept both eyes open for them, as he answered my request with; What's wrong with you, Cassie? Why aren't you morphed? We don't have time for favours. We need to fight. We've gotto get Jake out of Yeerk clutches.
I felt cold. I swallowed, my throat dry, and forced myself to speak; "They got Jake?"
Marco nodded, peering curiously at me with small gorilla eyes. He looked as if I was a ghost. Maybe I looked like one; I felt pale enough.
Hadn't you figured that out? Marco said. He was the first person they grabbed. I thought you'd have morphed long ago and…
I didn't listen any longer than that. "That favour, Marco," I said. "I need you to keep an eye on me."
Why? I've got enough troubles trying to help the prisoners and keeping an eye on myself and trying to find my parents in this pandemonium without having to…
"Shut up!" I barked harshly, and Marco jerked back as if I'd slapped him. He was probably surprised. I didn't use that tone of voice very often - if ever. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down and think clearly again. "Just trust me. I can fix this."
Now we're back to this whole trust-me thing, Cassie, it really…
I sighed. "Just make sure I don't get killed while I'm… gone."
Marco was all questions, starting with: Where are you going?
But I ignored him, sank down against a tree and closed my eyes. I tried to focus on the familiar nothing.
That was hard to do with Marco standing there, screaming at me in thought-speech. You're not serious. You're taking a nap? YOU'RE ACTUALLY TAKING A NAP AT A TIME LIKE THIS??!! And; Okay, that's it. We're officially screwed. Bye bye, Cass. Nice knowing you. Until you lost your sanity, that is.
Then I finally felt the edges of the other reality. And I felt the thing that was stopping me from continuing.
Crayak! I thought. Get out of my way!
"I THINK NOT," he replied, laughing. "STAY THERE, LITTLE ANAMOLY. STAY THERE AND ENJOY THE PERFORMANCE."
I made a clear picture of nothing in my mind, and grabbed at it. It slipped away as Crayak tugged it out of my reach. I grabbed at it again, and felt despair rising as it was again yanked away. I made a final lunge at it, but as I missed again I gave up.
I decided to try something new. I let Crayak keep that first notion of nothing, and in half an instant made another one for myself and stepped into it before Crayak managed to pull it away.
I heard him roar in anger as the world around me disappeared like a picture being erased.
* * *
Cassie didn't worry about her shape this time. She didn't worry about calling for the illusion of having wolf appearance.
The first thing she did was to look for Jake's golden line. She almost panicked when she didn't find it, knowing that the only reason it could be missing was that Jake was dead.
Her mind and being stretched out, fingering with those strange senses on the strands of space-time around her, feeling more and more stressed as still she found nothing.
She felt down to her own golden line, plucking lightly at it. The bond that tied her to it was more frail than ever, and again she felt insecure, knowing how important it was for her to keep that bond intact. And beside it… floating as if it was not really there, as if it was just an illusion… Jake's line.
She stretched down for it, let her mind seep into it and suddenly saw the real world - through Jake's eyes.
Hork-Bajir all around. Cassie linked her mind to their auras, and pulled out of Jake's line. She didn't want him to be pulled along in what she was about to do.
She grabbed hold of the Hork-Bajir lines. Searched for the second lines, intertwined with them… the Yeerk lines. When she had found them, she… stopped them.
Yes. Stopped. One second they were continuing, flowing through time and space as usual, and the next second they were not. The Yeerks and their lines were frozen, in space and time, and would remain so until she unfroze them. She untangled the lines from those of the Hork-Bajir, thereby setting them free, hoping none of them were voluntary, and let the Yeerk lines remain frozen.
She knew that the Yeerks would simply not exist in any real form of the word until she unfroze them.
She felt the weird pleasantness of a smile creeping along the edge of her mind, and regretted that she had no shape that could smile.
Without wasting any more time she continued. She grabbed Jake's line, tugged lightly at it, and thereby moved Jake about a hundred meters away, to relative safety. Then she collected all the still-Controllers and their Yeerks that she could find, in and around camp, and did the same thing. But further.
The notion of a few hundred Yeerks suddenly finding themselves kilometers away from where they had been the moment before made her feel a bit smug.
"Anomaly!" a voice roared.
