killed. No, we suspected that your dragon drawing would have some meaning to someone. But we couldn't find a code in it."
"There wasn't a code in it," said Petra.
"Oh yes there was," said Achilles. "You somehow encoded it in such a way that someone was able to recognize it and decode it. I know this because the news stories that suddenly appeared, triggering this whole crisis, had some specific information that was more or less correct. One of the messages you guys tried to send must have gotten through. So we went back over every email sent by every one of you, and the only thing that couldn't be accounted for was your dragon clip art."
"If you can read a message in that," said Petra, "then you're smarter than I am."
"On the contrary," said Achilles. "You're smarter than I am, at least about strategy and tactics-like evading the enemy while keeping in close communication with allies. Well, not all that close, since it took them so long to publish the information you sent."
"You bet on the wrong horse," said Petra. "It wasn't a message, and therefore however they got the news it must have come from one of the other guys."
Achilles only laughed. "You're a stubborn liar, aren't you?"
"I'm not lying when I tell you that if I have to keep riding with these corpses in this compartment, I'm going to get sick." .
He smiled. "Vomit away."
"So your pathology includes a weird need to hang around with the dead," said Petra. "You'd better be careful-you know where that leads. First you'll start dating them, and then one day you'll bring a dead person home to meet your mother and father. Oops. I forgot, you're an orphan."
"So I brought them to show you."
"Why did you wait so long to shoot them?" asked Petra.
"I wanted it set up just right. So I could shoot the one while he was standing in the doorway. So his body would block any returning fire from the other guy. And besides, I was also enjoying the way you took them apart. You know, arguing with them like you did. Sounded like you hate shrinks almost as much as I do. And you were never even committed to a mental institution. I would have applauded several of your best bon mots, only I might have been overheard."
"Who's driving this van?" asked Petra, ignoring his flattery.
"Not me," said Achilles. "Are you?"
"How long are you planning to keep me imprisoned?" asked Petra.
"As long as it takes."
"As long as it takes to do what?" ."
"Conquer the world together, you and 1. Isn't that romantic? Or, well, it will be romantic, when it happens."
"It will never be romantic," said Petra. "Nor will I help you conquer your dandruff problem, let alone the world."
"Oh, you'll cooperate," said Achilles. "I'll kill the other members of Ender's jeesh, one by one, until you give in."
"You don't have them," said Petra. "And you don't know where they are. They're safe from you."
Achilles grinned mock-sheepishly. "There's just no fooling Genius Girl, is there? But, you see, they're bound to surface somewhere, and when they do, they'll die. I don't forget."
"That's one way to conquer the world," said Petra. "Kill every body one by one until you're the only one left."
"Your first job," said Achilles, "is to decode that message you sent out."
"What message?"
Achilles picked up his gun and pointed it at her
"Kill me and you'll always wonder if I really sent out a message at all," said Petra.
"But at least I won't have to listen to your smug voice lying to me," said Achilles. "That would almost be a consolation."
"You seem to be forgetting that I wasn't a volunteer on this expedition. If you don't like listening to me, let me go."
"You're so sure of yourself," said Achilles. "But I know you better than you know yourself."
"And what is it you think you know about me?" asked Petra.
"I know that you'll eventually give in and help me,"
"Well, I know you better than you know yourself, too," said Petra.
"Oh, really?"
"I know that eventually you'll kill me. Because you always do. So let's just skip all the boring stuff in between. Kill me now. End the suspense."
"No," said Achilles. "Things like that are much better as a surprise. Don't you think? At least, that's the way God always did it."
"Why am I even talking to you?" asked Petra.
"Because you're so lonely after being in solitary for all these months that you'd do anything for human company. Even