Part 2 (1/2)
”I think I like you better as a chicken, Tobias,” Marco said.
”Red-tailed hawk,” Tobias said tolerantly.
Marco shrugged. ”Chicken, pigeon, hawk, whatever.”
”Urn, how about if we get down to business before someone interrupts us?” Jake suggested.
”Okay, Dad,” Marco said. Then, becoming instantly serious, he quickly and efficiently summarized for Tobias what we knew.
”Yeerks in horses,” Rachel said. ”It makes zero sense. Why would Yeerks want to make Controllers out of horses?”
”Do horses have some special powers? Pow-werz-zuh?” Ax asked. In addition to enjoying taste, he finds speaking words out loud to be strange.
I shrugged. ”They're herd animals. Not very smart. In fact, pretty dumb, really. They can run fast, but there are lots of faster animals. They're strong, but there are lots of other animals that are stronger.” I shrugged again. ”I can't see why the Yeerks would be wanting to infest horses.”
”Maybe they think they can win the Kentucky Derby,” Rachel joked.
”Maybe it's some kind of strange Yeerk entertainment,” Jake offered. ”Maybe it's fun for them.”
”I don't believe Yeerks do anything for fun, Prince Jake,” Ax said. ”They would have some reason.”
”Ax, please don't call me 'Prince Jake.' Especially not in public.”
”Yes, Prince Jake. Jay-kuh.”
”Are you two sure about this?” Jake asked Rachel and me. ”It was a Yeerk you saw? Not a snake or a snail or something?”
”And what if your dad is right, and it was an exploding artillery sh.e.l.l, not a Dracon flash?” Tobias suggested.
”We're not doubting you,” Jake added quickly. ”It's just that there's no good reason for Yeerks to infest horses.”
I looked at Rachel. I was sure of what we'd seen. Mostly. ”Well ... I guess I could be wrong. But I'm pretty sure.”
”Yeah. Pretty sure,” Rachel echoed.
”So? What do we do?” Jake asked. ”Take a look around out in the Dry Lands? See if we can get some more proof?”
”Very good flying out there,” Tobias said. ”Lots of sweet thermals.”
”And plenty of delicious snakes and toads?” Marco asked with mock innocence.
”I can't go tomorrow,” Jake said. ”It's my dad's birthday. We're all going out for dinner.”
”Even Tom?” Rachel asked.
”Tom says he'll be there,” Jake said darkly. ”But who knows? He spends a lot of time at meetings of The Sharing lately. All the more reason why I have to be there. My dad is not going to celebrate his birthday without at least one of his sons there.”
”What did you get your dad?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood.
Jake grinned. ”Haven't done it yet, but I think I'm going to clean the roof gutters for him.”
Marco shuddered. ”Actual physical labor? Couldn't you just get him a nice Hallmark card?”
”I am kind of curious about this thing with the horses,” I said. ”But we could put it off till the weekend.”
”It could be worth checking out,” Jake said. ”But we don't need everyone to go along. Who wants to go flying with Ca.s.sie tomorrow after school?”
In the end Tobias, Rachel, Marco, and I decided to go. Jake was busy, and I don't think Ax saw any point in it. We broke up and went our separate ways. We try not to spend much time together in public. We don't want any inquisitive Controllers to start thinking of us as a ”group.” So Rachel and I left together.
”No one is taking this seriously, are they?” I asked her. ”I get the impression Ax thinks we're nuts.”
”Yeerks in horses? Horse-Controllers? It is kind of hard to see where that's some big threat.”
”Yeah. I guess that's true.”
”But hey, any excuse to go flying, right?”
Chapter 5.
The next day I wore my new outfit to school. I hooked up with Rachel before first period and we walked to cla.s.s together. Down the main hall. Me and Rachel, the G.o.ddess of Clothing and Good Grooming.
”You look great!” Rachel said.
”Hi, Rachel,” a boy named Charles said, smiling awkwardly. ”Oh, and hi, urn ... Carla.”
”See? Charles smiled at you.”
”He called me Carla.”
”Has he ever even spoken to you before?” Rachel asked.
”I guess not.”
”See? Progress.”
Marco likes to tease Rachel, calling her Xena: Warrior Princess. And when I'm with her I guess I'm Gabrielle. The sidekick. Guys see Rachel first, second, and third. They see me fourth.
Personally, I don't care. Looks and clothing don't matter even slightly to me. And the people who matter are the ones who see past all that.
”Hey, Rachel. How's it going?” a boy named Jawan asked, smiling shyly.
”Fine,” Rachel said coolly. ”Ca.s.sie, you've met Jawan, haven't you?”
I shrugged. ”Hi, Jawan.”