Shadow of the giant

western business
suit.
    In moments, a pair of terrified doctors climbed into the
helicopter at gunpoint, in various stages of deshabille. Apparently they had
been warned to maintain absolute silence, because when they saw Alai and
recognized him, the man went white and the woman began to weep while trying to
refasten her clothing.
    Alai came and knelt in front of her. "Daughter of
God," he said, "I am not concerned about your immodesty. I am
concerned that the man you offered your nakedness to is not your husband."
    "We will be married," she said.
    "Then when that happy day comes," said Alai,
"your nakedness will bless your husband, and his nakedness will belong to
you. Until then, I have this clothing for you." He handed her the costume
he had worn. "I do not ask that you dress like this all the time. But
today, when God has seen how your heart intended to sin, perhaps you might
cover yourself in humility."
    "Can she wait to dress until we're in the air?"
asked the pilot.
    "Of course," said Alai.
    "Everybody strap down," said the pilot.
    There weren't enough seats along the sides; the center was
meant to hold a gurney. But Alai's driver grinned and insisted on standing.
"I've ridden choppers into battle. If I can't keep my feet in a medical
chopper, I deserve some bruises."
    The chopper tilted as it rose into the air, but soon it
found a workable equilibrium, and the woman unstrapped and awkwardly dressed
herself. All the men looked away, except her companion, who helped her.
    Meanwhile, Alai and the pilot conversed, making no attempt
to lower their voices.
    "I don't want these two with us for the main
enterprise," said Alai. "But I don't want to kill them either. They
need time to find their way back to God."
    "They can be held in Haifa," said the pilot.
"Or I can have them taken on to Malta, if that would suit you
better."
    "Haifa will do."
    It wasn't a long journey, even flying low and slow. By the
time they arrived, the doctors were quiet and looked penitent, holding hands
and trying not to look at Alai too much. They landed on the roof of a hospital
in Haifa, and the pilot turned off the engine and got out to converse for a
moment with a man dressed like a doctor. Then he opened the door. "I have
to lift off again," he said, "to make room for your transportation.
So you need to come out now. Except those two."
    The doctors looked at each other, frightened.
    "They'll be safe?" asked Alai.
    "Better if they don't see your transportation come and
go," said the pilot. "It will soon be dawn and there's a little
light. But they'll be safe."
    Alai touched them both as he left the chopper.
    He and his men watched as the medical chopper lifted off.
Instantly, another chopper arrived, but this time a long-range battlejet, large
enough to carry many soldiers into battle, and armed heavily enough to get them
past a lot of obstacles.
    The door opened, and Peter Wiggin stepped out.
    Alai walked up to him. "Salaam," he said.
    "And in you, too, let there be peace," said Peter.
    "You look more like Ender than the public photographs
show."
    "I have them retouched by computer to make me look
older and smarter," said Peter.
    Alai grinned. "It was nice of you to give us a
ride."
    "When Felix told me the sad story of that lonely
pedestrian in the Empty Quarter, I couldn't pass up the chance to help."
    "I thought it would be Bean," said Alai.
    "It's a whole bunch of men trained by Bean," said
Peter. "But Bean himself is on another errand. In Rwanda, as it
happens."
    "So that's happening now?" asked Alai.
    "Oh, no," said Peter. "We won't make a move
until we see how your little adventure turns out."
    "Then let's go," said Alai.
    Peter invited Alai to take precedence, but then he himself
entered before any of Alai's soldiers. Ivan made as if to protest, but Alai
gestured for him to relax. Alai had already bet everything on Peter's being
cooperative and trustworthy. Now was not the time to worry about assassination
or kidnapping. Even though there were twenty Hegemony soldiers already inside,
as well as a sizable amount of equipment. Alai recognized the Thai-looking
commander as someone he knew from Battle School. Had to be Suriyawong. Alai
nodded to him. Suriyawong nodded back.
    Once they were under way and on jet power—this time without
any embarrassed woman having to be officially rebuked and forgiven and
dressed—Peter indicated the men who were with him.
    "I assumed," said Peter, "that the lone
hitchhiker our mutual friend told