The harrier morph is always strange. For one thing, there is a great difference in size between an Andalite and a bird, even a large bird.

The first sensation was one of falling, as I shrank rapidly.

My stalk eyes went blind and wings grew out of my front legs, which is very awkward. It causes me to fall forward onto the ground, since I cannot stand on my hind legs alone.

Besides, my hind legs were busy shriveling down into the tiny yellow, scaly bird legs. And my tail was shrinking and splitting into dozens of long tail feathers.

52 Harriers also have mouths, like humans. Only these mouths are useless for speech, and have very little ability to taste. On the other hand, they are wonderful natural weapons. They are razor- sharp, and curved down into a ripping, tearing hook.

And the talons are excellent. I had long admired Tobias's use of his talons. He can swoop fast and low, just a few feet above the ground, and snatch up a mouse or small rabbit with those talons.

As I watched, the blue and tan fur of my own body was replaced by silvery gray feathers. The fur melted away to show the underlying flesh, and then the flesh became patterned with the millions of individual ribs of feathers.

I was used to the mind of the harrier, so I had learned to control its instincts. Its instincts were more forceful than those in the brains of humans.

"I've been meaning to ask you, Ax," Tobias said. "Not to diss you or anything, but why is it that Cassie is better at morphing than you are? I mean, you're an Andalite. But you look just as creepy as Jake or Rachel when you do it."

"Cassie has talent," I said a little grumpily. "Morphing does not happen to be my talent."

"Oh. You ready to fly?"

I checked. I opened my wings to their full three-and-a-half-foot spread. I flicked my tail feathers. I focused my laserlike hawk's eyes on a far distant tree and was able to see individual ants crawling up its trunk.

I listened to the forest with the harrier's superior hearing. I could hear the insects beneath the pine needles. I could hear a squirrel chewing open a nut. I could hear Tobias's heart beating.

I turned into the breeze and opened my wings. I flapped several times and lifted my legs clear of the ground. The breeze caught me and I was off.

Even with the breeze, I had to flap hard to get as high as the treetops. Tobias was already several dozen feet above me. But then, Tobias has had a great deal of practice.

I swept just above the treetops, flapping and soaring. The sun was beating down on the treetops and heat waves were rising. I caught the up-draft and shot higher. I was two hundred feet up in just seconds.

I could see Cassie's farm now. And as I circled to use the updraft for more altitude, I could see all the familiar landmarks: the homes of the others. The mall. The school.

"Stick with me," Tobias said. "We'll follow the water's edge. The observatory is north along the coast. About an hour's flying time."

We reached the ocean. There were cliffs along the shore, and here the real thermals rose up.

A thermal is an updraft of heated air. Flying into one is like flying into an elevator or drop shaft. The updraft catches your wings and lifts you up and up and up.

It is a fantastic, giddy, wild feeling.

53 I wheeled and turned to stay within the thermal, following Tobias higher and higher.

"We want to get above the gulls," Tobias instructed. "Sometimes seagulls get obnoxious.

They'll swarm a hawk if they're in the wrong mood."

It was exhilarating. We were thousands of feet above the ground. Down below, humans lay on the beach wearing less clothing than usual. Clothing is a strange human habit. They must wear it all the time. Except at the beach, when they may wear less.

I don't understand this. The World Almanac had no explanation. Although I did know that the United States imported 36.7 billion dollars' worth of clothing.

"Keep an eye on that guy up there," Tobias said.

"Where? What?" I asked, shaken out of my dreamy thoughts.

"A peregrine falcon. He's probably looking to pick off a few tasty seagulls. But he may decide we look more tender. He's small but fast. Mean, too." I decided to keep an eye on the falcon. Earth is a dangerous, wild place. At least, if you're a bird.

I thought it must be terrible sometimes for Tobias. He lives in fear of things that no human would need to fear. He has lost his position at the top of the food chain of Earth. Hawks are predators, but they are also prey. Yet he seemed to have accepted his fate. Was it possible he even preferred being a hawk? Was that why he never asked me what I might know about him being a nothlit?

Or did he think I would refuse to answer, or worse yet, lie?

Fortunately, the falcon ignored us and we flew on, following the coastline. Soon we had left the city behind. The beaches were gone, too. The coastline grew more rugged, with waves that crashed in explosions of foam against jagged broken rocks.

A single road wound along the coast below us.

There were cars on it, but few buildings. Then, in the distance, I saw a large white structure.

Actually, several structures. There was a tall building with a dome top. And arrayed around it in various positions were several large white flattened bowls. It took me several seconds to figure out their purpose.

"That's the radio telescope?" I laughed. "You're still using dish arrays?"

"Won't they work for ... for whatever it is you're doing?" Tobias asked.

"Oh, yes, they should work. If I can gain access to the computers, they should work very well. It's just that they're so primitives "I don't suppose you want to tell me what we're doing, huh?" 54 "Doing? We're flying," I said.

"Very funny. Suddenly you have a sense of humor. Great."

" I he large building with the dome?" I asked Tobias as I swept above the observatory. "Is that where the computers would be?"

"Maybe. That's where they have the regular telescope, I think. But they may have the control centers and computers there, too."

I looked with my incredible hawk vision. There was a huge, rectangular opening in the top of the dome. Inside I could see a vast circle of glass. I laughed in recognition. "A telescope? An actual optical telescope? What can they possibly believe that'll show them?"

"It will show them a red-tail and a harrier flying around together, looking like lost tourists," Tobias said. "According to Marco, this place isn't really operating yet. So I don't know how many people will be around. But we need to find a place to land, so you can morph into something useful, and do ... whatever."

"Tobias. Is that sarcasm? The way you ask me what I'm doing?"

"No, it's not sarcasm. I think it's called being snide."

"Ah. Thanks for explaining. Why not fly straight into the dome?" I asked.

"Why not?" Tobias agreed. He led the way down.

We dived at high speed, rocketing down through the air. The brilliant white dome rushed up at us. I shot through the open rectangle and banked sharply right.

It was much darker inside than outside. Below me was the incredibly long tube of the telescope.

"I see doors down below. Those are probably offices," Tobias said. "They'll probably have computers in all the offices. If we can find one that's empty."

"Yes. That would be good. But I will need fingers."

"For. . ."

"For whatever it is I'm doing," I said.

We circled swiftly around the inside of the dome. As I flew, I kept expecting to see humans below. But none ever appeared.