Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Graff

"His sister is our weakest link and he loves her very much." "I know. She could have stopped it from the start, and he wouldn't want to leave her." "So, what are you going to do?" "Convince him that it's better to walk with us than stay with his sister." "How are you going to proceed?" "I'll lie to him." "What if it doesn't work?" "Then I'll tell him the truth. We can do that in an emergency. We can't be exhaustive, you know." While having breakfast, Ender felt that he had no appetite. He kept thinking about what would happen to Stilson who had just had a fight yesterday when he went back to school.What will Stilson's tight buddies do to me, maybe it'll be okay, but he's not sure, so he doesn't want to go to school.

"You're not eating, Ender," said Mom. Peter walked into the room, "Morning, Ender, thank you for passing me the towel in the shower." "Small thing," Ender muttered. "Ender, you need to eat." Ender held out his wrist, making a gesture as if to say feed me with a funnel. "It's funny," Mom said, "Whether you're geniuses or not, I care about you all the same." "It's your excellent genes that passed on to us," said Peter. "Our talents certainly didn't come from Dad." "I heard you," Dad said, not looking up from the news displayed on the table.

"There is always news, and you can watch it anytime." There was a "beep" on the table, and someone was knocking on the door. "Who is it?" Mom asked. Dad pressed a button, and a man appeared on his monitor, he was wearing a military uniform, and he was from the IF (International Fleet Federal Fleet). "What's supposed to happen always happens," Dad said. Peter didn't speak, and silently poured milk into his cereal. Ender thought, maybe today I can finally skip school. Dad pushed the door open and stood up from the table. "I'll go and see," he said, "you stay here and keep eating."

They all stayed in the room, but did not continue to eat.After a while, Dad came back and waved to Mom. "You're in trouble," Peter said. "They found out what you did to Stilson, and now they're coming to punish you." "I'm only six, idiot, I'm a minor." "You are the third child, you stinky bastard, you have no immunity." Valentine came in, her hair hanging languidly around her face. "Where's Mom and Dad? I'm sick and I can't go to school." "Are you going to have another dental checkup?" Peter said.

"Shut up, Peter," Valentine said. "You should just relax and accept it," Peter said. "There's no harm." "I do not know what to do?" "Maybe an anal exam." "Pah-pooh," said Valentine, "where's Pa and Ma?" "Talking to the guy from IF." She looked at Ender reflexively. They'd been waiting years for someone to tell them that Ender had passed the test and was drafted. "Well, look at him," Peter said, "but it could be me, you know. They might realize that I'm the better guy in the end." Peter felt hurt, and he vented his displeasure as usual.

The door opened. "Ender," Pa called, "come here." "Not you, Peter." Valentine sneered. Dad glared at them, "Boys, this is not the time to be joking." Ender followed Dad into the living room, and the IF officer stood up when they entered, but he didn't reach out to Ender. Mom was twirling her wedding ring. "Ender," she said, "I never thought you'd be the type to fight." "That boy Stilson was in the hospital," said Pa, "and you beat him hard, with your feet, Ender, that's not fair." Ender shook his head. He thought it would be someone from the school who would complain, not the fleet officials. It seemed that the incident was more serious than he thought. He didn't know what else he could do to remedy it.

"Have you any explanation for what you did, young man?" the officer asked. Ender shook his head again, he didn't know what to say, he was afraid that he would show himself very cruel.I'll take any punishment, he thought, come on. "We are considering a lighter punishment," the official said, "but I must tell you that the incident was serious. You continued to kick him in the lower abdomen, his face and body when he fell. It seems that you are very serious." Have fun hitting people." "I didn't." Ender pleaded in a low voice. "Then why did you do it?"

"He's got a whole bunch of buddies out there." "So what? Does that allow you to do this?" "No." "Tell me why you keep kicking him, haven't you already won?" "Knocking him to the ground won the first fight, and I think I'll win every fight after that, so that they'll be too scared to mess with me again." Ender felt very worried. Feeling ashamed, he couldn't help himself and cried again.Ender didn't like to cry, he seldom cried, but today in one day, he actually cried three times, and each time he cried more and more.Especially crying in front of his parents and this officer made him feel even more ashamed. "You took my monitor," Ender said. "I'll have to fend for myself, right?"

"Ender, you should go to an adult for help," Dad said. But the officer stood up and walked over to Ender.He held out his hand, "My name is Graf, Ender. Colonel Hillengraf. I am in charge of basic training in the combat school on the star ring. I have come to formally invite you to join this school." finally come. "But that monitor—" "The final test for you is to see how you adapt when the monitor is not there. We don't do this very often, but your situation is different—" "Did I pass?" Mom looked skeptical, "You can beat Stilson to the hospital and pass the test? If Ender kills him, will you give him a medal?"

