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"It will take time But here, with his family--"

"Yes, we're such a warroup of people, a love nest into which he'll fit so easily"

"We do love each other!"

"Theresa, Colonel Graff is only trying to warn us that Ender isn't just our son"

"He's nobody else's son"

"You knoants to kill our son"

"No, I don't"

"Every government that thinks of American military power as an obstacle to their plans"

"But Ender isn't going to be in theto be--"

"This week he won't be in the Ae of twelve, Theresa What makes you think he won't be drafted by our benevolent and deets back to Earth? Or put into protective custody? Maybe they'll let us go with him and maybe they won't"

Theresa let the tears flon her cheeks "So you're saying that when he left here we lost him forever"

"I'oes off to war, you will never get hied, if he coo where he's in the greatest danger, or to stay where he's relatively safe?"

"You think Graff is trying to get us to tell him to keep Ender with him out there in space"

"I think Graff cares what happens to Ender, and he's letting us knoithout actually saying it, because every letter he sends can be used against hier Not ten minutes after Ender's victory, the Russians made their brutal play for control of the IF Their soldiers killed thousands of fleet officers before the IF was able to force their surrender What would they have done if they had won? Brought Ender ho parade for him?"

Theresa knew all of this She had known it, viscerally at least, from the moment she read Graff's letter No, she had known it even before, had known it with a sick dread as soon as she heard that the For home

She felt John Paul's hand on her shoulder She shrugged it off His hand returned, stroking her ar because she knew she had already lost the argu because she wasn't even on her own side in their quarrel

"We knehen he was born that he didn't belong to us"

"He does belong to us"

"

If he coovernment has the power to protect hile reat weapon That's all he'll be--that and such a celebrity he can't possibly have a normal childhood anyway And would we be much help, Theresa? Do we understand what his life has been for the past seven years? What kind of parents can we be to the boy--the man--that he's become?"

"We would be wonderful," she said

"And we know this because we're such perfect parents for the children we have at home with us"

Theresa rolled onto her back "Oh, dear Poor Peter It ht come home"

"Take the wind right out of his sails"

"Oh, I'uring out how to exploit Ender's return"