Animorphs Re-Read: #3 The Encounter (Chapters 5-8)

Chapter 5

Marco says that of course the Yeerks would have the ability to cloak their ships.

All the Animorphs are now gathered in Cassie's barn. It's one of the few places where a red-tailed hawk, aka Tobias, won't look out of place. He talks about some wolves, that will never become important to the plot, and how hawks are nervous around them.

Rachel brings up the point that they've been able to see Yeerks ships before so how could the invading aliens possibly have technology that would keep their invasion a secret. Jake brings up the theory that the cloaking ability only works at certain times, aka it would work in flight but not when a Yeerk ship is about to land. Cassie questions Tobias if he really saw a Yeerk ship and I'm confused.

Later on the kids will learn about the Skrit Na, Pemalites, and other races but for now their first thoughts should be Tobias saw a Yeerk ship. The kids don't know about any other races that have technology like either the Andalites or Yeerks. And the kids don't know about any other Andalites on Earth so they should think it's a Yeerk ship.

Jake then asks what they are going to do about the unknown ship. I'm going to call it a UFO since it is, for the Animorphs, an Unidentified Flying Object. Tobias says they should find out what it's up to. He says the UFO is doing something involving the mountains.

Marco, the sad voice of reason, points out the mountains is a huge area. That the ship could be gigantic and still hide in a million different places in the mountains. Rachel is up for the challenge and says that means they should start right away. Jake asks Cassie her opinion on the matter.

Cassie says it sort of feels like they have already risked enough. They have barely come out of the last two missions alive. Marco is then super excited because he thinks someone is agreeing with him. Cassie then breaks his heart by saying that she can't stop fighting, even though what they're doing is risky.

Marco says that they are fighting for strangers and so why should they risk their lives for them. He brings up the fact that they did what they could for Tom, but that had failed. He says that they can't stay lucky forever and one day one of them will die in the fight against the Yeerks. This makes me tear up a little as I'm thinking of Rachel's death. Speaking of Rachel, she gets angry and tells Marco if he wants out to get out. That she's tired of arguing for him to fight the good fight. Marco lashes out and says that she is only fighting for the danger. She gets off on it. Why else would she try to rescue a hawk with Tobias?

I stand by Rachel doing it out of love, but there was the danger aspect there too.

Marco fell silent as he realized he crossed the line.

Tobias says that, whatever the others decide, he's going to the mountains the next morning. Rachel, Jake, and Cassie agree to go with him while Marco says no. Rachel says if he doesn't want to go that's fine by her. But Marco points out that if they all skip school and the Yeerks encounter a problem that Chapman will realize who the 'Andalite bandits' really are. Jake says Marco is right.

Tobias is mad that Marco is right. Marco can be a pain in the ass but he's smart. He doesn't want to be in the war but he'll help the group. Even risking his life with them.

Tobias knows Marco is smart and thinks that he might be right about one of them dying. Don't worry, bird-boy, you won't die and most of you will survive. The war will just end with your girlfriend dead and you hating Jake. The majority of you will be fine.

Chapter 6

Tobias says the others have bird morphs that would make it easy to travel to where they needed to go. However, there are bird watchers that would notice. Tobias likes bird watchers but knows if any Controllers were among the bird watchers, there would be trouble for the Animorphs.

Marco's first lines of the chapter are him complaining about walking because of possible bird watcher Controllers. Cassie tries to help him feel better by pointing out they're trying out a new morph. Marco has an excellent comeback saying what they are doing is insane. I'm always going between hating Marco's guts to loving him.

The morphs they are going to use for the first time are wolves. Remember the wolves in Cassie's barn? Yeah, they acquired those wolves.

Jake decides that they are far enough away and they all prepare to morph. Marco complains about having to morph a girl wolf. Cassie explains that if two of them had morphed males then there might've been a fight for dominance. Marco says he could control himself. Rachel takes a jab at him by saying that he and Jake could hardly control themselves while they're human. Cassie agrees by talking about the 'primitive male behavior'. Marco points out that he can control his gorilla morph but Rachel says he's already similar to the gorilla.

Cue Cassie and Rachel giving each other high-fives.

Jake tells Marco that they flipped a coin. Marco then asks to see the coin again. Jake smiles and says for them all to just morph. With Cassie going first, of course. Oh, Marco, how you make me love and hate you so much.

Tobias says that sometimes morphing can be disturbing and that's why one member of the group is trying out the wolf morph first. Some animal minds were just uncomfortable to share head space with. Other morphs, like a flea, aren't disturbing.

Cassie starts to concentrate on morphing and then decides to strip down to her morphing suit so she won't get tangled up in her clothing. How can anyone hate this lovely girl? She is the first one who's pointed out they shouldn't morph in their clothing.

Tobias remarks that Cassie morphing into a wolf is disturbing. This is even though she is the best morpher of the group.

When Cassie finishes the wolf morph Jake asks her how the wolf morph is. She turns to him and growls which makes the others decide to stay very still. Tobias, as well as the others, know that Cassie is battling the wolf mind. She is trying to gain control of the morph.

After a little bit Cassie says she has full control of the morph. She seems to really enjoy it too. She remarks that a wolf's hearing is incredible as well. She seems to be even more in love with the wolf's sense of smell, though. Cassie starts sniffing and smells that Rachel had eaten bacon. Turns out Rachel was going to go vegetarian and Xena Warrior Princess appears to feel guilt. Marco laughs at Rachel's pain.

Jake says for everyone to start morphing so that they can get on with the mission. And, when they morph, they'll have to deal with the two hour time limit. Everyone looks at Tobias as he's the friendly reminder of what happens when you stay in morph over the time limit. Ouch!


