<Hi, Josep,> I said, using thought-speak.

“What the . . . Who? Who said that? I’m hearing voices!”

<Me,> I replied. <I said it. See, Josep, I am from the International Elephant Police. We have had some complaints about you.>

“This is crazy! This is crazy! What are you? Is this some sort of a joke?”

…

Right.

So… remember that big weird biomechanical appearance at the end of The Capture?

“I am an Ellimist,” he said, speaking with an actual voice, “as your Andalite friend guessed.”

Ax was shaking so badly he looked like he might fall down.

“Be at peace, Andalite,” the Ellimist said. “Look at your human friends. They do not fear me.”

<They don’t know what you are,> Ax managed to say.

The Ellimist smiled. “Neither do you. All you know are the fairy stories your people tell to children.”

I remember The Ellimist Chronicles being one of my favorite books of the series. I did not remember that they showed up quite so early. An interesting bit of worldbuilding, if nearing on an almost literal deus-ex-machina.

It’s a good book, but it’s tonally weird compared to any of the books thus far–quite a jump in scope/scale.

Although I do like Rachel’s cover / new combat morph though. Not quite as many size issues as she had with the elephant.

Random Thoughts

(minor spoilers)

<You know, Ax, they’re your minutes now, too.> Marco said, just to make conversation. <I mean, we are all here together on good old Earth where we only have one type of minute.>

And so begins yet another of those running jokes that will be in every single book after this one.

“They’re everyone’s miles,” Marco said. “You’re on Earth, Ax. We all have the same miles.”

<What about nations that use kilometers?> Ax asked smugly. <See? I am learning.>

Yeah, okay. That’s an amusing take on it.