Table Talk

His name was David, and he was having dinner with my family. A boy who, just one year before, made many attempts to murder most of the Animorphs; and he nearly succeeded. There had been a brief time where I believed that David had killed Tobias, and I could never forget the night when Ax and I found Jake at the mall in tiger morph; body utterly motionless, lying in a pool of his own blood. David tried to kill Ax as well, and he even trapped Marco in a closet once. But David made one mistake; he underestimated us.

The red-tailed hawk that he killed had not been Tobias. Jake survived the incident at the mall and managed to demorph to his human body. Ax suffered minor injuries and the rest of us were unharmed. I for one never thought that a puny little punk like David could ever be capable of murder. After he had tried to kill most of us I made sure not to underestimate him ever again. David was a serious threat and, thus had to be treated as such.

So, we resorted to the most drastic of measures. We couldn't kill David, so we did something just as terrible: we took away his humanity by trapping him in the body of a rat, and we ditched him on an island off the coast. It was a cruel punishment, fitting for a cruel person. I'm sure that we all felt a bit guilty about what happened to David, but we knew it had to be done. I don't think any one of us ever considered the possibility of David's return. We all secretly hoped that nature would run its course; that the laws of natural selection and survival of the fittest would do our dirty work. We were sure David would die.

But David did survive. Natural selection could not run its course, because there was absolutely nothing natural about David's situation. David was right when he told me that the word impossible no longer applied to the Animorphs; we were above the rules that ordinary people lived by. We had our own rules to follow, of course; our own game to play. And the game was about to reach a whole new level of difficulty. David was back and he was smarter than before. He wouldn't make the same, stupid mistakes he made the last time. He had months of information on us, and he was now in a position where he could provide the Yeerks with valuable information without worrying about the Yeerks turning against him.

And now he was sitting across the table from me, eating the meal my mother prepared for my sisters and I. My mother invited one of my worst enemies to have dinner with us, without knowing what David was capable of. And David loved every single moment! He spent the entire night complimenting my mother, and he was intentionally trying to make me look bad in front of my family. He kept saying things like "Dinner looks great, Mrs. Berenson," and, "Wow, Mrs. Berenson, you keep the house so nice and warm. I remember how my mom used to keep our old house so nice and toasty during the winter…you know, before we moved." And, of course, he offered to help set the table.

"Oh, please, David." My mother said. "You're our guest."

"This is all the more reason for me to help out!" David insisted.

"I will not allow a guest to do work in my house," My mother continued. "I'm sure Rachel will be more than happy to set the table."

"Please, Mrs. Berenson," David smiled, politely. "You've invited me for dinner in your delightful home, the least I can do is set a few plates. And besides," David added, throwing me a look. "I owe Rachel one."

Eventually, my mother gave in and let David set the table. A task that would typically take a normal person a whole thirty seconds to complete, took David several minutes. He made sure to put the forks on the left side of the plate, and the knives on the right. He somehow managed to convince my mother to use the fine china for a simple meal like pasta and meatballs. He even folded the napkins like an expert; folding them into the shape of a swan and placing them into the drinking glasses. The entire time he had been setting the table, I found myself wondering where David found the time to master the art of table setting. I mean, between the time he spent as a rat on the island, and the time he spent as a rat spying on me and my friends in our home town, he couldn't have had many opportunities to pick up the skill. Unless he had been watching cooking shows for the last several months in addition to spying on the Animorphs.

"Is there anything else that I could help you with, Mrs. Berenson?" David asked. "My mother taught me how to drain pasta…"

"Oh no, David." My mother replied. "Dinner is nearly ready. But you and Rachel could go keep the girls company until then…I think Dragon Tales is on."

"Why, that sounds like a brilliant idea."

David smiled at me, his eyes still burning with a fiery intensity that frightened me so much. He kept his exterior calm, but his eyes gave me the impression that he could explode at any second; and that's what scared me. I had to do whatever David wanted, otherwise my family could suffer. And, if David was bad before we ditched him on that island, I didn't want to know what he was capable of now. So I followed David into our sitting room, where Sara was watching television, and Jordan was lying down on the couch.

"Hey there girls," David said, pleasantly. "What are you two watching?"

