Page 340 - Enders_Game_Full_Book

In the scene on the terminal Miro finally turned and left; Marc o following him to the door, shouting after him. Then he turned back into the room and stood there, panting like an animal exhausted from the chase. In the picture Grego ran to his father and clung to his leg, shouting out the door, his face making it plain that he was echoing his father's cruel words to Miro. Marc o pried the child from his leg and walked with determined purpose into the back room.
"There's no sound," said Olhado. "But you can hear it, can't you?"
Ender felt Grego's body trembling on his lap.
"There it is, a blow, a crash-- she's falling to the floor, can you feel it in your flesh, the way her body hits the concrete?"
"Shut up, Olhado," said Miro.
The computer-generated scene ended. "I can't believe you saved that," said Ela.
Quim was weeping, making no effort to hide it. "I killed him," he said. "I killed him I killed him I killed him."
"What are you talking about?" said Miro in exasperation. "He had a rotten disease, it was congenital!"
"I prayed for him to die!" screamed Quim. His face was mottled with passion, tears and mucus and spittle mingling around his lips. "I prayed to the Virgin, I prayed to Jesus, I prayed to Grandpa and Grandma, I said I'd go to hell for it if only he'd die, and they did it, and now I'll go to hell and I'm not sorry for it! God forgive me but I'm glad!" Sobbing, he stumbled back out of the room. A door slammed in the distance.
"Well, another certified miracle to the credit of Os Venerados," said Miro. "Sainthood is assured."
"Shut up," said Olhado.
"And he's the one who kept telling us that Christ wanted us to forgive the old fart," said Miro.
On Ender's lap, Grego now trembled so violently that Ender grew concerned. He realized that Grego was whispering a word. Ela, too, saw Grego's distress and knelt in front of the boy.
"He's crying, I've never seen him cry like this--"
"Papa, papa, papa," whispered Grego. His trembling had given way to great shudders, almost convulsive in their violence.
"Is he afraid of Father?" asked Olhado. His face showed deep concern for Grego. To Ender's relief, all their faces were full of worry. There was love in this family, and not just the solidarity of living under the rule of the same tyrant for all these years.