Enders In Exile

watched the
vids of the court martial," said Peter. "Those men love Ender Wiggin.
You could see it in everything they said and did. All that mattered to
them was protecting him. Which is exactly how everybody used to act
when Ender lived here."
    "He never actually
lived
here,
" said Valentine. "We moved after he
left, remember?"
    Another glare. "Ender
makes people want to die for him."
    "Or kill him," she said
with a smile.
    "Ender makes
adults
love him."
    "So we're back to the
first problem."
    "He wants to come
home," said Peter. "He's human. Humans want to go home."
    "But where is Ender's
home?" asked Valentine. "He's spent more than half his life in Battle
School. What does he even remember about living with us? An older
brother who was constantly bullying him, threatening to kill
him—"
    "I'll apologize," said
Peter. "I really
am
sorry I acted like that."
    "But you can't
apologize if he doesn't come home. Besides, Peter, he's a smart kid.
Smarter than us—there's a reason we weren't taken into Battle
School and he was. So he'll figure out exactly how you're using him.
Hegemon's Council—that is such itshay. He won't stay under
your thumb."
    "He's been trained for
war. Not for politics," said Peter.
    His hint of a smile was
so smug Valentine wanted to smash a baseball bat into his face a
little. "It doesn't matter," said Valentine. "You can't bring him home
no matter what Locke writes."
    "And why is that?"
    "Because you didn't
create the forces that dread him and fear his return, you just
exploited them. They aren't going to change their minds, not even for
Locke. And also, Demosthenes won't let you."
    Peter looked at her
with amused contempt. "Oh, going freelance, eh?"
    "I think I can scare
people into keeping Ender in space better than you can make them pity
him enough to bring him home."
    "I thought you loved
him best. I thought you wanted him home."
    "I wanted him home for
the past seven years, Peter," said Valentine, "and
you were glad he was gone. But now—to bring him home so that
he can be under the protection of the Hegemon's Council—which
means under
your
control, since you've got the
thing packed with your toadies—"
    "Locke's toadies,"
Peter corrected her.
    "I'm not helping you
bring Ender home so he can be a tool to advance your career."
    "So you'd make your
beloved little brother stay in permanent exile in space, just to spite
your nasty older brother?" asked Peter. "Wow, I'm glad
I'm
not the one you love."
    "You nailed it, Peter,"
said Valentine. "I've spent all these years under your thumb. I know
exactly how it feels. Ender would hate it. I know, because I hate it."
    "You've loved the whole
thing. Being Demosthenes—you know what power feels like."
    "I know what it feels
like to have power flow through me and into your hands," said Valentine.
    "Is that what this is
about? You're suddenly power hungry?"
    "Peter, you're such an
idiot about the people you supposedly know best. I'm not telling you I
want your power. I'm telling you that I'm getting out from under your
thumb."
    "Fine, I'll just write
the Demosthenes essays myself."
    "No you won't, because
people would know something was wrong. You can't do Demosthenes."
    "Anything you can do .
. ."
    "I've changed all the
passwords. I've hidden all of Demosthenes' memberships and money and
you can't get to any of it."
    Peter gazed at her with
pity. "I'll find it all if I want to."
    "It wouldn't do you any
good. Demosthenes is retiring from politics, Peter. He's going to plead
ill health and offer a ringing endorsement . . . of Locke!"
    Peter looked
horrorstruck. "You can't! It would destroy Locke to have Demosthenes'
endorsement!"
    "You see? I do have
some weapons you fear."
    "Why would you do this?
All these years, and suddenly
now
you've decided
to pack up your dolls and dishes and leave the tea party?"
    "I never played with
dolls, Peter. Apparently you did."
    "Stop this," said Peter
sternly. "Really. It's not funny. Let's get Ender home. I won't try to
control him the way you're saying."
    "You mean the way you
control me."
    "Come on, Val," said
Peter. "Just a couple more years and I can unmask myself as
Locke—and as Ender's brother. Sure, salvaging his reputation
will help me, but it'll help Ender, too."
    "I think you should do
it. Salvage away, Peter. But I don't think Ender should come home.
Instead, I'll go to
him.
Mom and Dad will, too, I
bet."
    "They're not going to
pay for you to have a jaunt into space—not all the way to
Eros. That