Getting too close to any alien species is a mistake. We are taught that. We may protect them, defend them, care for them. But they can never be deep friends.
24 Chapter FIVE
I have morphed some Andalite animals. And I have morphed many strange Earth animals.
But the animal I morphed the most is the human animal. They are weak, slow, half-blind, and unstable, but no Andalite should laugh at them. Humans rule their planet. And as the human Rachel once said, Earth is a tough neighborhood. - From the Earth Diary of Aximili-
Esgarrouth-Isthill
I peered through the trees. I could see a wide, grassy field. On the far side of the field were several long, squat buildings. There were large yellow vehicles parked in front. Hundreds of young humans milled around outside the building.
Prince Jake and Cassie had drawn close.
"Hey, Ax," Prince Jake said. "How's it going?"
"Very well, Prince Jake," I answered.
"Um, you're not going to call me Prince Jake today, are you?"
"When I am in human morph, I will behave as a normal human," I assured him.
"Well, better go ahead and morph," Cassie suggested.
"I think we're clear, but I'll go up and take a look," Tobias said. He flapped his wings and rose slowly into the sky.
I concentrated on my human morph and began to make the change.
"Still clear," I heard Tobias call down from above. "There are some kids about two hundred feet away, but they can't see you."
I morphed as quickly as I could, while being careful not to fall over as my third and fourth legs disappeared. At last, I stood on just two legs. It's both frightening and exciting. I mean, there you are, tottering back and forth with nothing to hold you up. Your feet can't grip, and they are too short to be much help in balancing.
All you can do if you start to fall is stand on one leg while you throw the second leg out to catch yourself. It's very unreliable. I don't know why humans evolved this way. They are the only species on this planet to walk around on just two legs, without wings or a tail to hold them up.
And I've certainly never heard of any other intelligent species trying to walk this way.
"Hey, grab him," Prince Jake yelled as I be gan to lean back.
"Got him," Cassie said. She helped support me as I finished the morph.
Last of all the mouth appeared, a horizontal split in my face.
"Are you done?" Prince Jake asked me.
25 "Yes. I am fully human." the sound delighted me. It's an amazing talent, this ability to make complex sounds. "Human. Mun. Hyew-mun. Hu man. Huh-yew-mun."
"Um, Ax? Don't do that, okay?" Prince Jake said.
"What? What-tuh?"
"That. Where you play with every sound like it's a new toy."
"Yes, my prince. Not a toy. Toy! Toytoytoy- toy . . . Sorry."
"This should be interesting," Cassie said, looking at Prince Jake.
Tobias came swooping low and rested on a tree branch. "It's kind of sweet," he said. "Ax's first day of school."
"His only day of school," Prince Jake said quickly. "This is just so he can learn how to be a more believable human. One time."
Prince Jake held up a single finger, indicating the number one.
"Yes, that is one," I agreed. "Now, let's go to school. I am looking forward to it. To it. Tewit."
"Remember, you're my cousin Phillip, from out of state," Jake said while handing me a bag filled with garments.
"Phillip," I repeated confidently. "Phillip. Lip. Phill-up. Pah."
I like the sound the letter "p" makes.
I got dressed and set off toward the squat building that was the schoolhouse.
"Have fun," Tobias said. He sounded just a little wistful in my mind. It was a strange thing, I guess. I, an alien, could go to his school. But he could not.
"I will," I called back over my shoulder.
Unfortunately, bending that way made me fall over. It takes practice to walk on just two legs.
26 Chapter Six
A human has only two eyes. Both are on the front of the face. It Is the same with most Earth species. These human eyes are very similar to our own main eyes. But humans seem fascinated by my stalk eyes. One of the humans, Marco, has said they "creep him out big time." I believe this is a compliment. - From the Earth Diary of Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill
There it is," Cassie said. "School. Or, as I like to think of it - purgatory."
The school was very active. There were large numbers of humans racing about at high speed.
Others moved very slowly and seemed sad or ill. Many carried books. Most made mouth-sounds.
As usual they were dressed in a shocking variety of clothing. Clothing is not a uniquely human idea, but of course Andalites do not indulge in it.
However, when I am in human morph I must wear clothing. All of my human friends, even Tobias, agree on this. They agree very strongly on this one point.
I saw Rachel and Marco approaching through the crowd of humans.
My other human friends tell me that Rachel is beautiful and Marco is cute. As an Andalite, I don't observe either trait. However, when I am in human morph I begin to see that Rachel actually is very beautiful.
But I never see that Marco is cute.
At school, the Animorphs must pretend not to be very close. This is so any suspicious human-Controllers will not begin to think of them as a "group."
"Hi, Marco, Rachel," Prince Jake said. "Meet my cousin . . . Phillip."
"Yes. I am Prince Jake's cousin, Philiip," I said. "I am from out of state."
Marco made a smile with his mouth. "You're from way, way out of state."
"Don't call me 'Prince,'" Prince Jake hissed.
"Nice to see you again, Phillip," Rachel said and winked. Since she was really Jake's cousin, she would have already met "Phillip." "See you guys later. Good luck."
"You'll need it," Marco added.
We went inside the school building. It seemed to be nothing but a very long corridor. It was filled with humans. Along each side of the corridor there were doors. Some of the doors were large. But there were hundreds of much smaller doors. I observed people opening the small doors, but no one ever went inside.
"Where do the small doors lead?" I asked.
"Nowhere. Those are lockers," Cassie said. "Everyone has a locker. See? There's my locker right there."
27 We went to Cassie's locker. It was decorated with a shiny pendant. The pendant had a wheel with numbers on it. Cassie spun the wheel back and forth.
"Is that a ritual?" I asked. "Chew-ull. Ritual."
"No, that's a lock. It keeps people out."