Cassie arranged a voice for herself and melted into her wolf shape. She felt safer like that. "Yes, Crayak?" she replied.
"What do you think you are doing?"
"Learning, teacher," she said, and bared her teeth as the shadowy presence of Crayak came to close for her liking. He stopped and took his own, red-eyed shape.
"Do not defy me, human, or you'll find yourself in a lot of trouble."
"I'm all ready in a lot of trouble," she said. "Don't try to threaten me, Crayak, because I am seriously angry at you. What a cheap trick! Don't you dare endanger my friends again, or I'll…"
She stopped, finding nothing to say. Crayak laughed.
"You will do what?" he asked. "I am still the master here, little freak, and you are just some foolish girl with a tiny gift. Maybe a special one, maybe a rare one, but still just a gift. NOW GET OUT OF MY DOMAINS BEFORE I CRUSH YOU!"
Cassie was violently thrown back into her own line, screaming all the way.
* * *
"AND STAY THERE!"
I flew up to my feet, eyes wide, only to find that my knees buckled and I fell face-first down to the ground.
Marco caught my arm with a yell of surprise and I didn't have to actually hit the ground.
But the world spun around me and I threw up whatever had been in my stomach. I didn't stop throwing up until my stomach was completely empty, and then I sat there, on my knees, half-leaning on Marco and half on my own left arm, trembling with exhaustion.
You okay? Marco asked.
I looked up, the world still spinning and dancing around as if it was a giant rubber ball dropped down a staircase. I could feel that my face was pale, I knew my hands were shaking, and I knew that I was generally not a pretty sight.
I couldn't make my voice work, so I nodded instead.
You sure? he said. You don't look okay.
Then my mom fell down to her knees beside me and started coddling and worrying. Too tired and too weak to do much else, I passed out.
I woke up again after what must have been hours. The camp was back in some sort of order - and packing up quickly. I woke up lying on a few blankets, a few more over me, and Rachel sitting nearby.
"There you are," she said when my eyes opened. "We got worried for a while back there."
I closed my eyes again.
"What happened?" Rachel continued. "Marco is refusing to open his big mouth for once, and I guess I should be thankful, but Jake isn't. Marco said about five words, which I didn't hear, and Jake's been furious ever since. He's actually scary. At least, Marco is walking around glancing this and that way and jumping straight up into the air anytime anyone says anything."
I opened my eyes again to see that Rachel was grinning. Her eyes shone as she said; "So. Tell me."
I sighed and turned over to my side, my back to her. "Ask Marco," I said. "He's already said too much, it seems."
Rachel sighed dramatically, and I got the feeling she shrugged as well. "He's refusing to say anything."
"Good."
"Good?"
"You heard me."
"Cassie? What's up with you? Come on, it's me, Rachel. You can tell me."
I sat up to face her and felt a wave of nausea as I did so. I pushed it down, or tried to, but had to focus hard to make my eyes work properly again.
"No," I said, putting on hand to my forehead and still trying to look determined. "I can't tell you. Marco knows too much. Can't tell you as well."
She looked grumpy. "Why tell Marco but not me?"
"I didn't tell Marco," I snapped. "He… found out. On his own." I lay back down, turned my back to her again and closed my eyes. "Now if you excuse me, I need to sleep."
I heard her get to her feet, muttering a few really rude words, and walking away.
I don't know if I was happy or sad about it, but the next moment I was asleep.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
I awoke with a jerk of surprise and found Jake standing in front of me, eyes aflame with anger.
He seemed to take a deep breath in an effort to calm down, but it didn't work very well. "Rachel told me you were awake," he said in a tight voice. "Sorry if I woke you again."
I got the feeling he wasn't in his best mood and decided not to complain. "That's ok."
"Why didn't you tell me about the Drode?" he said.
"What did Marco tell you?" I asked.
"The Drode, Cassie. The ugly prune-thing that serves Crayak. Why didn't you tell me? You promised."
"I couldn't keep that promise," I said in a low voice, and Jake had to focus his ears well to even hear me.
"Why not?" he said, looking a bit hurt. "Why can't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't want you to do something stupid," I said in the same low voice.
He stared at me for a few moments. Then he fell down to his knees next to me and took my hand. "You were worried about me?"
