Book 53-The Answer I'm a sixteen-year-old kid named Jake Berenson, and I am the leader of the Animorphs. "Andalite!" <Surprise.> --guard, Ax "Oh, man, I'm just getting over this morning's fun." "Eat your dry, stale, granola.  You need to keep up your strength." --Marco, Rachel So I gave simple orders to my people, the original Animorphs, and the auxiliary Animorphs, and Toby's free Hork-Bajir.  Orders I had never given before:  Kill the enemy.  Kill the Taxxons.  Dress it up however you want, that's what war is about.  If there's glory in there somewhere, I must have missed it. --Jake <And you would...> <Yes.  We would fight with you.> --Jake, Arbron "You know I love you." "I love you, too, Jake." "I guess if we win, if we survive, maybe we should, you know, get married and all.  I mean, eventually.  I know we're young, but man, we've been through enough that it should count for a few extra years, shouldn't it?" ..."I would like that...eventually...A year after it ends, if it ends, if we win, a year afterward, if you want to be with me, we'll talk about that again, okay?" "I have to wait a year?  Kind of harsh, isn't it?" "Hey, if we get married, Marco isn't going to live with us, is he?" --Jake, Cassie <What are you going to do?> <I'm going to win.> --Cassie, Jake I would use everyone, put everyone in harm's way.  And I knew--knew beyond any doubt--that someone, and maybe more than someone, I loved was going to die. --Jake "Sorry, but we'll keep you in a position where every time you refuse to help, we'll take a life.  And I'll make you this promise:  Your help will minimize the casualties." Erek said a long string of words I didn't understand. "What?" "I was offering you my opinion of your morals and your ethics and your sense of decency.  I was speaking an ancient Mesopotamian dialect known for its wide variety of curse words." "Tell you the truth, Erek, your being mad at me is the least of my problems." --Jake, Erek <You are asking me to lie to my people.> "I'm not asking you to lie to your people, Ax.  I'm telling you to." --Ax, Jake "So, you don't like me telling you what to do, you don't like your job, you don't like me, period?  I don't really care.  Before this night is over the casualties will be piled high and some of you standing here right now will be dead and I don't care because we are going to win.  Is that clear?..." "You know, you're turning into Rachel.  Where is she, anyway?" --Jake, Marco "Jake, was Rachel down there with them?"  -Cassie "No."  -Jake "Then where is she?  Why isn't she with us?  Why won't you tell me?"  -Cassie "She's with Tom."  -Jake ..."Oh, Jake..."  -Cassie <You son of a...You arrogant, ruthless...What have you done?  What have you done?!>  --Tobias <Don't let her die.  Find a way, Jake.  Don't you let her die.> --Tobias "You're not dead!" <I noticed the same thing.> --Tom, Visser Three