I grabbed the splintered mess of door and shoved it back in place.
I gave Ax a look. «Dude. I think you really scared them.»
«We obviously took them by surprise,» he said modestly.
57 «l hear chopper blades,» Tobias said, hawk head cocked.
«Is it a getaway, or reinforcements?»
«Don't know. Marco. Open that window for me.»
I picked up a chair and threw it against the window. It shattered. «In high-rise office buildings the windows don't open,» I said.
Tobias flew out through shards of glittering glass. He reported immediately. «They're outta here!»
"Die, Andalite!"
The bathroom door flew open. An arm was raised. A frail-looking arm. With a not-at-all-frail-looking Dracon beam.
She'd stashed a weapon in the bathroom!
TSEEEW! TSEEEW!
The light beams were aimed dead-center at Ax. But Ax wasn't there by the time she'd pulled the trigger.
I dove for the floor and shot forward, sliding on spilt Hork-Bajir blood. The Visser was crouched behind the surveillance console again, hate in her eyes. In my massive fist I grabbed one of the Visser's enormous briefcases and blocked a shot aimed at my head.
With all the power of my gorilla muscles and all the rage of a kid bent on revenge, I leaped for-
58 ward, tumbled over the surveillance console, and onto Visser One.
WHHUMMPPFFF.
Four hundred pounds of muscle and flesh crushing my mother's slim human body.
I stood up, yanked her to her feet, calmly disarmed her, and tossed the weapon aside. I put her in an armlock.
A gentle armlock.
«We save your regrettable life and you try to kill us,» Ax sneered. «You are a perfect representative of your species.»
"So why don't you kill me?" Visser One spat. "Arrogant Andalite filth! Why don't you kill me now?"
«As you wish,» Ax said, nodding to me. «For my part I say: Kill her.»
59 11
«Kill her now,» Ax said in public thought-speak.
But in a private aside, heard only by me and Tobias, he added, «l am speaking only for dramatic effect, of course. But it would be good for the Yeerk to be frightened.»
I tightened my grip. Let her feel the irresistible power in my arms. I resisted the urge to cry, "I'm sorry, Mom!"
"Stop!" the Visser screamed. "Don't kill me!"
I relaxed my massive arms. My mother's human body slumped. I could hear her labored breathing. See her shoulder blades through the thin silk blouse she wore.
60 «Why shouldn't we kill you?» Ax taunted. «You Yeerks killed my brother, Elfangor.»
"Elfangor's brother! I might have known some branch of his squalid, cowardly family still lived! But it was Visser Three who ended Elfangor's evil life. He's the one you want. And so do I. I want him dead as much as you do. Not that I wouldn't have been proud to claim Elfangor as my own victim."
«I'm going to let her go,» I said. I couldn't hold her any longer. I was halfway between a loving hug and a furious strangle.
«She may still have concealed weapons,» Ax said privately.
«Hey, I am not frisking my own mother.»
«She's not carrying anything,» Tobias said. «I'd see it.»
I let her go. She straightened her blonde wig and took a few deep breaths.
I knocked the wig from her head with a sudden backhand. I don't know why.
The Visser... my mother. . . shot me a look of cold amusement. "Gentle Andalite warrior," she said mockingly.
«You're alive. So be quiet,» I snapped.
"I won't be alive for long," she said, suddenly weary. "Visser Three had accused me of treason. Now, once his Hork-Bajir report, he'll have the proof he can take to the Council of Thirteen.
61 They've issued a gashad. A warrant to kill me on sight."
Tobias flew over to the photographs we'd seen earlier. «What were you up to?»
She laughed. "And wouldn't you like to know its every detail."
«Yes, we would,» Ax said. «And you will tell us. Or you will die.»
"I'm already dead."
«Your plan must involve discrediting Visser Three,» Ax said. «We might help. If it were Visser Three with the gashad on his head, your own head would be more secure.»
Her dark eyes glittered. "You help me destroy Visser Three, then you destroy me. Is that the plan?"
«Yes,» I said bluntly.
