"You never finish eating.”
It was true. Ender's tray always had food on it after a meal. Ender looked at the plate and decided he was through. "Let's go then.”
When they got to the barracks. Ender squatted down by his bed and said, “Get your desk and bring it over here. I'll show you how.” But when Alai brought his desk to Ender's bed, Ender was just sitting there, his lockers still closed.
“What up?” asked Alai.
In answer Ender palmed his locker. “Unauthorized Access Attempt,” it said. It didn't open.
“Somebody done a dance on your head, mama,” Alai said. "Somebody eated your face.”
“You sure you want my security system now?” Ender got up and walked away from his bed.
“Ender,” said Alai.
Ender turned around. Alai was holding a little piece of paper.
"What is it?”
Alai looked up at him. "Don't you know? This was on your bed. You must have sat on it.”
Ender took it from him.
ENDER WIGGIN
ASSIGNED SALAMANDER ARMY
COMMANDER BONZO MADRID
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
CODE GREEN GREEN BROWN
NO POSSESSIONS TRANSFERRED
"You're smart, Ender, but you don't do the battle-room any better than me.”
Ender shook his head. It was the stupidest thing he could think of, to promote him now. Nobody got promoted before they were eight years old. Ender wasn't even seven yet. And launches usually moved into the armies together, with most armies getting a new kid at the same time. There were no transfer slips on any of the other beds.
Just when things were finally coming together. Just when Bernard was getting along with everybody, even Ender. Just when Ender was beginning to make a real friend out of Alai. Just when his life was finally getting livable.
Ender reached down to pull Alai up from the bed.
“Salamander Army's in contention, anyway,” Alai said.
Ender was so angry at the unfairness of the transfer that tears were coming to his eyes. Mustn't cry, he told himself.
Alai saw the tears but had the grace not to say so. "They're fartheads, Ender, they won't even let you take anything you own.”
Ender grinned and didn't cry after all. "Think I should strip and go naked?”
Alai laughed, too.
On impulse Ender hugged him, tight, almost as if he were Valentine. He even thought of Valentine then and wanted to go home. “I don't want to go,” he said.
Alai hugged him back. "I understand them, Ender. You are the best of us. Maybe they're in a hurry to teach you everything.”
“They don't want to teach me everything,” Ender said. "I wanted to learn what it was like to have a friend.”
Alai nodded soberly. “Always my friend, always the best of my friends,” he said. Then he grinned. "Go slice up the buggers.”
“Yeah.” Ender smiled back.
Alai suddenly kissed Ender on the cheek and whispered in his ear. “Salaam.” Then, red faced, he turned away and walked to his own bed at the back of the barracks. Ender guessed that the kiss and the word were somehow forbidden. A suppressed religion, perhaps. Or maybe the word had some private and powerful meaning for Alai alone. Whatever it meant to Alai, Ender knew that it was sacred; that he had uncovered himself for Ender, as once Ender's mother had done when he was very young, before they put the monitor in his neck, and she had put her hands on his head when she thought he was asleep, and prayed over him. Ender had never spoken of that to anyone, not even to Mother, but had kept it as a memory of holiness, of how his mother loved him when she thought that no one, not even he, could see or hear. That was what Alai had given him: a gift so sacred that even Ender could not be allowed to understand what it meant.
After such a thing nothing could be said. Alai reached his bed and turned around to see Ender. Their eyes held for only a moment, locked in understanding. Then Ender left.
There would be no green green brown in this part of the
It was true. Ender's tray always had food on it after a meal. Ender looked at the plate and decided he was through. "Let's go then.”
When they got to the barracks. Ender squatted down by his bed and said, “Get your desk and bring it over here. I'll show you how.” But when Alai brought his desk to Ender's bed, Ender was just sitting there, his lockers still closed.
“What up?” asked Alai.
In answer Ender palmed his locker. “Unauthorized Access Attempt,” it said. It didn't open.
“Somebody done a dance on your head, mama,” Alai said. "Somebody eated your face.”
“You sure you want my security system now?” Ender got up and walked away from his bed.
“Ender,” said Alai.
Ender turned around. Alai was holding a little piece of paper.
"What is it?”
Alai looked up at him. "Don't you know? This was on your bed. You must have sat on it.”
Ender took it from him.
ENDER WIGGIN
ASSIGNED SALAMANDER ARMY
COMMANDER BONZO MADRID
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
CODE GREEN GREEN BROWN
NO POSSESSIONS TRANSFERRED
"You're smart, Ender, but you don't do the battle-room any better than me.”
Ender shook his head. It was the stupidest thing he could think of, to promote him now. Nobody got promoted before they were eight years old. Ender wasn't even seven yet. And launches usually moved into the armies together, with most armies getting a new kid at the same time. There were no transfer slips on any of the other beds.
Just when things were finally coming together. Just when Bernard was getting along with everybody, even Ender. Just when Ender was beginning to make a real friend out of Alai. Just when his life was finally getting livable.
Ender reached down to pull Alai up from the bed.
“Salamander Army's in contention, anyway,” Alai said.
Ender was so angry at the unfairness of the transfer that tears were coming to his eyes. Mustn't cry, he told himself.
Alai saw the tears but had the grace not to say so. "They're fartheads, Ender, they won't even let you take anything you own.”
Ender grinned and didn't cry after all. "Think I should strip and go naked?”
Alai laughed, too.
On impulse Ender hugged him, tight, almost as if he were Valentine. He even thought of Valentine then and wanted to go home. “I don't want to go,” he said.
Alai hugged him back. "I understand them, Ender. You are the best of us. Maybe they're in a hurry to teach you everything.”
“They don't want to teach me everything,” Ender said. "I wanted to learn what it was like to have a friend.”
Alai nodded soberly. “Always my friend, always the best of my friends,” he said. Then he grinned. "Go slice up the buggers.”
“Yeah.” Ender smiled back.
Alai suddenly kissed Ender on the cheek and whispered in his ear. “Salaam.” Then, red faced, he turned away and walked to his own bed at the back of the barracks. Ender guessed that the kiss and the word were somehow forbidden. A suppressed religion, perhaps. Or maybe the word had some private and powerful meaning for Alai alone. Whatever it meant to Alai, Ender knew that it was sacred; that he had uncovered himself for Ender, as once Ender's mother had done when he was very young, before they put the monitor in his neck, and she had put her hands on his head when she thought he was asleep, and prayed over him. Ender had never spoken of that to anyone, not even to Mother, but had kept it as a memory of holiness, of how his mother loved him when she thought that no one, not even he, could see or hear. That was what Alai had given him: a gift so sacred that even Ender could not be allowed to understand what it meant.
After such a thing nothing could be said. Alai reached his bed and turned around to see Ender. Their eyes held for only a moment, locked in understanding. Then Ender left.
There would be no green green brown in this part of the
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