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Later, after night fell and thethe fresh, easily spoiled food Po's ht's supper, Sel was expansive, full of speculation, full of hope "These creatures old and extrude it in their carapaces Maybe they do it hatever metal is in the ore, or maybe they bred separate subspecies for each metal they needed Maybe this isn't the only population with survivors Maybe we can locate ironwe need But if this group is average, then we'll find soer populations It would be too freakish for this to be the last surviving group in the world"

"We'll get on it right away," said Ender "While we still have marines from the ship to help in the search And they can takelocals with them to learn how to fly the skioes away"

Ix laughed "You almost said 'natives' instead of 'locals'"

"Yes," Ender admitted freely "I did"

"It's all right," said Ix "The formics didn't evolve here either So 'native' just means 'born here,' and that describes eneration Natives and newcoeneration, we'll all be natives"

"Then you think that's the term we should use?"

"Native Shakespearians," said Ix "That's e are"

"I hope we don't have to do some kind of blood ceremony or initiation to be accepted into the tribe"

"No," said Ix "Whiteskimmer is alelcome"

"Just because I'hter in Ix's eyes and sive offense," said Ender "So eager I was too quick to take offense"

"You'll get used to our Mayan sense of humor eventually," said Ix

"No he won't," said Sel "Nobody else has gotten used to it, anyway"

"Everybody but you, old man," said Ix

Sel laughed along with the others, and then the conversation took another turn, with theabout what life was like on Earth and in the high-tech society that hout the solar system

Ender noticed Sel getting a faraway look in his eyes, and misunderstood what it meant As they prepared for sleep, Ender took aback? Home? To Earth?"