When David stepped into the room, I noticed that the atmosphere in the room changed. Jordan straightened herself out, and started to fix her hair. Sara, however, seemed to be tense. It looked as though she was worried about something.

"Is Dragon Tales on?" he asked, taking a seat next to Jordan.

"Dragon Tales is for babies." Sara grumbled.

"Oh, is it?" David smiled. "Well, Sara; Dragon Tales happens to be my favourite show."

Sara gave David a suspicious look, all the while keeping her distance from the place where David had been sitting. Jordan, however, had been staring at David; playing with her hair and batting her eye lashes. I never thought of Jordan as a teenaged girl before that moment, watching her flirt with David. She was only a year or two younger than I was, but I've always seen her as my cute, kid sister. Thinking of Jordan as a teenaged girl, driven by private puberty and his army of hormones, seemed abnormal. I've faced Yeerks, Hork-Bajir, Taxxons and countless other dangers. Puberty still scared the living shit out of me.

"So, you must have a lot of girls chasing you." Jordan said, casually. I could tell that she had been trying to segue her way into the conversation.

"You'd be surprised," David laughed. "Actually, I've been busy lately; you know…moving around. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to do a lot of normal things, like school…girls…ordinary teenaged things."

David had been looking at me the entire time. I had a feeling that he would be doing this all evening; subtly telling me how he had missed out on an ordinary life, and how it was my fault. I noticed that he did just that when he complimented my mother on how warm are house was. I remember how my mother used to keep the house so nice and toasty during the winters. You know…before we moved. It was the way he said the word moved that did it. There was this unmistakable hate behind that one word that only I picked up on.

"So, Sara," David began. "What's it like to live with such a great sister like Rachel?"

Sara didn't answer. She continued to skulk behind the lamp near the television set; clinging to the shaft like it was the safe zone in a game of tag.

"It must be difficult sometimes," David continued, staring at her. "I bet Rachel can be a handful." David winked at me. I shivered.

"Sometimes, she can be a pain," Jordan answered. "But what else would you expect. Do you have any siblings?"

"Nope. My parents decided that one was enough." David replied.

"It must get boring, being an only child." Jordan said. She sounded as though she was consoling David; like he was suffering for not having a sibling to fight with.

"Sometimes I wish I could have a cute little sister, like Sara." David said. "Cute little kids always kill me."

Sara stared at David, daggers in her eyes. I knew right then and there that she did not like David. I think David knew it as well. Sara wouldn't be easily won over by cheap compliments and the subtle charm that fooled my mother and Jordan. She must have seen past the outward façade of an overly polite and, admittedly attractive boy, and caught a glimpse of the rat that lay beneath the surface. I guess it's true what they say about children and innocence; they csan spot a phony a mile away. Maybe we should have recruited Sara as an Animorph.

"So, Jordan," David said. He was switching tactics now. Sara wouldn't fall for his tricks, but Jordan had been putty in David's hand the second she answered the door. "You must be excited for high school."

"Yea…I guess," Jordan shrugged. "I don't know, it's not something I worry about."

"But you must be looking forward to meeting new people." David threw me one of those phony little smiles of his. "She's going to have to beat off the boys with a stick, at the rate she's going. You'd better keep an eye on her, Rach."

He had been threatening me. He was really subtle about it; making it seem like he had been complimenting Jordan, but I could see through the bullshit. He was threatening me, and he was implying that he would use my sister to get to me.

"Jordan doesn't have to worry," I said, speaking to David for the first time since my mother had been home. "She's a smart girl. She will find a nice boy who worships the ground she walks on. And if a boy were ever to hurt her," I added. "he would be dead before he could think twice about what he did."

David and I glared at each other for the longest time. I matched his intense stare with one of my own. I knew he wouldn't be afraid, but that didn't stop me. I wanted him to know that I would do anything within my power to protect those close to me: Jordan, Sara, my parents, Tobias, Jake, Cassie…everyone.

Finally, David said, "Well then…Jordan is very lucky to have a sister like you to watch her back."

"Yea. I guess she really is." I said.

"Kids, dinner's on the table!" My mother called from the kitchen. "Everybody wash up, please."

