principal.
But it turned out things were more complicated than we thought. Chapman had joined the Yeerks. But he had done it in part to save his daughter, Melissa.
Melissa would be at the gymnastics thing with Rachel. At the mall.
Remembering the mall made me sad. It was just another one of the places I couldn’t go anymore. There was a long list: school, movie theaters, amusement parks …
Wait a minute. I
could
go to the amusement park. And I wouldn’t even have to pay admission.
The thought made me happy. I don’t know why. It wasn’t like I could ride the roller coaster. But still, the idea kind of perked me up.
I could bust right into The Gardens any time I wanted. Come to think of it, I could also watch any football or baseball game I ever wanted to see, too, as long as it was outdoors.
And concerts!
Whoa! Big stadium concerts, no problem. No tickets needed.
That’s the way I needed to be thinking. There were millions of things I could do as a bird that I couldn’t do as a human.
But not right now. I turned and headed toward the mountains. I had a job to do. It was another good thing about being me. I was the ultimate airborne spy.
There was a long line of towering clouds running to the mountains. Perfect weather for me. Thermals are what push those clouds up so high.
I just let myself get into it. It wasn’t a bad life. Not really.
I was flying. Back when I was in my old body, I used to look up in the sky and wish I could fly. Now I could. I figured there were probably kids down on the ground right now looking up at me and thinking, “Wow, that would be so cool.”
If only I had something to eat. I was feeling a little hungry. Should have asked Jake to grab me a snack.
It happened before I really even had time to think about it. I guess it was because I was feeling good. Feeling relaxed.
I was above the woods, just a half mile or so beyond Cassie’s farm. The trees opened up to forma little meadow. This is what redtails love. A little meadow.
It was full of prey. Squirrels scouring the ground for nuts. Hopping, then sitting up on their hind legs to look around nervously. Mice that scurried from hole to hole. Rabbits.
A rat.
My eyes focused on it with absolute intensity. I sort of shrugged one shoulder, turned sharply in midair, and plummeted toward the earth in a stoop.
My wings were back. My head low. My talons tucked back for maximum speed.
Sudden flare! I opened my wings. The shock of the air. Talons raked forward. Eyes never moving even a millimeter from the rat.
Focus!
I struck!
An incredible rush of excitement surged through me. I was ecstatic! Ecstatic! That’s the only word for it. It was intense beyond anything I had ever experienced.
Talons hit warm flesh. My razor claws squeezed. The rat squirmed in my grip. But it was helpless! Helpless!
I was in a frenzy.
I hooded my wings around my kill, shielding itfrom any other predator that might try to steal it away.
I fell back.
I looked down at my talons. They were red with blood.
Rat meat dripped from my beak.
In my panic, I forgot what I was. I tried to run away. But I no longer had legs and feet to run with. I had killing talons. Bloody talons.
I fell in the dirt.
No,
I cried voicelessly. But I could still see the dead rat. And I could taste it. And no matter how many times I said “no,” it would always be “yes.”
CHAPTER 15
I flew.
I flew as fast and as hard as I could. I wanted to go so fast that the memory of killing and eating the rat would be left way behind me.
But not even I can fly that fast.
Human! I am human! I am Tobias!
I don’t know why it was Rachel I wanted to see right at that moment. Maybe she was just the closest thing I had to a real friend. Maybe it was the way she had seemed so sure of who and what I was.
I needed someone to be sure.
Down below I saw the huge, irregular rectanglesof the mall. I saw a glass door. People streamed in and out. Rachel. That’s
But it turned out things were more complicated than we thought. Chapman had joined the Yeerks. But he had done it in part to save his daughter, Melissa.
Melissa would be at the gymnastics thing with Rachel. At the mall.
Remembering the mall made me sad. It was just another one of the places I couldn’t go anymore. There was a long list: school, movie theaters, amusement parks …
Wait a minute. I
could
go to the amusement park. And I wouldn’t even have to pay admission.
The thought made me happy. I don’t know why. It wasn’t like I could ride the roller coaster. But still, the idea kind of perked me up.
I could bust right into The Gardens any time I wanted. Come to think of it, I could also watch any football or baseball game I ever wanted to see, too, as long as it was outdoors.
And concerts!
Whoa! Big stadium concerts, no problem. No tickets needed.
That’s the way I needed to be thinking. There were millions of things I could do as a bird that I couldn’t do as a human.
But not right now. I turned and headed toward the mountains. I had a job to do. It was another good thing about being me. I was the ultimate airborne spy.
There was a long line of towering clouds running to the mountains. Perfect weather for me. Thermals are what push those clouds up so high.
I just let myself get into it. It wasn’t a bad life. Not really.
I was flying. Back when I was in my old body, I used to look up in the sky and wish I could fly. Now I could. I figured there were probably kids down on the ground right now looking up at me and thinking, “Wow, that would be so cool.”
If only I had something to eat. I was feeling a little hungry. Should have asked Jake to grab me a snack.
It happened before I really even had time to think about it. I guess it was because I was feeling good. Feeling relaxed.
I was above the woods, just a half mile or so beyond Cassie’s farm. The trees opened up to forma little meadow. This is what redtails love. A little meadow.
It was full of prey. Squirrels scouring the ground for nuts. Hopping, then sitting up on their hind legs to look around nervously. Mice that scurried from hole to hole. Rabbits.
A rat.
My eyes focused on it with absolute intensity. I sort of shrugged one shoulder, turned sharply in midair, and plummeted toward the earth in a stoop.
My wings were back. My head low. My talons tucked back for maximum speed.
Sudden flare! I opened my wings. The shock of the air. Talons raked forward. Eyes never moving even a millimeter from the rat.
Focus!
I struck!
An incredible rush of excitement surged through me. I was ecstatic! Ecstatic! That’s the only word for it. It was intense beyond anything I had ever experienced.
Talons hit warm flesh. My razor claws squeezed. The rat squirmed in my grip. But it was helpless! Helpless!
I was in a frenzy.
I hooded my wings around my kill, shielding itfrom any other predator that might try to steal it away.
I fell back.
I looked down at my talons. They were red with blood.
Rat meat dripped from my beak.
In my panic, I forgot what I was. I tried to run away. But I no longer had legs and feet to run with. I had killing talons. Bloody talons.
I fell in the dirt.
No,
I cried voicelessly. But I could still see the dead rat. And I could taste it. And no matter how many times I said “no,” it would always be “yes.”
CHAPTER 15
I flew.
I flew as fast and as hard as I could. I wanted to go so fast that the memory of killing and eating the rat would be left way behind me.
But not even I can fly that fast.
Human! I am human! I am Tobias!
I don’t know why it was Rachel I wanted to see right at that moment. Maybe she was just the closest thing I had to a real friend. Maybe it was the way she had seemed so sure of who and what I was.
I needed someone to be sure.
Down below I saw the huge, irregular rectanglesof the mall. I saw a glass door. People streamed in and out. Rachel. That’s
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