(How could I have been so stupid?) Cassie asked, not really expecting anyone to answer.
(You weren't stupid,) Jake said. (None of us would have known about Visser Three's plan if you hadn't told us.)
(Yeah, even I wasn't paying any attention to any of those sign-up sheets the way you were,) Slade said, trying to console Cassie.
(Thanks, Slade,) Cassie acknowledged, a weary smile conveyed in her tone.
(For future reference, all you need to do is subtract twelve,) Marco informed her.
(What?) Cassie was still confused.
(To translate military time,) Marco clarified. (All that you have to do is subtract twelve.) Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, (Duh.)
The four Animorphs landed on a plaster and cement construct that was rather convincingly made-up to be a mountain: the entrance to the log ride. Slade was more eager than the other three to regain his human form; he was getting edgy with being in unfamiliar territory with an unknown amount of enemies and not being able to see very well.
(Now what?) Marco asked, echoing Slade's thoughts. (We need to get inside now. Can we fly in?)
(Yes, we could,) Jake allowed. (But in these bird morphs we wouldn't be able too much more than flap our wings. We need to be human for this part of the job.)
(And, there's also the fact that Slade can barely see in his currant morph,) Cassie said, since Slade wouldn't have admitted to having a weakness on his own.
(All right then,) Marco said.
They all started demorphing at the same time, but Cassie and Slade still ended up finishing before Jake and Marco. Climbing down from just below the top of the false mountain wasn't anywhere near as easy as flying over the park had been, but Slade was glad to have his normal powers of sight back. Once all four of them were on level ground, Jake noticed a problem that he hadn't even considered before: Slade's eyes.
The irises were glowing a low but steady green. Jake wondered for a minute if Slade was being controlled again, but Tobias had said that his entire eye, pupil, white and all had been hidden by the glow when Jake had asked him for more detail about the incident when Slade had been mind-controlled by an unknown Radam.
But this time, Jake had a feeling that Slade's glowing irises weren't due to any outside influence.
"Whoa," Marco gaped. "Slade, what's up with your eyes?"
"What? What do you mean?" Slade asked, confused and just starting to become unnerved by Marco's intense scrutiny.
"Cassie, take a look at him," Marco said. "Do you think this is normal? You have known him better than the rest of us, after all."
"Slade, come over here so I can get a better look at you," Cassie said.
Slade obligingly turned and walked over to where Cassie was standing. She only needed a quick glance at his eyes to see what was making her friends so agitated.
"Wow, I never noticed that before. Slade, you look like a cat!" Cassie giggled, but then quickly sobered when she realized the problems that would come about if any non-Animorph noticed Slade's strange eyes. "Oh, that's not so good," Cassie said. "I don't think there's anything we can do about it, short of having him walk around with his eyes closed, which would draw more attention than anything, I think. Slade, just stay toward the back of the group and try not to look anyone in the eye, okay?"
"All right," Slade nodded.
"Okay, now that we've taken care of that problem," at least as best that we can, Jake added silently. "Let's go in and do what we came here to do."
There was a unanimous agreement on this, and the four Animorphs quickly made their way into the main crowd. They were the subject of a few inquisitive stares, but the four were for the most part ignored. There were, even at this late hour, people who were dressed in an even stranger outfits then the four of them.
