Animorphs Re-Read: #2 The Visitor (Chapters 17-20)

Chapter 17
"The point is," Chapman said, "that I agreed to be made into a host. I agreed to…to…" He looked like he was about to throw up. "I agreed to surrender my freedom. To become a Controller. To accept this filthy thing in my head. To accept your control. I agreed…but only if you would spare my daughter."

Rachel remarks that Visser Three in person is much worse than seeing him in hologram form. She says that his host body doesn't look different than the Andalite prince that gave them their powers and warned them of the Yeerk invasion. She says that Andalites don't look threatening, though they are strange.

But she says that Visser Three seemed to feel different than Elfangor. I must say that Animorphs did have some mystical stuff going on with it. Most noticeably, so far, talking about Visser Three.

Rachel watches the two Hork-Bajir and recalls what Elfangor had said about them. That they had been a good people before being enslaved by the Yeerks. Just like humanity is a good people but may end up enslaved by the Yeerks. But it's hard for her to see something innocent in something like a Hork-Bajir.

Rachel then takes notice of the Taxxons. They're basically evil, cannibalistic space centipedes. Later in the series you learn that even Taxxons don't like being Taxxons. But, for now, you just know they look evil and Elfangor said there were no good Taxxons. Never mind that his friend, Arbron, was trapped in Taxxon morph and lead a bunch of Taxxon rebels. But Elfangor was dying so I give him a little pass for skipping that part.

Visser Three asks Chapman if Rachel is the Andalite bandit. When Chapman gives confirmation the Visser and Rachel basically stare at each other. Rachel mentions the extreme fear she has being so close to him. When he thought-speaks to her she nearly blurts out that she is a human. I do not blame her as she's young and death is hard to face at any age.

Rachel then realizes that she will never win this battle of wills with the Visser. She continues to mentally break down and then she finds comfort in Fluffer's mind. While Fluffer had fears, they weren't Rachel's fears. Fluffer did not care about Visser Three. Tobias uses this in a future book where he is tortured. Instead of hiding behind a cat mind, he hides behind his red-tailed hawk mind.

When Visser Three picks Rachel up she lets Fluffer's mind dictate what she'll do. And she sniffs the air to get a better idea of what Visser Three is. The Visser remarks that Rachel's morph is similar to Jake's tiger morph. Chapman tells Visser Three that the tiger and cat are similar. That they are both felines.

Visser Three tells Rachel that Andalites are brave, whatever their other faults may be. Rachel wonders how she should answer him as saying 'thank you' doesn't make much sense. The Visser then gets angry when she doesn't answer him. Rachel knows she can't answer him and, again, states that she will die in cat morph to protect the Animorphs' secret.

Visser Three then turns his attention to Chapman and asks where Melissa is. Chapman stutters as he doesn't like telling the crazed Andalite Controller bad news. And the Visser grabs Chapman by the neck and holds the point of his tail-blade at the human Controller's neck. Chapman then tries to bring up the point that his host is resisting him. This causes Visser Three to go into yet another rage.

He brings up the point that his Andalite host tries to rebel and does Chapman really think a human host is a powerful as an Andalite one? This sort of reminds me of my fiance. How if I have pain he always has it worse. That I can wake up with a sore neck and, meanwhile, he can hardly get out of bed on his own.

Chapman continues to argue his point by bringing up that he is an Assistant Principal, he has to act human a lot. And if he starts doing odd twitches his cover could be blown. Chapman ends it by saying he wouldn't be of use to the Visser. Visser Three retorts that Chapman isn't seeming very useful to him at the moment.

Chapman asks for his host to talk to the Visser directly. Visser Three starts to look around. Rachel starts to look around even though she doesn't know what she's looking for. She catches some movement and then assumes it's just another Hork-Bajir on patrol duty. Visser Three finally says yes to Chapman's request.

The following is one of the most heartbreaking things in the series. Get your tissues ready!

Iniss allows Chapman to fully control his own body. Chapman, not having been able to move his body for so long, has trouble standing up or speaking. It takes him a little bit to say 'Visser Three'. This makes the Visser very annoyed. Visser Three then demands for Chapman to say whatever he's going to say and get it over with.

