Chapter 23
By the time we had got there, the others were already there. The blade ship, Chapman, and all the other Animorphs except Whitney. She was probably still out in her computer room somewhere. I don't know. Either way, we were outnumbered, and getting in was hard. We stayed on the sidelines, listening in.
The Visser was just coming out of the ship as we got there. I could barely see him beyond the hork-bajir wall. This would be fun.
"What do we do, you think?" I asked Sam, simply wanting to see what he wanted to do.
"We stand by and watch." He answered. Good answer. He wasn't completely stupid.
"Alright guys, what do you think we should do?" Cassie asked. She appeared out of nowhere. So did Marco.
"We standby until something drastic happens." I told them. "Wait to expose ourselves."
"Good thinking." Marco whispered sarcastically. "Actually, I say we bust in there and kick all their asses."
I shook my head and turned back around. I could see the Visser examining Chapman. The cage that contained Rachel was at Chapman's side. The Visser's four eyes were scanning all around. I made sure not to move.
{Didn't I tell you to bring the girl?!} the Visser roared.
Chapman started to tremble. "The h-h-h-osts of the parents a-g-g-g- reed to become voluntary h-h-h-hosts if only you left the girl alone. She knows nothing." He said to the Visser.
{Do you defy me?! I am a Visser, so you wish to lose your life? And the host's as well?} he threatened,
"That would not be good in the eyes of the public. I am what the humans call a principal. That would be a great loss to the community, and rumours would arise." He informed the Visser. Visser three didn't look impressed.
{But you would be of no great loss to me.} he said calmly as he swiped his tail blade.
FWAPP!
The tail moved faster than my eye could follow. It stopped as it was pressed against the neck of Chapman.
"My host wishes to address you personally." Chapman said.
{Very well.}
{Jake, are you there?} I heard Rachel ask. I ignored her.
Chapman's body slumped down, but the Visser's tail blade kept him steady while he regained his balance.
{V-v-v-v-vish....Vis...Visser three. You and I had a bargain. I would become a host voluntarily for only one reason. My wife and I made a deal to have these things put in our heads with one condition. And that was to keep our daughter out of the way. She does not need to be involved in this. She knows nothing. Just please," he stopped. Then I noticed he was sobbing. "Please don't take my girl." He clenched his fists. " Because if you do, I will fight. And you can ask this yeerk in my head, I can."
He stopped sobbing and straightened himself out. "It is Esplin talking now. You understand, his love for his family overrides even me when it comes to control. He could go out of control in a public place and have us put n what the humans call a mental institution. That would leave me to starve and die."
{I see. Well, you are lucky I have a little andalite bandit to play with, or you would be taxxon meat. Your presence is not required.} he withdrew his tail blade and Chapman was out of there faster than you could shake a stick at. He got in his car and sped off like the hounds of hell were after him.
The Visser picked up the cage that held Rachel and looked in it. {We will have some fun with this andalite bandit.} he said to everyone, then to Rachel, {you are a brave one. Too bad your time is up. We will find the others soon enough.} he threw the cage away and walked into the blade ship. {Pick up the filth. We have some work to do.}
The hork bajir all started piling into the blade ship. I guess Sam had decided it was too much. "Sorry." He said as he got up and shot a hork bajir in the back.
The beast fell with a scream. The sizzling body lay on the ground. "That's enough." He said. Then he shot the hork bajir holding Rachel. The cage fell. All attention was on him. "Well. I see we are in a predicament, Visser. Come out!" He called. "Show your face."
Visser three walked out and stood in the door of the blade ship. I could see Rachel crawl out of the cage that she was in. She started running and hid in a building.
{Well, Well, if it isn't Sam. The almighty. Well, I hate to see you are with odd company these days. How is life treating you?} he sneered. {Your parents say 'hi'}
Sam's eyes flared. He raised the dracon and shot at the Visser.
FLASH!
The blade ship's shields blocked the shot, and the Visser smiled an evil smile with only his eyes. {You fool, you must be travelling with andalites.} one of his eyes stopped at Rachel's cage. Then his other looked. {NOOOOO!} he came out of the ship and began to morph.
