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"Fair enough But do reet a few dozen medals"

"For what!"

"For keeping you fro"

Ender sat in a corner of the battleroo Bean practice with his squad Yesterday they had worked on attacks without guns, disar enemies with their feet Ender had helped theravity personal coht was a tool that could be used against the eneravity

Today, though, Bean had a new toy It was a deadline, one of the thin, al construction in space to hold two objects together Deadlines were soer than a wall of the battleroom, and yet it looped easily, almost invisibly, around Bean's waist He pulled it off like an article of clothing and handed one end to one of his soldiers "Hook it to a handhold and wind it around a few times" Bean carried the other end across the battleroom

As a tripwire it wasn't too useful, Bean decided It was invisible enough, but one strand of touldn't have o above or below it Then he got the idea of using it to change his direction of movement in midair He fastened it around his waist, the other end still fastened to a handhold, slipped a few ht hi hiainst the wall

He screamed and screamed It took Ender ain pain "Did you see how fast I went! Did you see how I changed direction!"

Soon all of Dragon Army stopped work to watch Bean practice with the twine The changes in direction were stunning, especially when you didn't knohere to look for the twine When he used the twine to wrap himself around a star, he attained speeds no one had ever seen before

It was 2140 when Ender dis seen soh the corridors back to the barracks Ender walked a to their talk They were tired, yes--a battle every day for more than four weeks, often in situations that tested their abilities to the utmost But they were proud, happy, close--they had never lost, and they had learned to trust each other They trusted their fellow soldiers to fight hard and well; trusted their leaders to use them rather than waste their efforts; above all trusted Ender to prepare theht happen

As they walked the corridor, Ender noticed several older boys see corridors and ladderways; so slowly in the other direction It became too much of a coincidence, however, that soSalamander unifor to arin A few of them looked at him, and looked away too quickly; others were too tense, too nervous as they pretended to be relaxed What will I do if they attack , all sravity combat When would they learn?

"Ho, Ender!" someone called Ender stopped and looked back It was Petra "Ender, can I talk to you"

Ender saw in a moment that if he stopped and talked, his army would quickly pass him by and he would be alone with Petra in the hallway "Walk with me," Ender said

"It's just for a moment"

Ender turned around and walked on with his arht, I'll ith you," Ender tensed when she came near Was she one of theh to hurt him?

"A friend of yours wanted me to warn you There are some boys ant to kill you"