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"Yeah, the teachers," said Dink Meeker.
Everybody laughed. But then Dink Meeker stood up on the table beside Bean. "I'm the senior commander here, now they've graduated all the oldest guys. I'm probably the oldest soldier left in Battle School. So I propose that we adopt Bean's proposal right now, and I'll go to the teachers to demand that the boards be shut off. Is there anyone opposed?"
Not a sound.
"That makes it unanimous. If the boards are still on at lunch, let's bring sheets to cover them up. If they're still on at dinner, then forget using chairs to vandalize, let's just refuse to take our armies to any battles until the boards are off."
Alai spoke up from where he stood in the serving line. "*That'll* shoot our standings all to ..."
Then Alai realized what he was saying, and laughed at himself. "Damn, but they've got us brainwashed, haven't they!"
***
Bean was still flushed with victory when, after breakfast, he made his way to Rabbit barracks in order to meet his soldiers officially for the first time. Rabbit was on a midday practice schedule, so he only had about half an hour between breakfast and the first classes of the morning. Yesterday, when he talked to It£ [Itu], his mind had been on other things, with only the most cursory attention to what was going on inside Rabbit barracks. But now he realized that, unlike Dragon Army, the soldiers in Rabbit were all of the regular age. Not one was even close to Bean's height. He looked like somebody's doll, and worse, he felt like that too, walking down the corridor between the bunks, seeing all these huge boys -- and a couple of girls -- looking down at him.
Halfway down the bunks, he turned to face those he had already passed. Might as well address the problem immediately.
"The first problem I see," said Bean loudly, "is that you're all way too tall."
Nobody laughed. Bean died a little. But he had to go on.
"I'm growing as fast as I can. Beyond that, I don't know what I can do about it."
Only now did he get a chuckle or two. But that was a relief, that even a few were willing to meet him partway.
"Our first practice together is at 1030. As to our first battle together, I can't predict that, but I can promise you this -- the teachers are *not* going to give me the traditional three months after my assignment to a new army. Same with all the other new commanders just appointed. They gave Ender Wiggin only a few weeks with Dragon before they went into battle -- and Dragon was a new