Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1) - Orson Scott Card Page 0,13

far as the rest of the biosphere is concerned, we could be wiped out and it would adjust, it would get on with the next step in evolution. But humanity doesn’t want to die. As a species, we have evolved to survive. And the way we do it is by straining and straining and, at last, every few generations, giving birth to genius. The one who invents the wheel. And light. And flight. The one who builds a city, a nation, an empire. Do you understand any of this?”

Ender thought he did, but wasn’t sure, and so said nothing.

“No. Of course not. So I’ll put it bluntly. Human beings are free except when humanity needs them. Maybe humanity needs you. To do something. Maybe humanity needs me—to find out what you’re good for. We might both do despicable things, Ender, but if humankind survives, then we were good tools.”

“Is that all? Just tools?”

“Individual human beings are all tools, that the others use to help us all survive.”

“That’s a lie.”

“No. It’s just a half truth. You can worry about the other half after we win this war.”

“It’ll be over before I grow up,” Ender said.

“I hope you’re wrong,” said Graff. “By the way, you aren’t helping yourself at all, talking to me. The other boys are no doubt telling each other that old Ender Wiggin is back there licking up to Graff. If word once gets around that you’re a teachers’ boy, you’re iced for sure.”

In other words, go away and leave me alone. “Goodbye,” Ender said. He pulled himself hand over hand along the tube where the other boys had gone.

Graff watched him go.

One of the teachers near him said, “Is that the one?”

“God knows,” said Graff. “If Ender isn’t him, then he’d better show up soon.”

“Maybe it’s nobody,” said the teacher.

“Maybe. But if that’s the case, Anderson, then in my opinion God is a bugger. You can quote me on that.”

“I will.”

They stood in silence a while longer.

“Anderson.”

“Mmm.”

“The kid’s wrong. I am his friend.”

“I know.”

“He’s clean. Right to the heart, he’s good.”

“I’ve read the reports.”

“Anderson, think what we’re going to do to him.”

Anderson was defiant. “We’re going to make him the best military commander in history.”

“And then put the fate of the world on his shoulders. For his sake, I hope it isn’t him. I do.”

“Cheer up. The buggers may kill us all before he graduates.”

Graff smiled. “You’re right. I feel better already.”

5

GAMES

“You have my admiration. Breaking an arm—that was a master stroke.”

“That was an accident.”

“Really? And I’ve already commended you in your official report.”

“It’s too strong. It makes that other little bastard into a hero. It could screw up training for a lot of kids. I thought Ender might call for help.”

“Call for help? I thought that was what you valued most in him—that he settles his own problems. When he’s out there surrounded by an enemy fleet, there ain’t gonna be nobody to help him if he calls.”

“Who would have guessed the little sucker’d be out of his seat? And that he’d land just wrong against the bulkhead?”

“Just one more example of the stupidity of the military. If you had any brains, you’d be in a real career, like selling life insurance.”

“You, too, mastermind.”

“We’ve just got to face the fact that we’re second rate. With the fate of humanity in our hands. Gives you a delicious feeling of power, doesn’t it? Especially because this time if we lose there won’t be any criticism of us at all.”

“I never thought of it that way. But let’s not lose.”

“See how Ender handles it. If we’ve already lost him, if he can’t handle this, who next? Who else?”

“I’ll make up a list.”

“In the meantime, figure out how to unlose Ender.”

“I told you. His isolation can’t be broken. He can never come to believe that anybody will ever help him out, ever. If he once thinks there’s an easy way out, he’s wrecked.”

“You’re right. That would be terrible, if he believed he had a friend.”

“He can have friends. It’s parents he can’t have.”

The other boys had already chosen their bunks when Ender arrived. Ender stopped in the doorway of the dormitory, looking for the sole remaining bed. The ceiling was low—Ender could reach up and touch it. A child-sized room, with the bottom bunk resting on the floor. The other boys were watching him, cornerwise. Sure enough, the bottom bunk right by the door was the only empty bed. For a moment it occurred to Ender that by letting the others