Chapter 17

We immediately backed into a corner, Ferdie's lynx crouched low between the tunnel of a ventilation shaft, Maggie's wolf invisible between two lifeboats.

--Oh, god,-- moaned Ferdie. He was rigid, staring unblinking at the sight before us.

I didn't know where to look first, or what to think. I was feeling so many emotions at once that my brain felt clouded and unable to function. On one hand, I felt relief that Sam was alive. But also guilt, for having got her trapped. Confusion - how did the Visser get here so quickly? Panic, for I had not clue as what to do next. Fascination, teamed with horror, for the presence of Visser Five was most certainly one of great significant among the Yeerks. And it was no doubt because he'd at last been presented with his morph-capable Fugitives.

--Don't anyone move,-- I warned the others. --We cannot let the Controllers know where we are.--

--Philip - they were chasing us through the corridors! Any second they'll be out that door and they'll see us! Who's to care whether they know we're up on deck?-- said Maggie.

--I think I killed most of the Controllers chasing us,-- I said bluntly. At least, I hoped I had. There was the sharp pain of the Dracon across my back. So far, I hadn't seen any of the Controllers who were chasing us appear out of the door out of which we'd escaped. That part was strange, and it made me even more scared than I already was.

--At least she's not hurt,-- said Ferdie, relieved for Sam. --At least she's wasn't killed, or infested.--

--I'm going to try calling to her - let her know we're here.-- I said, watching around for any sight of Controllers coming up behind us. But any Controllers I could see were stood transfixed at the sight of their Visser. I realised I was very obvious in ox morph. I moved further back into the shadows, glad for my dark grey fur, almost invisible in the night sky. I wanted to morph - partly to become something small, partly to ease the pain of the burn. But I couldn't risk not being able to privately thought-speak - or being trapped in a weak and infestable human body.

--Sam!-- I hissed. --It's us! We're on deck in battle morph, watching! I don't think we've been spotted yet.--

Wisely, Sam made no outwardly sign to show that she had heard anything. If she'd suddenly twitched, or looked around, the Yeerks might have suspected that she was contacting the rest of us. But she stood still, claws out, eyes fixed on the Visser.

--Guys - thank god!-- she called, still not looking at us. That's one advantage of thought-speak. You don't need to know where exactly a person is to be able to communicate with them - as long as you're nearby. And unlike normal speech, it can be directed privately to whoever you want. There's no need to yell out for all to here.

--Sam, what's going on?-- Ferdie asked. --How come you're in leopard morph? How did you get out of the warehouse?--

Again, she made no physical acknowledgment that Ferdie had said a word.

--Most of the Controllers left the warehouse when Lort-Strelitz noticed that you guys had flown out of the room as wasps. It was pretty chaotic - Controllers running everywhere. I managed to hide behind the piping to grab the chance to do an ultra-quick demorph and remorph to leopard. I didn't see any problem with doing that - they knew we were on board anyway, and I thought that, as long as I could morph without being caught in human form, I could provide them with a distraction. And possibly some claws. I was seen, of course, and chased up here.--

--That's great thinking, Sam, glad you're ok,-- I said. --Can you tell us what's the deal now, with the Visser? Last time we heard, he wasn't on board!--

Visser Five stood grinning at Sam, his eyes never leaving her. He had taken a Hork-Bajir body - a monstrous, dinosaur like creature with thick, snakelike hide and many curved blades across it's head, back and limbs. By the looks of things, the Visser had taken the largest, most scary looking Hork-Bajir he could find. He stood leaning casually against the side of his trade-mark silver helicopter he'd obviously flown in, flanked by another two enormous Hork-Bajir, which I took to be his personal bodyguards. I got the impression that although he liked to be seen carrying guns and getting himself right into the heat of a battle, Visser Five was actually a bit of a coward. I'd never seen him step into the bloodshed until he presumed we were at our weakest. He was quite happy to shoot a person in the back. And although he owned a huge, dangerous body, I couldn't imagine him ever using it to draw blood. He would shoot a Dracon from a distance, but would never dream of using his own blades, right up next to his victim, in such intimate battle. Of course I could be wrong.

--As soon as Lort-Strelitz realised we were on board, he immediately sent for Visser Five. God knows what kind of technology that chopper has to get him out here within such a short space of time.--

--Why's he got everyone here in a circle, watching him? Why doesn't he just kill you?--

Sam started to talk, but we heard the answer from the Visser himself anyway.

"Sub Visser Forty-Two. Intrid four-nine-zero," he said in his low Hork-Bajir growl, addressing Lort-Strelitz and the young officer-Controller from the communications office. "Fellow supporters of the Yeerk empire. I have bought you here today, because I would like for you all to witness a very significant event. And along with the finding of the Andalite artefact, this should make for a day of great prestige. No doubt myself, and many of you, of course will be able to look forward to a promotion of two in the weeks that follow."

Many of the Controllers, particularly the gullible, lower ranking Yeerks, looked around at each other excitedly. A quite murmur of chatter began to be heard, but the Visser raided his claw and the crowd fell silent.

"For today is the day that not only have we discovered one of the most advanced Andalite pieces of technology - one, my loyal lieutenants, that will allow us open warfare in partnership with the great Visser three - but we have also stumbled across something just as pleasing!"

The Visser strode arrogantly up to Samantha, his hand on his Dracon beam. Sam tensed, uttering a low growl.

"May I introduce you all to our new friend? One of our long-lost morph capable Fugitives, proudly demonstrating one of the fantastic morphs it possesses! This Fugitive will lead us to the rest of the Fugitives, and possibly even to the Andalite Bandits themselves!"

Ferdie tensed, his lynx body empathetically resonating Sam's low grown.

--Calm down, Flawless,-- I said. --This is just another of the Visser's pep talks. He doesn't have a plan. He's just trying to provoke us - he knows we're here and he wants us to expose ourselves by attacking.

--Philip, you and I both know there's going to be some bloodshed,-- said Maggie. --Don't you think we should move in now before they try and restrain her or something? He might want to take her away to interrogate her!--

--He won't interrogate her - he'll just infest her,-- I said.

--Not while she's in leopard morph, they can't. She needs to be in human morph.--Sam seemed to be listening to all this, because she said,

--Philip - keep everyone hidden. I don't want you three getting caught as well. If they try to capture me, I'll fight back. They can't have Dracons firing everywhere - there's too many people them about. That's why they haven't shot at me yet. If the worst comes to the worst, I guess I'll just jump overboard.--