Chapter 2
BBBBRRRRRIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG!!!!!
Finally! I shouted.
I gathered my things together slowly, being careful to be the last one there. Emily passed me on her way to the cafeteria. The look on her face made me feel as though she thought I'd betrayed her.
I sighed and walked over to Mr. Tidwell.
Here goes nothing, I said.
"Mr. Tidwell?" my voice asked.
He looked up from the papers on his desk. "Yes?"
"I-I'm Katie."
He looked slightly confused. He said slowly, "Yes, I know who you are."
"But that's not all." Illarim lowered my voice in case anyone might be near enough to hear. "I'm also Illarim 7-2-5. We wanted to know if you could maybe tell us about how to join the peace movement."
Mr. Tidwell's eyes looked frightened, but he tried quickly to make it look as though he didn't know what I was talking about. "What makes you think I would know anything about the peace movement?"
"Because I know you do. Someone told me so. Someone who I trust."
"Like who?" he asked incredulously.
"I can't tell you who they are. You're just going to have to trust me. I can't give you any proof that I'm not lying."
He eyed me critically for a moment. "All right," he finally admitted. "I'll tell you. But you've got to remember that we'll be watching you. I have more friends than you can imagine, and if you try to tell anyone, I will make sure that you are stopped."
I nodded. Tidwell got up to close the door so that no one could listen in. He sat down again. "Now. What is it you want to know?"
I explained my story, with Illarim adding a few relevant details now and then. When I finished he nodded. "Okay. So maybe you can be trusted. I'll speak with the others, then get back to you. You need to get to lunch if you want to have any."
"Okay. I'll just wait, then. Bye! And thank you."
He smiled. "You're welcome. Bye."
We went into the crowded cafeteria and sat down in my usual seat. It was in the back corner by the window and overlooked the playground and ball fields. Off in the distance you could see the mountains. This time of day, the sun came in the window and shone on whoever sat there, making it the perfect seat to be undisturbed and get to enjoy the beauty of nature.
Instead if pulling out my book as I usually did, I ate my lunch and stared out the window at the beauty before me. Most of the snow had melted, except that on the peaks of the mountains. A few columbines, crocuses and tulips had begun to poke their heads out of the ground. Some of the trees were starting to get leaves. A mom and her two young daughters were out in the soccer field flying kites.
I looked up at the peak again to see the bald eagle who lived there spread his wings and fly up into the unusually warm, early spring day. And I thought about what the Yeerks would do to that beauty if they conquered Earth.
You know it's true, Illarim said.
Yeah. I know, I admitted.
We were wrong to invade Earth. They... we... will destroy Earth if someone doesn't stop us. We need to be stopped. A peace between us, a symbiosis, will never work.
Yes it will, I protested. We'll make it work. If you work hard enough at something, you can do anything.
Humans have tried for thousands of years to be truly good and kind, Illarim said softly. What makes you think that this is any different?
I couldn't think of anything to say. What was there to say? Maybe he was right.
BBBBRRRRRIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG!!!!!
Finally! I shouted.
I gathered my things together slowly, being careful to be the last one there. Emily passed me on her way to the cafeteria. The look on her face made me feel as though she thought I'd betrayed her.
I sighed and walked over to Mr. Tidwell.
Here goes nothing, I said.
"Mr. Tidwell?" my voice asked.
He looked up from the papers on his desk. "Yes?"
"I-I'm Katie."
He looked slightly confused. He said slowly, "Yes, I know who you are."
"But that's not all." Illarim lowered my voice in case anyone might be near enough to hear. "I'm also Illarim 7-2-5. We wanted to know if you could maybe tell us about how to join the peace movement."
Mr. Tidwell's eyes looked frightened, but he tried quickly to make it look as though he didn't know what I was talking about. "What makes you think I would know anything about the peace movement?"
"Because I know you do. Someone told me so. Someone who I trust."
"Like who?" he asked incredulously.
"I can't tell you who they are. You're just going to have to trust me. I can't give you any proof that I'm not lying."
He eyed me critically for a moment. "All right," he finally admitted. "I'll tell you. But you've got to remember that we'll be watching you. I have more friends than you can imagine, and if you try to tell anyone, I will make sure that you are stopped."
I nodded. Tidwell got up to close the door so that no one could listen in. He sat down again. "Now. What is it you want to know?"
I explained my story, with Illarim adding a few relevant details now and then. When I finished he nodded. "Okay. So maybe you can be trusted. I'll speak with the others, then get back to you. You need to get to lunch if you want to have any."
"Okay. I'll just wait, then. Bye! And thank you."
He smiled. "You're welcome. Bye."
We went into the crowded cafeteria and sat down in my usual seat. It was in the back corner by the window and overlooked the playground and ball fields. Off in the distance you could see the mountains. This time of day, the sun came in the window and shone on whoever sat there, making it the perfect seat to be undisturbed and get to enjoy the beauty of nature.
Instead if pulling out my book as I usually did, I ate my lunch and stared out the window at the beauty before me. Most of the snow had melted, except that on the peaks of the mountains. A few columbines, crocuses and tulips had begun to poke their heads out of the ground. Some of the trees were starting to get leaves. A mom and her two young daughters were out in the soccer field flying kites.
I looked up at the peak again to see the bald eagle who lived there spread his wings and fly up into the unusually warm, early spring day. And I thought about what the Yeerks would do to that beauty if they conquered Earth.
You know it's true, Illarim said.
Yeah. I know, I admitted.
We were wrong to invade Earth. They... we... will destroy Earth if someone doesn't stop us. We need to be stopped. A peace between us, a symbiosis, will never work.
Yes it will, I protested. We'll make it work. If you work hard enough at something, you can do anything.
Humans have tried for thousands of years to be truly good and kind, Illarim said softly. What makes you think that this is any different?
I couldn't think of anything to say. What was there to say? Maybe he was right.