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both received them when they graduated from the Academy and accepted positions in the Interplanetary Protectorship.One of my earliest memories: I’m in my crib. My mother is singing me a lullaby. The silver elephant pendant dangles from her necklace.
    Little-known factoid: Elephants were brought to Earth about three million years ago. From my planet. They were Alpar Nok’s gift to Terra Firma. So, if you’re taking notes, jot this down: Elephants are aliens, too.
Friendly
aliens.
    Agent Judge gripped the silver pachyderm tightly in his fist.
    “Earth has never needed assistance from the Interplanetary Protectorship more. And you’re the best Alien Hunter to ever come out of Alpar Nok.”
    I blushed when Agent Judge said that. Turning bright red at the drop of a compliment? It’s one of my most well-developed alien skills.
    “Really?” I said. “Where’d you hear that?”
    “Your father. He took me aside one day and said, ‘Martin, keep an eye on Daniel. One day, my son will make all of Alpar Nok proud. He will grow up to become an Alien Hunter’s Alien Hunter.’ ”
    Now my ears had gone to code purple, and of course my heart was lodged in my throat because I was thinking about how my father never
really
got to see what kind of kid I turned out to be.
    How he would never know what sort of man I might become.
    “But I’m only a teenager, sir,” I mumbled.
    Agent Judge winked at me. “Well, for the sake of the planet and all humanity, let’s hope you grow up real fast.Come on, Daniel. We need to leave here ASAP. I’m afraid the time for fun and games is over. We need to deal with Number 2.”
    Agent Judge turned and headed down the Splash Water Falls exit ramp. His crew of hazmat guys followed after him. I hesitated.
    “So, where exactly are we all going?” I called out.
    “Kentucky. You need to meet Xanthos.”
    “O-kay. And who, if you don’t mind me asking, is Xanthos?”
    “Your father’s spiritual advisor. He lives with me at my horse farm.”

Chapter 12
    THEY CALL IT Kentucky
Blue
grass, but I have never seen rolling pastures so
green
.
    We were making our final approach for a landing at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, home of the 101st Airborne. The lush ground below looked like the world’s best-kept golf course.
    Special Agent Judge and I had flown from Georgia to Kentucky in an unmarked government jet even though I could’ve just teleported. Agent Judge, on the other hand? Not so much.
    As we were cleared for landing, the FBI special agent once again apologized for his “overzealous subordinates.”
    “A lot of those guys in the hazmat suits are rookies, Daniel,” he explained. “IOU is in a total rebuilding mode. Six months ago, eighty percent of my team was wiped out during an unfortunate encounter with a four-sided killing machine.”
    “Attila,” I said.
    “Come again?”
    “My nickname for Number 33, the cubist Varladrian warrior your team bumped up against. But don’t worry—he won’t be giving you guys any more grief.”
    “Is that right?”
    “Yeah. I hear he recently had a heart attack.”
    Agent Judge’s horse farm was a two-hour drive from the Fort Campbell airbase. Ribbons of bright white fencing penned in pastures of emerald green, where magnificent horses lazily nibbled on the grass.
    “We have a hundred and thirty-two acres,” said Agent Judge as he piloted his Jeep up a long asphalt driveway toward a Victorian-style farmhouse. “The perimeter is secure and patrolled, so don’t worry—you’ll be safe here, Daniel.”
    The picturesque farmhouse sat perched on a shady knoll dead ahead, but Agent Judge turned his Jeep toward the open doors of a bright red horse barn.
    “Um, isn’t Xanthos waiting for us?” I asked.
    “Roger that,” said Agent Judge. “That’s why I thought we’d swing by his place first.”
    The barn was beautiful. It had those quaint Dutch doors, and a bunch of sliding panels decorated with white X’s inside white squares. Looked like the