| #35: The Proposal |
Detailed Plot: Marco's playing video games with his dad when they're interrupted by Nora's phone call. Nora is his dad's new girlfriend, and also happens to be one of Marco's teachers. While his dad is on the phone, Marco distracts himself with TV and comes across the talk show of William Roger Tennant, who recommends that one of his callers check out The Sharing. Marco feels that Jake needs to know about this guy using his talk show to recruit Yeerk hosts, so he sets up a meeting and leaves, disappointing his dad. He's stewing over the fact that his dad is dating again while his mother might not actually be dead. Distracted and confused, Marco has trouble morphing, and while aiming for an osprey he gets a lobster. He doesn't know why, but he doesn't take a chance on another morph and just rides his bike to Cassie's barn, where he meets up with the Animorphs. He doesn't mention his "mutant morphing" problem, and they discuss how to get Tennant off the air. Some surveillance is their first idea, and during the next three days Marco handles morphing just fine while carrying out spy missions. They figure out Tennant's routine, including the fact that he jogs at certain times, sits at his desk at certain times, and owns ten cockatiels. They decide to acquire the cockatiels to fly around his house and look for ideas on how to get dirt on him. First they become squirrels, then they break in and sneak to the room that houses the cockatiels. Rachel and Marco acquire the birds, but Marco gets bitten and cries out, while Rachel has no trouble acquiring hers. He eventually gets one and they both morph, and again he has no problems. He gets distracted, though, and enjoys flying around singing until Rachel yells at him and Jake butts in. He knows it's time for business. Rachel and Marco fly into Tennant's office, which is fine because his cockatiels are allowed to fly around the house. While Rachel and Marco are trying to figure out what kind of letter Tennant is writing on his computer, Visser Three calls. They overhear Tennant's half of the conversation: he says he'll be accepting an award and expects to be invited to have a prime time show. Marco begins to have trouble controlling himself and just starts tweeting, plucking his own feathers, and eventually, pooping on Tennant's desk. Despite wanting to keep his animal-loving image, this Controller has had enough, and he comes after Marco after he gets off the phone with the Visser. Tennant catches Marco and threatens to squeeze him to death, but the Yeerk stops squeezing him because his host is resisting. The real Tennant is an animal-lover and would never kill a creature, much less in a painful way. The Yeerk begins to talk to himself and bemoans his fate to get caught in such a role, but then he becomes suspicious after realizing Marco might be an Andalite, since he isn't responding to the prompt to recite his name. Rachel has to save him (and while doing so she ends up raking off Tennant's toupee), and the rest do battle morphs and come in. In the attack, Marco is almost killed, and has to morph out to save himself while Cassie covers for him. But then, instead of being able to morph to gorilla to join the fight, he ends up half trout instead and has trouble breathing, needing to revert to human to save himself. The Animorphs group, with Marco in human mode, escape with their lives, but Marco worries that he was seen. Back at the barn, Marco gets chewed out for not telling the others about his predicament. They encourage him to talk to them if he needs help, since what seems to be triggering this morphing nonsense is his inability to deal with his dad dating his teacher if his mom isn't really gone. He tries going home, but his dad is there with the teacher (and her nasty yappy dog, Euclid). They're embarrassed to have been caught necking by Marco, but Marco's a lot more concerned with how he's getting attacked by the stupid dog. He acquires it to stop it for just a moment, but the trance doesn't last long and he retreats to his room with his PlayStation. The next day, there's a mission. They're off to the awards ceremony to try to make Tennant look bad so he won't get to keep using his spotless media image to attract members to The Sharing. They're hoping that since Tennant's Yeerk is not the sanest of souls, they will be able to upset him. They morph roaches and decide to try to hide in his salad. But they have to get a plan for making sure the salad they're in is given to Tennant, and that's not easy. Marco pretends to be a busboy and asks one of the kitchen staff to make sure the salad without tomatoes gets given to Tennant, but no one's really paying attention to him, and then when Marco tries to take his place as a spider he ends up getting a messed-up morph again and becoming half spider, half skunk. He scares the kitchen staff, and has no weapons, but they're trying to kill him so he thought-speaks (privately) to some of them, warning them that he's a monster and that he's about to turn into something that will cut their heads off. They flee, but try to bring back reinforcements, and of course people don't believe the reports. Marco, back in his busboy clothes, decides he can't morph any more that day, and he takes it upon himself to make sure the salad gets to Tennant. Unfortunately, it's already been given to other guests--in this case, the kids from the band Hanson. Roaches run everywhere and cause a ruckus, but Tennant isn't affected. They have to go with Plan B, which involves Marco and Ax as humans and the others are fleas. Marco gets distracted being ordered to empty the trash, so Ax has to do his job. Marco gets trapped outside in an alley while doing his duty, so Ax has to bring the fleas over to Tennant while pretending he's there to clear plates. Unfortunately he thinks he has to take plates away from people who are still eating, and he licks their plates. Marco gets back just in time to restrain Ax and pretend to Tennant that they're both just big fans who want his autograph. He actually buys it. With Jake and the other fleas in position, Marco and Ax hide, and the rest of the group sneaks in under Tennant's toupee. They begin biting his head while he's being honored on stage. He is distracted, and twitches a little, but he regains his composure and doesn't freak out on stage. They abort the mission, wondering what could actually annoy him