The plants stems cracked, then shuddered and dove at Fictus, repairing the racks as they moved. A tree sprouted under the falling rock, lifting it high into the air. Bushes sprouted up around the other animals, protecting them from the worst of the pebbles. Suzie growled as a pebble struck her...
"There was no need for that," Suzie said mildly. "Watching his rock turn to pebbles would have been a good learning experience for him. And you hurt the plants when you do that."
"Looks like he's going to try to crush you," a tiny voice said from down by Suzie's feet. She jumped and looked down to see Dart.
"He can try, but it won't work. Plants crush stone," she whispered.
Vines sprouted from the earth around his feet and wrapped around his legs. "Not yet, not until we know what exactly he was sent here to do," Suzie said. She walked over to Natalya, Dede hopping alongside her. "This is my friend Dede, she reads minds."