Chapter 13: Late Night Musings
I paced all night. One thought ran circles in my head, and when it got dizzy it ran the other way. To go or not to go. It was driving me crazy. On one hand, I'd be safe from Yeerks. I could even show the world my wings. I'd never be a freak again. On the other hand, though, I couldn't just leave the Animorphs to fight alone. We could help them fight. The Yeerks versus the Animorphs and the Flock. Sure, the others would need to use the blue cube, but we could be a real help to them. I spread my wings and took a running start. Flying has always cleared my thoughts, especially if I'm just gliding around in the clouds, but this time I was headed somewhere specific. I gained a bit of altitude on a slight breeze before wheeling around to point in a northerly direction. Don't ask me how I knew, it's like I've got a built it compass or something. Probably help from you-know-who. Not Voldermort. The other you-know-who.
I circled the meadow a few times before landing at the base of a large tree with a thud.
Jeez Max, don't do that. Give a guy some warning when you land in his front yard. Then again, you're not the first one to do that. Owls scare the crap out of me too.
"Sorry Tobias, but I had to talk to you." I slid down the base of the tree to rest on the ground. "I just had a visit from your friend the Ellimist."
I wouldn't exactly call him my friend, he's more of a guy to be wary of. His mind must work like a fortune cookie, always two steps ahead of everything, preparing for every eventuality. He's never straight out about anything if you ask a direct question. Or indirect, for that matter. Don't take what he says literally, he's basically a dictionary of metaphors.
"So him telling me that I'm from a parallel universe was a metaphor?" I asked.
Possibly, possibly not. Did he say anything about a safe place or something?
"Yeah."
Then he's trying to manipulate the rules. The first time we met him, the we were in cockroach morph, about to be eaten by a Taxxon. He froze time and gave us a choice. To leave Earth for another planet with our families, or to stay and be eaten by the Taxxon. He didn't follow through on the offer, but while time was frozen we saw a way out of the Yeerk pool. He allowed us to see a way out. Not direct interference, but manipulation of the rules. Crayak couldn't do anything because the Ellimist hadn't actually done anything himself. He'll use us as he sees fit, provided he can find a way to circumvent the rules.
"Say he could find a way around the rules, would he? I mean, he made it sound pretty convincing that he would."
He might, but I don't know. There's only one way to find out though, I guess. But be sure that its what you want, because I highly doubt that he'd bring you back again.
