The Visitor (9 page)

I
t was a dark and stormy night.

Sorry, I've always wanted to write that. But it really
was
a dark and stormy night.

“Where is Jake?” I asked as we all got together down the street from Chapman's house. Everyone else was there. Cassie and Marco were wearing raincoats, although it hadn't started raining yet. Tobias was overhead, trying to hold on to a branch in a tree while the wind tried to knock him off.

“Jake had to stay home,” Marco said. “Something about his dad grounding him.”

“Why would his dad ground him?”

“How do I know?” Marco said, sounding grouchy.
“You know how parents are. Don't ask
me
to explain them.”

I bit my lip. Somehow I felt more nervous with Jake being absent. The crazy wind whistling through the branches wasn't helping my confidence, either.

Tobias said so all could hear.

“Look, I'm not a big fan of shrews just because I sort of was one.” I took a deep breath. “Okay, look, we can't always count on all of us being together, I guess. So we go without Jake.”

I glanced at Cassie. She smiled blandly. Something was going on with her, but I didn't have time to find out what.

Tobias volunteered. He opened his wings a little and was immediately propelled out of the tree by the wind. I watched as he rode it expertly, swooping quickly up into the air beyond the range of my weak human eyes.

After a while we saw something shooting over our heads at about fifty miles an hour. Tobias called down as he shot past.

I felt strange. A little nauseous. A little scared. Everything seemed strange tonight. The weird thing was, I knew I'd feel better as soon as I morphed.

I concentrated. The first raindrop fell just as I felt
my tail grow out behind me. By the time I had fallen to the ground, surrounded by the tent of my clothing, the rain had started for real.

“Oh, perfect,” Marco said. “This just gets more and more fun.”

you
have a raincoat,> I said.

Cassie squatted next to me. She's just a normal-sized girl, but when you're a ten-pound cat any human being looks like Godzilla.

“Be careful, Rachel,” Cassie said. And then she stroked my back. I started to move away, but she kept her hand on my back for a few seconds. Then, smiling mysteriously, she stood up.

I found I soon lost interest in Cassie's expression. Cats really don't have much interest in humans at all, unless food is involved.

I said. I took off at a medium run. Cats don't like rain. I could feel the cat brain's distaste. I'd always thought cats hated all water. But that wasn't Fluffer's attitude. See, to him it was all about the smells and the sounds. Rain washes away scents. Without scents, a cat feels cut off and lost.

Almost as bad as losing smells is the fact that rain plopping all around you makes it hard to listen for the
important sounds: the tiny high-pitched squeaks and the little furtive scritching noises.

Rain to cats is like being in the dark is to human beings. It just makes the whole world kind of boring.

So I ran toward the kitty door, actually looki ng forward to the friendly smells and sounds of home. At least, that's what Fluffer was thinking. I was still wondering why Jake hadn't come. And I was wondering if it was some kind of bad omen. There was a bad feeling over this whole mission.

I knew my way around the Chapman home, both as a cat and as a human. And I was pretty sure I knew the routine. Last time Visser Three had made contact right at eight o'clock. If Visser Three communicated with Chapman at the same time every night, then I had arrived right on schedule.

Chapman was sitting on the couch, same as last time. And just as I'd hoped, at three minutes till eight he stood up and headed down toward the basement.

My whole plan was to go down there with him. I remembered the layout of the little secret room. I remembered the desk. I knew if I could somehow follow him down without him seeing me and then get under the desk, I would be invisible to him, and to the Visser Three hologram.

The problem was that the whole plan counted on Chapman not noticing me.

He headed for the basement door. I fell into step right behind him. The trick was to stay just inches behind his feet. From there he couldn't see me. But I had to watch his feet closely. If he hesitated, I could plow right into him. That would be a very un-catlike thing to do.

He walked. I kept pace perfectly, just behind.

He headed down the stairs. I figured this part would be easier. When people walk down stairs they usually look where they are going. They don't turn around and look behind them.

But one sound, one clumsy move, and I was finished.

We reached the bottom of the stairs. Suddenly Chapman stopped dead.