"But he didn't, Mrs. Wiggins, that's why he passed the test." Colonel Graff handed her a stack of papers. I have already obtained your consent, otherwise he would not have been allowed to be born, he is now one of us." Dad's voice was a little trembling, and he said, "You made us think you wouldn't want him at the beginning, but in the end you took him away, which is too much." "And that incident about Stilson, isn't it fake too?" Mom said. "That's true, Mrs. Wiggins, we can't be sure if Ender is the man we're looking for until we know his motives for what he did—we must know what he meant by what he did."

"But do you have to call him that stupid nickname?" Mom started sobbing. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Wiggins, but that's what he calls himself." "What will you do to him, Colonel Graff," Pa asked. "Take him away now?" "That depends on—" Graff said. "Depend on what?" "Depending on whether Ender is willing to go?" Mom laughed through tears, "Oh, it's voluntary, that's great!" "For you, you had a choice when Ender was not born, but for Ender, he has not yet made a decision. Conscripted soldiers may be used as cannon fodder, but for conscripted officers, we Volunteers are needed." "Officer?" Ender asked, and no one else made a sound as he spoke. "Yes," said Graff, "the Combat School is dedicated to training future ship captains, fleet commanders, and commanders." "Don't lie to him!" Dad yelled angrily, "How many cadets from the battle school can eventually become fleet commanders?" "Unfortunately, Mr. Wiggins, this is confidential. But what I can tell you is that all cadets who graduate one year after graduation are appointed as officers, and their rank is not lower than the general staff officer of the planetary warship. Even in our Serving in the defense forces in their own solar system, they are also respected." "How many of them are like that?" asked Ender. "All of them," Graff said. Ender almost blurted out, I want to.But he's in control, which can keep him out of school, but it's stupid, it's just a problem these days.Going to Battle School would keep him away from Peter, which was the more important reason, and it was an issue that would affect his life.But to leave Mom and Dad, especially Valentine, you have to be a fighter, Ender doesn't like fighting, he doesn't like Peter's kind of bully, and he doesn't like to deal with others like himself people. "I think," said Graff, "that Ender and I need to talk in private." "No." Dad said. "I'm not going to take him until you talk to him again," Graff said. "You know you can't stop me." Dad stared at Graff hard for a moment, then stood up and walked out of the room.Mom squeezed Ender's hand tightly, went out and closed the door behind her. "Ender," said Graff, "if you come with me, you won't be able to come back here for a long time. There are no vacations and no visitors at Battle School. It's an uninterrupted continuum." Train, you don't leave school until you're sixteen. Normally, by the time you're twelve, believe me, Ender, people tend to change themselves every six or ten years, and when you see By her time your sister will be grown up and if you come with me then you'll be a stranger to her and you still love her, Ender, but you won't know her anymore , you know I'm not lying." "Where are Mom and Dad?" "I know you well, Ender, and I watch your monitor tapes a lot. After a while you stop thinking about Mom and Dad, and neither do they, after a while. " Tears welled up in Ender's eyes, and he turned his face away, but didn't wipe them away with his hands. "They love you, but you have to understand what your birth means to them, they are religious, you know, your dad was baptized by Father John Paul, he was a Catholic, he was nine of them Seventh of children. Nine children, it's unthinkable, it's a crime. "Yes, people do weird things because of religion. You know our birth control system, while not particularly harsh, is not easy to get approved. Only the first two children get free education, and Taxes go up with every child. Your dad decided to leave his family when he was sixteen. He changed his name, disowned his religion, and swore never to have more than two children. He was serious. Yes, he vowed not to subject his children to the same discrimination and humiliation he suffered as a child. Do you understand?" "He didn't want to have me." "Yes, no one wants to have a third child, they won't be happy, but your parents are an exception, they are both dissociated from their religion, your mother is a Mormon - but in fact they The attitude is ambiguous. Do you know what is ambiguous?" "They waver." "They were ashamed that they had betrayed the family, and they hid it. To avoid speculation, your mother hid from anyone that she was born in Utah, and your dad hid his Polish heritage, Because Poland is a disobedient area in the Commonwealth. You will understand, then, that having a third child, even though it is at the direct instruction of the government, is not their own reluctance to do so." "I see." "But the situation is not that simple. Your father named you according to the official religious tradition. In fact, he personally baptized and named you as soon as the three of you were born. Your mother objected to this. They Fighting about it every time, not just because she doesn't want you to be baptized, but she doesn't want you to be Catholic. They don't really give up their religion, they take you as their pride because they feel gone It's rare to have three children through the loopholes of the law. But you also make them cowardly, they still think it's wrong. And you're also a public disgrace, because