Shadow Puppets (Ender, Book 7) (Shadow Saga)

China."
    "Of all the missions to execute flawlessly," said Bean, "Suri had to pick that one."
    "I, on the other hand," said Ainbul, "was never one to obey an order if I thought it was stupid."
    "That's why I want you to join my completely hopeless operation," said Bean. "If you get killed, I'll know it's your own fault, and not because you were obeying my orders."
    "I'll need fedda,[?]" said Ambul. "My family isn't rich. And technically I'm still a kid. Speaking of which, how the hell did you get so much taller than me?"
    "Steroids," said Bean.
    "And I stretch him on a rack every night," said Petra.
    "For his own good, I'm sure," said Ambul.
    "My mother told me," said Petra, "that Bean is the kind of boy who has to grow on you."
    Bean playfully covered her mouth. "Pay no attention to the girl, she's besotted with love."
    "You two should get married," said Ambul.
    "When I turn thirty," said Bean.
    Which, Petra knew, meant never.
    They had already been out in the open longer than Bean had ever allowed since they'd gone into hiding. As Bean started telling Ambul what he wanted him to do, they began to walk toward the nearest exit from the park.
    It was a simple enough assignment-go to Damascus, the headquarters of the Muslim League, and get a meeting with Alai, one of Ender's closest friends and a member of Ender's jeesh.
    "Oh," said Ambul. "I thought you wanted me to do something possible."
    "I can't get any email to him," said Bean.
    "Because as far as I know he's been completely incommunicado ever since the Russians released him, that time when Achilles kidnapped everybody," said Ambul.
    Bean seemed surprised. "You know this because..."
    "Since my parents took me into hiding," said Ambul, "I've been tapping every connection I could get, trying to get information about what was happening. I'm good at networking, Bean[?]. Making and keeping friends. I would have been a good commander, if they hadn't canceled Battle School out from under me.
    "So you already know Alai?" said Petra. "Toguro."[?]
    "But like I said," Ambul repeated, "he's completely incommunicado."
    "Ambul, I need his help," said Bean. "I need the shelter of the Muslim League. It's one of the few places on Earth that isn't susceptible to either Chinese pressure or Hegemony wheedling."
    "E[?]," said Ambul, "and they achieve that by not letting any nonMuslims within the circle."
    "I don't want to be in the circle. I don't want to know their secrets."
    "Yes you do," said Ambul. "Because if you aren't, if you don't have their complete trust, you'll have no power to do anything at all within their borders. Non-Muslims are officially completely free, but in practical terms, they can't do anything but shop and play tourist."
    "Then I'll convert," said Bean.
    "Don't even joke about it," said Ambul. "They take their religion very seriously, and to speak of converting as a joke-"
    "Ambul, we know that," said Petra. "I'm a friend of Alai's, too, but you notice Bean didn't send me."
    Ambul laughed. "You can't mean that the Muslims would lose respect for Alai if he let a woman influence him! The full equality of the sexes is one of the six points that ended the Third Great Jihad."
    "You mean the Fifth World War?" asked Bean.
    "The War for Universal Liberty," said Petra. "That's what they called it in Armenian schools."
    "That's because Armenia is bigoted against Muslims," said Ambul.
    "The only nation of bigots left on Earth," said Petra ruefully.
    "Listen, Ambul, if it's impossible to get to Alai," said Bean, "I'll just find something else."
    "I didn't say it was impossible," said Ambul.
    "Actually, that's exactly what you said," Petra said.
    "But I'm a Battle Schooler," said Ambul. "We had classes in doing the impossible. I got A's."
    Bean grinned. "Yes, but you didn't graduate from Battle School, did you, so what chance do you have?"
    "Who knew that being assigned to your army in school would ruin my entire life?" said Ambul.
    "Oh, stop whining," said Petra. "If you'd been a top graduate, now you 'd be in a Chinese reeducation camp.
    "See?" said Ambul. "I'm missing out on all the character-building experiences."
    Bean handed him a slip of paper. "Go there and you'll find the identity stuff you need."
    "Complete with holographic ID?" asked Ambul doubtfully.
    "It'll adjust to you the first time you use it. Instructions are with it. I've used these before."
    "Who does stuff like that?" asked Ambul. "The Hegemony?"
    "The Vatican," said Bean. "These are leftovers from my