The Encounter

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Authors: K. A. Applegate
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    Rachel laughed. “Yeah, good point. People would just think he was insane. Besides, if he started talking openly about the Yeerks, they would find him and silence him.”
    
    “You saved him,” Rachel said.
     I admitted.
    Rachel thought about that for a moment. “The Yeerks and their slaves aren’t killing to eat,” she said. “They are killing to control and dominate. Killing because it’s the only way you can eat, because that’s the way nature designed you, that’s one thing. Killing because you want power or control is evil.”
     I said.
    “What you did … eating … you know, whatever. Well, that’s natural for the hawk. Nothing a Hork-Bajir does is natural. They aren’t even in control of their own bodies or minds. They are tools of the Yeerks. And the Yeerks only want power and domination.”
     I said. But I wasn’t totally convinced. Still, it was comforting to be talking to Rachel.
    “You are
human,
Tobias,” she told me softly.
    
    Rachel looked like she might start crying. It was alarming to me, because Rachel isn’t a girl who bursts out in tears, ever.
    
    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.
    “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.”
    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… .”
     I said, trying to sound confident.
    “We don’t have to go through with that,” Rachel said.
     I said.

CHAPTER 18
     
    T he 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.
     Marco said.
     Cassie interrupted.
    small
-bear cave>
     I said.

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