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Then the old s fall Because he still held Ender's head to the floor, the boy couldn't use his ars hit the surface with a loud crack and a sickening pain Then the old man stood and let Ender rise

Slowly Ender pulled his legs under hiroan of pain He knelt on all fours for afor his enemy The old man quickly danced back and Ender's hand closed on air as his teacher's foot shot forward to catch Ender on the chin

Ender's chin wasn't there He was lying flat on his back, spinning on the floor, and during the moment that his teacher was off balance fro He fell in a heap--but close enough to strike out and hit Ender in the face Ender couldn't find an arrabbed, and in theon his back and arms Ender was s lied to pull away and scramble back near the door

The old one He was s "Better, this time, boy But slow You will have to be better with a fleet than you are with your body or no one will be safe with you in command Lesson learned?"

Ender nodded slowly He ached in a hundred places

"Good," said the old ain All the rest with the siram your battles now, not the coy of your enemy, and you will learn to be quick and discover what tricks the enemy has for you Remember, boy From now on the eneer than you From now on you are always about to lose"

The old ain "You will be about to lose, Ender, but you in You will learn to defeat the enemy He will teach you how"

The teacher got up "In this school, it h

as always been the practice for a young student to be chosen by an older student The two becoer one everything he knows Al-ways they fight, always they coether I have chosen you"

Ender spoke as the old man walked to the door "You're too old to be a student"

"One is never too old to be a student of the eneers You will learn from me"

As the old man palmed the door open, Ender leaped into the air and kicked hih that he re-bounded onto his feet, as the old man cried out and collapsed on the floor

The oldonto the door handle, his face contorted with pain He seemed disabled, but Ender didn't trust hiuard by the old man's speed In a moment he found himself on the floor near the opposite wall, his nose and lip bleeding where his face had hit the bed He was able to turn enough to see the oldhis back The old rinned

Ender grinned back "Teacher," he said "Do you have a name?"

"Mazer Rackhaone