enough to react. When Marco gets home, no one's home, which probably means his dad is out with his girlfriend. Marco distracts himself, then eats cookies, until finally Cassie comes over. She confronts him: she can tell he screwed up another morph, even though he didn't tell them during the mission. She could "hear" it somehow when he thought-spoke to them that something had gone wrong. Since their group has no option to see traditional counselors considering the risks and what they'd have to admit to, Cassie has come over to let Marco know he can talk to her. He doesn't want to because "guys don't talk about their feelings," and he feels like he's weak if he's the one falling apart, but when Cassie reminds him of what he's been through he has a hard time stomaching it. He tries to pretend she's helped him by coming over, but she doesn't really buy it. She tells him he should try to deal with what is rather than what should be. Finally, they form a plan for what should be done about Tennant. Marco morphs into Euclid, the toy poodle that belongs to his dad's girlfriend. And with that, he stalks Tennant on his jogs, follows him to speeches, and unexpectedly pops out to harass him, attack him, and bark at him whenever he possibly can. Tennant knows he's "an Andalite," but Marco only attacks when there are witnesses, so Tennant can't kill him in front of people who think he's a role model. He's enjoying taking out his anger and fear on Tennant, attacking him so regularly. But when his dad says he wants to marry Marco's teacher and wants Marco's blessing--and won't do it without it--he can't handle it. He leaves without answering and goes to another mission. Marco and the others sneak inside a TV studio where Tennant is about to be on the air, live. Marco plans to attack as a poodle when no one is there to stop Tennant from attacking back, and then Ax will make sure the live broadcast is turned on in time for his animal cruelty to be broadcast to the world. But unfortunately, while turning into the poodle, Marco has thoughts about having to live with the actual dog he'd gotten the DNA from, and his morph freaks out again. He becomes part dog, part polar bear, and he attacks Tennant because the polar bear wants prey. Cassie tries to talk him down and get him to reason, but it's Jake's order for him to step up and handle himself that actually gets through to him. He morphs to poodle. Taking the bait, Tennant goes after Marco and tries to kill him. Ax makes sure the cameras are catching it, and Tennant's crew also gets to see him trying to choke a dog. Crew members who aren't Controllers stop Tennant from choking Marco, and some of the others who are in wolf morph help cover his exit. The network suit who was considering Tennant for a prime-time slot immediately drops the offer, saying the guy was insane. Mission complete. Marco decides that he can deal with his dad getting married, so the wedding goes forward and Marco plays best man. He teases Rachel for crying at the wedding. And after the marriage is official, they start moving Nora into the house, along with the dog Marco still hates. Tennant is nowhere to be found now that the violent footage has been on the news, and things seem to be settling down. Until the phone rings one day and it's Marco's mother, heard on the answering machine asking him to pick up. Narrator: Marco New known controllers:
New morphs acquired:
Cassie: None Marco: Squirrel, cockatiel, poodle (Euclid) Rachel: Squirrel, cockatiel Ax: Squirrel Tobias: None Notable: This book is ghostwritten by Jeffrey Zuehlke. Marco explains in his opening ramble that Yeerks are from another galaxy, which contradicts what's been said before but falls in line with a joke he makes in a later book. Question is, does he just think Yeerks are from another galaxy, or are they supposed to be and it was part of the continuity that changed, or were they not supposed to be and the ghostwriters were messing up that detail? (Most likely option is the last.) It seems odd that Ax continues to use the wrong terms for everyday objects, like "artificial skins" for clothes and "artificial hooves" for shoes, but then also DOES sometimes use the right words. It seems more designed to make his alien-ness funny than it seems realistic. It is said specifically in this book that Andalites have seven fingers. Before that, other books referred to them as having more fingers than humans, but unless the covers were consulted, it was unclear how many fingers they had. This book is specific. This book contains the phrase "free reign," which is a common mistake. The correct phrase is "free rein." This book includes the word "personna" which was apparently supposed to be "persona." This book includes the band Hanson. Their description in the book helps date the events. In this book, Ax is human but uses thought-speak, which was implied to not be possible before. In previous "notable" sections, it's been listed that Ax should be able to use thought-speak while in a human morph, as thought-speak isn't something that gets removed just because a creature has the ability to speak, but other books have suggested he has to use his mouth if he's human. The way it works in this book seems more logical. Best lines: Ax: "From 'These Messages' on television, I have learned that fitness requires particular shoes and particular clothing. It is not possible to become physically fit dressed as you are, Marco."
Jake: "Didn't he write all those Men Are from Jupiter, Women Are from Venus books?" Rachel: "Major smear campaign. That's how you take down a celebrity. Unless he's like a politician. Or an athlete. They're immune." Ax: "Perhaps your father is Young and Restless. Those who are Young and Restless frequently change mates."
Marco: "The point is we're all hanging on by our fingernails. What right do I have to go nuts?" Ax: "I am quite capable of this simple maneuver. Marco was merely concerned that I would go postal. But I have no mail."
Cassie: "You know, at the clinic we're always getting animals who are hurt or injured by humans. By jerks who shoot at them for no reason, or try and burn them, or whatever. And I used to get so mad. I just hated those people. And I'd feel like I was wasting my time because, you know, there's always some jerk with a twenty-two. I'd rage about it. But my dad told me, 'Deal with what is.'"
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