By the time we had got there, the others were already there. The blade ship, Chapman, and all the other Animorphs except Whitney. She was probably still out in her computer room somewhere. I don't know. Either way, we were outnumbered, and getting in was hard. We stayed on the sidelines, listening in.
The Visser was just coming out of the ship as we got there. I could barely see him beyond the hork-bajir wall. This would be fun.
"What do we do, you think?" I asked Sam, simply wanting to see what he wanted to do.
"We stand by and watch." He answered. Good answer. He wasn't completely stupid.
"Alright guys, what do you think we should do?" Cassie asked. She appeared out of nowhere. So did Marco.
"We standby until something drastic happens." I told them. "Wait to expose ourselves."
"Good thinking." Marco whispered sarcastically. "Actually, I say we bust in there and kick all their asses."
I shook my head and turned back around. I could see the Visser examining Chapman. The cage that contained Rachel was at Chapman's side. The Visser's four eyes were scanning all around. I made sure not to move.
{Didn't I tell you to bring the girl?!} the Visser roared.
Chapman started to tremble. "The h-h-h-osts of the parents a-g-g-g- reed to become voluntary h-h-h-hosts if only you left the girl alone. She knows nothing." He said to the Visser.
{Do you defy me?! I am a Visser, so you wish to lose your life? And the host's as well?} he threatened,
"That would not be good in the eyes of the public. I am what the humans call a principal. That would be a great loss to the community, and rumours would arise." He informed the Visser. Visser three didn't look impressed.
{But you would be of no great loss to me.} he said calmly as he swiped his tail blade.
FWAPP!
The tail moved faster than my eye could follow. It stopped as it was pressed against the neck of Chapman.
"My host wishes to address you personally." Chapman said.
{Very well.}
{Jake, are you there?} I heard Rachel ask. I ignored her.
Chapman's body slumped down, but the Visser's tail blade kept him steady while he regained his balance.
{V-v-v-v-vish....Vis...Visser three. You and I had a bargain. I would become a host voluntarily for only one reason. My wife and I made a deal to have these things put in our heads with one condition. And that was to keep our daughter out of the way. She does not need to be involved in this. She knows nothing. Just please," he stopped. Then I noticed he was sobbing. "Please don't take my girl." He clenched his fists. " Because if you do, I will fight. And you can ask this yeerk in my head, I can."
He stopped sobbing and straightened himself out. "It is Esplin talking now. You understand, his love for his family overrides even me when it comes to control. He could go out of control in a public place and have us put n what the humans call a mental institution. That would leave me to starve and die."
{I see. Well, you are lucky I have a little andalite bandit to play with, or you would be taxxon meat. Your presence is not required.} he withdrew his tail blade and Chapman was out of there faster than you could shake a stick at. He got in his car and sped off like the hounds of hell were after him.
The Visser picked up the cage that held Rachel and looked in it. {We will have some fun with this andalite bandit.} he said to everyone, then to Rachel, {you are a brave one. Too bad your time is up. We will find the others soon enough.} he threw the cage away and walked into the blade ship. {Pick up the filth. We have some work to do.}
The hork bajir all started piling into the blade ship. I guess Sam had decided it was too much. "Sorry." He said as he got up and shot a hork bajir in the back.
The beast fell with a scream. The sizzling body lay on the ground. "That's enough." He said. Then he shot the hork bajir holding Rachel. The cage fell. All attention was on him. "Well. I see we are in a predicament, Visser. Come out!" He called. "Show your face."
Visser three walked out and stood in the door of the blade ship. I could see Rachel crawl out of the cage that she was in. She started running and hid in a building.
{Well, Well, if it isn't Sam. The almighty. Well, I hate to see you are with odd company these days. How is life treating you?} he sneered. {Your parents say 'hi'}
Sam's eyes flared. He raised the dracon and shot at the Visser.
FLASH!
The blade ship's shields blocked the shot, and the Visser smiled an evil smile with only his eyes. {You fool, you must be travelling with andalites.} one of his eyes stopped at Rachel's cage. Then his other looked. {NOOOOO!} he came out of the ship and began to morph.