I nodded.
"You didn't have to."
"Then don't worry about me, either," I said. I looked down at my hand, feeling his fingers stroke it gently and wishing I could just make him understand. "Don't worry about the Drode. I can handle the Drode."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean he doesn't scare me. I mean he isn't a problem for me." I flashed a brief grin, remembering what I'd done the last time I saw Crayak's ugly creature. "In fact, he tends to keep out of my way these days."
Jake smiled back, even though it was obvious he didn't believe me. He just played along. "How did you manage that?"
"I can't tell you."
Jake got a grave look on his face, letting my hand go and standing up. "Cassie, we're a team. We can't keep secrets from each other. And especially not between the two of us."
"I can't tell you. Can't tell anyone."
"Why not?"
"Because."
"That didn't really help that much, Cassie," Jake said, eyeing me worriedly. Then he looked up, out over camp. "I guess I have no choice but to 'believe' you. Marco told some weird story about you being the one getting all the Yeerks away…" I flinched, but Jake didn't notice and sighed before he continued talking. "…I can't believe that, no matter how much I trust Marco. But I'll trust you about the Drode. How about Crayak?"
"Crayak isn't after me," I said. "He's after you, as usual."
He glanced down at me again. "Yeah. I know. I'm just afraid he'll hurt you instead."
I shook my head. "He won't," I assured him.
"Why not?"
"They have a deal. Crayak and Ellimist made a pact. I won't get hurt."
"How do you know this?" he asked, peering at me curiously.
"Because I do. Can't tell you. I'm sorry, but… I can't."
Jake stood there, staring into space, for a long time. Suddenly he shrugged, and said; "This isn't leading anywhere. And you're not making it any easier. See you later, Cass. Get some rest. I'll wake you when it's time to leave."
Jake left, but I couldn't fall asleep again. I was still awake when it was time to leave, and once again we moved camp.
"Marco," I called.
He grinned, turned towards me, and bowed dramatically. "Yes, your highness?"
I felt a bit uncomfortable at that. Not surprisingly. "Why did you do that?"
"You got the Yeerks away, Cassie. You're formally the one who saved all our butts. I don't know how for the world, and I have a feeling I don't want to know, but I'm grateful."
Rachel had been listening, and now she laughed. "Marco? You and grateful don't match."
"Neither do you and inconspicuous," he replied.
"Rachel, could you go away?" I asked.
Rachel grinned. "What? Is this just something between you and Marco?"
"Yes."
"Then I better go warn Jake," she said, still grinning, winking at me before she disappeared.
Marco watched her leave and then turned to me. "What's this about?"
"About you talking to Jake."
Marco almost flinched. And bent his head down like a three year old about to be scolded. "It was important," he said. "If you can do that…" he looked up, peering at me as if I was some kind of goddess with who knows what type of powers "…you could stop the Yeerks. I saw it myself, Cassie. One moment those Hork-Bajir around Jake were Controllers, and the next they were… free. The whole group of them are free. That doesn't just happen."
I shrugged. "Maybe it wasn't me. It can't have been me. It might have the Ellimist, Crayak, even Drode, but not me."
"You don't fool me." Marco sighed. "You can say whatever you want, Cassie. I still think it was you. I know it was. I can feel it down to the marrow of my bones."
I bit my lip. It was clear I wouldn't be able to convince him of anything else. It was also clear to me that, whatever I thought about it, I couldn't let people walk around knowing I could… 'work wonders', to use those words.
"Are you going to confess, or are you going to deny it?" he asked.
I looked down at my hands. I knew what I had to do. "No."
His eyes narrowed. "So it was you."
I clenched my hands, and unclenched them. Searched for the link to the other reality, and connected it to my fingertips.
Then I nodded. "Yeah, it was me. And I'm sorry," I said. "For I can't let you know that." I reached out and placed a finger on his forehead.
Using the link to the other reality, I pulled out the memories that were a danger to safety. My safety, his safety, the camp's safety.
His eyelids closed, opened, and he looked at me. "What did you do?" he asked.
"Nothing," I said, forcing a smile. "Do you remember what we were talking about?"
He nodded. "Of course," he said. "We were talking about…" he frowned. "Something." His head leaned to the side, he rubbed his temple, and looked questioningly at me. "Something about you. I think. What did you do?!"
