The enormity of the realization made George sit down hard on his bed, as if thrown there by an invisible hand.  The protector?!  It was the protector who would betray him?  How could that be?  And why?

George had come to rely on the protector more than he had realized until that moment.  He felt as if the floor he had been standing on, sure that it would never move, had suddenly been ripped from under his feet.  How could the protector betray him?  How?  The Ziphon had told him to seek out the protector in the first place.  Why would he now tell him that this person he had sought out was not to be trusted after all? 

Unless, of course, there was another reason for him to seek out and come to know the protector.  The Ziphon had never said the protector was going to help him—he had only told George to seek him out ‘to better see what you must do.’  Perhaps he needed to come to know the protector in order to learn about the Grak.  Perhaps the protector was in league with the Grak and had been sent to lure George into a false sense of security, saying that he was an enemy of the Grak, only to betray him to them in the end.  George trusted the protector so much that when it came to the Grak, he would do anything the protector said to do.  Who could make sure their plan worked better than him?

But what if he were wrong?  What if the Ziphon had meant someone else?  How could he afford to mistrust the protector if he were really a friend?  How on earth was he to know for sure?

He needed to talk with someone.  He needed it desperately.  But there was no one.  He didn’t dare tell his mother since she would confine him to his room for the rest of his life.  Telling his sister Janet would do no good since she would just go and gleefully spill the beans to his mother.  And he obviously couldn’t tell the protector.  Who else was there?

George felt a sudden pain in his finger.  In alarm he stared stupidly at the ring he had received from the protector.  It tightened painfully on his finger three times!  Someone was calling him!  Was it the protector?  Or Jiu Na?

George quickly removed the ring and slipped it in his ear.  He felt a bit silly having a ring in his ear and talking into thin air.  Tentatively he said in a half whisper, “hello?”

“George?” came a girl’s voice into his ear.  “Is that you?  This is Jiu Na.  I need to talk to you!”

“Sure,” said George quietly, so his sister wouldn’t hear him from her room next door.  “What’s wrong?”

"I just had a visit from one of those strange creatures the protector told us about,” came Jiu Na’s voice.  “I don’t remember now what it’s called.”

“A Ziphon,” said George automatically.  “And I just had a visit from one too.”

“You did?” cried Jiu Na excitedly.  “What did he say to you?”

George hesitated, unsure what to say.  Could Jiu Na be the person the Ziphon had warned him about?  But he hardly knew her.  And how could she betray him from China?

“He told me something scary,” said Jiu Na, not waiting for his answer.  “He said the time was short for me to decide, and to beware the person I least suspected, that they may betray me!”

“That’s exactly what he told me!” cried George.  Now he knew Jiu Na could not be the person the Ziphon had warned him about, or she would not have received the same message—or told him about it.

"It’s awful, isn’t it?” came Jiu Na’s voice.  “Because I’ve thought and thought, and the only person I least suspect is the protector!  I don’t want it to be him, but who else could it be?”

“That’s what I decided, too,” replied George slowly. 

“What are we to do?” cried Jiu Na.  “We need help.  I thought the protector was helping us, but it looks like he’s not.  He must be in league with the Grak, and fooling us.  We’re just two kids half a world apart.  What can we do?”

“I don’t know,” said George, his head starting to ache.  “It was hard enough to figure out before.  I could never understand how I was supposed to prevent the Grak from doing whatever they’ve got cooked up.  Now it seems impossible.”

There was silence for a moment, as both were lost in their own thoughts.

“Maybe we’re wrong,” said Jiu Na at last.  “Maybe it’s not the protector.  Could it be Emberly instead?”

Emberly?  In league with the Grak?  The thought was impossible.  “I don’t think so,” said George.  “She saved me from the Grak when we got back from China.  They attacked us.”  Quickly George told of the Grak that had attacked he and Emberly, and how her song had saved them.

“That’s horrible,” said Jiu Na when he had finished.  “I agree it couldn’t be Emberly.  But how about the protector?  He saved you too, didn’t he?”

“He wasn’t there until the Grak were already pulling back,” said George.  “He told me later that our singing would not have stopped the Grak, that they were only temporarily pushed back.  But maybe he was trying to hide the fact that the songs are the way to overcome them.  If he’s in league with the Grak, he wouldn’t want us to know of a weapon that will truly stop them.”

“What are we to do, George?” asked Jiu Na plaintively.  “We need help.  We can’t do this alone.”

“I feel the same way,” said George helplessly.  “But the Ziphon’s message must have been given to us for a reason.  Hasn’t he told us that we can somehow make a difference?  We just have to keep trying, and maybe something will open up for us.  Maybe we can do more than we realize.” 

“But what about the protector?” asked Jiu Na.  “What do we do about him now?”

“We’ve got to keep our eye on him,” said George with sudden resolution.  “There’s no better way to prepare for whatever is coming than to keep playing along with him, make him think we don’t know about him, but watch him close at the same time.”

"That sounds dangerous,” said Jiu Na.  “If he’s in league with the Grak, he could betray you anytime.  Isn’t it safer just to stop having anything to do with him?”

