Free The Encounter by K. A. Applegate Page A

mean, five — fairly intelligent human beings. And we can’t outsmart one fish that probably has an IQ of four?”
    Cassie was the only one remaining calm. “Fishing is a matter of skill and luck,” she said placidly. “A smart fisherman learns not to become frustrated.”
    Jake looked at the little watch we’d brought along. “From what we know, the Yeerks will start arriving in an hour to clear the area.”
    Rachel nodded. “Even if we catch a fish now, we won’t have time to test the morph.”
     I suggested.
    Jake shook his head firmly. “I don’t think so, Tobias. We’d have to wait till we had another day off. Tomorrow’s no good because I have stuff with my parents. So does Marco. Which means we’d have to wait a whole week.”
    
    “The hurry is that the Yeerks can’t keep coming to this same lake forever. Sooner or later the level of the water will start dropping from them taking so much. They must use one lake for a while, then move on to another. It could take forever for us to find where they move to next.”
    It made sense. But that didn’t make me feel any better about it.
    
    “I know,” Jake snapped. “Look, Tobias, I know it’s not exactly ideal.”
    “Hah!” Cassie yelped. She yanked at the line she was holding. “I believe we may have a fishy.”
    It took just a few seconds to haul in the fish.
    “Trout,” she said, looking it over as it flopped in the shallow water. The hook was poked throughits lip. It was about ten inches long, not very big.
    The four of them stared blankly at it.
    “We have to become that?” Marco asked.
    “It’s a fish,” Cassie said. “What did you expect?”
    Marco shrugged. “I don’t know. Something more like
Jaws.
This is just a fish. I mean, we could clean him and eat him with a little lemon juice. Maybe some fries on the side.”
    The others turned and gave him a dirty look.
    Cassie reached down into the water and took hold of the squirmy gray thing. She concentrated. Her eyes closed halfway. She was acquiring it. The fish DNA was being absorbed into Cassie’s body.
    The gift of the Andalite. The curse of the Andalite — the power to morph.

CHAPTER 19
     
    I don’t like this plan,> I blurted.
    Jake looked up at me in surprise. “Tobias, you were in on the planning right from the start.”
    
    “I realize,” Marco said. “I realize it plenty. But I thought you were the big, gung-ho Yeerk-killer. Suddenly now you’re afraid?”
     I said.
    Cassie nodded. “It’s hard standing by while someone else is risking their life,” she said. “I understandhow you feel. But there have been times when
you
were the one taking the risks.”
    “Look, we don’t have time to debate this,” Jake said. “We have a plan we’ve all agreed to. Let’s get on with it before the Yeerks show up.” Jake gets peevish when someone questions things after everything has already been decided. Usually it’s Marco getting on his nerves.
    “We’ll be okay,” Rachel said confidently. Rachel took the fish in her hand. The fish went limp, as usual, while the acquiring was happening.
    Suddenly I couldn’t watch anymore. I’d just had a flash of memory, watching the four of them straining to get out of their wolf bodies. What if they were trapped in fish morph?
    The idea of being trapped was still not something any of them really understood. I mean, they knew it had happened to me. But people are funny—they never think something bad will happen to
them.
I knew it could happen.
    And to be trapped as a fish?