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The patrol boat that suddenly disappears, the helicopter that goes down, the spy operation that is abruptly rolled up, blinding the Chinese intelligence service in yet another country--officially the Chinese hadn't even accused the Hegemon of any involvement in such incidents, but that only e those who feared China in these years since the conquest of India and Indochina They almost certainly kneas the source of their woes

Indeed, they probably gave Bean's little force the credit for problems that were actually the ordinary accidents of life The death of the foreign ton, DC only ht really think Peter Wiggin's reach was that long, or that he thought the Chinese foreign

And the fact that a devastating drought was in its second year in India, forcing the Chinese either to buy food on the open market or allow relief workers from Europe and the Americas into the newly captured and still rebellious subcontinent--in could control the monsoon rains

Bean had no such illusions Peter Wiggin had all kinds of contacts throughout the world, a collection of infor into a serious network of spies, but as far as Bean could tell, Peter was still just playing a gah, but he had never seen what happened in the real world He had never seen people die as a result of his orders

Bean had, and it was not a game

He heard histhat they were very close, for even here, in supposedly safe territory--an advance staging area in the mountains of Mindanao in the Philippines--they moved as silently as possible But he also knew that he had heard them before they expected him to, for his senses had always been unusually keen Not the physical sense organs--his ears were quite ordinary--but the ability of his brain to recognize even the slightest variation fro tofrom the forest behind him

He could hear the changes in their breathing--sighs, alnized that he had caught theame of Mother-May-I, and Bean always seemed to have eyes in the back of his head

Suriyawong came up beside him as the men filed by in two columns to board the choppers, heavily laden for the mission ahead

"Sir," said Suriyawong

Thatnever called him "sir"

His second-in-command, a Thai only a few years older than Bean, was now half a head shorter He saluted Bean, and then turned toward the forest he had just come from

When Bean turned to face the saein who saved the world froin, the conniver and ga at now?

"I hope you aren't insane enough to be co on this mission," said Bean

"What a cheery greeting," said Peter "That is a gun in your pocket, so I guess you aren't happy to see me"

Bean hated PeterWaited

"Julian Delphiki, there's been a change of plans," said Peter

Calling him by his full name, as if he were Bean's father Well, Bean had a father--even if he didn't know he had one until after the as over, and they told him that Nikolai Delphiki wasn't just his friend, he was his brother But having a father andup with them No one had called Bean "Julian Delphiki" when he was little No one had called hily called him Bean on the streets of Rotterdam

Peter never seeht in the war against the Buggers, Bean wanted to say I fought beside your brother Ender, while you were playing your little ga on the nets And while you've been filling your empty little role a