erase the software. But before I erased it, I could use it to call my home. Would that be wrong?
In my memory I saw myself with my father and mother. And Elfangor was there, too. He was alive in my memory.
I remember when I was very little and Elfangor, who was already a great warrior, came home on leave. I barely knew him. Iâd seen his communications, but Iâd never met him face-to-face. He had been away when I was born, off fighting the Yeerks.
But we went running together, just the two of us. Me all clumsy. Elfangor like some creature from an Andalite myth, so fast and so powerful.
It was kind of a shock to me. Until then, I guess Iâd thought I was the most important person in the family. But it was hard to feel very important with Elfangor around.
He didnât say much to me. He didnât give me some âbig brotherâ lecture. He was just himself. He talked to me the same way he talked to our parents. He never treated me like a younger Andalite, and that was great. After that, there was never any question in my mind what I wanted to be when I grew up: I wanted to be a warrior. I wanted to be like Elfangor.
And now he was gone. Our parents might not even know. For sure they didnât know I was still alive.
I slowed my run. I was far across the fields. I could see the lights from Cassieâs farm. Foolish! I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I had grown careless.
I turned to head back toward the forest.
âYou might as well hang around for a while,â a voice said.
She loomed up from the darkness. How had I missed seeing her? I looked closer. Cassie was in mid-morph. She kept her own human face, but sported the ghostly gray-white mane of a horse. And her legs ended in hooves, not human feet.
I said.
As soon as she was fully human she responded. âI do that sometimes. I like running. But donât tell Jake. Heâd be mad at me using morphing for personal things.â
I said.
Cassie laughed quietly. âI doubt it. Iâm just a friend. And a fellow Animorph.â
âOh . . . well, you werenât supposed to see that.â
âUm, itâs kind of a long story,â Cassie said. âJust forget it, okay? How is your study of humans going?â
World Almanac
.>
âSo, what do you think?â
âUh-huh. What do you
really
think?â
I hesitated. She seemed to want a more complete answer. But you can never be sure with humans. Often they become offended by small things.
I said.
âAside from being able to have a lot of human hosts? Why?â
âAfraid of us? Why?â She laughed. âHave you been reading all the stuff about wars? Humans arenât just about fighting wars. It may seem that way, but ââ
I said.
âYeah, well, we humans havenât been exactly perfect.â
I said.
She looked closely at me. I could almost see her wondering whether I meant Andalites as well. But she decided not to ask that question. Instead she asked another. âSo if it isnât the wars that bother you, what is it?â
In my memory I saw myself with my father and mother. And Elfangor was there, too. He was alive in my memory.
I remember when I was very little and Elfangor, who was already a great warrior, came home on leave. I barely knew him. Iâd seen his communications, but Iâd never met him face-to-face. He had been away when I was born, off fighting the Yeerks.
But we went running together, just the two of us. Me all clumsy. Elfangor like some creature from an Andalite myth, so fast and so powerful.
It was kind of a shock to me. Until then, I guess Iâd thought I was the most important person in the family. But it was hard to feel very important with Elfangor around.
He didnât say much to me. He didnât give me some âbig brotherâ lecture. He was just himself. He talked to me the same way he talked to our parents. He never treated me like a younger Andalite, and that was great. After that, there was never any question in my mind what I wanted to be when I grew up: I wanted to be a warrior. I wanted to be like Elfangor.
And now he was gone. Our parents might not even know. For sure they didnât know I was still alive.
I slowed my run. I was far across the fields. I could see the lights from Cassieâs farm. Foolish! I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I had grown careless.
I turned to head back toward the forest.
âYou might as well hang around for a while,â a voice said.
She loomed up from the darkness. How had I missed seeing her? I looked closer. Cassie was in mid-morph. She kept her own human face, but sported the ghostly gray-white mane of a horse. And her legs ended in hooves, not human feet.
As soon as she was fully human she responded. âI do that sometimes. I like running. But donât tell Jake. Heâd be mad at me using morphing for personal things.â
I said.
Cassie laughed quietly. âI doubt it. Iâm just a friend. And a fellow Animorph.â
âOh . . . well, you werenât supposed to see that.â
âUm, itâs kind of a long story,â Cassie said. âJust forget it, okay? How is your study of humans going?â
World Almanac
.>
âSo, what do you think?â
âUh-huh. What do you
really
think?â
I hesitated. She seemed to want a more complete answer. But you can never be sure with humans. Often they become offended by small things.
I said.
âAside from being able to have a lot of human hosts? Why?â
âAfraid of us? Why?â She laughed. âHave you been reading all the stuff about wars? Humans arenât just about fighting wars. It may seem that way, but ââ
âYeah, well, we humans havenât been exactly perfect.â
She looked closely at me. I could almost see her wondering whether I meant Andalites as well. But she decided not to ask that question. Instead she asked another. âSo if it isnât the wars that bother you, what is it?â
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