Page 929 - Enders_Game_Full_Book
P. 929
The pequeninos gathered at Planter's tree. It would have been Glass's tree, since he was the first to pass into the third life with the recolada, but almost his first words, once they were able to talk with him, were an adamant rejection of the idea of introducing the viricide and recolada into the world beside his tree. This occasion belonged to Planter, he declared, and the brothers and wives ultimately agreed with him.
So it was that Ender leaned against his friend Human, whom he had planted in order to help him into the third life so many years before. It would have been a moment of complete joy to Ender, the liberation of the pequeninos from the descolada-- except that he had Peter with him through it all.
"Weakness celebrates weakness," said Peter. "Planter failed, and here they are honoring him, while Glass succeeded, and there he stands, alone out there in the experimental field. And the stupidest thing is that it can't possibly mean anything to Planter, since his aiua isn't even here."
"It may not mean anything to Planter," said Ender-- a point he wasn't altogether sure of, anyway-- "but it means something to the people here."
"Yes," he said. "It means they're weak."
"Jane says she took you Outside."
"An easy trip," said Peter. "Next time, though, Lusitania won't be my destination. " "She says you plan to take Ela's virus to Path."
"My first stop," Peter said. "But I won't be coming back here. Count on that, old boy." "We need the ship."
"You've got that sweet little slip of a girl," said Peter, "and the bugger bitch can pop out starships for you by the dozen, if only you could spawn enough creatures like me and Valzinha to pilot them."
"I'll be glad to see the last of you."
"Aren't you curious what I intend to do?"
"No," said Ender.
But it was a lie, and of course Peter knew it. "I intend to do what you have neither the brains nor the stomach to do. I intend to stop the fleet."
"How? Magically appear on the flagship?"