The Swarm by Orson Scott Card Page A

her to be his wife, robbing her of the actual person she deserved.
    Yet he had asked her nonetheless. He couldn’t imagine himself ever being happy otherwise. They had not yet set a date, but there wouldn’t be much to prepare when they did. They would probably wed in the cargo bay.
    â€œYou’re staring at me, Victor Delgado.”
    â€œAdmiring.”
    â€œIt’s still staring.”
    She took his wrist pad and flipped through the sketches. “What’s this?”
    â€œSketches for Mazer. Some good ideas, some bad ideas. Mostly bad ideas.”
    â€œThey all look brilliant to me.”
    â€œYou’re biased.”
    â€œHow is Mazer?”
    â€œHe’s being court-martialed.”
    She looked at him, startled. “Why?”
    Victor shrugged. “Because they’re more worried about saving their careers than the human race. Because they feel threatened by people smarter than themselves. Because they despise those who have talents they don’t also possess. Take your pick.”
    Imala sighed in exasperation. “Why is it that the people who should be in authority are usually the people who don’t want it, while the people who hold authority are usually the two-faced schemers who’ve stepped on people’s backs to get it?”
    Victor was quiet a moment. “Did we make the right decision, Imala? Coming out here to reunite with my family?”
    She broke away from him and studied his face. “Why do you say that? You love your family.”
    â€œYes, but this isn’t really my family anymore. Or at least it’s not the family I left before the war.”
    â€œWe knew that when we came, Vico. When Arjuna took in your mother and your aunts and all their children, this became a new family. It’s not the one you grew up with, but it’s a family all the same. They accepted us on sight even though the ship was already full, they’ve treated me like one of their own. If anyone should feel like an outsider here it’s me. I’m not related to anyone.”
    â€œNot yet,” Victor said with a smile.
    â€œNot yet,” she agreed.
    Victor’s smile waned. “I know you’re right. But is this where we should be?”
    â€œWhy are you even asking this?” she said. “Is this about Copernicus? Vico, you’re the one who said we weren’t going to get into this war, that it was someone else’s turn to fight this time.”
    â€œI know I said that. And I still believe that. But I look at Mazer and I think about the IF and all the bureaucracy and all the obstacles they’re imposing on us, even before the Formics get here, and I think, how can I just float here and let all of that happen?”
    â€œYou can’t fight the bureaucracy, Vico. I tried fighting it at the Lunar Trade Department, and it got me nowhere. The IF is a thousand times bigger and a thousand times more powerful, with all of the resources of the world at its disposal. That’s not a fight you can win.”
    â€œI’m not suggesting that I take on the International Fleet, Imala. I’m merely asking the question: Are we doing the most good here? You should have heard Goos today. He’s dead set on enlisting. I told him to erase the idea from his mind and to leave the fighting to the soldiers, but I felt like a hypocrite saying so, as if I were trying to convince myself.”
    â€œGoos is fourteen,” said Imala. “He can’t enlist anyway.”
    Victor waved a hand. “Yes, obviously. That’s not the point.”
    â€œThen what is?”
    â€œThe point is, maybe he’s right. The IF needs mechanics as much as it needs pilots and soldiers and doctors.”
    â€œYour family needs a mechanic, Vico. Who would have fixed the OE if you hadn’t been here? Goos? No one on this ship can do what you do.”
    â€œWe don’t have any more mechanics because they all enlisted with the