Sara ran into the kitchen, without turning back to look at David. Meanwhile, Jordan followed David to the kitchen table. They sat together, which meant that I would have to keep an eye on them. Sara sat beside me, keeping her head down to avoid looking at David. My mother took her place at the head of the table.

For the longest time, we ate in silence. Even I was surprised by how quiet David was being. Normally, he would try to start something. Maybe I did scare him, just a bit; enough to keep his big mouth shut. I could almost forget that David was even there. I could pretend that I was having a normal dinner with my family. I even tried to picture my father, sitting across from my mother, enjoying a meal with the family he had left behind.

"So, Mrs. Berenson," David said, suddenly. "If you don't mind my asking, what happened to Mr. Berenson?"

"Oh…we divorced some time ago." My mother answered. She was obviously thrown off by such a question. She was nervous now.

"Wow…me and my big mouth," David sighed. "I apologize. I shoot my mouth and stupid questions come out every so often."

"Don't worry, David." My mother insisted. "It's fine."

"It's just so awful," David said, sadly. "I remember when I first met Rachel. She would seem so down at school sometimes. I asked Jake about it once, but he told me that it was personal."

My mother stared at me. "Rachel, you've never told me that you were having problems at school."

"I'm not!" I said, shooting David a scathing look.

"It's really sad to see families torn apart like that," David continued. "I've seen kids who have their parents broken up by divorce, and they're just not the same. Very few people understand what it's like to lose everything."

Again, David was giving me one of those subtle hints of his.

"But it's a good thing that Rachel has Tobias to talk to." David smiled.

"And who is Tobias?" My mother looked at me like David had thrown his food at her.

"Rachel didn't tell you?" David asked, feigning surprise. "There I go, shooting my mouth again."

"It's not your fault," my mother assured him. "Rachel doesn't seem to want to talk to me anymore."

So, David was trying to turn my mother against me? He was trying to make it seem like my mother couldn't trust me; like I had something to hide from her. Well…two could play at this game.

"Remind me, David," I said. "What brings you back here?"

"My father's on business." David lied. "We're renting a hotel in the city."

"Right…but, he must have enough money to buy a house in town, right?" I smiled. "I mean, being a big man in our little government."

"Your dad works for the government?" Jordan repeated. "That is so cool. Is he like a body guard?"

I answered her before David could.

"You said he was some sort of, special operative, didn't you, David?"

"You mean, like a spy?" Jordan asked.

"Well…I wouldn't say that…" David muttered. "He just works as an advisor, really. He's not exactly rubbing elbows with the president up in Washington, but his income is enough to support my mother. So, she never had to work a day in her life."

"That must be nice." My mother grunted.

"It's not as exciting as it sounds," David lied. "It's not nearly as exciting as being a lawyer."

So, David wanted to fight fire with fire, eh? Well, he was going to get severely burnt.

"Oh, I wouldn't call it exciting." My mother said.

"I've always been fascinated by law, myself." David said. "A good lawyer is all that stands between one man, and a possible stint behind bars. They're the ultimate decider."

"I think it's the jury that decides if a criminal is guilty or not," I corrected him. "And the judge bases the criminal's sentence based on what the jury decides."

"Yes, but it's the lawyer's job to convince the jury that the person on trial is innocent. The problem with the jury is that anyone can be a part of one. But a good lawyer is hard to come by."

"Sometimes the lawyer turns out to be just as twisted at his defendant." I argued.

"The same could be said of the jury." David replied. "After all, who's to say what a man is capable of?" David gave me a strange look. "When you're around long enough, you will be surprised by what mankind is capable of."

"What fascinates you about law, specifically, David?" my mother asked.

"I would say injustice," David answered. "Injustice and the hypocrisy that exists in our legal system. Nothing bothers me more than a hypocrite. If I play my cards right, I plan on becoming a lawyer myself. I want to give a voice to those without the opportunity to speak out against their oppressors. I want to help the man living in some third world African country, put on trial for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family. I won't tolerate the rich buying their way out of a sticky situation; just so they can preserve their spotless reputations…I really despise injustice. And hypocrites…I can't stand a hypocrite."

"Sounds like you're getting into the wrong profession, David." I said.

"Maybe, Rachel," David sighed. "But then again, you know how bad I am with decisions."

