The Other (Animorphs #40) by Applegate K.A

Author:Applegate, K.A. [Applegate, K.A.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2017-08-29T04:00:00+00:00

I shot up from the ground.

<Marco! Get a grip!> A harsh sound. Meaningless to the bee. <You’re not supposed to go in the hive!>

I landed on the lip of the hollowed section of the dead tree. Was met by a guard bee, another worker, like myself. I did not smell like the enemy. So round and round in circles, first this way, then that, the other bee twirled on its three sets of legs. Flicking its wings, my comrade told me the location of a new source of food for the hive.

All for the hive!

I would go and gather …

<Marco! What are you doing?>

What … man. My brain finally shook itself back into place. What was I doing?

I left my hive-mate and lifted off. Zoomed out and over to Rachel, still perched in the next tree in eagle morph.

<What’s wrong with you?> she snapped. <It’s a stupid honeybee!>

<Sorry. But I’m not sure I’d call the bee stupid. You need individuality and sentience to be stupid, don’t you? As compared to smart or silly or whatever?>

<I guess,> Rachel conceded.

<Anyway, it’s not nearly as bad as being an ant. You know how ants are just programmed parts of a whole? It’s kind of like that, only not so aggressive. It’s sort of like I’m part of a big farm family. All for one and one for all while we bring in the crop and feed the next generation and pay homage to the queen. That’s what Communism is all about,> I mused. <I mean, Castro’s like a king when you think about it.>

<Yeah, well, Comrade Marco, just be sure you maintain control, okay?>

<Yeah. Look, there’s a couple of bees flying out of the hive. Might as well follow them and hope for the best.>

<I’m on you.>

I zipped off after the two bees. One zoomed off the property. The other seemed headed for the greenhouse.

So far, on a fairly straight path.

ZZZZZZZZ!

Not another bee. Not my bee. Another bug.

Whoosh!

It dropped straight down in front of me! Went right for the bee I was following!

What the heck was it?

Through what seemed like thousands of tiny TV screens I could see an insect larger than me, maybe twice my size. Its legs seemed to be covered in spines or spikes. Its nose looked like a big fat needle.

<Marco! You’d better look out!> Rachel called.

And then the monster insect hit the bee. Hard. Wrapped its horrible legs around it, capturing the smaller insect in a spiny, iron maiden-like prison.

Like one gigantic mutant insect they flew. The bee struggled but to no effect.

And then the big bandit stabbed the bee with its needle-nose. Had to be sucking the life from the bee, because when the big insect released the carcass it was withered and dry.

A terrible close call. But the killer insect had flown out of sight …

<Marco! He’s coming back for you!>

ZZZZZZZZZZZ!

<He’s about a foot behind you, maybe six inches up. I’ll try to get him but …>

<Ahhhhh!>

I felt one of his barbed legs pierce my abdomen.

No no no no!

A second leg impaled me from the other side.

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