“That will make him too suspicious,” replied George.  “No, we’ve got to keep going along with him, for now at least.  He wanted me to meet him this morning, so I will.  I’ll play along and act like everything is normal.”  George could see through his window a faint light beginning to spread across the eastern horizon.  It would soon be morning.

“Well, be careful,” said Jiu Na.  “And call me as soon as you’ve met with him, and let me know what’s going on.”

“All right,” said George.  After that, there wasn’t much to say.  They finally said their good-byes and George put the ring back on his finger.

He sat on the edge of his bed for a long time, going over every word of what the Ziphon had said, and trying to remember everything the protector had done and said.  It still seemed impossible that the protector could be their enemy, but the Ziphon’s warning was clear.  The person he least suspected may betray him, and there was no one he had suspected less than the protector.  Why hadn’t the protector given him one of the light bombs if they were supposedly so effective against the Grak?  Why hadn’t the protector told him before that singing would drive the Grak away?  Surely he must have realized the Grak could attack George at any time, especially since they had already captured his father. 

George sat motionless for over an hour, going over everything the protector had said and done in his mind, and looking at it all in a new light.  It wasn’t pleasant, but he knew it had to be done.  The Ziphon wouldn’t have given his warning for no reason.  It was up to him to make use of it. 

George finally dropped into a fitful, uneasy sleep just as the sun was peeking over the horizon.

A few hours later George was sitting on the curb in front of his house, waiting for the protector.  The Ziphon’s visit and the call from Jiu Na now all seemed like a bad dream.  With the sun shining so brightly and the day so beautiful, it was hard to think that he was facing great danger, and that the protector was not to be trusted.  He had come to look at the protector in almost the same way as own father.  His heart ached to trust him again, and yearned for the simple, innocent acceptance of the protector that he had felt only yesterday.  But he could not ignore the Ziphon’s warning.

Time passed.  There was no one in sight except Mr. Macalister down the street mowing his lawn.  A flower sticking out of the grass nearby waved in the breeze.  There was no dog or bird or butterfly in sight.  What would the protector be today? 

Until now, George had enjoyed trying to figure out what different shapes the protector could take.  Now his ability to appear as something else seemed sinister and frightening.  He could just as easily turn himself into a Grak, as anything else.

“You look glum today,” said a voice out of nowhere.  George jumped, looking around wildly.  The protector had done it again.  There was nothing and nobody in sight, yet he knew the protector was there.

“I’m over here,” came the voice again.  It seemed to be coming from the edge of the lawn, somewhere around the flower waving in the breeze.  George took a step forward, his senses alert.  Suddenly he realized there was no breeze, yet the flower kept waving.

“That’s right,” laughed the flower.  “It’s me.  Today I’m a Turubian walking flower.  They look very much like your earth flowers, only of course their roots are more like feet and they can move around.”

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George stooped down to examine the flower, and was amazed to see that it indeed had little legs and feet at its base, mostly hidden in the grass.

“That’s incredible!” said George without thinking.  Then he stood up abruptly.  He had to keep on his guard and not be taken in by the protector again.

“What’s wrong?” came the voice from the flower.  “You seem tense.  Did anything happen?”

George realized he was acting too worried, letting his suspicions show.  Even if he didn’t feel like it, he had to try to act normal, to laugh and be himself.

“It’s nothing,” George said with a half hearted laugh.  “I, uh … I just don’t feel too well today.”

“That’s too bad,” said the flower.  Then with more excitement, the voice said, “but I’ve got important news!  I’ve figured out part of the Grak’s plan!  I’m still not sure how you and Jiu Na and the third person are going to stop them, but now I at least have an idea what they are up to.”

“The third person?” asked George curiously.  “What do you mean?”

“Let’s go to my car and I’ll show you,” said the voice as the flower abruptly stood up and started to walk on its short, grey legs.  “It’s too hard to explain without the proper tools.”

George followed along behind the flower.  It was one of the most amazing and bizarre things he had ever seen, walking along as if it were a person, with its petals and leafs rising and falling at each step.  George looked quickly all around.  “Aren’t you worried someone will see you?” he asked.

The voice laughed.  “I’m too low to the ground for anyone to notice,” said the protector.  “And if they do see me, you can just tell them I’m your pet walking flower.  That should satisfy them.”

“But there are no walking flowers on earth!” said George.  “No one would believe me.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” said the protector noncommittally.  “There’s lots of strange creatures in this world, like the praying mantis, or flying fish.  Just tell anyone who asks that I’m from Africa or Australia, or somewhere else with exotic, strange creatures.”

George just shook his head not knowing what to say.

They were nearing the corner, and George could see the car a short distance down the street, with Ant Number 4 sitting silently in the driver’s seat.  Once again his heart ached to innocently accept and believe the protector as he had done only yesterday.  He felt as if a cloud had settled over his mind, taking away all the fun and enjoyment he had experienced since he had come to know the protector.

“You must be sick,” said the flower.  “You don’t seem your normal self.  I hope it’s nothing catching.  I haven’t had my flu shot this year.”

George tried to laugh.  “Oh, it’s nothing serious,” he said quickly.  “Just a little scratchy throat, but I’ll be fine.  How’s Emberly today?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

“Good,” replied the protector.  “She’s back to her old self, and is very excited about our trip to Portugal.”