Chapter 7

Tobias is jealous of his fellow Animorphs since they get to morph wolves. His hawk pride shows when he says that he is glad that, of all the animals he could've been trapped in, he got stuck in a hawk morph. As the series goes on, and he grows comfortable with what he is, he shows more and more hawk pride. He starts to show hatred of birds that red-tailed hawks wouldn't like and when he morphs a different bird he talks of how wrong the morph is.

For now, though, he just has a little hawk pride.

Tobias is jealous of the others since they are trying out a new morph and having fun in it. He says that it was sometimes hard for him to keep up with them since they moved so fast. It wasn't just the speed, though, it was how constant that speed was. Nothing slowed the wolf morphed Animorphs down.

Tobias then admits that isn't entirely true as two things slowed them down. One thing was that Jake constantly marked his 'territory'. This since Jake is the dominant male/alpha of the group. This being a YA book makes a joke about the scent marking. A wolf marks its territory by peeing. I would like to say I'm mature and don't find this as amusing as when I was a child, but that'd be a lie.

Cassie explains what I already told you, that Jake is marking is territory, and adds that it is gross to watch.

The other thing that is slowing them down is howling. Out of nowhere Jake started to howl and the others joined in. Tobias is a little annoyed at this as they are on a time limit and he doesn't know why they're stopping. Jake says that he thought howling would be a good idea and Rachel said that once he started she felt like she should join in. Cassie explains, while she is howling, that it's probably a way to make sure that they don't run into other wolves.

Tobias notices it's around the time that he had seen the Yeerk ship before. He decides to look around and tells the group. Rachel says to stay safe. As he's flying he thinks about what being a wolf is like. All the awesome power and confidence he'd have if he morphed a wolf. He thinks about asking the others about what being a wolf is like. Then his thoughts take a dark turn.

He thinks that he could also ask them what it's like to be human. He quickly reprimands himself for starting on the road to self-pity. Tobias thinks, just like hunting, if he starts he won't be able to stop.

Tobias keeps an on out of the Yeerk ship. He thinks that the ship might not keep a schedule.

Looking down below he sees what appeared to be Park Service vehicles and they appear to be in a hurry. The people getting out of the vehicles are carrying automatic weapons. Helicopters appear also with the Park Service markings. Tobias can tell something is wrong as the 'Park Service' people are moving like an army.

Bird-boy watched as the 'Park Service' people move to surround a tent. The 'Park Service' people are able to scare the campers away without any bloodshed. The two choppers land on the far side of the lake after circling it.

Out of the choppers come Hork-Bajir. Well, I'm sure this means that there is still doubt that the ship Tobias saw was a Yeerk ship.


Chapter 8

Tobias yells out the word Hork-Bajir as he realizes the shit that can go down now. He remarks that Elfangor said that the Hork-Bajir used to be a very peaceful race, but now every member of the race is infested by a Yeerk.

Tobias then heads towards the others and checks a human Controller's watch. He realizes that not only does the group have to worry about the Hork-Bajir, but also that time is now running out. Tobias finds them and sees them still never pausing except when Jake had to pee. Er...mark his territory. Tobias lands on a decayed log and the Animorphs gather around him. Like a real wolf pack. Tobias then tells them it's just him. None of the group answers him.

Suddenly Tobias realizes there are five wolves. The other Animorphs only add up to four wolves. I guess math wasn't Tobias' strong subject in school.

I know I should be scared, but this scene is a little humorous to me. It gives me such faith that a teenager that can't count is in charge of protecting the Earth.

Luckily Tobias realizes his mistake just in time and flies away, though it's a close call. He does take the time to say that he probably wouldn't be attacked by wolves if he had been human, but he's now in the body of a hawk.

After a few tries Tobias is able to get fully airborne and leaves the wolves behind. And then minutes after that he sees a pack of four wolves. This time, even though the wolf pack has the same number that would indicate that they are Animorphs, Tobias still asks first. Marco asks who else would they be. Tobias decides not to tell the reluctant Animorph the incident with the real wolf pack.

Tobias informs the group about the Hork-Bajir and human Controllers.

This is a funny quote that I couldn't find a place to put elsewhere in this Re-Read. It takes place during this conversation:

[How do you know they aren’t real Park Rangers?] Jake asked.

[Because real Park Rangers don’t carry machine guns,] I said. [Plus, they don’t hang around with Hork-Bajir.]

Cassie asks if Tobias is sure it was Hork-Bajir. He replies with sarcasm that it's hard to confuse them with anything else. Really, Cassie, you're questioning someone with hawk vision if they saw something as recognizable as a Hork-Bajir? Really?

Tobias goes on to say where the Controllers are focusing their attentions on and talks briefly about the campers. Marco doesn't like the thought of dealing with the Hork-Bajir. Rachel asks if the lake is where the ship was going and Tobias thinks it is. The group points out the evidence that the ship is going to be arriving shortly.

Jake says that they should go and check it out. Rachel agrees with him. Tobias points out that the others only have forty-five minutes in morph. Jake says the plan will be just to check things out and then leave. I'm sure that they won't cut very close to the time limit and have a scene that will give me nightmares for the next week.

Tobias starts flying again but, this time, stays closer to the rest of the group. As the group gets close to the Controllers Cassie reminds them to act a little frightened of the human Controllers. He watches as they move closer to the lake and are spotted by the human Controllers. The Controllers tense up but then relax as they see the morphed Animorphs as just wolves.

As he tries to get some altitude his Yeerk ship senses start to tingle. He looks up and the ripple is there. After a few seconds the Yeerk ship just appears. No gentle transition. It's just suddenly visible.
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