page98 (1/2)

"This one's easy, Ender," Alai said

"It's easy, so why not be careful? I'd like to do this without the loss of a single ship"

Ender grouped his reserves in two forces that shadowed Alai at a distance; Bean was already off the sih Ender occasionally flipped to Bean's point of view to keep track of where he was

It was Alai, however, who played the delicate game with the enemy He was in a bullet-shaped forlobe Wherever he caer ships pulled back, as if to draw him in toward the ship in the center Alai skier ships kept up with hi to the sphere pattern when he had passed

Feint, withdraw, skiain; and then Ender said, "Go on in, Alai"

His bullet started in, while he said to Ender, "You know they'll just let h and surround me and eat me alive"

"Just ignore that ship in the middle"

"Whatever you say, boss"

Sure enough, the globe began to contract Ender brought the reserves forward; the enelobe nearer the reserves "Attack them there, where they're most concentrated," Ender said

"This defies four thousand years of hters forward "We're supposed to attack where we outnumber them"

"In this simulation they obviously don't knohat our weapons can do It'll only work once, but let's make it spectacular Fire at will"

Alai did The simulation responded beautifully: first one or two, then a dozen, then ht as the field leapt froht formation "Stay out of the way," Ender said

The ships on the far side of the globe formation were not affected by the chain reaction, but it was a simple matter to hunt them d

own and destroy thelers that tried to escape toward his end of space The battle was over It had been easier than most of their recent exercises

Mazer shrugged when Ender told him so "This is a simulation of a real invasion There had to be one battle in which they didn't knoe could do Now your work begins Try not to be too arrogant about the victory I'll give you the real challenges soon enough"