"Your mother and I had no personal relationship," said Jeb slowly. "But we agreed on what to do; we agreed that we wanted to be part of your beginning, part of your heritage. It was a monumental, stunning idea, that we-"
"I don't want to hear this!" I cried, folding in my wings. I was ready to kill him, drawing out this moment like torture. "I don't care about all the 'beautiful science,' la la la! You tell me who my mother is before I yank your eyes out!"
Jeb looked at me, unperturbed. "She's a good woman, and you remind me of her."
I stood up, trembling with rage and tension. "You...better...tell...me."
My hands were clenched into fists. Angel and Nudge stood up too, behind me. Total was growling low in his throat. For such a small dog, he could sound like a rottweiler when he wanted to.
"Your mother is Dr. Martinez. Valencia Martinez. You met her in Arizona."
107
I almost fell over backward. For a second I thought I was going to faint-I got tunnel vision and my skin felt icy. There was no sound in the empty, echoing dungeon.
A dozen images flashed through my mind: her smiling face, her warm brown eyes, the smell of homemade chocolate-chip cookies. Her and Ella watching me, hands shading their eyes, as I took off. Eating meals together. She was the most real momlike mom I'd ever imagined.
"Dr. Martinez...is my...mother?" I whispered hoarsely.
He nodded seriously. "She was an incredibly important research scientist, specializing in avian genetics. But once you were a viable embryo, she was locked out of the process. Not by me, I might add. She went back to Arizona, brokenhearted. But she donated the egg that became you."
I frowned, my mind racing, looking for loopholes. I had to make absolutely sure, because if I got my hopes up and then was wrong, I didn't think I'd ever recover. "Dr. Martinez is Hispanic," I said. "I don't look anything like her."
"You have her eyes," said Jeb.
Well, I did have brown eyes.
"And I was blond as a little boy, like you are. So was Ari, if you remember."
I glanced at Ari, who was now, you know, wolf colored. He had been blond.
I focused my laser gaze on Jeb and made my voice as hard as an ice pick. "If this is an elaborate test, something else I'm supposed to pass somehow, you will never see the light of day again."
Jeb's mouth quirked on one side. "This, I'm happy to say, is not a test. Out of everything I've ever told you, it is the most true. Valencia Martinez is your mother. And I'm your father."
I looked at him, still furious about everything that had happened since he'd disappeared on us more than two years ago. I wanted to hurt him one-tenth as much as he'd hurt me and the rest of the flock.
"I don't have a father," I said coldly, and was both rewarded by and guilty about the flare of pain I saw in his eyes. I looked away and, still trembling with emotion, turned and went as far as my chain would let me.
When Jeb spoke, he used the Voice, the one I'd gotten so used to hearing inside my head, the one I hadn't heard since he'd told me it was him.
"Max-you're still here to save the world. That's what you were born for, that's the point of everything, all of this. No one else can do it. I believe that with all my heart. This isn't a test, and I'm not snowing you. You have to do this. Nothing in the history of mankind has ever been more important. Nothing. Ever. Ever."
108
There was silence for a few moments. It was all too much for me to take in-like getting the most amazing, fabulous, unbelievable Christmas presents ever, and yet having them cause you an incredible amount of rage and pain.
"What about our parents?" Angel asked. "Me and the Gasman. Nudge, Fang. Where are they?"
"I don't know," Jeb said, standing up. "Some of them were never identified by name-only number. And we've lost track of others. Their roles were over so quickly."
"What about that information we found," Nudge asked, "where we saw some names and addresses and stuff?"
Jeb shook his head. "I don't know what you found, but I'd guess you misinterpreted it, or maybe it was planted by the Director. I've been finding out about many things she's done that I didn't know about."
Oh, I'm so sure, I thought.
Looking over at Nudge and Angel, I saw their faces fall, the light of hope fading in their eyes. I put my arms around them, and Total wedged himself among our feet.
"I'm sorry, guys," I said, holding them close. "But parents are totally overrated. We're all the family we need. Right?"
"We've just...spent so much time trying to find out," Nudge said softly.
Angel nodded. "I want to know, for sure."
"Someday we'll know the whole truth," I said. "But for right now, I'm just glad I have you guys. You're my family."
They gave me sad smiles and nodded.
I looked over my shoulder at Jeb. "You can go now. Unless you have any more heartbreaking news you'd like to deliver."
He looked regretful, and I automatically tensed up.
"You're supposed to come see the rally," he said. "And then there's a final test."
He sounded weird and didn't meet my eyes. I'm sure all of you will join me in leaping to the conclusion that something bad was about to happen.
And you would be right.
109
You are reading Fang's Blog. Welcome!
Date: Already Too Late!
You are visitor number: Our stat thing quit working. Got overloaded. But you're way up there, believe me.
Okay, folks, we're on the East Coast somewhere between Miami and Eastport, Maine. Don't want to be more specific than that. We're on our way to rejoin Max. Don't have time to rehash all the details, but let's just say that I've decided a flock ought to stick together while they can.
We've gotten more mail than we can handle, so thanks to everyone who's supporting us. I can only reply to a few people, so I'll do that here, and then we have to split.
To Advon777 in Utah: I don't know where you got a missile launcher, and I don't want to know. But even though it might come in handy, it still seems like a really bad idea for you to be messing with it. Maybe you should just put it back where you got it.
To Felicite StarLight in Milan, Italy: Thanks for the offer, but I really don't have time for a girlfriend right now. I found your ideas...creative, but this is not a good time.
To JamesL in Ontario: Thanks, man. I appreciate your support. We need all the help we can get, but waiting till you get out of second grade is fine.
To PDM1223: Excellent! That's exactly what I'm talking about! Tell people what's going on, spread the message, organize protests and stuff. Picket the gargantuan pharmco companies like Itex. I hacked into their files and found that the companies Stellah Corp, Dywestra, Mofongo Research, DelaneyMinkerPrince, and a bunch of others are all Itex under different names in different countries. Stellah Corp is in England, not far from you. See the whole list under Appendix F, for Fatheads. Everyone, read this guy's mail! He totally has a handle on what I mean, what needs to happen.
To everyone in the Seattle area: There's a protest organized for Saturday. Check the schedule that BigBoyBlue has made (thanks, BBB!), attached as Appendix G, for the time and place. Folks in other cities, check the schedule. There's a tidal wave of stuff going on. Thanks to everyone who's making this happen! We're gonna save the world! We're the last hope!
- Fang
Fang typed the last words, then sat back and rubbed his eyes. It was two in the morning.
He, Iggy, and the Gasman were set up to sneak onto a freight plane at 6:10 a.m. The two other boys were asleep, curled up on sacks of seed corn in the corner of this cavernous hangar. Fang had offered to take the whole watch. He had to get caught up with his blog, and also, they seemed much more wiped than he was. They'd flown across the whole United States, with stops only for quick rests and meals on the run.