Ender's Shadow

Bean. "He kept a group of us kids alive. Got us into the charity kitchens.”
      "Bean is too modest," said Achilles. "The whole thing was his idea. He basically taught us the whole idea of working together. I've studied a lot since then, Bean. I've had a year of nothing but books and classes -- when they weren't cutting into my legs and pulverizing and regrowing my bones. And I finally know enough to understand just what a leap you helped us make. From barbarism into civilization. Bean here is like a replay of human evolution.”
      Bean was not so stupid as to fail to recognize when flattery was being used on him. At the same time, it was more than a little useful to have this new boy, straight from Earth, already know who Bean was and show respect for him.
      "The evolution of the pygmies, anyway," said Bean.
      "Bean was the toughest little bastard you ever saw on the street, I got to tell you.”
      No, this was not what Bean needed right now. Achilles had just crossed the line from flattery into possession. Stories about Bean as a "tough little bastard" would, of necessity, set Achilles up as Bean's superior, able to evaluate him. The stories might even be to Bean's credit -- but they would serve more to validate Achilles, make him an insider far faster than he would otherwise have been. And Bean did not want Achilles to be inside yet.
      Achilles was already going on, as more soldiers gathered closer to hear. "The way I got recruited into Bean's crew was --”
      "It wasn't my crew," said Bean, cutting him off. "And here in Battle School, we don't tell stories about home and we don't listen to them either. So I'd appreciate it if you never spoke again of anything that happened Rotterdam, not while you're in my army.”
      He'd done the nice bit during his opening speech. But now was the time for authority.
      Achilles didn't show any sign of embarrassment at the reprimand. "I get it. No problem.”
      "It's time for you to get ready to go to class," said Bean to the soldiers. "I need to confer with my toon leaders only." Bean pointed to Ambul, a Thai soldier who, according to what Bean read in the student reports, would have been a toon leader long ago, except for his tendency to disobey stupid orders. "You, Ambul. I assign you to get Achilles to and from his correct classes and acquaint him with how to wear a flash suit, how it works, and the basics of movement in the battleroom. Achilles, you are to obey Ambul like God until I assign you to a regular toon.”
      Achilles grinned. "But I don't obey God.”
      You think I don't know that? "The correct answer to an order from me is 'Yes sir.'“
      Achilles's grin faded. "Yes sir.”
      "I'm glad to have you here," Bean lied.
      "Glad to be here, sir," said Achilles. And Bean was reasonably sure that while Achilles was not lying, his reason for being glad was very complicated, and certainly included, by now, a renewed desire to see Bean die.
      For the first time, Bean understood the reason Ender had almost always acted as if he was oblivious to the danger from Bonzo. It was a simple choice, really. Either he could act to save himself, or he could act to maintain control over his army. In order to hold real authority, Bean had to insist on complete obedience and respect from his soldiers, even if it meant putting Achilles down, even if it meant increasing his personal danger.
      And yet another part of him thought: Achilles wouldn't be here if he didn't have the ability to be a leader. He performed extraordinarily well as our papa in Rotterdam. It's my responsibility now to get him up to speed as quickly as possible, for the sake of his potential usefulness to the I.F. I can't let my personal fear interfere with that, or my hatred of him for what he did to Poke. So even if Achilles is evil incarnate, my job is to turn him into a highly effective soldier with a good shot at becoming a commander.
      And in the meantime, I'll watch my back.

20
     
    Trial and Error
     
     
      "You brought him up to Battle School, didn't you?”
      "Sister Carlotta, I'm on a leave of absence right now. That means I've been sacked, in case you don't understand how the I.F. handles these things.”
      "Sacked! A miscarriage of justice. You ought to be shot.”
      "If the Sisters of St. Nicholas had convents, your abbess would make you do serious penance for that un-Christian thought.”
      "You took him out of the hospital in Cairo and directly into space. Even