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

go there?" asked Bean.
    "Excellent weather," said Petra. "Nights on the rambla. Tapas with friends. The gentle sea lapping the shore. The hot African wind. The breakers of the winter sea. The memory of Columbus coming to visit the king of Aragon."
    "That was Barcelona."
    "Well, he talked about seeing the place. And a garden designed by Gaudi. Things he loves to look at. I think he goes from place to place. I think he's very curious about you."
    "So is Achilles," said Bean.
    "I think that even though he's no longer on the cuffing edge of science, there are things he knows that he was never able to tell."
    "And still can't."
    "It hurts him to say it. But that doesn't mean he couldn't say it, once, to the person who most needs to know."
    "And that is?"
    "Me," said Petra.
    Bean laughed. "Not me?"
    "You don't need to know," said Petra. "You've decided to die. But I need to know, because I want our children to live."
    "Petra," said Bean. "I'm not going to have any children. Ever"
    "Fortunately," said Petra, "the man never does."
    She doubted she could ever persuade Bean to change his mind. With luck, though, the uncontrollable desires of the adolescent male might accomplish what reasonable discussion never could. Despite what he thought, Bean was human; and no matter what species he belonged to, he was definitely a mammal. His mind might say no, but his body would shout yes much louder.
    Of course, if there was any adolescent male who could resist his need to mate, it was Bean. It was one of the reasons she loved him, because he was the strongest man she had ever known. With the possible exception of Ender Wiggin, and Ender Wiggin was gone forever.
    She kissed Bean again, and this time they were both somewhat better at it.
    CHAPTER FIVE
    STONES IN THE ROAD
    From:PW
    To:TW
    Re:What are you doing?
    What is this housekeeper thing about? I'm not letting you take a job in the Hegemony, certainly not as a housekeeper. Are you tying to shame me, making it look like (a) I have my mother on the payroll and (b) I have my mother working For me as a menial? You already refused the opportunity I wanted you to take.
    From:TW
    To:PW
    Re:a serpent's tooth
    You are always so thoughtful, giving me such interesting things to do. Touring the colony worlds. Staring at the walls of my nicely air-conditioned apartment. You do remember that your birth was not parthenogenetic. You are the only person on God's green earth who thinks I'm too stupid to be anything but a burden around your neck. But please don't imagine that I'm criticizing you. I am the image of a perfect, dating mother I know how well that plays on the vids. When Virlomi got Suriyawong's message, she understood at once the danger she was in. But she was almost glad of having a reason to leave the Hegemon's compound.
    She had been thinking about going for some time, and Suriyawong himself was the reason. His infatuation with her had become too sad for her to stay much longer.
    She liked him, of course, and was grateful to him-he was the one who had truly understood, without being told, how to play the scene so that she could escape from india under the guns of soldiers who would most certainly have shot down the Hegemony helicopters. He was smart and funny and good, and she admired the way he worked with Bean in commanding their fiercely loyal troops, conducting raid after raid with few casualties and, so far, no loss of life.
    Suriyawong had everything Battle School was designed to give its students. He was bold, resourceful, quick, brave, smart, ruthless and yet compassionate. And he saw the world through similar eyes, compared to the westerners who otherwise seemed to have the Hegemon's ear.
    But somehow he had also fallen in love with her. She liked him too well to shame him by rebuffing advances he had never made, yet she could not love him. He was too young for her, too ... what? Too intense about his tasks. Too eager to please. Too Annoying.
    There it was. His devotion irritated her. His constant attention. His eyes on her every move. His praise for her mostly trivial achievements.
    No, she had to be fair. She was annoyed at everyone, and not because they did anything wrong, but because she was out of her place. She was not a soldier. A strategist, yes, even a leader, but not in combat. There was no one in Ribeirao Preto who was likely to follow her, and nowhere that she wanted to lead them.
    How could she fall in love with Suriyawong? He was happy in the life he had, and she