I drifted back toward sleep. I tried to remember what it had been like to sleep in a bed at night. But I couldn't really remember. I could only imagine what it was like for the others.
Cassie, Jake, Marco, Rachel, all asleep in their beds. All with covers pulled up and pillows fluffed. Alarm clocks glowing on their night-stands.
I heard a sound. My eyes opened. I peered down through the branches and saw a shape like
a deformed deer, ghostly pale in the filtered moonlight.
"Hi, Ax-man," I said.
"Hello, Tobias. You heard me? I was trying to be silent."
"You're very quiet. For a big old four-legged, two-handed, four-eyed, scorpion-tailed alien."
Ax laughed. "0ne of these nights I may show you."
"Hah. Right. And eagles may fly out of my butt."
"ls that possible?" Ax asked, sounding alarmed.
"No. See, that's why it's funny."
"l understand^ Ax said, clearly not understanding at all.
Nights in the forest have gotten a bit better since Ax joined our little group. Having him around is not exactly like being in a nice, snug bed.
But it's good to have someone to talk to. The other forest animals don't have much to say.
"0ur two Hork-Bajir are pretty quiet in there," I told Ax. "They were talking earlier. Mostly in their own language. But even then they used some English words. Why is that?"
"The Hork-Bajir were never a very intellectual species," Ax said, with a hint of snobbery. "Their own language was primitive. It only had about five hundred words. That's what we learned in
school, anyway. I suppose it's true. I guess for duty here on Earth, the Yeerks thought they should be able to speak a few words of a human languages
"l didn't mean to eavesdrop on them," I said. "But it was easy for me to hear. They kept using some Hork-Bajir word. It sounded like kawatnoj.
Something like that, anyway."
"l don't know the word," Ax admitted. "l don't speak Hork-Bajir. I'll ask them tomorrow what it means."
"Maybe you shouldn't. They don't seem to like you Andalites."
"We tried to save them from the Yeerks," Ax said with sudden anger. "We failed, yes. But we did try. Why should they hate us?"
"l don't know, Ax-man. Maybe they've had Yeerks in their heads for so long they've just absorbed the Yeerk hatred of Andalites."
"Well. The Yeerks should hate us. We An-dalites will defeat them in the end! And of course, you humans will help, too."
I laughed silently. I like Ax, but he is a bit arrogant about his own species.
"l guess I'll go patrol around again," Ax said. "l haven't seen or heard anything unusual, though. Do you really think we can lead these Hork-Bajir safely to this mountain valley you mentioned earlier?"
I didn't answer. Mentioning the valley just reminded me. "Ax? Have you ever just had information pop into your head and not know where it came from?"
"No. I don't think so. Maybe something I forgot and then remembered later."
"No, this is like stuff I couldn't possibly know. It's like . . . " I froze.
Taxxons!
They were crawling through the woods. I could see them in my mind - huge centipedes, each as big around as a redwood tree. They moved on dozens of rows of needle-sharp legs. They held the upper third of their bodies erect, keeping their fragile rows of upper legs clear of the ground.
I could see them in my mind! I could see the gasping round mouths ringed with teeth. I could seethe jelly-glob eyes.
"Tobias?" Ax asked, sounding concerned.
"Taxxons," I said. "There are definitely Taxxons coming!"
"Where?" Ax asked in alarm. His tail cocked back, ready for a fight.
"l . . . they're coming. !..."! looked around me at the dark woods. No sign of anything strange. Let alone Taxxons. But I was dead sure they were coming, just the same.
"Ax? You know how I was just talking about
knowing things I couldn't possibly know? It just happened again. Just now. There are like a dozen Taxxons coming this way. Somehow they can smell the Hork-Bajir. Like bloodhounds."
All four of Ax's eyes looked up at me. He looked grim. "Taxxon trackers can sense warm flesh from miles away, as long as they have a sample.
They're a special breed of Taxxon. How did you know that? How did you know Taxxon trackers hunt by smell?"
"l don't know, Ax. But I am sure going to find out," I said angrily.
"Someone or something is using me, and I don't like it very much." Ax ignored my outburst. "lf the Yeerks have sent Taxxons, they'll back them up with Hork-Bajir or humans. No amount of Taxxons could ever destroy a pair of Hork-Bajir. Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak could slice up Taxxons all day."
"Can we throw the Taxxons off the scent?" I asked.
"No. If they have smelled these Hork-Bajir, nothing will throw them off."
"Then we have to move the Hork-Bajir. Now. Taxxons can't be all that fast. But we need to move out. Ax? I can get the Hork-Bajir started. You have to get to Jake quickly. Tell him what's happening."
"Yes, Tobias. I'll do that. But how will we find you if you're busy hiding from the Yeerks?"
"Take to the air. You all have bird of raptor morphs - eagles, ospreys, falcons. Use them. There's nothing raptor eyes can't find. I'll be heading toward the mountains."
Heading toward the mountains with a pair of Hork-Bajir, while someone or something used me like a sock puppet.
Well, that was going to change. I was the predator. I was the hunter. No one was going to use me.
" Jara Hamee, we have to go. Right now," I told the Hork-Bajir as Ax ran off into the night.
Jara stuck his bladed snakelike head out through the bushes. "What has happened?"
"Taxxons are tracking you."
I swear he went pale. His narrow eyes widened in fear. "Taxxon," he said, as if the very word made him want to spit.