Shadow of the giant

"There's no way to strike the Turks
directly," said Bean. "Nothing is centralized. So we'll strike Iran.
It's highly urbanized, the big cities are all in the northwest, and there'll be
an immediate demand for Iranian troops to come home from India to fight us. The
Turks will be under pressure to help, and when they launch a very badly planned
attack against Armenia, we'll be waiting."
    "What makes you think it will be badly planned?"
Petra asked.
    "Because Alai isn't running the show on the Muslim
side."
    "When did this happen?"
    "If Alai were in control," said Bean, "he
wouldn't let Virlomi do what she's doing in India. It's too stupid and it will
kill too many men. So ... somehow he's lost control. And if that's the case,
the Muslim enemy we're facing is incompetent and fanatic. They're acting out of
anger and panic, with poor planning."
    "What if this is Alai's doing, and you don't know him
as well as you think?"
    "Petra," said Bean. "We know Alai."
    "Yes, and he knows us."
    "Alai is a builder, like Ender. He always has been. An
empire won through audacious and bloody conquest isn't worth having. He wants
to build his Muslim empire the way Peter is building the FPE, by transforming
Islam into a system that other nations will want, voluntarily, to join. Only
somebody's decided not to follow his path. Either Virlomi or the hotheads
within his own government."
    "Or both?" asked Petra.
    "Anything's possible."
    "Except Alai controlling the Muslim armies."
    "Well, it's simple enough," said Bean. "If
we're wrong, and the Turkish counterattack is brilliantly planned, then we'll
lose. As slowly as possible. And hope Peter has something else up his sleeve.
But our assignment is to draw Turkish forces and attention away from
China."
    "And meanwhile, we'll be putting pressure on the Muslim
alliance," said Petra. "No matter what the Turks do, the Persians
won't believe they're doing enough."
    "Sunni against Shi'ite," said Bean. "It's the
best I could think up."
    So for the past two days they had been drawing up plans for
the quick, audacious airborne attack on Tabriz, and then, when the Iranians
started to react to that, an immediate evacuation and airborne attack on
Tehran. Meanwhile, Petra, in command of the defense of Armenia, would be
prepared to make the Turkish counterattack pay for every meter of progress
through the mountains.
    Now everything was ready, awaiting only the word from Peter.
Petra and Bean weren't really necessary while the troops began their deployment
and the supplies were moved to depots in the areas where they'd be needed.
Everything was in the hands of the Armenian military.
    "What scares me," Petra told Bean, "is how
they have absolute confidence that we know what we're doing."
    "Why does that scare you?"
    "Doesn't it scare you?"
    "Petra, we do know what we're doing. We just don't know
why."
    It was in that lull, between planning and getting the order
to go ahead, that Petra got a call on her cellphone. From her mother.
    "Petra, they say they're friends of yours, but they're
taking the babies."
    Panic stabbed through her. "Who's with them? Put the
one in charge on the phone."
    "He won't. He just says, the 'teacher' says to meet
them at the airport. Who's the teacher? Oh, God help us, Petra! This is like
the time they kidnapped you."
    "Tell them we'll be at the airport and if they've hurt
the babies I'll kill them. But no, Mother, it's not the same thing at
all."
    Unless it was.
    She told Bean what was happening, and they calmly made their
way to the airport. They saw Rackham waiting at the curb and made the driver
let them off there.
    "I'm sorry to frighten you," said Rackham.
"But we don't have time for arguments until we get on the plane. Then you
can scream at me all you like."
    "Nothing is so urgent you have to steal our
babies," said Petra, putting as much venom into her voice as she could.
    "See?" said Rackham. "Arguing instead of
coming with me."
    They followed him then, through back passages and out to a
private jet. Petra protested as they went. "Nobody knows where we are.
They'll think we ran out on them. They'll think we were kidnapped."
    Rackham just ignored her. He moved very quickly for a man so
old.
    The babies were on the plane, each one being cared for by a
separate nurse. They were fine. Only Ramón was still nursing, because the two
with Bean's syndrome were eating more-or-less solid food now. So Petra sat down
and fed him, while Rackham sat down opposite them in the luxury jet