Then, "What's keeping you?"
A human voice! Female. I ducked back into the darkness.
She stopped when she saw the Hork-Bajir stretched out on the floor. She was just about to yell when . . .
TSEEEWWWW!
Down she went, sprawling right across the Hork-Bajir. She groaned once, then passed out.
I looked at the Dracon beam in my hand. "Cool. Phasers on stun, Captain."
I took the woman's shoes. As always, you can't morph shoes or bulky clothing. I took her blazer, too. It wasn't a bad blazer. I checked the label. "DKNY. Excellent. A little big for me, but okay."
I pulled my hair back into a ponytail. The blazer was large, the shoes were half a size too small, and the glasses I took from her face made the world seem a little distorted around the edges. But all in all, it wasn't a bad look. And I wanted to look good for my first trip around the Yeerk pool as a human.
I stepped out of the storeroom into the office outside. No one there. A second office outside that one. A man sat there. He was wearing a cotton shirt with a collar. He'd been my ride. Before he could turn around, I fired.
TSEEEEWWWW!
He crumpled in his chair and looked like he was asleep. Which, of course, he was.
I slid the Dracon beam into the pocket of the blazer. And then I stepped out into the world of the Yeerk pool.
I was slightly tense.
I was walking around the Yeerk pool complex, wearing someone else's coat and shoes and glasses. I was carrying a Dracon beam. The smart thing to do would be to head for the nearest exit.
But I had to see if the others were okay. Which meant searching the entire complex.
The Yeerk pool itself is a sort of pond. But all around it is a base, with warehouses, armories, administration buildings, a motor pool, and a cafeteria for each of the major species of Controllers.
It was always being enlarged. Around the edges were human construction equipment:
Caterpillar earthmovers and backhoes and dump trucks.
But the evil heart of the complex was the Yeerk pool itself, and the cages where hosts - human and Hork-Bajir - were kept. Some of them shouted threats and obscenities. Others just sat wearily on the ground.
They were the creatures whose Yeerks were in the pool at the moment.
There was a nicer area, almost like a beach club, where "voluntary"
hosts hung out. Some humans. A lot of Taxxons. Both areas were larger and busier than when I'd last been there. There had to be fifty or even a hundred hosts in those cages.
Wait a minute, I thought. There are a lot more than a hundred Yeerks in the pool.
Of course. Obviously, a lot of them were Yeerks awaiting fresh hosts.
I considered. What would happen if I aimed the Dracon beam right at the pool and fired at maximum power?
You'd never get the others back, that's what would happen.
A pair of Hork-Bajir marched by me. I stiffened, but they had no interest in me. I was just another human-Controller as far as they were concerned.
Then another pair of Hork-Bajir came by at a run. I followed them with my eyes. There were other Hork-Bajir, all rushing toward the edge of the Yeerk pool nearest the steel pier where they unloaded the Yeerks.
I drifted after them. I had to look cool, calm. No matter what. I couldn't look out of place.
But what I saw, there in the center of a circle of Hork-Bajir, made me want to cry out.
Ax!
He was demorphed. Fully Andalite. And there were no less than thirty Hork-Bajir warriors around him, all with Dracon beams leveled.
An Andalite can almost always beat one Hork-Bajir. Usually two. But not thirty. Ax was trapped.
He seemed calm. Or maybe just resigned.
I looked around for the others. I didn't see them. I reminded myself they could be in any number of bodies. Probably they were okay. Probably.
I hoped he would notice me. It might encourage him. But Ax was facing a sea of angry, triumphant faces. He had a lot to look at.
Two big Hork-Bajir stepped forward and very carefully slapped a metallic rope around his legs and arms. Then, even more carefully, they slid a sort of sheath over Ax's deadly tail blade.
Once Ax was helpless, they shoved him rudely onto his side and dragged him off through the dirt.
"An Andalite! Here!" someone said.
I glanced toward the voice. A distinguished-looking older woman.
"Yeah," I said. "I wonder if he was alone."
She snorted. "Andalite scum. Always skulking about, passing as some sort of animal or bug with their morphing technology. They caught two others.
Or at least they think they did. A pair of bats." She grinned. "They could just be bats, I suppose. But we'll find out soon. The Visser is coming." She laughed an evil, somewhat frightened laugh. "He'll find them out."
I tried to mimic her laugh. "Oh yes, the Visser will take care of the Andalite scum."
"I wish I could stay and watch," she said. "But I have to get back. My host is a judge and there's an important case I must prepare for."
She walked away. I made a mental note of her face and occupation. I also made a note of the fact that she was lying. She didn't want to be anywhere near Visser Three. Which just proved she was smart. The Visser had a temper. And when the Visser got mad, heads always rolled. Literally.
So. Two bats and Ax. That left two of us not accounted for. Where would they be keeping the bats?
Duh, Rachel The same place they were dragging Ax.
I began to follow the drag marks. They led toward a low windowless building. There was a sign above the door. It was in lettering I didn't recognize. But there was a feeling about the place. A bad feeling.
Should I rush in and try to save Ax and the other two? No, there was no rush yet. Nothing would happen till Visser Three arrived.
"Okay. How about Rachel? Rachel? Are you listening?" It was Marco! I glanced around. But of course I couldn't see anything.