She laughed derisively. "The truth. You do me the honor of not taking me for a fool."
«And if you get the chance you will destroy Visser Three, and then us,» I said.
She leaned close, bringing her face so close to mine. "Yes, I will."
«Now, Yeerk,» Ax said, «you will tell us your story. I would advise hurrying. Visser Three's forces will be back.»
I watched as my mother's body straightened. Her voice was calm, unemotional.
"I had returned to Earth to construct an underwater
62 facility. It would produce a host body useful for the invasion of Leera. But, as you Andalites know, that facility was destroyed. I was disgraced. I was demoted to sub-Visser rank. But Visser Three set out to complete my destruction. He told anyone who would listen that I was a traitor. The Council of Thirteen believed him and issued the gashad. I have been in hiding ever since."
«Yet, here you are, on Earth. Seemingly alone,» Ax said. «No doubt there is a ship in orbit. And perhaps a Bug fighter hidden here on the planet. No doubt you have more of the emergency Kandrona generators on board.»
The Visser shook her head. "I'm not leading you to my ship, Andalite."
Before I knew what I was doing, before I had time to think, I snatched up the portable Kandrona and slammed it hard on the floor.
«Tell her "ticktock," Ax,» I said.
"A good tactical move," the Visser said. "Shorten my time. Make me desperate. But it won't work."
«We'll see,» I muttered.
«What is your plan, Yeerk?» Ax pressed. «What information do you have on Visser Three that could redeem you in the eyes of the Council of Thirteen?»
63 Visser One relaxed my mother's body against the shot-up surveillance console. For a moment she looked as innocent as a third-grade teacher about to tell a folksy story about the young Abe Lincoln.
"Free Hork-Bajir," she said simply. "Visser Three has allowed escaped Hork-Bajir to start a colony right under his nose."
«But the Yeerks have enslaved the entire Hork-Bajir population^ Ax replied. «There are no free Hork-Bajir left in the galaxy, much less here on Earth.»
"Don't play dumb with me," the Visser said. "It's the one thing we admire about you Andalites-. your intelligence."
«Where did you get this theory of yours?» Ax demanded.
"That's my business." Visser One shrugged. "There are all sorts of ways to figure out what is going on underground if you have the mental acuity, which Visser Three most assuredly does not. Tell me Andalite," the Visser continued. "How did your brother, the mighty Elfangor, succumb to so flawed and incompetent a Yeerk as Visser Three?»
«l could ask you the same thing,» Ax replied, calmly.
"I know the importance of revenge to the
64 Andalite culture," Visser One said. "Visser Three killed your brother. You are honor-bound to kill him. I can make that happen."
«For a price,» Ax said.
"For a price," she agreed.
«What price?» I asked.
"The Hork-Bajir colony. Give me the free Hork-Bajir. I will give you Visser Three."
65 12
A moment of silence.
«Tell her we agree,» I told Ax privately.
Tobias erupted. «Are you insane! There's no way we're giving up the Hork-Bajir!»
«No, we won't. But she doesn't know that. She thinks we're Andalites. You know the one word Yeerks always use in describing Andalites? Ruthless. That's what they think. She'll buy it.»
Ax said, «That is
all you ask, Yeerk? The free Hork-Bajir?» He laughed. «l was concerned you might demand something of value.»
"We have a deal?"
Ax said, «Tobias?»
66 «You had so better know what you're doing, Marco my man,» Tobias said to me. «This is way beyond anything Jake and the others have approved. We're doing a deal with the enemy.»
«You want Visser Three?» I shot back. «She can give us Visser Three.»
«And then she replaces him,» Tobias said. «l know Ax's motive here.- He has a personal score with Visser Three. The question is, do you have a personal problem here as well?»
«It's good strategy, Tobias. You know I'm good at that. You know I'm good at seeing the main chance.»
«Yeah. You are. But that's your mother.»
I couldn't argue with that. «Jake left it up to you, Tobias.»
Tobias laughed without any humor. «You'd better not be playing us, Marco. If it comes down to it, Visser One ... no matter what host body ... is meat. You know that, right? You're clear on that.»
