Mergers - Tapa dura

Dirk steeled himself, for he was certain the Senatormeant to level his most forceful blows right from the start. That way, he could take what he wanted without much resistance. Surprisingly, that was not how it happened. Instead of lashing out at Dirk's mind with great power and speed, the Senator's mental presence crumbled quickly into very smallpieces. Dirk "watched" through his mind's eye as the pieces came to life. They were like fire ants, the Senator told him, that would spread to every nook and cranny of his mind--a deadly chorus led by a sinister conductor. They would sting Dirk in unison and then literally pull his mind apart. His knowledge, his skills, his memories, his ... power would be carted away, like the spoils of war, through a long, dark tunnel that would lead directly into the Senator's mind. It was, in a sense, a massacre of millions with a casualty of one. And it had begun.

"What an intriguing concept! Mergers gives readers a lot to think about concerning race, fate, trust--and friendship."
--Margaret Peterson Haddix, author of Turnabout

"Reads like a comic book with plenty of action."
--School Library Journal