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Mother isting her wedding band on her finger "Andrew," she said, "I never thought you were the kind to get in a fight"

"The Stilson boy is in the hospital," Father said "You really did a number on him With your shoe, Ender That wasn't exactly fair"

Ender shook his head He had expected someone from the school to come about Stilson, not an officer of the fleet This was ht And yet he couldn't think what else he could have done

"Do you have any explanation for your behavior, young man?" asked the officer

Ender shook his head again He didn't knohat to say, and he was afraid to reveal himself to be any more monstrous than his actions had made him out to be I'll take it, whatever the punishet it over with

"We're willing to consider extenuating circumstances," the officer said "But I roin, kicking him repeatedly in the face and body when he was down--it sounds like you really enjoyed it"

"I didn't," Ender whispered

"Then why did you do it?"

"He had his gang there," Ender said

"So? This excuses anything?"

"No"

"Tellhim You had already won"

"Knocking hiht I wanted to win all the next ones, too So they'd leave me alone" Ender couldn't help it, he was too afraid, too ashaain Ender did not like to cry and rarely did; now, in less than a day, he had done it three times And each time orse To cry in front of his mother and father and this military man, that was shameful "You took away the monitor," Ender said "I had to take care of myself, didn't I?"

"Ender, you should have asked a grown-up for help," Father began But the officer stood up and stepped across the room to Ender He held out his hand "My name is Graff, Ender Colonel Hyru at Battle School in the Belt I've come to invite you to enter the school"

After all "But the monitor--"