Page 1364 - Enders_Game_Full_Book

change their priorities now. But they didn't mind. After this morning they knew that when Wiggin ran a practice, every second was effective. They couldn't afford to miss a practice or they'd fall significantly behind. Wiggin would get their free time. Even Crazy Tom wasn't arguing about it.
But Bean knew that he had to change his relationship with Wiggin right now, or there was no chance that he would get a chance for leadership. What Wiggin had done to him in today's practice, feeding on the resentment of the other kids for this little pipsqueak, would make it even less plausible for Bean to be made a leader within the army -- if the other kids despised him, who would follow him?
So Bean waited for Wiggin in the corridor after the others had gone on ahead.
"Ho, Bean," said Wiggin.
"Ho, Ender," said Bean. Did Wiggin catch the sarcasm in the way Bean said his name? Was that why he paused a moment before answering?
"*Sir*," said Wiggin softly.
Oh, cut out the merda, I've seen those vids, we all *laugh* at those vids. "I know what you're doing, *Ender*, sir, and I'm warning you."
"Warning me?"
"I can be the best man you've got, but don't play games with me." "Or what?"
"Or I'll be the worst man you've got. One or the other." Not that Bean expected Wiggin to understand what he meant by that. How Bean could only be effective if he had Wiggin's trust and respect, how otherwise he'd just be the little kid, useful for nothing. Wiggin would probably take it to mean that Bean meant to cause trouble if Wiggin didn't use him. And maybe he did mean that, a little.
"And what do you want?" asked Wiggin. "Love and kisses?"
Say it flat out, put it in his mind so plainly he can't pretend not to understand. "I want a toon."
Wiggin walked close to Bean, looked down at him. To Bean, though, it was a good sign that Wiggin hadn't just laughed. "Why should you get a toon?"
"Because I'd know what to do with it."
"Knowing what to do with a toon is easy. It's getting them to do it that's hard. Why should any soldier want to follow a little pinprick like you?"