Wiggin and Theresa Wiggin and underneath our charming and civilized exteriors, we're some pretty tough bunducks."
Peter said nothing.
"Well, actually," said Theresa to John Paul, "we're the bunducks. Peter's the big sabeek."
Peter shook his head.
"You are," Theresa insisted. "And do you know how I know you are? Because you were smart enough to listen to us and get out in time."
"I was just thinking," said Peter quietly.
"What?" prompted Theresa, before John Paul could give his standard joking reply: It's about time. It would be the wrong joke for this moment, but John Paul was never very good about knowing when it was the wrong time for his standard jokes. They came out by reflex, without being processed through his brain first.
"I've underestimated you two," he said.
"Well, yes," said Theresa.
"In fact, I've been a little shit to you for a long time."
"Not so little," said John Paul.
Theresa cocked a warning eyebrow at him.
"But I still never did anything as dumb as flying to get into his bedroom to kill him," said Peter.
Theresa looked at him sharply. He was grinning at her.
John Paul laughed. She couldn't blame him. He couldn't help retaliating. After all, she had just given him the dreaded eyebrow.
"OK, well, you're right," said Theresa. "That was pretty stupid. But I didn't know what else to do to save you."
"Maybe saving me isn't such a great idea."
"You're the only copy of our DNA left on Earth," said John Paul. "We really don't want to have to start all over, making babies. That's for younger people now.
"Besides," said Theresa. "Saving you means saving the world."
"Right," said Peter derisively.
"You're the only hope," said Theresa.
"Then good luck, world."
"I do believe," said John Paul, "that that was almost a prayer. Don't you think so, Theresa? I think Peter said a prayer.
Peter chuckled. "Yeah, why not. Good luck, world. Amen."
They got to the gate well before the ten minutes were up. There was a cab driver asleep at a cab stand in front of the biggest hotel outside the compound. John Paul woke him and handed him a very large sum of money.
"Take us to the airport," said Theresa.
"But not this one," said John Paul. "I think we want to fly out of Araraquara."
"That's an hour away," said Theresa.
"And we have an hour till the earliest flight anywhere," said John Paul. "Do you want to spend that hour just sitting in an airport that's fifteen minutes away from the compound?"
Peter laughed. "That is so paranoid," he said. "just like Bean."
"Bean's alive," said John Paul.
"I'm OK with that," said Peter. "Being alive is good."
Peter had his press release out from one of the computers in the Araraquara airport. But Achilles didn't waste any time, either.
Peter's story was all flue, though he left a few things out. He admitted that he had been fooled into thinking that he was rescuing Achilles when in fact he was bringing the Trojan Horse inside the walls of Troy. It was a terrible mistake because Achilles was serving the Chinese Empire all along, and Hegemony headquarters was completely compromised. Peter declared that he was moving Hegemony headquarters to another location and urged all Hegemony employees who were still loyal to him to wait for word about where to reassemble.
Achilles's press release declared that he, General Suriyawong, and Ferreira, the head of Hegemony computer security, had discovered that Peter was embezzling Hegemony funds and hiding them in secret accounts-money that should have gone to paying Hegemony debts and feeding the poor and trying to achieve world peace. He declared that the office of the Hegemon would continue to function under the control of Suriyawong as the ranking military leader of Hegemony forces, and that he would help Suriyawong only if he was asked. Meanwhile, a warrant had been issued for Peter Wiggin's arrest to answer charges of embezzlement, malfeasance in office, and high treason against the International Defense League.
In a press release later that day he announced that Hyrum Graff had been removed as Minister of Colonization and was to be arrested for complicity with Peter Wiggin in the conspiracy to defraud the Hegemony.
"The son of a bitch," said John Paul.
"Graff won't obey him," said Theresa. "He'll simply declare that you're still Hegemon and that he answers only to you and Admiral Chamrajnagar."
"But it'll dry up a lot of his funds," said Peter. "He'll have a lot less freedom of movement. Because now there's a price on his head, and in some countries they'd just love to arrest him and turn him over