Rachel looked like she might start crying. It was alarming to me, because Rachel isn't a girl who bursts out in tears, ever.

"Anyway, look, I'm sorry I ruined your exhibition at the mall the other day." She smiled. "What do you mean? It was perfect. I was just starting my routine, and you know how much I hate to have to do public shows like that. You put an end to the whole thing real fast."

I laughed silently. "I can imagine. I hope no one was hurt by the falling glass."

"No, everyone was fine. But what were you going to do if Marco had missed with that baseball? You would have hit the glass awfully hard."

55 I didn't know what to say.

Rachel came closer and stroked my crest with her hand. It made the hawk in me uncomfortable. But at the same time, it was similar to preening, which is kind of pleasurable.

"What I told you the other day, Tobias . . . remember? You're not lost as long as you have Jake and Cassie and me. Even Marco. He came through for you, big time. We're your friends.

You're not alone."

I think I would have cried then. But hawks can't cry.

"And someday, the Andalites will come. . . ."

"Someday," I said, trying to sound confident. "Well, I better go see Jake. The mission is supposed to begin tomorrows "We don't have to go through with that," Rachel said.

"Yes, we do," I said. "More than ever, I understand that. See . . . there are human beings all over, trapped in bodies controlled by Yeerks. Trapped. Unable to escape. Rachel, I know how they feel. Maybe I can't escape. Maybe I am trapped forever. But if we can free some of those others. Maybe . . . I don't know. Maybe that's what I need to do to stay human." 56 CHAPTER 18

The next day, we went ahead with the mission. I flew cover overhead while four gray wolves ran beneath me. We timed it so we would arrive in the area very early in the morning, many hours before the Yeerks would arrive to hunt intruders.

"So, let me get this straight, Tobias," Marco said. "You're taking us to a bear cave? As in big grizzly bears? And this is a good thing?"

"Not grizzlies," Cassie interrupted. "Not in this area. We'd be talking black bears. They're much smaller."

"Swell. I am totally reassured. Just a small bear cave."

"The bears are long gone," I said. "There are just a few bears around, and this cave is empty.

Trust me. I spied it out yesterday. I've seen raccoons and skunks running in and out of there.

They wouldn't be doing that if there were bears."

"Excuse me. Jake? Did Tobias just say 'skunks'? I must have heard wrong, because only an idiot would think hanging out with skunks is a good idea."

"We're not going to hang out with skunks," Jake said patiently.

"The skunks don't live there," I said. "They just run in there to get away from predators." I didn't have to explain any more. I think everyone guessed how I knew that skunks ran in there to get away from predators.

"Look, it's close to the lake but I don't think the Yeerks know about it," I said. "Sorry, but there wasn't a convenient Marriott hotel where I could get you a room for the night."

"So, that means no room service, either?" Marco asked. "Well, okay. As long as this cave gets cable. The big game's on ESPN tonight."

I was carrying a tiny nylon pouch that Rachel had put together. It was tan in color, so a casual observer wouldn't notice it and wonder why a red-tail hawk was carrying luggage.

In the sack was a small watch. It weighed almost nothing. There were also some fish hooks, fishing line, and a small lighter. All together it only weighed about two ounces. But it did slow me down a little.

We reached the cave with plenty of time to spare on the two-hour deadline.

"Oh, this looks lovely," Marco said, looking at the thorns and a scrub brush around the cave entrance.

"I haven't really been inside," I admitted.

I landed outside the entrance. The opening to the cave was no more than two feet across and about four feet high. It was easy for Jake and Rachel, in their wolf morphs, to leap nimbly through. Unless there really was a bear inside, they would scare off whatever might be in there.

57 "Empty," Rachel reported. "Nothing in here but a couple of spiders and a scared mouse." I decided to try a joke. "Chase him out here. I'm hungry." Only Marco laughed. The others all acted like I'd said something embarrassing. Maybe I had.

"Let's morph back," Marco suggested. "One close call with being trapped as a wolf is plenty for me."

"I'll go look around," I said. Sometimes I didn't like being there when they morphed.

A few minutes later they all came out. Marco was complaining, as usual. "You know, we really have to figure out how to deal with the shoe situation," he muttered. "Thorns and no shoes. Not a good combination."

The four of them were barefoot and dressed only in their morphing outfits: leotards for the girls, bike shorts and tight T-shirts for Jake and Marco.

"We need to gather firewood," Jake said, with his hands on his hips. "It wouldn't hurt to warm that cave up a little before the Yeerks get here."

"Don't you love it when Jake's all masterful like that?" Rachel teased.

"I'm just trying to get us organized," Jake said defensively.

"We'd better get started fishing," Cassie pointed out. "If we don't catch a fish, we're pretty much wasting our time."

The plan was to morph into fish to enter the Yeerk ship's water pipes. Of course, in order to morph into something, you first have to "acquire" it. Which means being able to touch it.

"Shouldn't be any big problem," Jake said confidently.

"Uh-huh," Cassie said dryly. "And how many times have you gone fishing?"

"Counting this time? Once." He laughed.

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Typical suburban boy," she said affectionately. "It isn't all that easy."

"Then you guys better get started," I advised. "I'll go look around."

"Take care of yourself, Tobias," Rachel called out as I took wing.

I watched from on high as they made one failed attempt after another to convince a fish to bite one of our hooks.

It seemed ridiculous, but the entire plan was hanging on the question of whether or not we could catch a fish. And time was running out. The day wore on. Still no fish.

58 Jake was getting edgy. Rachel was downright cranky. And Marco? Forget Marco. "This is ridiculous!" he raged. "We're four - I mean, five - fairly intelligent human beings. And we can't outsmart one fish that probably has an IQ of four?"

Cassie was the only one remaining calm. "Fishing is a matter of skill and luck," she said placidly. "A smart fisherman learns not to become frustrated."

Jake looked at the little watch we'd brought along. "From what we know, the Yeerks will start arriving in an hour to clear the area."

Rachel nodded. "Even if we catch a fish now, we won't have time to test the morph."

"Maybe we should back off for today," I suggested. "You really ought to test out the fish morph. You guys all know how much trouble a morph can be at first." Jake shook his head firmly. "I don't think so, Tobias. We'd have to wait till we had another day off. Tomorrow's no good because I have stuff with my parents. So does Marco. Which means we'd have to wait a whole week."