page43 (1/2)

Believed, but the seed of doubt was there, and it stayed, and every now and then sent out a little root It changed everything, to have that seed growing It made Ender listen more carefully to what people meant, instead of what they said It made him wise

There weren't aspractice, not by half "Where's Bernard?" asked Ender

Alai grinned Shen closed his eyes and assumed a look of blissful meditation

"Haven't you heard?" said another boy, a Launchy froroup "Word's out that any Launchy who co in anybody's army Word's out that the coed by your training"

Ender nodded

"But the way I brain it," said the Launchy, "I be the best soldier I can, and any commander worth a damn, he take me Neh?"

"Eh," said Ender, with finality

They went on with practice About a half hour into it, when they were practicing throwing off collisions with frozen soldiers, several commanders in different uniforms came in They ostentatiously took down names

"Hey," shouted Alai "Make sure you spell ht!"

The next night there were even fewer boys Now Ender was hearing the stories--little Launchies getting slapped around in the bathrooa their files trashed by older boys who had broken the priuarded the Launchies' desks

"No practice tonight," Ender said

"The hell there's not," said Alai

"Give it a few days I don't want any of the little kids getting hurt"

"If you stop, even one night, they'll figure it works to do this kind of thing Just like if you'd ever backed down to Bernard back when he was being a swine"

"Besides," said Shen, "we aren't scared and we don't care, so you owe it to us to go on We need the practice and so do you"