Cassie's mother revived long enough to say that I was crazy, but I was "still so cute."

Her father winked his left eye at me and waved as I left. Then he laughed at something from the television.

Outside in the cool evening air, Cassie sighed heavily. "Well, we got through that without it being too much of a disaster. Come on. I'll walk you out a ways, till you can morph back without being seen. By the way, here's a book for you, since you're done with the World Almanac. It's a book of quotes. Stuff that famous people said." She held it out for me to take.

"Thank you," I said.

48 I felt strange walking into the dark. Walking away from Cassie's house. Strange. As if it were cold out, although it wasn't.

"So what did you think of my parents?" Cassie asked.

"I liked them," I said. "But why has your father removed the hair from his head? Hair. Hay-yer. I meant to ask him, but forgot."

"He's going bald," Cassie said. "It's probably better not to mention it. It's a normal thing for humans. But some people get sensitive about it."

"Ah, yes. My father's hooves are getting dull. It's normal as well, but he doesn't like to talk about it."

"What's your father like? And your mother?"

"They are ... just normal parents. They are very nice. They are ..."

"Goon."

"My throat feels strange," I said. "Like there is an obstruction. I am having difficulty speaking. Ing. Is this normal?"

Cassie put her arm beneath mine. "You miss them. That's normal."

"An Andalite warrior may spend many years in space, far from his home and family. That's normal."

"Ax. You said it yourself. You may be an Andalite warrior, but you're still a kid, too."

I stopped walking. I was far from the light of the house. I could change back into my own shape without being seen. I realized I was looking up at the stars.

"Where are they?" Cassie asked, following the direction of my gaze. "If you're allowed to tell me that."

I pointed with my human fingers at the quadrant of space where my home star twinkled.

"There."

I watched that star as I melted out of my human form and returned to my true Andalite body.

"Ax, you know that Jake and Tobias and me, and even Rachel and Marco, we all care about you. You know that, right? You're not just some alien to us."

"Thank you for the chili," I said. "It was wonderful." Once more an Andalite, I ran for the forest.

I spent part of the night reading the book of quotes. I should have been resting, but I felt disturbed.

49 More and more I thought of how easily I could turn the radio telescope at the observatory into a Z-space transmitter. The idea of contacting my parents filled me with sadness and longing.

"They could tell me what to do," I thought. "They could give me instructions." And in another part of my mind I thought, "Wouldn't they be proud that I was fighting on against the Yeerks? They would all say, "He's an other Elfangor. A hero."" I'm not proud that I was thinking that. But I have to tell the truth. And the truth was, I wanted everyone back home to think I was being very brave, all alone on Earth.

Already in my mind a plan was taking shape.

I found a quiet place and prepared to sleep. I closed my main eyes, leaving only my stalk eyes open to look for danger. I relaxed my tail until it touched the ground.

Lonely.

Yes, it was lonely to sleep in a forest on a planet far from home. It was lonely to be the only one of my kind.

It was lonely knowing that Cassie was asleep in her home, and Marco in his, and Rachel and Jake. All had homes.

All but me. And Tobias.

Tobias. He would understand. But would he help me? If I did what I was planning, would he help? And could I trust him?

I raised my tail and opened my main eyes. I knew the place where Tobias slept. I found him easily. He stood with his sharp talons wrapped around a branch.

"Tobias?" I called.

"Huh? What? Ax? What's the matter?"

"Nothing is the matter. But ... I have a questions "I hope it's a good one. I was sleeping."

"Tobias. Are you my friend?"

"That's what you woke me up to ask?" He opened his wings and seemed to be stretching.

"Ax, we are the two strangest creatures on this planet: a freaky, four-eyed, half-deer, half-scorpion, centaur-looking alien, and a bird with the mind of a person. We've fought side by side. We've been nearly killed several times. Of course I'm your friend." 50 It surprised me that he would answer so quickly. As if there was never any doubt what the answer would be. "That's good," I said. "Will you keep a secret? Even from Prince Jake?

Even from Rachel?"

Tobias was silent for a while. "Is it something that would hurt my friends?"

"No."

"Then I'd keep a secret," Tobias said. "I swear."

"What do you swear by, Tobias? I have to be sure. What promise would you never break?"

"Ax, you know I was there when your brother was killed."

"Yes. I know. You were the last one to leave him."

"Yeah. I don't know why," Tobias said. "But something about him ... I can't explain it, but I was drawn to him. I wanted to listen to him. I wanted to hear everything he said. It was like .

. . like he was a magnet or something. Like I couldn't pull away. Until he ordered me to leave.

I can't explain it."

"You don't need to explain," I said softly. Even here, among aliens, Elfangor was the hero.

"You asked what I'd swear by. I'll swear by him. By Prince Elfangor." And so, I told Tobias of my plan.

51 Chapter Eight

"E.T. phone home." When I found that sentence in Cassie's book of human quotes, it surprised me. To be honest, it almost scared me. It was as if it were written just for me. I thought maybe, somehow, my human friends had discovered my plan and written it there. -

From the Earth Diary of Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill

The sun was just coming up over planet Earth.

I performed the morning ritual, as I always did. But I was especially impatient this morning. I knew Tobias was hunting a morning meal and would be back as soon as he had finished eating some unfortunate mouse or shrew.

"Freedom is my only cause. Duty to the people, my only guide. Obedience to my prince, my only glory ."

When Tobias returned from the hunt, we would go. He would lead me to the observatory, to the great radio telescope. And, with luck, I would be able to call my home.

"I, Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, Andalite warrior, offer my life." With my stalk eyes I saw a hawk swoop low overhead. Tobias rested on a branch. He focused his fierce hawk's eyes on me. "Are you done?"

"Yes. The ritual is completes "Great. Because it is a beautiful day for flying. Thermals like you wouldn't believe. And a sweet little ground breeze for easy takeoff."

"Tobias, you understand that you don't have to do this," I said. "There may be danger."

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, Ax. Let's go, already."

I often go flying with Tobias. The bird morph I have is called a northern harrier. It is a type of hawk, about the same size as Tobias's red-tail. Tobias's feathers are mostly brown and light tan, while the harrier's are mostly gray and white.

I controlled my excitement and worry, and focused on making the change.