page32 (1/2)

He was assigned a bunk at the far end of the room The upper bunk, so that when he lay on his bed he couldn't even see the door: The curve of the ceiling blocked it There were other boys near hi boys, sullen, the ones least valued They had nothing of welcome to say to Ender

Ender tried to pal happened Then he realized the lockers were not secured All four of the would be private, then, now that he was in an army

There was a uniforreen of the Launchies, but the orange-trireen of Salamander Army It did not fit well But then, they had probably never had to provide such a unifor

He was starting to take it off when he noticed Petra walking down the aisle toward his bed He slid off the bunk and stood on the floor to greet her

"Relax," she said "I'm not an officer"

"You're a toon leader, aren't you?"

Someone nearby snickered

"Whatever gave you that idea, Wiggin?"

"You have a bunk in the front"

"I bunk in the front because I'm the best sharpshooter in Salamander Army, and because Bonzo is afraid I'll start a revolution if the toon leaders don't keep an eye onwith boys like these" She indicated the sullen-faced boys on the nearby bunks

What was she trying to do, make it worse than it already was? "Everybody's better than I a to dissociate himself from her contempt for the boys ould, after all, be his near bunkmates

"I'irl," she said, "and you're a pissant of a six-year-old We have so much in common, why don't we be friends?"

"I won't do your deskwork for you," he said

In a moment she realized it was a joke "Ha," she said "It's all so ame School for us isn't like it is for Launchies History and strategy and tactics and buggers and s you'll need as a pilot or a commander You'll see"

"So you'reher swaggering way of speaking, as if she cared about nothing