«I'm clear,» I said.
«0kay, Ax-man,» Tobias said.
«We have a deal,» Ax said.
"Tell me where to find the free Hork-Bajir!"
«You will be given that information when the time comes,» Ax said. «0nce Visser Three is exposed, I will kill him. That way, you will have not
67 committed treason by murdering a full Visser and I will have achieved my sworn revenge.»
"One more thing: You and the rest of your gang will be there. I will need you to help me eliminate the free Hork-Bajir. I am one person, all alone."
Ax started to answer. I stopped him.
«Agree, Ax.»
«What?» Tobias demanded.
«Alone my butt,» I said. «She has some kind of force. She's too calm. Too relaxed about Visser Three trying another attack here. She already has her forces nearby. Agree to what she asks.»
«A Hork-Bajir is a Hork-Bajir,» Ax said indifferently. «No more than animals to us.»
"Contact me when you are ready," she said.
«How?»
She smiled then. A smile that was my mother's smile. Again I felt the opposite urges: to cry and to destroy.
"I have E-mail." She laughed and told us the address.
Then she narrowed her eyes and looked at us, each, one after the other. "One of you does almost all the talking. Two of you stay in morph. Visser Three is a fool. He has overlooked something strange about your group of rebels. He has missed something."
68 She grinned a savage grin. "But don't worry. When I am returned to power I will figure it out. And then . . ." She made a gun hand, pointed it at my head, and said, "and then . . . TSEEEEW!"
68
69 13
We left. We demorphed in the stairwell and climbed the stairs the hard way. As soon as we reached the roof Tobias took to the air to catch a look around.
«Four helicopters on the way,» he reported. «They'll be here in five minutes. Visser One will have a bunch of Visser Three's Hork-Bajir down on her before she knows it.»
"Let's get wings," I suggested to Ax.
Moments later we all three took to the air. It was hard flying. No updrafts, no thermals at night, just dead air you have to flap your way through like a bat.
We flew through the tall concrete and steel forest. Here and there a single light, or the lights
70 of an entire floor burned. I saw cleaning people pushing wheeled trash cans and vacuums.
One light illuminated a room full of tired-looking men and women eating pizza and standing around some kind of chart.
It's strange, but flying near tall buildings always makes you feel like you're higher up. You notice the altitude, I guess, when you realize you're flying past the fortieth floor or whatever.
No one said anything till we were clear. The clatter of helicopters was loud behind us.
I was confident that Visser Three's troops would find an empty room.
«Well, Marco, you've just agreed to betray Jara Hamee, Toby, the entire Hork-Bajir colony. You'd better have a plan.»
«l do.»
«Gonna tell us about it?»
«We're going to take them both down. Vissers One and Three,» I said. «They want to kill each other, we'll help them.»
I could sense Tobias's hesitation. «You're setting up your mom?»
«No. I'm setting up Visser One.»
«Marco, she's -»
«Shut up, Tobias,» I snapped. «0kay? I know all about it. You guys don't think I'll do it? Well,
71 here's a news flash: I'll do it. Me. Not any of you. Me. My plan, okay?»
«You don't have to prove anything, dude,» Tobias said.
«It's not about proving anything. It's about winning this stupid war.»
«We must speak with Prince Jake, of course. Inform him of what we have learned. Obtain his approval of your plan.» Ax, of course.
«It's the middle of the night. We can't get to Jake right now. Not with Tom home. We'll talk to Jake tomorrow. Right now, we act.»
Tobias shifted his wings, moving slightly away. I swear, I've never met anyone who could express disapproval the way Tobias can.
But at that moment I didn't care what Tobias thought. Taking control, doing, would keep me from dwelling on it. From falling apart.
I knew Tobias and Ax were doubtful. I knew they didn't entirely trust me. They thought I was playing a double game. But they were wrong. I had seen the way to destroy both Vissers. I had seen it in all its perfection.
People don't understand the word ruthless. They think it means "mean." It's not about being mean. It's about seeing the bright, clear line that leads from A to B. The line that goes from motive to means. Beginning to end.
