The Encounter

The Encounter Read Online Free PDF Page B

Book: The Encounter Read Online Free PDF
Author: K. A. Applegate
seen them before. They are small, for spaceships. You couldn’t park one in your garage, but you could land it on your front lawn. They look like metal cockroaches with two serrated, spearlike protrusions pointed forward on either side.
     I called down to the others.
     Marco asked. The Bug fighters are circling the lake. I guess they’re looking around for trouble>
     Jake advised dryly. I did my best to look like a normal, harmless hawk. Doing normal hawk things. But the main ship was unbelievably intimidating. I mean, nothing that big should be floating in the air.
    Suddenly one of the Bug fighters wentshooting right past me, low and slow. I could see in the window. Inside was the usual crew: one Hork-Bajir and one Taxxon.
    The Taxxons are the second most common type of Controller. Imagine a very big centipede. Now imagine it even bigger, twice as long as a man. So big around, you couldn’t get your arms around it if you wanted to give it a hug.
    Not that you’d ever want to give it a hug. Taxxons are gross, disgusting creatures. Unlike the Hork-Bajir, who were enslaved against their will, Taxxons chose to turn their minds over to the Yeerk parasites. They are allies of the Yeerks. I don’t know why, and I probably don’t want to.
    The Bug fighter shot past, not interested in me. The huge main ship sank slowly down toward the surface of the lake.
    
    Marco, of course.
     Rachel said.
    >You know, I hate to be a pessimist,> Marco said,
    
Cassie pointed out mildly.
     Jake said.
    They had reached the shore of the lake and were prowling along, looking like wolves should look. But they were also glancing regularly up at the massive ship. I worried a little that some Controller, human or Hork-Bajir, would notice that they were paying a little too much attention.
     I said.
     Marco agreed.
     Jake said.
    Then something began to happen.
    From the belly of the ship, a pipe began to lower into the water. Then a second pipe, and a third.
     Cassie said. drinking
!>
    I could hear the sucking sound. Thousands, maybe millions of gallons of water being sucked up into the ship.
     Marco said. He laughed.
    
Rachel demanded. weakness?>
>
    But I understood what Marco meant. I said.
     Marco said.
     Cassie cried.
     I said.
    Star Trek,
where they can just make their own air and water,> Marco mused.