I smiled, this time for real. "I covered up my tracks," I told him. "You know what you need to know. And nothing more."
I left him standing there, looking generally confused. At what I had said as well as at the gaps in his mind. When I glanced over my shoulder, he was having a stern conversation with himself regarding his 'lousy memory'.
At least that was fixed. No more worrying about Marco's tongue slipping.
"GOOD ONE," a familiar voice said.
I sat down against a tree and closed my eyes.
Leave me alone, Crayak. I'm tired.
"YES. MAYBE YOU ARE. BUT I DO HOPE YOU ARE READY FOR YOUR NEXT TEST."
I don't want another test, I told him.
He laughed. The sound gave me a headache. "SINCE I AM IN A GOOD MOOD, LITTLE ANAMOLY, I WILL WAIT. BUT BE READY."
"Cassie?" Rachel asked, suddenly standing in front of me. "What did you talk to Marco about?"
"Nothing," I replied, my voice clearly indicating that I didn't want to talk about it.
Rachel peered at me. "Something's different about you these days, Cassie," she said. "It's like… you're not you any more. I mean, you're you, but not the same you as before. You've closed a part of yourself."
I opened my eyes and looked up at her. "No. I have only opened a new one."
"I don't like it," Rachel continued. "You don't talk any more. You just turn away, smiling that secretive smile of yours, and refuse to answer. What are you hiding?"
I turned away, pulling my knees up against my chest and wrapping my arms around them. Leaning my chin against those knees, I said; "Nothing."
Rachel glared down at me. "I don't get it. I'm your best friend. Talk to me. Talk to me, or…" she cut herself off, but by then the tone of her voice had made me turn my face towards her.
"'Or' what?" I asked, in the same tone she'd used. "As in 'or else'? As in, a threat?! That would be typical of you, Rachel!"
Rachel backed away as I flew to my feet.
"Cassie, I know…"
"Don't 'I know' me! You know nothing! Do you know what I know? Do you know that I'm sick of you?! Of this camp, my parents, Marco, and Jake, and you!! I'm sick of your questions! I wish… I wish you could just go drown yourself!"
Then I knew. At the horrified look in Rachel's eyes. At the tone of my own voice. At the creeping presence pulling threads in the back of my mind.
But mostly at the voice that, triumphantly, cried "DONE!"
Rachel was gone.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Author's Note;
I'll put up the next part as soon as I've typed it up. This time, I know what to write about, so it shouldn't take as long as to get this one up.
But I also have The Time Matrix Chronicles to worry about, so we'll see...
**Part 3**
I stopped again, as if someone had slapped me. I swallowed hard. "You saw him?"
"Yes," Marco snapped. "And I want to know what he's doing here."
"Don't tell Jake," I begged.
"You know, I really should."
"Don't." I turned to face him. "Please. Don't tell Jake."
Marco looked suspicious. "You're keeping secrets, Cassie. I don't like it."
"For Jake's sake," I said quickly, trying to find some way to convince him. "If he knew the Drode had been here… maybe he'd do something careless and get himself into trouble. Please, please, please don't tell Jake."
Marco seemed to think about what I'd just said. He was watching me as if he was a judge, about to decide if I was a mad killer or someone just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Okay," he said finally.
Relief washed over me. "Promise."
"I won't promise anything," Marco snapped. "I'll judge my own calls here. I'll keep quiet for now. After that, we'll see."
He started morphing the owl. It was getting dark, and the owl would be of more use than the osprey. As he lifted his wings and flapped up to the branch, he said; I'm keeping an eye on you, Cassie.
The next few days passed without anything happened. The Yeerks didn't find us again. Marco kept both eyes open, but the Drode didn't appear again, and neither did Crayak. When I 'felt' for them with my mind, I couldn't find the small, easily-hidden Drode, but the very obvious Crayak seemed to be sulking.
That filled me with a certain amount of satisfaction. I had actually caused Crayak to sulk!
I tried to get to the other reality again, to look around, familiarize myself with it, learn the laws and learn how to control it, but couldn't. Something was holding me back.
I was pretty sure what that was.
