From: Weaver%[email protected]
To: PeterWiggin%[email protected]
Re: Place
I will not set foot on any country but India; you will not enter India.
Therefore: Colombo, Sri Lanka. I will come in a boat. Mine will not be comfortable. If you bring a better one, we'll enjoy our visit much more.
v
Fly Molo met Bean at the Manila airport and did his best not to look shocked at how tall Bean was.
"You said your business was personal," said Fly. "Forgive my suspicious nature. You are the head of FPE armed forces, and I am head of Filipino armed forces, and yet we have nothing to discuss?"
"I'm assuming that your military is superbly trained and well equipped."
"Yes," said Fly.
"Then until it's time for us to deploy somewhere, our planning and logistics departments have far more to say to each other than you or I do. Officially speaking."
"So you're here as a friend."
"I'm here," said Bean, "because I have a child in Manila. A boy. They tell me his name is Ramon."
Fly grinned. "And yet this is your first time here? Who was the mother, a flight attendant?"
"The baby was stolen from me, Fly. As an embryo. In vitro fertilization. The child is mine and Petra's. It's especially important to us, because it's the first we know of that definitely does not have my condition."
"You mean it isn't ugly?"
Bean laughed. "You've done well here in the Philippines, my friend."
"It's easy. Somebody argues with me, I just say, 'I was in Ender's Jeesh,' and they shut up and do what I say."
"It's just like that for me, too."
"Except for Peter."
"Especially Peter," said Bean. "I'm the power behind the throne, didn't you know? Don't you read the papers?"
"I notice the papers love to mention your zero-wins record as a commander in Battle School."
"Some achievements are so extraordinary," said Bean, "that you never live them down."
"How's Petra?" asked Fly. And they talked about people they both knew and reminisced about Battle School and Command School and the war with the Buggers until they got to a private home in the hills east of Manila.
There were several cars in front. Two soldiers wearing their new FPE uniforms stood at either side of the door.
"Guards?" asked Bean.
Fly shrugged. "Not my idea."
They did not have to prove who they were. And when they got inside, they realized that this was not the meeting either of them expected.
It was a reunion, apparently, of Ender's Jeesh--those that were available. Dink, Shen, Vlad on one side of a long table. Crazy Tom, Carn Carby, and Dumper--Champi T'it'u--on the other. And at the head of the table, Graff and Rackham.
"Now all are here that were invited," said Graff. "Please, Fly, Bean, take your seats. Bean, I trust that you will tell Petra all that goes on here. As for Han Tzu and Caliph Alai, they're now heads of state and don't travel easily or surreptitiously. However, everything we say to you will be said to them."