Chapman recounts how he became a Controller. He didn't want to but his wife did. The now Controller wife of his threatened to infest his daughter if he didn't give in. Chapman says that he forgives his wife since she was weak and Visser Three liked to exploit that trait. Visser Three takes the compliment as a Hork-Bajir reminds the Visser that they were on a schedule.

Chapman continues saying that he only became a Controller to save Melissa. This is just downright heart breaking! I mean...I mean...the emotions that are coming over me! Chapman had to watch his wife become a Controller and then allow a parasitic slug from outer space to control him all to keep his daughter safe. The amount of bravery needed to make that sacrifice is just overwhelming!

As the realization that Chapman gave up his freedom to save his daughter hits Rachel, it seems like her heart stops.

Visser Three isn't affected and tells Chapman that him being a host is important. Chapman slowly rises up, mind you that this is a very hard act for him to pull off, and threatens Visser Three. Chapman says that Melissa isn't a threat but he is.


Chapter 18
In seconds it would all be over. I would be aboard the Visser’s ship. I would leave Earth. The only thing in my future was pain. Maybe I would die before I betrayed my friends. A depressing kind of thing to hope for.

[So. What’s happening now?]

Visser Three laughs at the idea of Chapman being a threat. He lightly pushes on Chapman's chest and this causes the human to not be able to stand. He falls down. Chapman is crying but he's not done being a bad ass yet. He tells the Visser to ask Iniss if it's the truth that he will fight for his daughter forever. When Chapman stands up again he's not crying and the Yeerk is in control. Iniss confirms that what Chapman says is true and that the human will disrupt his work.

Iniss also says that Ms. Chapman could be a problem too. Iniss says that's he's better able to work with a voluntary host. He ends with saying that he will do whatever Visser Three says, though it may be hard for him. The Visser remarks that of course Iniss will do what's he's ordered to and that Melissa will stay freed for now. Visser Three decides this since he has one of the Andalite bandits in his custody.

When given the okay, Chapman leaves. Rachel remarks that at least Melissa is safe. At least as safe as a human can be in the home of two Controllers.

Visser Three says to move out and Rachel starts to lose all hope. She starts thinking that the best outcome would be her dying before she betrayed her friends the Animorphs. Just as she loses the last of her hope someone thought-speaks to her asking what's happening.

Rachel asks if it's Jake that's talking to her. Jake replies that she'd be an idiot to think it'd be anyone else. Rachel yells at him saying that she told him to go away and Jake replies that he wasn't going to abandon his cousin. I'm just here wondering how Rachel couldn't see that Jake would keep quiet to make sure she was safe. Or as safe as he could keep her with him being a flea and all.

When he hears how little time he has left he doesn't seem that disturbed. Rachel watches as the door of the Blade ship opened and she sees the horrors within. Jake says that all the Animorphs aren't going anywhere and Rachel wonders if all of them are fleas now. Jake replies no, but that Tobias was supposed to follow Rachel. So the other Animorphs should be around. Rachel says the others won't be able to do anything but Jake has a differing opinion.

Suddenly an earthmover starts up. The Hork-Bajir that was carrying Rachel panics and goes to the Visser.

Rachel informs Jake that one of the gang has started an earthmover and he says it's time for him to act. He starts to try for a double-morph. Rachel, meanwhile, keeps track of the earthmover that is moving right for the Blade ship. Visser Three yells at the Taxxon to get them into the air because any human machinery like an earthmover would totally beat an alien space ship!

The Taxxon says that it'll take two minutes to get off the ground. The Visser doesn't like the answer so he slices the alien with his tail-blade. He tells some of the other Taxxons to take off and the others to eat the bleeding Taxxon. Taxxons will eat anything that bleeds and so all were excited when their comrade started to ooze blood.

There's, thankfully, only one paragraph describing how the Taxxons eat their fallen comrades.

Rachel looks, sees Jake demorphing, and yells at him. He tells her to be quiet so he can concentrate. The rule of only one morph at a time is established! As Visser Three is distracted, Rachel also demorphs. While she does so she looks at the Taxxon being eaten, the earthmover, and then she sees a red light as the earthmover is being disintegrated.

Rachel reminds herself that she has to focus on her morph even though some of her friends might've just died. She makes it so that her cat morph has human-like hands so she can let herself out. One of the Taxxons yells at the Visser while she is doing this.

