Elfangor would have had the courage. If it had been me killed by Visser Three, Elfangor would have gone right after him.

But I guess I'm not Elfangor.

"Hey, Ax-man, what's up?"

"I am fine, Tobias," I said. Actually, I was not fine. Tobias being there reminded me that I had something planned for this morning, and I was nervous. Maybe that's why the morning ritual had not left me feeling calm, like it was supposed to. I was planning to do something very frightening. I was planning to go to school.

"Not to be too curious or anything, but what was that you were doing? I've seen you do it before. "

"The morning ritual. It reminds a warrior to be humble. And to serve the people."

"Sounds good," Tobias said. "Yikes! Um, Ax? Don't step back. In fact, don't move at all." 21 "What is wrong?" I asked.

"Don't you hear that?"

I listened. "That rattling, hissing sound? I've heard that before."

"It's a rattlesnake. Right by your leg. They're poisonous, you know."

"Ah. No, I didn't know." I turned to face the snake. I saw it coiled in the leaves. What I did not see was when it struck! It was too fast! Too fast to see, let alone avoid.

Luckily, the fangs hit my hoof! I whipped my tail forward and pressed the snake against the ground, holding it immobile. It squirmed and made the rattling sound with its tail.

"Better get rid of it," Tobias advised.

But I had a different idea. I focused on the snake. I began to "acquire" it, absorbing the snake's DNA into my system.

"You want to be able to morph a rattle snake ?" Tobias asked, sounding dubious.

"It's very fast," I said. "And I have fewer Earth morphs than the others. It may be useful someday." The snake had gone limp, the way animals always do when you acquire them.

When I was done and the snake's DNA was within me, I used my tail to flip it away into some bushes.

"So," Tobias asked, "are you still going ahead with your get-to-know-the-humans plan?"

"Yes. I may be on this planet for a long time. I should be using this time to learn about humans. Even though ... I think I may have behaved badly at the movie." Tobias laughed. He laughed for quite a while. "Yeah. I heard about that. You just need to stay away from chocolate."

"I am not prepared for taste. The experience is very powerful. Perhaps I should not morph into a human anymore."

"Don't sweat it," Tobias said. "But speaking of taste . . . you realize there's this big mystery about you."

"A big mystery?"

"Yeah. No one wants to ask you because they think maybe it's rude. But everyone wants to know how you eat with no mouth."

"How I eat?" I repeated, puzzled. "Well, I have hooves, don't l?"

"Ooookay," Tobias said. "I'll mind my own business." 22 We started moving through the woods. I ran at a good speed. I enjoyed leaping fallen logs and dodging through dense patches of thorny bushes. I was getting to know this forest well.

As I ran and leaped, Tobias flew overhead. At times he would rise through the canopy of trees and disappear from my sight. At other times he would flit from tree to tree, silent, swift.

"In school, during Xenobiology, we had a section on humans," I told Tobias. "It mostly involved human television programs. News shows. Entertainment. Music."

"Music? You mean like MTV? You were watching music videos on the Andalite home world?"

"I don't remember what they were. I ... I didn't pay very much attention to Xenobiology. I wish I had now. A warrior is supposed to be a scientist and an artist, as well as a fighter. But I didn't always enjoy that other stuff, so I didn't pay much attention. I suppose humans always pay attention in school."

"Absolutely," Tobias said. "That's why I am such an expert on the War of 1812."

"A war? Tell me about it."

"I was kidding. I don't know anything about the War of 1812. We're just about there. Are you ready to start?"

We had reached a narrow spur of woods. Normally, I would not have dared go this far because it was surrounded on three sides by human habitations. But Tobias was overhead, keeping his incredibly keen eyes open for any danger.

"Yes, I'm ready."

"Jake and Cassie are coming across the field. Time for you to morph. Time to get human."

"Tobias, will you ... I mean, you'll be alone today. While I'm with the others."

"What, like I can't get along without you, Ax- man? I have places to go. Things to do.

Feathers to preen. Rodents to eat. Besides, Ax, Jake has already asked me to fly cover over the school while you're in there."

I don't know why, but it made me feel better to think that Tobias would be in the sky above me all day.

Sometimes I think Tobias and I could be true shorm. A shormis a deep friend, someone you never lie to, someone who knows all your secrets. The word shormmeans "tail blade." See, it's supposed to mean a person you would trust so much they could put their tail blade right up against your throat and you wouldn't even worry.

Sometimes I think Tobias and I could be like that. We are both cut off from our own people.

We're both alone.

But if we were friends, I would have no secrets from Tobias. And even though he was a hawk in form, he was still a human. And I am an Andalite. And no matter how much I sometimes 23 wished for a real friend, there had to be a wall between my people and the humans. Between me and the humans.

Getting too close to any alien species is a mistake. We are taught that. We may protect them, defend them, care for them. But they can never be deep friends.

24 Chapter FIVE

I have morphed some Andalite animals. And I have morphed many strange Earth animals.

But the animal I morphed the most is the human animal. They are weak, slow, half-blind, and unstable, but no Andalite should laugh at them. Humans rule their planet. And as the human Rachel once said, Earth is a tough neighborhood. - From the Earth Diary of Aximili-

Esgarrouth-Isthill

I peered through the trees. I could see a wide, grassy field. On the far side of the field were several long, squat buildings. There were large yellow vehicles parked in front. Hundreds of young humans milled around outside the building.

Prince Jake and Cassie had drawn close.

"Hey, Ax," Prince Jake said. "How's it going?"

"Very well, Prince Jake," I answered.

"Um, you're not going to call me Prince Jake today, are you?"

"When I am in human morph, I will behave as a normal human," I assured him.

"Well, better go ahead and morph," Cassie suggested.

"I think we're clear, but I'll go up and take a look," Tobias said. He flapped his wings and rose slowly into the sky.

I concentrated on my human morph and began to make the change.

"Still clear," I heard Tobias call down from above. "There are some kids about two hundred feet away, but they can't see you."

I morphed as quickly as I could, while being careful not to fall over as my third and fourth legs disappeared. At last, I stood on just two legs. It's both frightening and exciting. I mean, there you are, tottering back and forth with nothing to hold you up. Your feet can't grip, and they are too short to be much help in balancing.

All you can do if you start to fall is stand on one leg while you throw the second leg out to catch yourself. It's very unreliable. I don't know why humans evolved this way. They are the only species on this planet to walk around on just two legs, without wings or a tail to hold them up.