"But we're keeping them off the nets. For now. By morning, there's no controlling it."
"I came to ask you to marry me," said Han.
"I'm older than you," said Virlomi. "And you're the emperor of China."
"I thought that was one of my best features," said Han.
"Your country conquered mine."
"But I didn't. I gave the captives back and as soon as you say the word, I'll come here in state and get down on my knees in front of you--again--and apologize to you on behalf of the Chinese people. Marry me."
"What in the world do relations between our nations have to do with sharing a bed with a boy that I didn't have all that high an opinion of in Battle School?"
"Virlomi," said Han, "we can destroy each other as rivals. Or we can unite and together we'll have more than half the population of the world."
"How could it work? The Indian people will never follow you. The Chinese people will never follow me."
"It worked for Ferdinand and Isabella."
"Only because they were fighting the Moors. And Isabella and her people had to fight to keep Ferdinand from trampling on her rights as Queen of Castile."
"So we'll do even better," said Han. "Everything you've done has been flawless."
"As a good friend recently reminded me, it's easy to win when you're opposed by idiots."
"Virlomi," said Han.
"Now are you going to tell me that you love me?"
"But I do," said Han. "And you know why. Because all of us who were chosen for Battle School, there's only one thing we love and one thing we respect: We love brilliance and we respect power. You've created power out of nothing."
"I've created power out of the love and trust of my people."
"I love you, Virlomi."
"Love me...and yet you think that you're my superior."
"Superior? I've never led armies in battle. You have."
"You were in Ender's Jeesh," said Virlomi. "I wasn't. You'll always think I'm less than you because of that."
"Are you really telling me no? Or merely to try harder or come up with better reasons or prove my worth in some other way."
"I'm not going to set you to a series of lovers' tests," said Virlomi. "This isn't a fairy tale. My answer is no. Now and always. The dragon and the tiger don't have to be enemies, but how can a mammal and an egg-laying reptile ever possibly mate?"
"So you got my letter."
"Pathetically easy cipher. Anybody with half a brain could get it. Your code was just to type an obvious version of your nickname with your fingers moved one row higher on the keyboard."
"And yet only you, of all the thousands who access the nets, figured out it was from me."
Virlomi sighed.
"Just promise me this," said Han.
"No."
"Hear the promise first," said Han.