Chapter six

Nikkei

I tried the thousandth password we had gone through. "Argh… V, e, n, b, e, r …"

"What's that?" Jeff asked, putting the letters together in his head.

"Venber, book 25."

The screen flashed. 'Password incorrect.'

"Try 'password.'"

"Huh?" I looked up. April was crawling into the tent.

"Here…" She slid the laptop over towards her. "P, a, s, s, w, o, r, d…"

The screen flashed again. 'Password correct.'

She smirked, winked, then sent the laptop over to me. "You're welcome."

"Gee, thanks for making me feel stupid."

"Anytime, sis."

The database loaded. "It's all in Galard… I can't read it."

April stared at the screen and muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"'Visser three will be returning to the Canadian Streefland sight… oversee pool installation… bug fighters…"

"Wait a minute… Canada? As in winter? As in igloos and Eskimos and penguins and ICE?"

Jeff gave me a weird look. "You live in Minnesota, and you are afraid of ICE?"

"Something about sub-visser 19… sub-visser—" She halted in mid-word. "Former sub-visser plots to destroy Andalite bandits?"

"Book 43," I said instantly.

"We need to get there before they do that. Before Taylor can near destroy them."

"Ask Al, the bugs could be done faster… and what's with the translation?"

"I dunno, it just kinda happens."

"Password?" Jeff asked.

"Hey, it worked in the Yeerk pool."

"O-kay."

"Anyway, I'll talk to Al, you guys get a printout of this," I said, standing up and heading out. I stepped deeper into the semi-woods we now called our temporary home. "Al?" I asked as I approached the fighters.

>Nikkei, what is it?> Al asked, swinging a stalk in my direction.

"We've just found something that could… be changed from the reality described in the books."

>Yes?>

"See… it involves… your son."

>My son? Tobias?>

"He's going to help the Yeerks get at the other Animorphs. They aren't discovered, or die, or anything like that, but it might have a positive effect on the war."

>So you need me to fix the bugs faster?>

"Actually, we'd only need one. Maybe only two of us need to go. You and someone else, perhaps a third person, if possible."

>It may be possible. Have you asked War-prince John?>

"Well… no."

>Then you should ask him before coming to me. Do you know an approximate day and time?>

"Three days from now."

>It can be done. Get War-prince John's approval first.>

"I'll do that. Thanks, Al." Al's stalk returned to it's scanning pattern.

I walked back again, and saw John and April talking.

"Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds… ow!" April stomped on my foot and smacked me in the head. "I mean, we need to get to California, fast, and we'd only need a bug fighter, Al, and one or two— Hey, wanna ride bikes?"

April rolled her eyes and turned to John. "She has ADHD."

"Ah. That explains a lot. Anyway, April told me what happened. Is happening. Will happen… I could never get tenses right… Fine, you can go…"

"What? Who said anything about me?"

"You, Stephanie, and Al go; Al takes up space, and you two are relatively small. Tell Steph to pack a few things, food, clothes and crap like that. You too. Get Al to finish a fighter by midday tomorrow, if possible."

"Okay, but can I trust you two alone for long?"

They laughed, and pushed me into the pond.

Review Responces

Janika: (Does the plot twist dance)

Elwing: Problem solved.