“Portugal?” exclaimed George, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to stare at the walking flower.  “We’re going to Portugal?”

“Yes,” replied the protector.  “Not today of course, because of the time difference.  We’ll have to meet earlier tomorrow, so we can go as early as possible.  We want it to still be light there, even though it will be evening.  But we need to go in order to confirm my theory about what the Grak are up to.  If what I discovered is correct, we’ll find another fallen star there, and hopefully find someone else who found an Uth rock next to it, just like you and Jiu Na did.”

“Wow!” said George, not knowing what else to say.  “How did you find that out?”

“Come into the car, and I’ll show you,” said the flower, starting to walk again. George followed behind, his mind racing with this news.  Then he chided himself silently for getting excited about the protector’s new ‘discovery.’  Of course the protector knew what the Grak were up to, since he was in league with them!  He knew their whole plan all along.  He was just pretending to have made a new discovery, to make George think he was on his side.

When they reached the car, George held back in apprehension.  Why did the protector want so bad for him to come into the car?  Was it a trap? 

“What’s wrong?” said the protector again, who had already hopped into the car on the passenger seat.  There was concern in his voice.  “You don’t seem your normal self today.”

George shook his head as if to clear it from a fog.  He couldn’t let the protector know he suspected him, even if that meant walking into danger.  The Ziphon had said he could still do something to help, and the Ziphon had seen the future.  He simply had to trust that everything would be all right, and act more carefree and interested, like he had yesterday.

“Nothing’s wrong,” said George, opening the car door.  “Just my throat.  I’ll be all right.”

George could feel the protector looking at him curiously.  Suddenly he realized that the flower must have eyes somewhere, although he couldn’t see them.  It was so bizarre to be stared at by a flower that he laughed in spite of himself.

“What’s so funny?” asked the protector. 

“Just that you were looking at me, and I can’t tell where your eyes are,” said George.

The protector laughed too.  “They’re well hidden in Turubian flowers.  Can you imagine if they weren’t?  What a sight that would be—a flower with big, staring eyes.”  With another laugh, the protector jumped off the edge of the passenger seat and instantly changed in size, so that he now looked like a small weed on the floor of the car.  “Come on,” came a faint voice as the flower walked toward the tiny door.  “But don’t say anything until you shrink, or you’ll split my eardrums.”

George followed silently, leaning forward over the edge of the seat.  Once again his stomach turned upside down as he felt himself suddenly shrinking.  Then he was on the floor of the car, with Ant Number 4 towering to his left.  The protector had already disappeared through the door.

George ran to the door and peered inside.  He saw the protector, now returned to his normal, flabby self, taking the cover off a globe of the earth.

“Let me show you what I found,” said the protector.  “It’s pretty amazing.  Only the Grak would have come up with a plan so bold.”

George came over and looked at the globe.  It looked quite ordinary, and seemed out of place surrounded by the protector’s other specialized equipment.

“There’s nothing too exciting about this globe,” said the protector with a sheepish grin.  “I bought it at Wal-Mart.  But come over here and let me show you what gave me my first clue about what the Grak are up to.”

George followed the protector over to the View All.  Emberly bounced up against his leg, and he smiled and patted her.  It seemed odd to think that yesterday she had been a human girl, yet now she was a furry little fuzzball, acting similar to a cat.

“Here it is,” said the protector, clicking several buttons on what looked like a remote control.  “It’s a commercial I saw while watching the 6:00 o’clock news.  Watch.”

Suddenly a view of space appeared on the screen, and an announcer’s voice said, “Are you tired of having to send your interplanetary frozen or heated goods through Fozulia?  Would you like a more direct shipping route through sector 9?  Well, your lucky day has arrived!  Momp Enterprises is proud to announce the opening of a new frozen and heated transfer planet in sector 9!  It’s perfect for all your shipment needs!”

The space scene zoomed in on a planetary system with nine planets, and highlighted the third planet with flashing orange arrows.

“This new non-rotating planet in sector 9 is almost exactly half way between Ningassa and Blutoric, and is a perfect stopping point for shipment of your goods!  Leave them there for a day or half a century with no worries!  They’ll be perfectly chilled or heated according to your needs.  Just think—no more 30 billion light year trip out of the way to Fuzolia!  No more loss of goods for lack of proper chilling or heating by careless space freighters!  Call Momp Enterprises and reserve your spot today!”

The screen went dead.  The protector looked triumphantly at George, who stared back with a blank look in his eyes.

“Fascinating, isn’t it?” said the protector knowingly.  “Incredibly brazen to show as a commercial on the 6:00 o’clock news.  But the Grak are always doing rash things like that.”

“I don’t understand,” said George slowly.  “What does it mean?”

“Here, let me show you,” said the protector, as he pushed more buttons on the remote.  The zoomed image of the third planet reappeared on the screen.

“Do you see that solar system and the highlighted planet?” said the protector.

“Sure,” said George.

“That’s earth!  The Grak are advertising your earth as an interplanetary storage planes, for frozen or heated goods!”