that made you want to watch. To anyone else it would have just looked as if our assistant principal and his wife werenuts. Chapman was talking to himself and twitching and contorting, still unable to get to his feet.
I told Jake.
“Aaaarrrrggh! “ Chapman cried. Suddenly he lurched to his feet. “I will win, Chapman. You cannot resist!”
And it was true. The Chapman host was losing. Iniss Two-Two-Six was regaining control.
The same was happening with Ms. Chapman. The Yeerk in her head was forcing the rebellious hand away from her throat.
But neither of the Chapmans looked good.
I reported to Jake.
Chapman looked at his wife. Or at least the Yeerk slug in Chapman’s brain ordered his eyes to look toward the body that was controlled by a different Yeerk. It was harder now to think of Chapman as justbeing Chapman. I had seen proof that there were two creatures inside him.
I even knew what that was like. There were two people in my head as well. I had fought to control the shrew, just as the Chapman Yeerk now fought to control Chapman’s brain.
Chapman said, “I have control again.”
Ms. Chapman nodded. “Yes. But just barely. They fight fiercely for their children, these humans.”
“And they will not stop fighting. I can’t maintain my cover with this host waiting to attack at every opportunity. I have to be at the school every day. The host is beaten and exhausted for now, but in a few days he will strike again.” Chapman sounded angry and frustrated. “He’s not a fool. He knows he can’t win…. He knows each battle will leave him weaker and that eventually I will triumph.”
Ms. Chapman kicked my cage, like it was all my fault. “He doesn’t have to win. All he has to do is wait until you are in a meeting with parents or members of the school board, then strike. They’ll think you’ve lost your mind.”
Chapman looked haunted. He checked his watch. “I’ll take the Andalite to Visser Three. Maybe … maybe I can make him understand.”
“Go, quickly,” Ms. Chapman told her husband.
Chapman snatched up the cage I was in. Hebarreled through the door. He slammed me into the doorjamb on the way.
“Daddy? Daddy? What are you doing?”
It was Melissa. She was across the living room. I hadn’t seen her arrive. Where had she been? I could only pray that she had not heard everything. If she’d heard it all, there was no hope for her.
Chapman kept walking. Out into the wet night.
“Daddy? Do you have Fluffer in there?”
I told Jake.
“Daddy?” Melissa sounded frightened now. She came running. Chapman moved quicker. The real Chapman was helping. He knew his daughter would only make things worse if she tried to intervene.
“Fluffer!” Melissa cried.
There was only one hope. I cried out, making my thought-speech as loud as I could.
His answer was faint, but it was Tobias.
Jake demanded.
“Fluffer! Why are you taking Fluffer? Daddy, stop!”
CHAPTER 19
O ut the front door we went. Out into the night. Melissa, sobbing pitifully. Jake, demanding to know what was happening. Chapman, walking as fast as he could.
Melissa grabbed her father’s arm. The cage wobbled wildly.
“Daddy, you can’t take Fluffer. Don’t take him away! What are you doing?”
The car. I
“Aaaarrrrggh! “ Chapman cried. Suddenly he lurched to his feet. “I will win, Chapman. You cannot resist!”
And it was true. The Chapman host was losing. Iniss Two-Two-Six was regaining control.
The same was happening with Ms. Chapman. The Yeerk in her head was forcing the rebellious hand away from her throat.
But neither of the Chapmans looked good.
Chapman looked at his wife. Or at least the Yeerk slug in Chapman’s brain ordered his eyes to look toward the body that was controlled by a different Yeerk. It was harder now to think of Chapman as justbeing Chapman. I had seen proof that there were two creatures inside him.
I even knew what that was like. There were two people in my head as well. I had fought to control the shrew, just as the Chapman Yeerk now fought to control Chapman’s brain.
Chapman said, “I have control again.”
Ms. Chapman nodded. “Yes. But just barely. They fight fiercely for their children, these humans.”
“And they will not stop fighting. I can’t maintain my cover with this host waiting to attack at every opportunity. I have to be at the school every day. The host is beaten and exhausted for now, but in a few days he will strike again.” Chapman sounded angry and frustrated. “He’s not a fool. He knows he can’t win…. He knows each battle will leave him weaker and that eventually I will triumph.”
Ms. Chapman kicked my cage, like it was all my fault. “He doesn’t have to win. All he has to do is wait until you are in a meeting with parents or members of the school board, then strike. They’ll think you’ve lost your mind.”
Chapman looked haunted. He checked his watch. “I’ll take the Andalite to Visser Three. Maybe … maybe I can make him understand.”
“Go, quickly,” Ms. Chapman told her husband.
Chapman snatched up the cage I was in. Hebarreled through the door. He slammed me into the doorjamb on the way.
“Daddy? Daddy? What are you doing?”
It was Melissa. She was across the living room. I hadn’t seen her arrive. Where had she been? I could only pray that she had not heard everything. If she’d heard it all, there was no hope for her.
Chapman kept walking. Out into the wet night.
“Daddy? Do you have Fluffer in there?”
“Daddy?” Melissa sounded frightened now. She came running. Chapman moved quicker. The real Chapman was helping. He knew his daughter would only make things worse if she tried to intervene.
“Fluffer!” Melissa cried.
There was only one hope.
His answer was faint, but it was Tobias.
“Fluffer! Why are you taking Fluffer? Daddy, stop!”
CHAPTER 19
O ut the front door we went. Out into the night. Melissa, sobbing pitifully. Jake, demanding to know what was happening. Chapman, walking as fast as he could.
Melissa grabbed her father’s arm. The cage wobbled wildly.
“Daddy, you can’t take Fluffer. Don’t take him away! What are you doing?”
The car. I
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