Jake was calming down again. My parents, too. They were talking about what could have been wrong with me when they thought I wasn't listening, and they kept a close eye on me, but things had definitely improved.
I wasn't having the dream-skips any more. I slept through the nights without being troubled, and life almost returned to normal.
Until hell broke loose.
I don't remember any details. Maybe I'm not supposed to. But before anyone had time to react, much less to morph and organize some sort of defense, Yeerks were everywhere.
In a matter of seconds, the camp was surrounded, overpowered, and Hork-Bajir began rounding up the prisoners.
It was happening too fast, that was my first thought. It was impossible! The Yeerks couldn't have come that close in those numbers without us noticing. They couldn't have come that fast. They couldn't have found us that sudden. It was impossible! Undoable! Illogical!
Unless…
A suspicious burnt down in my mind and created cool order where chaos had ruled.
Crayak.
Of course. This was his way of getting even with me for being too talented to fit his sense of right. This was his way to make me pay for being able to stop time.
I hurried through camp, somehow remaining unnoticed even when I brushed right past a few Hork-Bajir, and pushed two Taxxons out of my way. It was as if they weren't aware that I was there. They looked right through me. Their gazes slipped off me like water. And they didn't even notice when they took a few steps sideways to let me pass.
Crayak didn't aim this at me. He aimed it at my mind. My feelings, my thoughts, my beliefs and fears. And he used my friends as pawns to do it. Big surprise for him; I wasn't intending to play along.
I found Marco and grabbed his arm. My fingers didn't even reach halfway around his arm - he was in gorilla morph. "I need a favour," I said.
Marco pulled loose. He didn't seem to realize that suddenly, the Hork-Bajir were leaving him alone as well. He kept both eyes open for them, as he answered my request with; What's wrong with you, Cassie? Why aren't you morphed? We don't have time for favours. We need to fight. We've gotto get Jake out of Yeerk clutches.
I felt cold. I swallowed, my throat dry, and forced myself to speak; "They got Jake?"
Marco nodded, peering curiously at me with small gorilla eyes. He looked as if I was a ghost. Maybe I looked like one; I felt pale enough.
Hadn't you figured that out? Marco said. He was the first person they grabbed. I thought you'd have morphed long ago and…
I didn't listen any longer than that. "That favour, Marco," I said. "I need you to keep an eye on me."
Why? I've got enough troubles trying to help the prisoners and keeping an eye on myself and trying to find my parents in this pandemonium without having to…
"Shut up!" I barked harshly, and Marco jerked back as if I'd slapped him. He was probably surprised. I didn't use that tone of voice very often - if ever. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down and think clearly again. "Just trust me. I can fix this."
Now we're back to this whole trust-me thing, Cassie, it really…
I sighed. "Just make sure I don't get killed while I'm… gone."
Marco was all questions, starting with: Where are you going?
But I ignored him, sank down against a tree and closed my eyes. I tried to focus on the familiar nothing.
That was hard to do with Marco standing there, screaming at me in thought-speech. You're not serious. You're taking a nap? YOU'RE ACTUALLY TAKING A NAP AT A TIME LIKE THIS??!! And; Okay, that's it. We're officially screwed. Bye bye, Cass. Nice knowing you. Until you lost your sanity, that is.
Then I finally felt the edges of the other reality. And I felt the thing that was stopping me from continuing.
Crayak! I thought. Get out of my way!
"I THINK NOT," he replied, laughing. "STAY THERE, LITTLE ANAMOLY. STAY THERE AND ENJOY THE PERFORMANCE."
I made a clear picture of nothing in my mind, and grabbed at it. It slipped away as Crayak tugged it out of my reach. I grabbed at it again, and felt despair rising as it was again yanked away. I made a final lunge at it, but as I missed again I gave up.
I decided to try something new. I let Crayak keep that first notion of nothing, and in half an instant made another one for myself and stepped into it before Crayak managed to pull it away.
I heard him roar in anger as the world around me disappeared like a picture being erased.
* * *
Cassie didn't worry about her shape this time. She didn't worry about calling for the illusion of having wolf appearance.
The first thing she did was to look for Jake's golden line. She almost panicked when she didn't find it, knowing that the only reason it could be missing was that Jake was dead.
