worked closely with the Chakri has been sent home and put under house arrest while the investigation continues."
"That means the entire high command."
"Not really," said Suriyawong. "The best field commanders are out in the field. Commanding. One of them will be brought in as acting Chakri."
"They should give it to you."
"They should, but they won't. Aren't you just a little hungry?"
"It's late."
"This is Bangkok."
"Well, not really," said Bean. "This is a military base."
"When is your friend's flight due in?"
"Morning. Just after dawn."
"Ouch. She's going to be out of sorts. You going to meet her at the airport?"
"I didn't think about it."
"Let's go get dinner," said Suriyawong. "Officers do it all the time. We can take a couple of strike force soldiers with us to make sure we don't get hassled for being children."
"Achilles isn't going to give up on killing me."
"Us. He aimed at us this time."
"He might have a backup."
"Bean, I'm hungry. Are you hungry?" Suriyawong turned to the members of the toon that had been with him. "Any of you hungry?"
"Not really," said one of them. "We ate at the regular time."
"Sleepy," said another.
"Anybody awake enough to go into the city with us?"
Immediately all of them stepped forward.
"Don't ask perfect soldiers whether they want to protect their CO," said Bean.
"Designate a couple to go with us and let the others sleep," said Suriyawong.
"Yes sir," said Bean. He turned to the men. "Honest assessment. Which of you will be least impaired by failing to get enough sleep tonight?"
"Will we be allowed sleep tomorrow?" asked one.
"Yes," said Bean. "So it's a matter of how much it affects you to get off your rhythm."
"I'll be fine." Four others felt the same way. So Bean chose the two nearest. "Two of you keep watch for two more hours, then go back to the normal watch rotation."
Outside the building, with their two bodyguards walking five meters behind them, Bean and Suriyawong finally had a chance to talk candidly. First, though, Suriyawong had to know. "You really keep a regular watch rotation even here at the base?"
"Was I wrong?" asked Bean.
"Obviously not, but ... you really are paranoid."
"I know I have an enemy who wants me dead. An enemy who happens to be hopping from one powerful position to another."
"More powerful each time," said Suriyawong. "In Russia, he didn't have the power to start a war."
"He might not in India, either," said Bean.
"There's a war," said Suriyawong. "You're saying it isn't his?"
"It's his," said Bean. "But he's probably still having to persuade adults to go along with him."
"Win a few, and they hand you your own army," said Suriyawong.
"Win a few more, and they hand you the country," said Bean. "As Napoleon and Washington showed."
"How many do you have to win to get the world?"
Bean let the question hang.
"Why did he go after us?" asked Suriyawong. "I think you're right, that this operation at least was entirely Achilles'. It's not the kind of thing the Indian government goes for. India is a democracy. Folding children doesn't play well. No way he got approval."
"It might not even be India," said Bean. "We don't really know anything."
"Except that it's Achilles," said Suriyawong. "Think about the stuff that doesn't make sense. A second-rate, obvious campaign strategy that we're probably going to be able to take apart. A nasty bit of business like this that can only soil India's reputation in the rest of the world."
"Obviously he's not acting in India's best interest," said Bean. "But they think he is, if he's really the one who brought off this deal with Pakistan. He's acting for himself. And I can see what he gains by kidnapping Ender's jeesh and by trying to kill you."
"Fewer rivals?"
"No," said Bean. "He makes Battle School grads look like the most important weapons in the war."
"But he's not a Battle School grad."
"He was in Battle School, and he's that age. He doesn't want to have to wait till he grows up to be king of the world. He wants everyone to believe that a child should lead them. If you're worth killing, if Ender's jeesh is worth stealing..." It also helps Peter Wiggin, Bean realized. He didn't go to Battle School, but if children are plausible world leaders, his own track record as Locke raises him above any other contenders. Military ability is one thing. Ending the League War was a much stronger qualification. It trumped "psychopathic Battle School expulsee" hands down.