my character that I am absolutely going to tell him I did it?
Theresa didn't actually see Peter until noon, when she and John Paul and their illustrious son sat down to a lunch of papaya and cheese and sliced sausage.
"Why do you always drink that stuff?" asked John Paul.
Peter looked surprised. "Guarana? It's my duty as an American to never drink Coke or Pepsi in a country that has an indigenous soft drink. Besides which, I like it."
"It's a stimulant," said Theresa. "It fuzzes your brain."
"It also makes you fart," said John Paul. "Constantly."
"Frequently would be the more accurate term," said Peter. "And it's sweet of you to care."
"We're just looking out for your image," said Theresa.
"I only fart when I'm alone."
"Since he does it in front of us," said John Paul to Theresa, "what exactly does that make us?"
"I meant 'in private,' " said Peter. "And flatulence from carbonated beverages is odorless."
"He thinks it doesn't stink," said John Paul.
Peter picked up the glass and drained it. "And you wonder why I don't look forward to these little family get-togethers."
"Yes," said Theresa. "Family is so inconvenient for you. Except when you can spend their pension checks."
Peter looked back and forth between her and John Paul. "You aren't even on a pension. Either of you. You're not even fifty yet."
Theresa just looked at him like he was stupid. She knew that look drove him crazy.
But Peter refused to bite. He simply went back to eating his lunch.
His very incuriosity was proof enough to Theresa that he knew exactly what she was talking about.
"You mind telling me what this is about?" asked John Paul.
"Why, Andrew's pension," said Theresa. "Bean thinks that Peter's been stealing it."
"So naturally," said Peter with his mouth full, "Mother believes him."
"Oh, haven't you, then?" asked Theresa.
"There's a difference between investing and stealing."
"Not when you invest it in Hegemony bonds. Especially when a circle of huts in Amazonas has a higher bond rating than you."
"Investing in the future of world peace is a sound investment."
"Investing in your future," said Theresa. "Which is more than you did for Andrew. But now that Bean knows, you can be sure that source of funding will dry up very quickly."
"How sad for Bean," said Peter. "Since that was what was paying for his and Petra's search."
"It wasn't until you decided it was," said John Paul. "Are you really that petty?"
"If Bean decides unilaterally to cut off a funding source, then I have to reduce spending somewhere. Since spending on his personal quest has nothing to do with Hegemony goals, it seems only fair that the meddler's pet project be the first to go. It's all moot anyway. Bean has no claim on Ender's pension. He can't touch it."
"He's not going to touch it himself," said Theresa. "He doesn't want the money."
"So he'll turn it over to you? What will you do, keep it in an interest-bearing debit account, the way you do with your own money?" Peter laughed.
"He seems unrepentant," said John Paul.
"That's the problem with Peter," said Theresa.
"Only the one?" said Peter.
"Either it doesn't matter or it's the end of the world. No in between for him. Absolute confidence or utter despair."
"I haven't despaired in years. Well, weeks."
"Just tell me, Peter," said Theresa. "Is there no one you won't exploit to accomplish your purposes?"
"Since my purpose is saving the human race from itself," said Peter, "the answer is no." He wiped his mouth and dropped his napkin on his plate. "Thanks for the lovely lunch. I do enjoy our little times together."
He left.
John Paul leaned back in his chair. "Well. I think I'll tell Bean that if he needs any next-of-kin signatures for whatever he's doing with Andrew's pension, I'll be happy to help."
"If I know Julian Delphiki, no help will be needed."
"Bean saved Peter's whole enterprise by killing Achilles at great personal risk, and our son's memory is so short that he'll stop paying for the effort to rescue Bean's and Petra's children. What gene is it that Peter's missing?"
"Gratitude has a very short half-life in most people's hearts," said Theresa. "By now Peter doesn't even remember that he ever felt it toward Bean."
"Anything we can do about it?"
"Again, my dear, I think we can count on Bean himself. He'll expect retaliation from Peter, and he'll already have a plan."
"I hope his plan doesn't require appealing to Peter's conscience."
Theresa laughed. So did John Paul. It was the saddest kind of laughter, in that empty room.
Chapter 10
GRIEF
From: FelixStarman%[email protected]
To: PeterWiggin%[email protected]
Re: Only one