Her mind and being stretched out, fingering with those strange senses on the strands of space-time around her, feeling more and more stressed as still she found nothing.
She felt down to her own golden line, plucking lightly at it. The bond that tied her to it was more frail than ever, and again she felt insecure, knowing how important it was for her to keep that bond intact. And beside it… floating as if it was not really there, as if it was just an illusion… Jake's line.
She stretched down for it, let her mind seep into it and suddenly saw the real world - through Jake's eyes.
Hork-Bajir all around. Cassie linked her mind to their auras, and pulled out of Jake's line. She didn't want him to be pulled along in what she was about to do.
She grabbed hold of the Hork-Bajir lines. Searched for the second lines, intertwined with them… the Yeerk lines. When she had found them, she… stopped them.
Yes. Stopped. One second they were continuing, flowing through time and space as usual, and the next second they were not. The Yeerks and their lines were frozen, in space and time, and would remain so until she unfroze them. She untangled the lines from those of the Hork-Bajir, thereby setting them free, hoping none of them were voluntary, and let the Yeerk lines remain frozen.
She knew that the Yeerks would simply not exist in any real form of the word until she unfroze them.
She felt the weird pleasantness of a smile creeping along the edge of her mind, and regretted that she had no shape that could smile.
Without wasting any more time she continued. She grabbed Jake's line, tugged lightly at it, and thereby moved Jake about a hundred meters away, to relative safety. Then she collected all the still-Controllers and their Yeerks that she could find, in and around camp, and did the same thing. But further.
The notion of a few hundred Yeerks suddenly finding themselves kilometers away from where they had been the moment before made her feel a bit smug.
"Anomaly!" a voice roared.
Cassie arranged a voice for herself and melted into her wolf shape. She felt safer like that. "Yes, Crayak?" she replied.
"What do you think you are doing?"
"Learning, teacher," she said, and bared her teeth as the shadowy presence of Crayak came to close for her liking. He stopped and took his own, red-eyed shape.
"Do not defy me, human, or you'll find yourself in a lot of trouble."
"I'm all ready in a lot of trouble," she said. "Don't try to threaten me, Crayak, because I am seriously angry at you. What a cheap trick! Don't you dare endanger my friends again, or I'll…"
She stopped, finding nothing to say. Crayak laughed.
"You will do what?" he asked. "I am still the master here, little freak, and you are just some foolish girl with a tiny gift. Maybe a special one, maybe a rare one, but still just a gift. NOW GET OUT OF MY DOMAINS BEFORE I CRUSH YOU!"
Cassie was violently thrown back into her own line, screaming all the way.
* * *
"AND STAY THERE!"
I flew up to my feet, eyes wide, only to find that my knees buckled and I fell face-first down to the ground.
Marco caught my arm with a yell of surprise and I didn't have to actually hit the ground.
But the world spun around me and I threw up whatever had been in my stomach. I didn't stop throwing up until my stomach was completely empty, and then I sat there, on my knees, half-leaning on Marco and half on my own left arm, trembling with exhaustion.
You okay? Marco asked.
I looked up, the world still spinning and dancing around as if it was a giant rubber ball dropped down a staircase. I could feel that my face was pale, I knew my hands were shaking, and I knew that I was generally not a pretty sight.
I couldn't make my voice work, so I nodded instead.
You sure? he said. You don't look okay.
Then my mom fell down to her knees beside me and started coddling and worrying. Too tired and too weak to do much else, I passed out.
I woke up again after what must have been hours. The camp was back in some sort of order - and packing up quickly. I woke up lying on a few blankets, a few more over me, and Rachel sitting nearby.
"There you are," she said when my eyes opened. "We got worried for a while back there."
I closed my eyes again.
"What happened?" Rachel continued. "Marco is refusing to open his big mouth for once, and I guess I should be thankful, but Jake isn't. Marco said about five words, which I didn't hear, and Jake's been furious ever since. He's actually scary. At least, Marco is walking around glancing this and that way and jumping straight up into the air anytime anyone says anything."
I opened my eyes again to see that Rachel was grinning. Her eyes shone as she said; "So. Tell me."
I sighed and turned over to my side, my back to her. "Ask Marco," I said. "He's already said too much, it seems."
Rachel sighed dramatically, and I got the feeling she shrugged as well. "He's refusing to say anything."