72 It's about seeing that bright, clear line and not caring about anything but the beautiful fact that you can see the solution. Not caring about anything else but the perfection of it.
That's what had happened. I saw the way to take both Vissers down. And that's all that mattered.
But I wasn't going to explain all that. Other people's pity just messes with the straight line. Other people's pity makes you think things you can't think about when you are seeing the line.
«Look, we're gonna need to acquire an animal native to mountaintops. But I'm not a zoologist, so we go see Cassie.»
«It's the middle of the night where Cassie lives, too,» Tobias said.
«Yeah, but she doesn't have a Controller in the house with her,» I said.
«We do not know that for certain,» Ax pointed out.
«lf you guys want to bail, fine. I can do this alone.»
A bluff. I knew they'd hang with me. Tobias had no choice. He could either try and stop me forcefully, or go along.
«You're a jerk, Marco,» Tobias said.
«Yeah, I love you, too,» I said.
73 14
The night was peaceful as we flew.
I knew in my heart that four chopper loads of Hork-Bajir had burst into an empty office and found no one. Knew it. I don't believe in destiny. But I felt destiny this time.
We would meet, Visser One and I. We would meet on a mountaintop. And I would end it all there.
Only a few stars shone high in the sky through the thinning clouds. We flew closer together than we ordinarily would during the day, when the sight of three birds of prey grouped together in the sky would attract unwanted attention. We flew from downtown to uptown, across the neighborhood where Jake and I and Rachel live, out
74 past more suburbs, and into the almost country where Cassie's family has their home and the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
We landed in a large, leafy tree whose branches gently scraped Cassie's bedroom window. Tobias moved close, walking the comical sideways bird walk, like a parrot in its cage. He tapped on the window with his beak.
TAP. TAP. TAP.
«She's not moving,» he said.
«Is she in there?» I asked.
«No, it's after midnight,
so naturally she's out in the yard playing Hacky Sack,» Tobias snipped.
He was ticked at having control taken from him.
«Hacky Sack?» I said.
«Hacky Sack?» Ax echoed.
«Everyone shut up!» Tobias said in exasperation.
«Tap louder.»
«Gee, do you think, Marco?»
TAP! TAP! TAP!
«Nothing. Must be dreaming about. . .»
TAP! TAP! TA-CSSSHHHH!
The glass shattered. It fell in a shower of glittering shards.
«0ops.»
"Jake?" Cassie bolted upright in bed.
«Awww, isn't that sweet?» I said, so Cassie
75 could hear. «Her first thought is "Jake." Makes you wonder just what kind of dreams she was having.»
«Cassie, it's us,» Tobias said. «Sorry about the glass.»
"I'm going to have to explain this you know," Cassie said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Then, belatedly, she snatched modestly at the neck of her sleep shirt.
«Just say a bird hit the window,» Ax suggested. «You would not be lying.»
"That would be a change from routine," Cassie muttered. "What are you guys doing?"
«Checking out babes,» I suggested.
"Marco, what are you all doing here? What happened tonight? Is anyone hurt?"
«We are unhurt,» Ax said.
«We need a good morph for traveling in the mountains,» I said. «Something that can climb. Something with some size, if possible. Some ability to inflict punishment.»
"You better not have woken me up and broken my window to-"
«Kind of a ticktock situation, here -» I interrupted.
Cassie looked doubtfully at Tobias, then Ax.
«Marco has a plan,» Tobias said dryly.
"Jake?"
«Cassie, just help us, okay?» I said.
76 She sucked in a deep breath. "Okay. Mountain goat."
«Good! A goat from The Gardens' petting zoo. What could be easier to acquire?»
"Not that kind of goat, Marco." Cassie shook her head. "A mountain goat. Sharp horns. Amazing agility. A hind-leg kick that could send a person through a barn wall. Those guys can weigh almost three hundred pounds."
«Fine, fine,» I said. «Where do we get one?»
Cassie hesitated. "Is he okay?" she asked Tobias, referring to me.