you're preventing them from being a model citizen of society stumbling block." "How do you know such details?" "We spy on your brother and sister, Ender, and you'd be surprised to know how sensitive that monitor is. We've wired it directly to your brain, and we hear every sound around you, even You're not paying attention, and whether or not you understand what you're hearing or seeing, we know." "Then my parents love me or not?" "They love you. The question is whether they want you here. Your presence in this house is a constant disruption to them, and you're a source of tension, you understand?" "I'm not the one causing the tension." "It's not everything you've ever done, Ender. It's your very existence. Your brother hates you because your existence proves he's not good enough. Your parents resent you because they're trying to escape the past." "Valentine likes me." "She's wholehearted, she cares about you, and you adore her. I told you it was complicated." "What's it like there?" "It's very hard, studying, just like the schools here, but we will teach you more esoteric mathematics, computers, military history, tactics and strategies, and a combat simulation room." "what is that?" "It's a fighting game. All the kids are put into squads, and day after day, in zero gravity, they simulate war. No one gets hurt, there's only winners and losers. Everyone starts out as an ordinary soldier , take orders. The older kids are your officers, and it's their job to train you and command you in battle. I can't tell you more, it's like playing Space Warriors vs. Bugs - except You can have real weapons and have your teammates fight with you. The future of you and humanity depends on what you learn, your fighting skills. It's hard work and you lose your normal childhood , of course, for you, as a third child, you no longer have a normal childhood." "All the students are boys?" "There are a small number of girls. They usually have a hard time passing the test. Their genetics determine that they are rarely fighters. They won't treat you like Valentine, but you will find brothers there, Ender." "Like Peter?" "Peter is unacceptable to us, Ender, especially since you hate him." "I don't hate him, I just—" "Afraid of him, yes, Peter wasn't all bad, you know, for a long time we thought he was the best. We asked your parents to have a second baby girl and hope she was like Peter Excellent, but with a softer personality. But she is too soft, so we ask to have you again." "Half Peter, half Valentine." "If things go our way." "So am I?" "At the moment all we can say is that our experiment worked very well, Ender, but it doesn't tell us everything, in fact, when the results come out, it will hardly give us all the information, but it's better than nothing Good." Graff leaned down and took Ender's hand. "Ander Wiggins, if it was just a choice about the best and happiest future, I would tell it's best to stay home. Stay here, keep growing, and be happy. There's no better place in the world than being There are worse things with a third child and a brother like a jackal, Battle School is one of them, but we need you, Bugs might be a game for you, Ender, but damn they almost destroyed last time We, they are much more numerous than we are, and their weapons are more advanced than ours, and the only hope of our salvation is that we have the best military commanders. May, God forbid, let us have Mazelekhan!" "But we don't have him anymore, Ender, and our technology is so advanced that the warplanes they used to attack us now look like children's toys in a swimming pool. We have invented new weapons, but even so, But that's not enough. Because it's been eighty years since that war, they'll be ready for war just like us, and we've got to do it better and faster. Maybe you won't do it for us Work, maybe you will, maybe you will break down under the pressure, maybe it will ruin your life, maybe you will hate me for coming to your home today, maybe humans will survive, buggers may stay away from us forever, So I ask you to do this, come with me." Ender couldn't focus on Colonel Graff, who seemed far away and small, as if Ender could pick him up with tweezers and put him in his pocket.To get away from everything here, to a place where there's no fun, no place where it's hard, no Valentine, no Mom and Dad. He remembered a documentary about bugmen that he had to watch every year. It contained the tragedies that happened in China, the battle on the star ring, death, pain and fear.Mazerehan and his genius maneuvers destroyed an enemy fleet twice his size and firepower, using only puny human spaceships like children fighting adults, and in the end, we won. "I'm scared," said Ender quickly, "but I'll go with you." "Say it again," Graff said. "That's what I live for, isn't it? If I don't go, why am I alive?" "That's not a very good reason," Graff said. "I don't want to go," said Ender, "but I will." Graf nodded, "You can change your mind, you can change your mind until you step into my car, and from then on, you'll be living in the happy Federation fleet, you understand?" Ender nodded. "Okay, let's tell them." Mama sobbed, Papa hugged Ender tightly, and Peter shook his hand and said, "You lucky little fool." Valentine kissed him, weeping tears on his face. "Goodbye," Ender said to his family, and he followed Graff, holding Graff's hand, and walked out of the house with him. "Help me kill some buggers!" Peter yelled. "I love you, Ender," said Mom. "We'll write you a letter," Dad said. When he got into the car and waited quietly in the corridor, he heard Valentine cry out in pain, "Come back and see me, I love you forever!"