"Good."
"Good?"
"You heard me."
"Cassie? What's up with you? Come on, it's me, Rachel. You can tell me."
I sat up to face her and felt a wave of nausea as I did so. I pushed it down, or tried to, but had to focus hard to make my eyes work properly again.
"No," I said, putting on hand to my forehead and still trying to look determined. "I can't tell you. Marco knows too much. Can't tell you as well."
She looked grumpy. "Why tell Marco but not me?"
"I didn't tell Marco," I snapped. "He… found out. On his own." I lay back down, turned my back to her again and closed my eyes. "Now if you excuse me, I need to sleep."
I heard her get to her feet, muttering a few really rude words, and walking away.
I don't know if I was happy or sad about it, but the next moment I was asleep.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
I awoke with a jerk of surprise and found Jake standing in front of me, eyes aflame with anger.
He seemed to take a deep breath in an effort to calm down, but it didn't work very well. "Rachel told me you were awake," he said in a tight voice. "Sorry if I woke you again."
I got the feeling he wasn't in his best mood and decided not to complain. "That's ok."
"Why didn't you tell me about the Drode?" he said.
"What did Marco tell you?" I asked.
"The Drode, Cassie. The ugly prune-thing that serves Crayak. Why didn't you tell me? You promised."
"I couldn't keep that promise," I said in a low voice, and Jake had to focus his ears well to even hear me.
"Why not?" he said, looking a bit hurt. "Why can't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't want you to do something stupid," I said in the same low voice.
He stared at me for a few moments. Then he fell down to his knees next to me and took my hand. "You were worried about me?"
I nodded.
"You didn't have to."
"Then don't worry about me, either," I said. I looked down at my hand, feeling his fingers stroke it gently and wishing I could just make him understand. "Don't worry about the Drode. I can handle the Drode."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean he doesn't scare me. I mean he isn't a problem for me." I flashed a brief grin, remembering what I'd done the last time I saw Crayak's ugly creature. "In fact, he tends to keep out of my way these days."
Jake smiled back, even though it was obvious he didn't believe me. He just played along. "How did you manage that?"
"I can't tell you."
Jake got a grave look on his face, letting my hand go and standing up. "Cassie, we're a team. We can't keep secrets from each other. And especially not between the two of us."
"I can't tell you. Can't tell anyone."
"Why not?"
"Because."
"That didn't really help that much, Cassie," Jake said, eyeing me worriedly. Then he looked up, out over camp. "I guess I have no choice but to 'believe' you. Marco told some weird story about you being the one getting all the Yeerks away…" I flinched, but Jake didn't notice and sighed before he continued talking. "…I can't believe that, no matter how much I trust Marco. But I'll trust you about the Drode. How about Crayak?"
"Crayak isn't after me," I said. "He's after you, as usual."
He glanced down at me again. "Yeah. I know. I'm just afraid he'll hurt you instead."
I shook my head. "He won't," I assured him.
"Why not?"
"They have a deal. Crayak and Ellimist made a pact. I won't get hurt."
"How do you know this?" he asked, peering at me curiously.
"Because I do. Can't tell you. I'm sorry, but… I can't."
Jake stood there, staring into space, for a long time. Suddenly he shrugged, and said; "This isn't leading anywhere. And you're not making it any easier. See you later, Cass. Get some rest. I'll wake you when it's time to leave."
Jake left, but I couldn't fall asleep again. I was still awake when it was time to leave, and once again we moved camp.
"Marco," I called.
He grinned, turned towards me, and bowed dramatically. "Yes, your highness?"
I felt a bit uncomfortable at that. Not surprisingly. "Why did you do that?"
"You got the Yeerks away, Cassie. You're formally the one who saved all our butts. I don't know how for the world, and I have a feeling I don't want to know, but I'm grateful."
Rachel had been listening, and now she laughed. "Marco? You and grateful don't match."
"Neither do you and inconspicuous," he replied.
"Rachel, could you go away?" I asked.
Rachel grinned. "What? Is this just something between you and Marco?"
"Yes."
"Then I better go warn Jake," she said, still grinning, winking at me before she disappeared.
Marco watched her leave and then turned to me. "What's this about?"
