page83 (1/2)

The colonists grew it in orchards now, and pressed and filtered it in three harvests a year Except for the oil the fruit was good for nothing except fertilizer It was good to have clean-burning fuel for light, instead of wiring every building with electricity, especially in the outlying settlements It was one of Sel's favorite discoveries--particularly since there was no sign the formics had ever discovered its usefulness Of course, the forine the in these tunnels, content with suide them

Hue in trees, not caves, thought Sel, and though humans had used caves many times in the past, they were always suspicious of the There was no chance the fore on this planet, particularly in caves, since the formics themselves were tunnel makers and cave dwellers

If only the formic home world had not been obliterated in the war What we could have learned, tracing an alien evolution that led to intelligence!

Then again, if Ender Wiggin had not blown the whole thing up, ould have lost the war Then ouldn't have even this world to study Evolution here did not lead to intelligence--or if it did, the forinal sentient natives ht have left behind

Sel bent over and squat-walked into the tunnel But it was hard to keep going that way--his back was too old He couldn't even lean on his stick, because it was too tall for the space, and he had to drag it along, keeping it as close to vertical as possible so the oil didn't spill out of the canister at the top

After a while he simply could not continue in that position Sel sat down and so did Po

"This is not working," said Sel

"My back hurts," said Po

"A little dynamite would be useful"

"As if you'd ever use it," said Po

"I didn't say it would be morally defensible," said Sel "Just convenient" Sel handed his stick, with the la You'll recover froot to try a new position"

Sel tried to crawl but instantly gave up on that--it hurt his knees too much to rest the, leaning his ar his legs and hips after hi

Po also tried crawling and soon gave up on it But because he was holding the stick with the light, he was forced to return to walking bent over, knees in a squat

"I' to end up a cripple," said Po

"At least I won't have to hear your mother and father coet out of here alive"