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 amdone 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.
CHAPTER 18
C hapman dived. His hands were open wide, grabbing for me.
I was trapped! No way out. No way to open that door and escape.
Trapped!
No sensible choice but to surrender.
But the cat and I were in agreement on this: You never surrender.
I felt my claws extend. My pupils were wide, ready to see every tiny movement. My ears were flattened back against my skull. My needle-sharp teeth were bared. My liquid steel muscles were coiled.
Chapman’s hand seemed to slow down. It was likehe was moving in slow motion. Everything seemed slower to my heightened cat senses. Only I was moving at normal speed.
My paw lashed out. My claws bit flesh. I saw three bright red tracks on the back of Chapman’s hand.
I could smell the blood that flowed.
“Ahhhhh!” Chapman howled. He backed away.
“Get it!” Visser Three shouted.
Jake wondered.
Chapman got a determined look on his face. He came at me again. I was cornered. No way out.
I slashed. Chapman cried out.
My claws were lacerating him, tearing furrows in his arms and hands.
He grabbed me around the middle. The cat in me hated being grabbed that way.
Hated it a lot.
I brought my teeth into it. I was a ten-pound bundle of lightning-fast claws and teeth. Chapman’s hands looked like raw hamburger.
“A magnificent animal!” Visser Three commented. “Twist it around. Hold it with your forearm. That’s right.”
I did a lot of damage. Believe me, Chapman got hurt.
But in the end, no matter how tough I was, I wasjust ten pounds of killer. Chapman was about eighteen times bigger.
He got his forearm around my chest. He had me pressed back against his chest. My front legs were pinned. With his other arm he managed to grab my hind legs.
All I could do was bite.
I bit. I bit again and again. But although I could hurt him, I couldn’t kill him. I couldn’t stop him. His fear of Visser Three was greater than the pain I was causing.
“Bring it to me,” Visser Three
“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.”
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.”
“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 amdone 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.
CHAPTER 18
C hapman dived. His hands were open wide, grabbing for me.
I was trapped! No way out. No way to open that door and escape.
Trapped!
No sensible choice but to surrender.
But the cat and I were in agreement on this: You never surrender.
I felt my claws extend. My pupils were wide, ready to see every tiny movement. My ears were flattened back against my skull. My needle-sharp teeth were bared. My liquid steel muscles were coiled.
Chapman’s hand seemed to slow down. It was likehe was moving in slow motion. Everything seemed slower to my heightened cat senses. Only I was moving at normal speed.
My paw lashed out. My claws bit flesh. I saw three bright red tracks on the back of Chapman’s hand.
I could smell the blood that flowed.
“Ahhhhh!” Chapman howled. He backed away.
“Get it!” Visser Three shouted.
Chapman got a determined look on his face. He came at me again. I was cornered. No way out.
I slashed. Chapman cried out.
My claws were lacerating him, tearing furrows in his arms and hands.
He grabbed me around the middle. The cat in me hated being grabbed that way.
Hated it a lot.
I brought my teeth into it. I was a ten-pound bundle of lightning-fast claws and teeth. Chapman’s hands looked like raw hamburger.
“A magnificent animal!” Visser Three commented. “Twist it around. Hold it with your forearm. That’s right.”
I did a lot of damage. Believe me, Chapman got hurt.
But in the end, no matter how tough I was, I wasjust ten pounds of killer. Chapman was about eighteen times bigger.
He got his forearm around my chest. He had me pressed back against his chest. My front legs were pinned. With his other arm he managed to grab my hind legs.
All I could do was bite.
I bit. I bit again and again. But although I could hurt him, I couldn’t kill him. I couldn’t stop him. His fear of Visser Three was greater than the pain I was causing.
“Bring it to me,” Visser Three
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