"About you talking to Jake."
Marco almost flinched. And bent his head down like a three year old about to be scolded. "It was important," he said. "If you can do that…" he looked up, peering at me as if I was some kind of goddess with who knows what type of powers "…you could stop the Yeerks. I saw it myself, Cassie. One moment those Hork-Bajir around Jake were Controllers, and the next they were… free. The whole group of them are free. That doesn't just happen."
I shrugged. "Maybe it wasn't me. It can't have been me. It might have the Ellimist, Crayak, even Drode, but not me."
"You don't fool me." Marco sighed. "You can say whatever you want, Cassie. I still think it was you. I know it was. I can feel it down to the marrow of my bones."
I bit my lip. It was clear I wouldn't be able to convince him of anything else. It was also clear to me that, whatever I thought about it, I couldn't let people walk around knowing I could… 'work wonders', to use those words.
"Are you going to confess, or are you going to deny it?" he asked.
I looked down at my hands. I knew what I had to do. "No."
His eyes narrowed. "So it was you."
I clenched my hands, and unclenched them. Searched for the link to the other reality, and connected it to my fingertips.
Then I nodded. "Yeah, it was me. And I'm sorry," I said. "For I can't let you know that." I reached out and placed a finger on his forehead.
Using the link to the other reality, I pulled out the memories that were a danger to safety. My safety, his safety, the camp's safety.
His eyelids closed, opened, and he looked at me. "What did you do?" he asked.
"Nothing," I said, forcing a smile. "Do you remember what we were talking about?"
He nodded. "Of course," he said. "We were talking about…" he frowned. "Something." His head leaned to the side, he rubbed his temple, and looked questioningly at me. "Something about you. I think. What did you do?!"
I smiled, this time for real. "I covered up my tracks," I told him. "You know what you need to know. And nothing more."
I left him standing there, looking generally confused. At what I had said as well as at the gaps in his mind. When I glanced over my shoulder, he was having a stern conversation with himself regarding his 'lousy memory'.
At least that was fixed. No more worrying about Marco's tongue slipping.
"GOOD ONE," a familiar voice said.
I sat down against a tree and closed my eyes.
Leave me alone, Crayak. I'm tired.
"YES. MAYBE YOU ARE. BUT I DO HOPE YOU ARE READY FOR YOUR NEXT TEST."
I don't want another test, I told him.
He laughed. The sound gave me a headache. "SINCE I AM IN A GOOD MOOD, LITTLE ANAMOLY, I WILL WAIT. BUT BE READY."
"Cassie?" Rachel asked, suddenly standing in front of me. "What did you talk to Marco about?"
"Nothing," I replied, my voice clearly indicating that I didn't want to talk about it.
Rachel peered at me. "Something's different about you these days, Cassie," she said. "It's like… you're not you any more. I mean, you're you, but not the same you as before. You've closed a part of yourself."
I opened my eyes and looked up at her. "No. I have only opened a new one."
"I don't like it," Rachel continued. "You don't talk any more. You just turn away, smiling that secretive smile of yours, and refuse to answer. What are you hiding?"
I turned away, pulling my knees up against my chest and wrapping my arms around them. Leaning my chin against those knees, I said; "Nothing."
Rachel glared down at me. "I don't get it. I'm your best friend. Talk to me. Talk to me, or…" she cut herself off, but by then the tone of her voice had made me turn my face towards her.
"'Or' what?" I asked, in the same tone she'd used. "As in 'or else'? As in, a threat?! That would be typical of you, Rachel!"
Rachel backed away as I flew to my feet.
"Cassie, I know…"
"Don't 'I know' me! You know nothing! Do you know what I know? Do you know that I'm sick of you?! Of this camp, my parents, Marco, and Jake, and you!! I'm sick of your questions! I wish… I wish you could just go drown yourself!"
Then I knew. At the horrified look in Rachel's eyes. At the tone of my own voice. At the creeping presence pulling threads in the back of my mind.
But mostly at the voice that, triumphantly, cried "DONE!"
Rachel was gone.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Author's Note;
I'll put up the next part as soon as I've typed it up. This time, I know what to write about, so it shouldn't take as long as to get this one up.
But I also have The Time Matrix Chronicles to worry about, so we'll see...