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Alessandra stood there in utter silence She seeue

And then she didn't argue at all "All right, Mother So it's clean indoor living for another few years"

"My dear Quincy tells me that our next destination is another colony, nowhere near so far fro time"

"But very tedious for one"

"Meaning Ender Wiggin, of course," said Dorabella "I did so hope that youman with prospects But he seems to have chosen to cast us aside"

Alessandra looked puzzled "Us?" she said

"He's a very syou and me away, too"

"I never thought of that," said Alessandra "Why, I'm very cross with him, then"

Dorabella felt a sudden tingling of awareness Alessandra was taking things too well This was not like her And this hint of childish petulance directed against Ender Wiggin seemed to be almost a parody of Dorabella's deliberately childish fairy talk

"What are you planning?" asked Dorabella

"Planning? How can I plan anything when the crew are all so busy and the marines are down on the planet?"

"You're planning to sneak onto the shuttle without per it"

Alessandra looked at Dorabella as if she were crazy But since that was her normal expression, Dorabella fully expected to be lied to, and her daughter did not disappoint "Of course I wasn't," said Alessandra "I fully expect to have your permission"

"Well, you don't"

"We came all this way, Mother" Now she sounded like her petulant self, so that her arguht be sincere "I at least want to visit I want to say good-bye to all our friends froe I want to see the sky I haven't seen sky for two years!"