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Sel looked at the marines, who had their hands on their sidear with the things, but they understand rudies"

"Things?" asked Ender

"While ere feeding the one, two others ca population, but it's better than co upon a species when only one specimen is left alive Or none"

"'Formicoid' is a word that's been bandied about," said Ender

"Can't be sure till we get the genetic material scoped and scanned," said Sel "If they were really formics, they'd be dead The adult bodies have carapaces; they're not furred, with an endoskeleton Might not even be as close to forht be as close as chi "I talked to it No, I thought to it I gave it an iave h the tunnel"

Ender looked at Sel's scraped and torn clothing "Rough ride"

"Rough road," said Sel "The ride was fine"

"You know I came here for the formics," said Ender

"Me too," said Sel, grinning "To kill them"

"But now to understand them," said Ender

"I think we've found a key here Maybe not to every last door, but it'll open so" Then he put an arm across Ender's shoulder and led him away from the others Ender usually disliked the arm-across-the-shoulder move--it was how one man asserted superiority over another But there was no hint of that in Sel It was more like an assertion of camaraderie Even conspiracy "I knoe can't talk openly," said Sel, "but give it to overnor or not?"

"In fact as well as name," said Ender "The threat was averted and he's back on the ship, cooperating as if that's all he ever intended"

"Maybe it was," said Sel

Ender laughed "And maybe this larva you've found will teach us calculus before the day is out"

"I'll be happy if it kno to count to five"