Ender's Game (Ender Wiggins Saga)

with no way out. And he knew at last the sour taste that had come to him, despite all his successes in the Battle School. It was despair.
     
     
     
      There were uniformed men at the entrances to the school when Valentine arrived. They weren't standing like guards, but rather slouched around as if they were waiting for someone inside to finish his business. They wore the uniforms of I.F. Marines, the same uniforms that everyone saw in bloody combat on the videos. It lent an air of romance to that day at school: all the other kids where excited about it.
      Valentine was not. It made her think of Ender, for one thing. And for another it made her afraid. Someone had recently published a savage commentary on the Demosthenes' collected writings. The commentary, and therefore her work, had been discussed on the open conference of the international relations net, with some of the most important people of the day attacking and defending Demosthenes. What worried her most was the comment of an Englishman: "Whether he likes it or not, Demosthenes cannot remain incognito forever. He has outraged too many wise men and pleased too many fools to hide behind his too-appropriate pseudonym much longer. Either he will unmask himself in order to assume leadership of the forces of stupidity he has marshaled, or his enemies will unmask him in order to better understand the disease that has produced such a warped and twisted mind.”
      Peter had been delighted, but then he would be. Valentine was afraid, that enough powerful people had been annoyed by the vicious persona of Demosthenes that she would indeed be tracked down. The I.F. could do it, even if the American government was constitutionally bound not to. And here were I.F. troops gathered at Western Guilford Middle School, of all places. Nor exactly the regular recruiting grounds for the I.F. Marines.
      So she was not surprised to find a message marching around her desk as soon as she logged in.
     
    PLEASE LOG OFF AND GO TO DR.
    LINEBERRY'S OFFICE AT ONCE.
     
      Valentine waited nervously outside the principal's office until Dr. Lineberry opened the door and beckoned her inside. Her last doubt was removed when she saw the soft-bellied man in the uniform of an I.F. colonel sitting in the one comfortable chair in the room.
      "You're Valentine Wiggin," he said.
      "Yes," she whispered.
      "I'm Colonel Graff. We've met before.”
      Before? When had she had any dealings with the I.F?
      "I've come to talk to you in confidence, about your brother.”
      It's not just me, then, she thought. They have Peter. Or is this something new? Has he done something crazy? I thought he stopped doing crazy things.
      "Valentine, you seem frightened. There's no need to be. Please, sit down. I assure you that your brother is well. He has more than fulfilled our expectations.”
      And now, with a great inward gush of relief, she realized that it was Ender they had come about. Ender. It wasn't punishment at all, it was little Ender, who had disappeared so long ago, who was no part of Peter's plots now. You were the lucky one, Ender. You got away before Peter could trap you into his conspiracy.
      "How do you feel about your brother, Valentine?”
      "Ender?”
      "Of course.”
      "How can I feel about him? I haven't seen him or heard from him since I was eight.”
      "Dr. Lineberry, will you excuse us?”
      Lineberry was annoyed.
      "On second thought, Dr. Lineberry, I think Valentine and I will have a much more productive conversation if we walk outside. Away from the recording devices that your assistant principal has placed in this room.”
        It was the first time Valentine had seen Dr. Lineberry speechless. Colonel Graff lifted a picture out from the wall and peeled a sound-sensitive membrane from the wall, along with its small broadcast unit. "Cheap," said Graff, "but effective. I thought you knew.”
      Lineberry took the device and sat down heavily at her desk. Graff led Valentine outside.
      They walked out into the football field. The soldiers followed at a discreet distance: they split up and formed a large circle, to guard them from the widest possible perimeter.
      "Valentine, we need your help for Ender.”
      "What kind of help?”
      "We aren't even sure of that. We need you to help us figure out how you can help us.”
      "Well, what's wrong?”
      "That's part of the problem. We don't know.”
      Valentine couldn't help but laugh. "I haven't