I leaped behind the couch.

He looked around, like he'd heard a noise. Or maybe he just sensed something.

I froze. I didn't move a muscle.

He started on toward the door. I fell into step behind him again.

I nearly had a heart attack.

My tail puffed up. My back fur went straight up. I almost bolted.

Chapman stopped and I nearly got entangled in
his legs. His left foot moved. I dodged. He backed up a little. I squirmed out of the way.

Jake?

Chapman opened the door of the secret room. He stepped through. I was right between his monstrously big feet. If he happened to glance down …

But he didn't. He didn't, and when he turned around to shut the door behind him, I bolted for the desk. I jammed my body as far back in the dark corner as I could.

I'd made it … barely. I was alive … so far.

He sounded concerned.

Me, I was just angry.

I yelled silently.

me? Jake, this is not the time to be playing jokes.>

Chapman sat down at the desk. His feet pushed beneath the desk, just narrowly missing me as I once again dodged nimbly out of the way.

I kept my eyes focused on Chapman's feet. Cats have incredible powers of concentration. I focused hard on those big feet, each almost as big as I was. I had to stay out of their way. That was the key to staying alive.

Jake said.

E
xcuse me?> It would have been funny if I hadn't been so terrified. flea?
>

he said.

Of course! That's why Cassie had made such a point of patting my back. She was depositing Jake on me.

I sighed inwardly. I guess it's good to have friends who care about you. But on the other hand, Jake had practically made me run into Chapman. Besides, the idea of Jake morphing into a flea and crawling around in my fur just gave me the worst creeps you can imagine.

Suddenly the brilliant light went on. Visser Three appeared in the room.

about half an inch away from Chapman's foot.>

I hesitated. Oh, well, it would have to come out sooner or later.

For a while Jake didn't say anything. I had the feeling he was trying to keep himself from yelling at me. He failed.

But just then Chapman began to speak. “Welcome, Visser. Iniss Two-Two-Six of the Sulp Niaar pool submits to you. May the Kandrona shine and strengthen you.”

“And you,” Visser Three said curtly. “Report.” “I have four new voluntary hosts, Visser,” Chapman said. “Two are children recruited through The Sharing, the front organization. Of the two adults, one is an agent for the FBI, a sort of policeman. He may be very —”

“FOOL! “ Visser Three's artificial voice was flat, but
still carried a load of anger. “Do I care about a handful of hosts? What have you learned of the Andalite bandits?”

“Visser, what can I do … unless they show themselves?”

“They used Earth animals in the attack on the pool,” Visser Three said. “They used powerful, dangerous Earth animals. Find out how they obtained such morphs. My experts here tell me such animals are rare on this part of the planet.”

“Yes, Visser. I will do —”

“Yes. You
will
. And we have another matter. We need six more Human-Controllers, suitable for work as guards. They will be used to increase the security around the Kandrona.”

Jake asked.

I said.

The foot moved too quickly. The point of the shoe hit me in the ribs.

“Mrrrraaaoowwww!”

Chapman pushed back from the desk. He passed right through the Visser Three hologram. For a second I saw them united, as if they were one horrible creature.

“What's happening?” Visser Three demanded.

Chapman stared at me, horror and fury in his eyes.

I flattened my ears back against my skull. My claws came out. My teeth were bared.

“It's the animal, Visser. The cat,” Chapman said in a voice full of loathing and fear.

Visser Three seemed to make a seething, half-hissing noise.

“You should have killed it when I told you to, Iniss Two-Two-Six.”

“But, Visser —” Chapman protested.

“And yet it all works out to my advantage,” Visser Three said. “Now there can be no doubt that this cat is one of the Andalite bandits.”

I said.

“We will no longer have to search for the Andalites,” Visser Three said. “We have one right here with us.”

“Shall I kill it?” Chapman asked.

“No. Don't kill it. Seize it. Seize it now, before it can morph back into Andalite shape. By the time I am
done with this one, we will have them all! It has been a long time since I tortured a proud Andalite warrior. But I know how to break them. Seize it and bring it to me!”

Chapman knew better than to argue.