The Visser turns around and Jake distracts him. Visser Three screams in pain as Jake claws him. When Jake gets off the cat loving Yeerk, some Hork-Bajir come to defend the Visser. Jake yells at Rachel to run and she agrees. This isn't a fight she can win.

So she runs and remarks that cats can run fast, but not as fast as a Hork-Bajir. Jake beats a troublesome Hork-Bajir. He yells at her to run since she is too small to fight. However, there's still a Hork-Bajir after Rachel. The alien reaches for Rachel but she dodges him.

Marco and Cassie have started another earthmover!

Rachel rushes towards a half finished building so that she can demorph. Her time is almost up! She tries to drown out every sound and focus on demorphing. Suddenly Visser Three, in one of his many crazy morphs, lifts a piece of concrete that was covering Rachel and all thoughts of demorphing leave her.


Chapter 19
Another hand like living rock slammed in front of me.

Even the cat in me knew- it was hopeless.

Rachel, yet again, has given up hope that she'll live. This time because Visser Three has morphed into something monstrous. I will agree that Visser Three has some pretty messed up morphs and sometimes they don't make much sense. But I'd be fucking lying if I said that they weren't awesome and I love seeing them.

Visser Three is trying to get to Rachel and not caring which of his men he kills. To say he is obsessed with getting the 'Andalite bandits' is an understatement. Rachel does the smart thing and starts to run away from him. However, Visser is there for her. Even the cat part of her thinks they're about to die.

Rachel's break comes when she hears a loud explosion. She runs away and realizes that one of the earthmovers has destroyed/blown up a Bug fighter! Shit! I need to add earthmovers onto my list of 'things I need in case of an alien invasion'.

Visser Three is pissed off at this incident and Rachel doesn't envy the Hork-Bajir who let it through. In the Hork-Bajir's defense: he was operating on logic?

I'm all for the Animorphs distracting the Yeerks with equipment but...an earthmover, nothing special, destroying an alien craft? Okay, I'll retract my previous opinion in favor of this one: That is awesome! B-movie awesome is the shit I like!

Visser Three yells in anger and continues to come after Rachel. Luckily Tobias is there to pick Rachel up. He complains that Fluffer is fat and next time she should acquire a cat that doesn't weigh so much. Tobias states that he'll fly her to the trees but then he has to let go of her. Tobias drops her and she demorphs on the way down.

As Rachel and Tobias watch the Visser destroy his own troops in anger, Tobias shows that he's the master of understating a situation. Tobias just states that Visser Three must be angry that they got away.

Rachel turns her focus on the others and asks if they survived. Tobias says they all survived and Rachel says she should feel glad she has survived, but all she feels is tired as she collapses onto the ground.


Chapter 20
"Melissa, your father loves you more than you will ever know. And more than he can ever show you. Signed, someone who knows."

Rachel goes to another gymnastic class and remarks that Melissa is free. Even though she messed up, big time, her friend is free. Her reason for fighting is free. I'm starting to ship Rachel/Melissa really hard because of this book.

Rachel watches, though hides the fact she's doing so, when Melissa opens her locker and reads Rachel's letter. Rachel had written the letter on the computer so her former friend couldn't tell it was from her. She tells Melissa, through the letter, that her father loves her.

This is sweet of her to do. She knows she can't go and infiltrate the Chapman house again, unless she wants to have Melissa infested, but she still tries to comfort her former friend.

Rachel says that Melissa seems to be more into practice that day.

Afterwards the group meets up. Cassie asks how Melissa is and Rachel brings up the note. She says that she knows it's bad for security, but she doesn't care. Chapman gave up everything to protect his daughter and the least Rachel can do is tell Melissa that he loves her.

Jake doesn't seem to mind.

Then it's brought up that there will be another fight with the Yeerks, with Visser Three. Marco is surprised and Tobias replies that they will continue fighting until the Andalites arrive.

I forgot how much of a cat person Visser Three is. I also found out that someone else beat me to the punchline of Visser Three being a cat person (thanks, Ifi!). And I am reading Ifi and Adam's review of the Animorphs series before I read her fic (that was recommended to me).

I also loved seeing Chapman in this book. The length he went to protect his daughter is beyond amazing.

The next book in the Animorphs series I will be Re-Reading will be

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Animorphs Re-Read Table of Contents