The Secret by K.A. Applegate

Author:K.A. Applegate
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2017-11-23T05:00:00+00:00

The queen!

I could feel her power. This was her world. These were all her slaves. More than slaves — they had no will of their own.

I knew who I was again. But I felt weak and pathetic. I was unable to control the termite body I was in. That body belonged to her.

She had orders for me — protect the egg-carrying worker termites. The orders came in smells and vague feelings, but they were impossible to refuse.

<Rachel,> I called. <Marco. Ax.>

<I … > It was Rachel’s thought-speak voice. <I … I … Oh, no. No! No!>

<Rachel! It’s the queen. She’s controlling us,> I said.

<I can’t … my body … it just … >

<Marco! Marco can you hear me? Marco!>

<She’s got me. I can’t say no. I can’t stop!> he cried in anguished response.

My own body motored away on its six legs. I fell in step behind two workers. Each was carrying one of the gooey, precious eggs. I had to protect them. There might be enemies. We walked along the grotesque length of the queen. Toward her head.

Ants. They were the enemy. Sometimes they came. Sometimes they poured down the tunnels, looking for the eggs, to carry them off for food.

Sometimes they attacked the queen herself. The soldiers fought them. The soldiers sometimes died fighting them.

<The queen!> Rachel’s voice said. <The only way … destroy the queen.>

It was like an electric jolt in my mind! Get rid of the queen! Yes. The only way. They wouldn’t be expecting that. There would be no one to stop me!

But my body was not my own. I could not make it …

The two workers plodded along before me. I could feel their hind ends with my feelers. And I knew the queen’s head was just to my right. Just a half inch. Less.

The queen’s head … feelers … eyes … like an ant!

One chance … focus … focus … I had to trick the termite mind. I had to draw on every ounce of my strength.

If I failed, I would live out the rest of my life as a mindless slave of the termite queen.

Now! Do it now!

I swerved right. It was like moving through molasses. The queen had ordered me to go after the workers, and I was disobeying.

Ant! Ant! I screamed the word in my own head. Ant! Destroy! Destroy! Destroy the ant!

I clambered over a half dozen termites who were tending the queen.

I could feel my will weakening. I couldn’t get rid of the queen. I had to kill an ant. That was my purpose — to keep ants away from the queen.

I scampered toward the queen’s head. I felt my antennae touch her. I opened my massive pincer jaws….

Termites ran around insanely. They were racing, out of control, lost, confused. For a moment I did the same. The queen was gone.

I think in some way I wanted to forget who I was. What I had done. I wanted to become one of the lost, panicked termites.

<We’re free! We’re out! Cassie, where are you? Get out of there!> I heard a far-off voice cry.

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