Hork-Bajir said. “Leave. Now.”
Jake asked.
Visser One’s troops turned and marched away.
Rachel said.
Jake said.
Rachel squeezed her massive tonnage into the hallway.
CHAPTER 23
W homp! Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!
Rachel made the steel floor vibrate with each massive step. Her leathery sides scraped the corridor walls so that I could only catch occasional glimpses past her.
The hallway was empty until we reached the guard station. Just as the Hork-Bajir had said.
Rachel didn’t even slow down.
Whomp! Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!
I saw a flash of a Taxxon, foolishly running as if to cut her off. A few seconds later I had to jump over the crushed remnants of the big centipede.
Cassie yelled. He exploded out of a side corridor, a red-uniformed Hork-Bajir. Swooosh!
A razor-bladed arm sliced the air inches in front of my face.
Tobias warned.
Rachel moaned. She was too big, too tight a fit in the corridors to turn and help, as half a dozen Hork-Bajir in Visser Three’s livery came screaming onto the scene.
I said.
Ax said, sounding like he was announcing a party.
I felt the same way. I was ready. I was mad and tired of feeling helpless.
The closest Hork-Bajir swung at me again and sliced a six-inch-long cut in the matted fur of my huge shoulders.
That was all it took. Like I said, gorillas are peaceful, almost gentle creatures.
But don’t go making one angry. Especially not when a boy who wants very badly to hurt some Yeerks is sharing space in the gorilla’s head.
“Hoohoo hoo hhawwwrr!”
I cried, and swung a fist the size of a cinder block into the stomach of theHork-Bajir. I gave it all I had. I put every ounce of the gorilla’s muscle into the blow.
The Hork-Bajir was lifted clear up off the deck. His head slammed the ceiling. He was down and out of the game.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw another Hork-Bajir leap at Ax. The Andalite’s tail flashed forward so fast you didn’t even see it move. The Hork-Bajir staggered back, minus an arm.
I decided right then — I kind of liked Ax.
Jake yelled.
Just then, right on cue, two more Hork-Bajir came up from behind us. Jake said.
The Hork-Bajir rushed us.
“RRRRRRROOOOOWWWRRR!”
Jake let loose with a roar that must have been heard from one end of the mother ship to the other. It even scared me. And it sure made the Hork-Bajir hesitate.
He was on them, while they were still thinking about what to do next.
Hork-Bajir are very fast. But so are tigers.
One Hork-Bajir was down, with Jake sinking fangs into his snakelike neck. The other Hork-Bajir looked around to make sure no one could see him, then decided he’d like to live. He kept his distance.
Jake backed away but kept his face turned to the Hork-Bajir behind us. We trotted as fast as we could down the hallway, now a scene of devastation.
It was like the ant tunnels. We could only try to escape. The longer we tried to fight, the more the odds would turn against us.
Suddenly …
I heard Tobias cry.
I asked.
Rachel answered.
Then I was there, at the edge of a long shaft that went down and down, maybe forever. Rachel already looked small. Which was not easy for her to do.
I reminded her.
Visser One’s troops turned and marched away.
Rachel squeezed her massive tonnage into the hallway.
CHAPTER 23
W homp! Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!
Rachel made the steel floor vibrate with each massive step. Her leathery sides scraped the corridor walls so that I could only catch occasional glimpses past her.
The hallway was empty until we reached the guard station. Just as the Hork-Bajir had said.
Rachel didn’t even slow down.
Whomp! Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!
I saw a flash of a Taxxon, foolishly running as if to cut her off. A few seconds later I had to jump over the crushed remnants of the big centipede.
A razor-bladed arm sliced the air inches in front of my face.
Rachel moaned. She was too big, too tight a fit in the corridors to turn and help, as half a dozen Hork-Bajir in Visser Three’s livery came screaming onto the scene.
I said.
I felt the same way. I was ready. I was mad and tired of feeling helpless.
The closest Hork-Bajir swung at me again and sliced a six-inch-long cut in the matted fur of my huge shoulders.
That was all it took. Like I said, gorillas are peaceful, almost gentle creatures.
But don’t go making one angry. Especially not when a boy who wants very badly to hurt some Yeerks is sharing space in the gorilla’s head.
“Hoohoo hoo hhawwwrr!”
I cried, and swung a fist the size of a cinder block into the stomach of theHork-Bajir. I gave it all I had. I put every ounce of the gorilla’s muscle into the blow.
The Hork-Bajir was lifted clear up off the deck. His head slammed the ceiling. He was down and out of the game.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw another Hork-Bajir leap at Ax. The Andalite’s tail flashed forward so fast you didn’t even see it move. The Hork-Bajir staggered back, minus an arm.
I decided right then — I kind of liked Ax.
Just then, right on cue, two more Hork-Bajir came up from behind us.
The Hork-Bajir rushed us.
“RRRRRRROOOOOWWWRRR!”
Jake let loose with a roar that must have been heard from one end of the mother ship to the other. It even scared me. And it sure made the Hork-Bajir hesitate.
He was on them, while they were still thinking about what to do next.
Hork-Bajir are very fast. But so are tigers.
One Hork-Bajir was down, with Jake sinking fangs into his snakelike neck. The other Hork-Bajir looked around to make sure no one could see him, then decided he’d like to live. He kept his distance.
Jake backed away but kept his face turned to the Hork-Bajir behind us. We trotted as fast as we could down the hallway, now a scene of devastation.
It was like the ant tunnels. We could only try to escape. The longer we tried to fight, the more the odds would turn against us.
Suddenly …
Then I was there, at the edge of a long shaft that went down and down, maybe forever. Rachel already looked small. Which was not easy for her to do.
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