"I had no idea that you were so interested in law, Rachel." My mother mumbled. "But, then again, it seems as though I know very little about you. "

"I guess I get a little too vocal when it comes to such a controversial topic." I said. I hadn't taken my eyes off David the entire time. He wasn't trying to be charming with me; the real David had come out now. David scowled back at me in silence. There was an uncomfortable silence that filled the room. My mother and sisters must have known, just by looking at the two of us, that we were discussing something other than our differences in opinion on the legal system.

"I think I should get going," David said, returning to his polite façade. "Dinner was magnificent, Mrs. Berenson. I hope I haven't overstayed my welcome."

"What's wrong, David; don't you want to help with the dishes?" I taunted.

"My parents are expecting me home," David lied. He wasn't scared. But he knew that, if he decided to stick around a while longer, he might let his anger get the best of him and say something that he might live to regret.

"But I'll take a rain check on those dishes." David said. "That's a promise."

He stood up to leave.

"Hang on, David." I said, getting to my feet and following him. "I'll show you out."

We walked to the front door, where David put on a pair of tennis shoes and grabbed an expensive looking leather jacket; most likely stolen. Once we were outside, where nobody could hear us—where David and I could be ourselves—we started speaking.

"Your mother's pasta was dry," David mumbled. "That woman simply cannot cook."

"I'm willing to bet that my mother's dry pasta is ten times better than a piece of trash from the street." I retorted.

"Maybe, but it's not much of a step up." David replied.

We walked to the end of the drive, a great deal away from the windows where my mother was doubtlessly spying on us. The entire time we had been standing there, I had been expecting David to attack. I nearly morphed into my grizzly. But David hadn't done anything.

"Listen, if it's a fight you want, then I'm in," I said. "Just let me pick a spot far away from town, where nobody will hear either of us."

"Believe it or not, I didn't come here to fight." David muttered. "I know, completely unlike the David you know and love; but there you have it."

"I find it hard to believe that you really came here to have dinner with my family and catch up on old times." I said, arms crossed on my chest.

"You're right," David replied. "I came here to let you know two things. One; I will get back at you and your friends for what you did to me. Trust me, I will never forget the hell you've condemned me to; even if I live to be an old man. I will make life difficult for all of you. I will work with your enemies, and I will use your families if I have to. You won't be able to eat, sleep or even dream without knowing that I can pop into your lives at any moment."

"And the second thing would be?"

"I also came to warn you," he said. "But it's not just me you have to worry about. There's something much bigger than me going on here; you don't even know."

"Try me."

"I've already told you about the Observers." David continued.

"What could these Observers possibly want with us?"

"Like I said, they're looking for new players for the game. But they want to see who is worthy enough to be given a chance…there will be a competition."

"What kind of competition?" I demanded. "Does it have anything to do with the Yeerks?"

"You don't get it," David sighed. "Your war with the Yeerks is just a test. If there are any worthy competitors—from the Animorphs or the Yeerk Empire—then he or she will be drafted by the Observers. Anyone who is unworthy…" he trailed off.

"So, if we're not competing against the Yeerks, who are we competing against?"

"I think you already know the answer to that." David replied. "I think you're just too afraid to say it out loud."

"And you're going to compete against us?"

No Rachel; we're all competing with each other." David said. "Forget everything about teams and sides. Because in this game, you can never know who your team mates really are."

David turned to walk away. And as he walked down the drive I said, "You know that I was being serious back there." David stopped, but he didn't turn around to face me. "I will kill you if you ever try to hurt Jordan, or Sara, or anyone else that I care about. If you want a fight, you can have one. I have no problems fighting you, or sinking down to your level. I'm not Cassie; I won't worry about morality or ethics. If you hurt anything or anyone important to me, I'll do the same to you."

David laughed, and without turning he said, "What could you possibly take away from someone without anything to lose?"

David walked down the drive without looking back at me. I watched him walk all the way to the end of my street. He disappeared once he turned the corner to the next block. I waited a minute longer and, sure enough, I caught a glimpse of a bird of some sort take off into the night. And even after David had flown out of sight, I didn't move away from my spot. I had a bit of thinking to do, and I wasn't quite ready to face my mother and her billions of questions. So, I just stared up at the sky for a long while.