Then, one by one, I felt their minds close to me. And I closed my own.
It seemed suddenly very lonely as we grabbed the water jets and rode away through the brilliantly alive sea. Suddenly very lonely.
But I guess each species feels most comfortable when they are just themselves. And for humans and Andalites, secrets and lies and the loneliness of privacy are natural.
We passed through a loose ring of Leeran-Controllers set up around the far edges of the City of Worms. None challenged us. We were riding Yeerk-issued water jets, and we stayed far enough off that no one could read our thoughts.
The Leeran city rose from the seabed like a wondrous tower, perhaps half a thousand feet wide at its base, dwindling to a few dozen feet at the very top. The top pressed right against the sparkling water ceiling, up to the border between sea and sky.
At the very top, huge fans sucked in air and blew out exhaust from the entire city.
The city itself violated every logical law, at least as far as Andalites or humans were concerned.
Andalites and humans are accustomed to moving in two dimensions, left and right, forward and back.
But in the water, up and down were just as likely as left or right.
It looks like a gigantic Dairy Queen cone, poked full of a million holes,"; Cassie said. Look! Doors everywhere.
Windows and doors all the same."; The predominant color was pink. But there was blue and green and purple as well, in vast swatches of seemingly random color. Openings were everywhere. Leerans drifted in and out and around and through, a hundred feet up, twenty feet below us, everywhere.
And like some slow-motion tornado, the long, electric-blue worms swam around and around the City of Worms. They formed an eerie halo.
Even as strangers, we could tell the city was tense. There were weapons poking from many of the windows.
And nestled up against the base of the city, floating free, were two craft I'd seen only in pictures: Andalite submarines.
Are those good guys or bad guys?"; Prince Jake asked, gazing at the submarines.
Or a little of each?"; Marco asked dryly.
They are Andalite vessels,"; I said.
Let's go say hello,"; Prince Jake said.
We swam toward the submarines. As we got nearer we could see that a transparent tunnel had been set up between the subs and the city.
Andalite warriors were rushing through the tunnel on urgent errands, their tails cocked and ready.
Down we went, sifting air from the water with our Leeran skin. Down we went, expecting at any moment to be challenged, even shot. But we passed through dozens of Leerans who made no move to stop us.
It's the psychic thing,"; Cassie said.
They know who we are and why we're here."; Then I guess they know who we're looking for,"; Prince Jake said.
And to my amazement, an answer came. It was a vision that filled my head: a sort of arrow showing a doorway we should enter.
Ooookay,"; Marco said. I guess we follow the yellow brick road."; We entered the city through one of the thousands of windows. I don't know what I expected inside, but it wasn't what I found. The tower was merely a shell. Inside were seven or eight, maybe more, huge, floating, transparent bubbles. In each bubble there were levels, a dozen or more floors. There were open holes in the bottoms of the bubbles. Some seemed to be filled with water. Others were filled with air. All contained Leerans doing work, sleeping, living. And one, mostly air, contained perhaps two dozen Andalites on one floor.
We entered the bubble from the bottom and stepped out at last onto dry ground. Two Andalite warriors were waiting.
Demorph,"; one said curtly. The Leerans have told us who you are. Commander Galuit is waiting."; So humility is just not something you Andalites do, is it?"; Marco asked.
We demorphed. It felt good to be Andalite again. But I was worried. I was nervous. I had given my word to Prince Jake that he, and only he, would decide whose orders I should obey. It had seemed easy to make that promise before. But now we were going to see Galuit! The idea of saying no to him ... it made me gasp.
We rushed and stumbled to the room where Galuit waited. Only he wasn't waiting. He was rushing forward to meet us. He was flanked by three tough-looking Andalite security guards, and accompanied by his aide, an Andalite who had lost one stalk eye and half his face from a war injury.
.Aristh Aximili,"; Galuit said without bothering to introduce himself.
all yes, sir, I--"; ationo time,"; he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. I'm a member of the highest circles, so I know all about your escapades on Earth.
Yours and Elfangor's. Very disappointed in Elfangor. Although, by the galaxy, your brother could fight! I don't know how you came to be here with these humans of yours, but it is a stroke of luck! We need you."; I was almost completely bowled over. First of all, Galuit even knowing my name was incredible.
It would be as if a human child were sitting at home by the telephone and suddenly got a call from the head general of the army.
Second, Galuit needed me? Needed?
Me?
Sir, may I introduce this human named Jake?"; I said I need you. Now stand to attention and listen to my--"; Sir, this is Jake. My prince."; That stopped Galuit in mid-yell. The guards all stared incredulously at Prince Jake. Then at me. Then at Marco and Cassie, as if they might be able to explain.
Every warrior must have a prince to follow, and the princes must obey the People,"; I said.
Galuit looked like he was seriously considering using his old tail on me. But then he nodded stiffly. Just so, Aristh. No one is a law unto themselves. We each must serve."; Galuit turned to speak to Prince Jake.
I have need of you to save this planet from the Yeerks. Will you--"; all yes,"; Prince Jake said.
ally say yes without knowing what I'm asking."; Will it save the Leerans? Will it keep them free? And most of all, will it hurt the Yeerks?"; all yes to all three. Especially the last.
If we save Leera it may turn the tide of the war against the Yeerks."; Then we'll do it."; Galuit seemed surprised. Maybe even impressed. In private thought-speak he said to me, I have known worse princes than this one.";
Galuit explained what he needed and why.
It was exactly what I had suspected. The reason we had to flee the land and take to the sea.
The reason I could not risk being taken by the Yeerks: It had all been a trap.
A trap for the Yeerks.
We knew the Yeerks would take the battle to the continent,"; Galuit said. And we thought it very likely they would defeat us there. So we had a backup plan. We have planted a series of quantum bombs around the continent. Our plan was to wait until the Yeerks had moved all their troops down to the continent, then explode the bombs."; I nodded. all yes, I suspected this."; Prince Jake looked at me out of the corner of his eyes, then raised one eyebrow. It wasn't an angry look, as I interpret human expressions. It was a little reproachful, though.
We had transferred to one of the submarines and were already racing at maximum speed, south to a point on the continent.
The Leerans don't need the continent. They are quite happy in their underwater cities,"; Galuit said. But there's been some kind of problem with setting off the bombs. Our forces were overrun much too quickly. With the Ascalin's forces we should have held out longer. The main switch was never armed. We've been beaming the destruct signal for hours. Nothing. And the Yeerks will soon discover our trap. It's now or never."; I hesitated. Should I tell Galuit why our forces were so easily overrun? I took a deep breath. Sir, the Ascalin was never in the fight."; Galuit swiveled both stalk eyes toward me. What?"; Captain Samilin was ... a traitor,"; I said. He set the ship toward a landing behind Yeerk lines. He was killed. Once it was clear the Ascalin could not escape, Tactical Officer Harelin made the decision to fire all weapons while on the ground. No one survived.