And it was not just among the humans, either. While on Lusitania the pequeninos still outnumbered humans by vast numbers, on the new colonies the humans predominated. “It’s your fleet coming to destroy Lusitania,” said Human, the leader of the fathertrees these days. “And even if every human on Lusitania died, the human race would continue. While for the Hive Queen and for us, it is nothing less than the survival of our species that is at stake. And yet we understand that we must let humans dominate for a time on these new worlds, because of your knowledge of skills and technologies we have not yet mastered, because of your practice at subduing new worlds, and because you still have the power to set fires to burn our forests.” What Human said so reasonably, his resentment couched in polite language, many other pequeninos and fathertrees said more passionately: “Why should we let these human invaders, who brought all this evil upon us, save almost all their population, while most of us will die?”
“Resentment between the species is nothing new,” said Miro.
“But until now we had Ender to contain it,” said Grego. “Pequeninos, the Hive Queen, and most of the human population saw Ender as a fair broker, someone they could trust. They knew that as long as he was in charge of things, as long as his voice was heard, their interests would be protected.”
“Ender isn’t the only good person leading this exodus,” said Miro.
“It’s a matter of trust, not of virtue,” said Valentine. “The nonhumans know that Ender is the Speaker for the Dead. No other human has ever spoken for another species that way. And yet the humans know that Ender is the Xenocide — that when the human race was threatened by an enemy countless generations ago, he was the one who acted to stop them and save humanity from, as they feared, annihilation. There isn’t exactly a candidate with equivalent qualifications ready to step into Ender’s role.”
“What’s that to me?” asked Miro bluntly. “Nobody listens to me here. I have no connections. I certainly can’t take Ender’s place either, and right now I’m tired and I need to sleep. Look at Young Val, she’s half-dead with weariness, too.”
It was true; she was barely able to stand. Miro at once reached out to support her; she gratefully leaned against his shoulder.
“We don’t want you to take Ender’s place,” said Olhado. “We don’t want anybody to take his place. We want him to take his place.”
Miro laughed. “You think I can persuade him? You’ve got his sister right there! Send her!”
Old Valentine grimaced. “Miro, he won’t see me.”
“Then what makes you think he’ll see me?”
“Not you, Miro. Jane. The jewel in your ear.”
Miro looked at them in bafflement. “You mean Ender has removed his jewel?”
In his ear, he heard Jane say, “I’ve been busy. I didn’t think it was important to mention it to you.”
But Miro knew how it had devastated Jane before, when Ender cut her off. Now she had other friends, yes, but that didn’t mean it would be painless.
Old Valentine continued. “If you can go to him and get him to talk to Jane …”
Miro shook his head. “Taking out the jewel — don’t you see that that was final? He’s committed himself to following Mother into exile. Ender doesn’t back away from his commitments.”
They all knew it was true. Knew, in fact, that they had really come to Miro, not with the real hope that he would accomplish what they needed, but as a last feeble act of desperation. “So we let things wind down,” said Grego. “We let things slide into chaos. And then, beset by interspecies war, we will die in shame when the fleet comes. Jane’s lucky, I think; she’ll already be dead when it gets here.”
“Tell him thanks,” Jane said to Miro.
“Jane says thanks,” said Miro. “You’re just too soft-hearted, Grego. ”
Grego blushed, but he didn’t take back what he said.
“Ender isn’t God,” said Miro. “We’ll just do our best without him. But right now the best thing I can do is –“