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"Are you afraid to go up the ladder first?" asked Valentine "Is that why you've stopped to make a speech?"

So Ender went up the ladder and Valentine followed,her the last of the colonists to cut the thread connecting them to Earth

Below them, the hatch of the shuttle closed, and then the hatch of the ship They stood in the airlock until a door opened and there was Ad, his hand already extended How long did he strike that pose before the door opened, Ender wondered Was he there, perhaps, for hours, posed like a mannequin?

"Welcoan

"Ad until I set foot on the planet On this voyage, on your ship, I'riculture of Shakespeare Colony I hope, though, that when you're not too busy, I'll have a chance to talk to you and learn from you about the military life"

"You're the one who's seen coan

"I played a ga of war But there are colonists on Shakespeare who o, and never had a hope of returning ho was, their life"

"You'll have to read books for that," said Morgan, still se, too In fact, as far as I know, no one has ever

e, which ended at its starting place"

"Why, I believe you're right, Adether, here in your ship" There--had he said "your ship" often enough to reassure Morgan that he knew the order of authority here?

Morgan's sed "I'll be happy to talk to you any time It's an honor to have you on my ship, sir"

"Please don't 'sir' me, sir," said Ender "We both know that I'm an admiral in name only, and I don't want the colonists to hear anyone call in, and preferably not that Let me be Ender Or Andrew, if you want to be forht, or would it interfere with shipboard discipline?"

"I believe," said Adan, "that it won't interfere with discipline, and so it shall be entirely as you prefer Now Ensign Akbar will show you and your sister to your staterooe awake, most families have quarters of si that you not have an exorbitantly oversized space on the ship"

"Is your family aboard, sir?" asked Ender

"I wooed an "The International Fleet has been my only bride Like you, I travel as a bachelor"