either on the ground or about to land,” Jake said. “Maybe the cloaking ability doesn’t work when they get close to land. But if you think about it, Marco is right. They would have to be able to avoid being picked up by radar. Maybe they also have the ability to avoid being seen.”
I said flatly.
“How can you be so sure?” Cassie asked. She wasworking as we talked, cleaning an empty cage with a brush and a bucket of sudsy water.
I said stubbornly. >I … I just got this feeling from it. Also, it seemed huge. Far bigger than even the biggest jet. This was huge. More like a real ship, you know, like an ocean liner.>
“The question is, what do we do about it?” Jake asked. Of course, I knew he’d already made up his mind to do
something.
But Jake doesn’t like to act like the one in charge, even though that’s how I think of him. He lets everyone have their say first.
I said.
the mountains. So I’m guessing it was doing something
in
the mountains.>
Rachel nodded. “That makes sense.”
Marco rolled his eyes. “The mountains? Have you suburb-dwellers ever been to the mountains? We’re talking about a large area. No matter how big this ship is, it could hide in a thousand places in the mountains.”
“Then we’d better start looking right away,” Rachel said brightly.
Jake looked at Cassie. “Cass? What do you think?”
Cassie shrugged. “I halfway feel like we’ve doneenough. You know? We attacked the Yeerk pool. We barely got out alive. We infiltrated Chapman’s house and Rachel was captured. Again, we barely got out alive. I guess the question is, how many risks are we going to take? How many more times are we going to barely escape?”
I could see that Marco was surprised. Suddenly it sounded like Cassie was on his side. “Exactly! Exactly! Just what I’ve been saying. Why is it our job to get killed?”
But then Cassie went and blew it all for him.
“I mean, as far as I’m concerned, I can’t just do
nothing
while people are enslaved by the Yeerks,” Cassie said. “Maybe it’s just me… .” She shrugged. “The thing is, I have these powers.” She shrugged again. “I can’t just do nothing.”
“Look, these aren’t people we know,” Marco argued. “They aren’t my friends. Or my family.” He shot a guilty look at Jake. “And we did everything we could for Tom. So why should I get killed for strangers? We can’t stay lucky forever. Don’t you people understand that? Sooner or later, we’ll slip up. Sooner or later, we’ll be standing around here crying because Jake or Rachel or Cassie or Tobias is gone.”
“You know something?” Rachel exploded. “I’m tired of trying to talk you into this, Marco. You want out? Fine, you’re OUT!”
“Hey, Rachel, you’re not just doing this to help save the human race,” Marco yelled back. “You get off on the danger. That’s why you went with Tobias to free that bird. That wasn’t about saving the world. That was about rescuing some stupid bird.”
Marco realized he’d gone too far. He fell silent. The others all looked guiltily at me. Rachel shot Marco a look of pure anger.
I said,
“I’ll be with you,” Rachel said instantly.
Cassie nodded.
Jake made a wry smile. “You say you’re not a leader, but I’ll go with you.”
Marco shook his head. “No,” he said.
“Your choice,” Rachel said.
“That’s not what I meant,” Marco said angrily. “I meant no, not in the morning. Tomorrow’s a school day. If all of us skip school on
“How can you be so sure?” Cassie asked. She wasworking as we talked, cleaning an empty cage with a brush and a bucket of sudsy water.
“The question is, what do we do about it?” Jake asked. Of course, I knew he’d already made up his mind to do
something.
But Jake doesn’t like to act like the one in charge, even though that’s how I think of him. He lets everyone have their say first.
I said.
the mountains. So I’m guessing it was doing something
in
the mountains.>
Rachel nodded. “That makes sense.”
Marco rolled his eyes. “The mountains? Have you suburb-dwellers ever been to the mountains? We’re talking about a large area. No matter how big this ship is, it could hide in a thousand places in the mountains.”
“Then we’d better start looking right away,” Rachel said brightly.
Jake looked at Cassie. “Cass? What do you think?”
Cassie shrugged. “I halfway feel like we’ve doneenough. You know? We attacked the Yeerk pool. We barely got out alive. We infiltrated Chapman’s house and Rachel was captured. Again, we barely got out alive. I guess the question is, how many risks are we going to take? How many more times are we going to barely escape?”
I could see that Marco was surprised. Suddenly it sounded like Cassie was on his side. “Exactly! Exactly! Just what I’ve been saying. Why is it our job to get killed?”
But then Cassie went and blew it all for him.
“I mean, as far as I’m concerned, I can’t just do
nothing
while people are enslaved by the Yeerks,” Cassie said. “Maybe it’s just me… .” She shrugged. “The thing is, I have these powers.” She shrugged again. “I can’t just do nothing.”
“Look, these aren’t people we know,” Marco argued. “They aren’t my friends. Or my family.” He shot a guilty look at Jake. “And we did everything we could for Tom. So why should I get killed for strangers? We can’t stay lucky forever. Don’t you people understand that? Sooner or later, we’ll slip up. Sooner or later, we’ll be standing around here crying because Jake or Rachel or Cassie or Tobias is gone.”
“You know something?” Rachel exploded. “I’m tired of trying to talk you into this, Marco. You want out? Fine, you’re OUT!”
“Hey, Rachel, you’re not just doing this to help save the human race,” Marco yelled back. “You get off on the danger. That’s why you went with Tobias to free that bird. That wasn’t about saving the world. That was about rescuing some stupid bird.”
Marco realized he’d gone too far. He fell silent. The others all looked guiltily at me. Rachel shot Marco a look of pure anger.
“I’ll be with you,” Rachel said instantly.
Cassie nodded.
Jake made a wry smile. “You say you’re not a leader, but I’ll go with you.”
Marco shook his head. “No,” he said.
“Your choice,” Rachel said.
“That’s not what I meant,” Marco said angrily. “I meant no, not in the morning. Tomorrow’s a school day. If all of us skip school on
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