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I laughed and stood up straight, wiping ala, but I wanted to be here for this moment For you For your mother" He handed e on your mother’s side Her family tree will tell you s I haven’t been able to tell you"

I took the bundle of papers, and held the in e of my lips for years "Why did you turn away from me? All those years"

His eyes closed and a tear tracked down his cheek into his beard "I knew Cassava would see you as a threat It was the only way I could row into the wo to me, her jealousy was kept from you" He opened his eyes and took my hands in his "All of my children are precious to hter, you have it in you to be stronger than them all That is why I kept you away That is why I acted indifferent What do you think would have happened if you’d stayed close, if I’d truly had soh your barriers while Cassava was still here?"

"She would have used me too"

He nodded "And there would have been none to save us"

I blurted out the next question "Then why the hell didn’t you kick her ass out of the forest?"

He didn’t yell, didn’t get angry; he laughed, but it was a tired laugh "Oh, if only it were that easy By the ti, she hadthe other fa my time It’s not like we don’t have a lot of that"

"Not my mother"

"Lark, another time ill speak of all this Of your mother, of Bramley, and all that happened that you did not see I proently "But this is here and now You must decide, is this the life you want? To be an Ender? To forsake hearth and home for steel and blood?"

I took a half-step back from him "Until Cassava is dealt with, there is no chance for peace here No safety for any of us Certainly not for anyone I would love, or any child I would have"

"Then go with hter, even if it seems to the world I do not"

He turned and walked away, slipping through the doorway that would take hi for hioogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>