page133 (1/2)

But Wiggin didn't wait, or turn back He simply walked to the others and they turned away fro back into the city

Achilles hadrecorded by zooanda vid He had expected to be able to goad Ender into sory would have done the job But he was unflappable, he had fallen into no traps, and with that last bit of h Achilles could not think of what the trap ht be

An unsatisfactory encounter in every way And yet he could not explain to his follohy he didn't want to use the vid they had so painstakingly created So he allowed them to post it, then waited for the other shoe to drop

No one on Earth knehat to make of it, either Commentators noticed the tears in Ender's eyes, of course, and speculated about it So of the predator at the co else "Ender Wiggin did not look the part he's been cast in--the killer, theman, bemused at the obviously planned confrontation At the end, those infamous tears seemed to me to be a kind of co to pick the fight here?"

That was terrible--but it was only one voice a many And Achilles' supporters on Earth quickly replied: Who would dare to pick a fight with Ender the Xenocide? It always turns out so badly for those who do

All his life, Achilles had been able to control things Even when unexpected things happened, he had adapted, analyzed, and learned This time he had no idea what to learn

"I don't knohat he's doing, Mother," said Achilles

She stroked his head "Oh, ," she said "Of course you don't, you're such an innocent Just like your father He never saw their plots He trusted that Suriyawong monster"

Achilles didn't actually like it when she talked that way "It's not our place to pity him, Mother"

"But I do He had suc

h great gifts, but in the end, his trusting nature betrayed hiood"

Achilles had studied his father's life and had seen strength and hardness, the willingness to do whatever was necessary Co nature were not obvious attributes of Achilles the Great, however

Let Mother sentimentalize him as she wished After all, didn't she now "remember" that Achilles the Great had actually visited her and slept with her in order to conceive a son? Yet when he was little she had ed to have her ova fertilized with Achilles' precious sper er a reliable witness

Yet she was the only one who knew his true name And she loved him with perfect devotion He could talk to her without fear of censure

"This Ender Wiggin," he said "I can't read him"