ZZZT!
Every light on the tree winked off, and all of the Animorphs groaned.
(Not again!) Ax growled. (I do not understand what is wrong! Human electricity is so primitive! How do you usually deal with faulty electronics?)
(Fuses. My uncle always had to fix the fuses when the TV conked out.) Tobias said.
"I think it's the circuit breakers. That's what's always wrong with our electricity." Jake said.
"Maybe the electricity is upset with us." Cassie said. "We should talk to it about it's feelings. Maybe it's feeling used."
"We usually just call an electrician." Rachel said, shrugging.
"Well this is what me and my dad always do." Marco said.
WHAM! Marco delivered a swift kick to the tree, and the lights winked back on.
(Why does this human method of repairing broken items always work?) Ax exclaimed. (Is this not illogical?)
"I'm getting a little tired of this 'illogical' stuff!" Marco said angrily, speaking for everyone. "It's not illogical if it works."
(We should be on our way.) Ax said, pointedly ignoring Marco.
Jake nodded. "Let's go."
Pretty soon they were flying through the air. Marco and Ax sat in the sleigh, Marco leaning back and smiling.
"Ah, that's my good deed for the year." Marco said. Then he sat up. "Hey, filling in for Santa has got to count as a good deed. I can goof off for the next two years!"
(Greg, How more do we have to go?) Ax asked.
"Yeah, well, while you were dodging bug fighters and decking the Chapman's' halls, we sort of did some deliveries." Greg said in a tired voice.
"Thanks." Jake said. "So how much more is left?"
"Guess." Greg said, sounding smug.
"None?" Marco yawned hopefully.
"Sorry. We did everywhere in the world except for a few houses in your town." Greg said. "We could have done more, except most of us were tired from the toy making."
"It's cool." Rachel said. "You saved use a lot of work. Which house next?"
"Cassie's." Greg whispered. "She asked for - Oh no."
"What?" Marco whispered.
"Peace on earth, No more poachers or hunters, and a stuffed rabbit." Greg said.
"Stuffed Rabbit." Marco said without missing a beat. "Gotcha."
He got an evil gleam in his eyes. "Does she mean the fabric and cotton kind, or the kind that are shot, and then stuffed and put on the mantle-"
"The fabric kind, Marco." Greg said tolerantly.
When they got to Cassie's house, Rachel distracted Cassie by pretending that there was a cute squirrel on the roof of her barn. Meanwhile, Ax snuck the doll down the chimney.
"The last building." Greg said, as they took off.
They all cheered wearily.
"Um, don't cheer just yet." Greg said. They floated lazily downtown, in search of their destination.
"Why not?" Marco sighed happily. "One more delivery and we're done."
(Oh no!) Tobias whispered. The smile dropped off of Marco's face. The Animorphs groaned as they came to the biggest apartment in California.
"Heh." Greg chuckled nervously. "I said one more building."
---
"Oh, come on." Joe said. They were in Ellimist's hyper dimensional bedroom, watching a scene from two centuries ago. Ellimist was sitting up in bed, and there was an ugly purple bruise on Ellimist's head. A bat lay next to him, and he was looking around suspiciously.
"Who else could have done it?" Mr. King said. "Everyone knows it was you, Cryak. It can't have been anybody else."
"Check the fingerprints on the bat." Naomi said wearily.
Ellimist got a shocked look on his face. "Why didn't I think of that?"
Cryak pointed confidently at Mr. King. Mr. King suddenly had a fingerprint kit in his hands.
Go ahead. Cryak smirked.
Mr. King sprinkled dust on the bat. He slowly peeled up the finger print.
"Thumb." He commanded. Cryak pressed his thumb in ink, and pressed it on a blank piece of paper.
Everybody crowded around it anxiously.
"It-It doesn't match." Mr. King stammered, scanning it twice. "It doesn't match."
Cryak grinned.
"Wait! Can't Cryak and Ellimist change their appearance?" Jordan asked. "Ellimist was sure as heck changing ours."
"Objection!" Drode snapped. "That is only possible in lower dimensions. My client is innocent!"
Cryak teleported them back to the court room/living room.
"Jury?" Jordan asked.
Sara, Joe, Visser three, and both Kings huddled closely and began whispering. After a moment, Joe started whispering louder. Visser started yelling at him. Joe yelled back, and got his head chopped off. They all turned around
"We have only one question." Mr. King asked. "Who knocked out Ellimist?"
"Hmm." Jordan said. "Good question. I call a recess to think about it."
Cryak, Drode, and Visser three stayed in the living room, and everybody else went to the kitchen.
"Who did it?" Erek wondered. Sara held detective barbie, thinking hard.
They all sat silently, lost in thought.
"Oh my god." Mr. King suddenly gasped, staring at the fridge. "I know who did it! But why?"
They were back in the courtroom. Mr. King sat on the witness stand, a grim expression on his face.
"Who did it, Mr. King?" Naomi asked.
"No, I can't say." Mr. King said.
SAY OR THIS LITTLE GIRL DIES! Cryak said, grabbing Sara.
"Well," Mr. King said slowly. "All of the evidence points to this person. There are only four people I can think of who had an opportunity to knock out Ellimist: Cryak, of course. Drode, maybe. And I recall that a powerful being chased Cryak out of a different galaxy before he came here."
"Who else?" Jordan asked.
Mr. King struggled with himself. Cryak made a violent gesture over Sara's head.
"Ellimist himself." Mr. King nodded sadly. Everybody looked at Ellimist in amazement. Ellimist started to sweat.
I DIDN'T DO IT! Ellimist blurted.
"Here's a solid piece of evidence: His fingerprints." Mr. King said, holding up Ellimist's finger painting of American Gothic that was hanging on the fridge. "I recognized the fingerprint."
HA! Cryak yelled triumphantly. DRODE?
Drode smirked and picked up a law book. "Law Gamma-G: If an omnipotent being tries to frame another omnipotent being, he or she loses the galaxy."
#$# YOU MR KING! Ellimist yelled, as Drode dragged him away to oblivion. #$$ YOU TO $!
HAHAHAHA! Cryak laughed evilly. WITH ELLIMIST GONE, ME AND THE ANIMORPHS ARE GOING TO HAVE A $(& OF A TIME!
"You don't want cookies, do you?" Naomi asked without hope.
Sara bit her lip as time resumed.
"Sorry, Rachel." Jordan muttered, looking down.