Page 1663 - Enders_Game_Full_Book

"As long as they know their place," said Suriyawong.
"Give me a place, and I'll remember to stay in it," said Bean. "What kind of contingent do you want to work with?"
What Bean asked for wasn't a large number of men, but he wanted to draw them from every branch of service. Only two fighterbombers, two patrol boats, a handful of engineers, a couple of light armored vehicles to go along with a couple of hundred soldiers and enough choppers to carry everything but the boats and planes. "And the power to requisition odd things that we think of. Rowboats, for instance. High explosives so we can train in making cliffs fall and bridges collapse. Whatever I think of."
"But you don't actually commit to combat without permission." "Permission," said Bean, "from whom?"
"Me," said Suriyawong.
"But you're not Chakri," said Bean.
"The Chakri," said Suriyawong, "exists to provide me with everything I ask for. The planning is entirely in my hands."
"Glad to know who's aboon here." Bean stood up. "For what it's worth, I was most help to Ender when I had access to everything he knew."
"In your dreams," said Suriyawong.
Bean grinned. "I'm dreaming of good maps," said Bean. "And an accurate assessment of the current situation of the Thai military."
Suriyawong thought about that for a long moment.
"How many of your soldiers are you sending into battle blindfolded?" asked Bean. "I hope I'm the only one."
"Until I'm sure you really are my soldier," said Suriyawong, "the blindfold stays on. But ... you can have the maps."
"Thank you," said Bean.
He knew what Suriyawong feared: that Bean would use any information he got to come up with alternate strategies and persuade the Chakri that he would do a better job as chief strategist than Suriyawong. For it was patently untrue that Suriyawong was the aboon here. Chakri Naresuan might trust him and had obviously delegated great responsibility to him. But the authority remained