Jake and Tom's maternal great-grandfather dies suddenly. Their mom immediately travels out of state to help make arrangements for the funeral. Jake, Tom, and their father are to follow in two days when their dad can take off from work, and stay for a few days. This, of course, creates a problem for Tom (who, as we know, is a Controller and needs to get to a Kandrona every three days.)

Tom resists. But his father insists. They're going, and they're staying for at least three days. No arguments. Jake, too, for his own reasons, would rather not go, but he's much more interested in the fact that Tom is in a bind. How should he play it? What should he do? Jake is so worried about whether he should hope Tom's Yeerk starves to death, possibly forcing the Yeerks to kill Tom, that he completely misses the other possibility.

When Jake gets home the next evening, he finds a note from his dad crumpled in the trash. It had obviously been stuck to the refrigerator; someone had snatched it off, and thrown it out hurriedly. Their father says he's going with Tom to a meeting of The Sharing. Tom had used obligations to The Sharing as his excuse for not wanting to attend the funeral. Jake figures out that Tom must have convinced their father to offer an in-person excuse to his superiors at The Sharing.

Jake is in a panic. The note doesn't say where the meeting is. Or when it starts. But Jake is sure of one thing: Tom is going to force their father into involuntary infestation. It's Tom's escape from the bind he's in. For once, Jake's quick-thinking tactical mind freezes up. How is he going to save his dad without exposing himself, the other Animorphs, and Ax to the Yeerks...?