Fire and Ice

Chapter 29 † Kayleigh

Peter leads me to a bench just past the back porch and motions for me to sit. I acknowledge him and sit. He takes a deep breath and sits gently beside me. No no no! Go away!

"So. Major political influencer by age fourteen? Impressive." I state.

"Oh? Oh, yeah."

"Alright then, Locke, what is your business with me?"

"Oh, well, um..."

"Didn't think that far ahead?" You did! Don't lie! He scratched his neck. "Don't worry. I have a plan."

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"We follow her. I planted a GPS when I threw the knife." The other three grin wickedly back at me.

†

"I hear you want control. Over everything. So I'll offer it to you. All I ask is that you play Locke to Valentine's Demosthenes. I'll guide her." He laughs harshly, coldly.

"So I get left completely out, is that it? How can I play an unscripted part?"

"We don't fully know what's going to happen yet Peter. This is war against an unpredictable, intelligent enemy." Lies, lies.

"Which enemy? The buggers? Or the IF?" There is no enemy. The IF may collapse...

"There's only one way to stop this war now. We're at a stalemate. The only option is peace. We may have to fight the IF to get it." Lies lies, the words roll smoothly off of my tongue, truth and lies, lies and truth.

"You're asking me to commit treason!"

"Am I? There is no treason if you fight for humanity." The words sting as they roll off my tongue. Not true not true not true!

"That sounds like an excuse the villain would make." You're right. So who's the villain here. Me, or you?

"Then you follow what you believe. I believe this is our best option. So does Ender. And Petra. And Valentine, and all the other soldiers at Command."

"That supposed to convince me?"

"Maybe. Are you convinced?" He leans back, running his fingers through his hair.

"This isn't what I had planned."

"You and me both Peter."

"So what do I say? I know I can sway them, but how to help you and not explicitly myself?"

"Very humble of you. From what I hear."

He glares at me. But as his eyes jump across my features, they soften slightly at the corners, his mouth tilting slightly up at his right corner. No no no no. I look away, feigning disinterest. The partial smile quickly becomes a frown.

"Valentine will argue for continued war. To break from what we know, the United forces, the International Fleet, the regulations, the testing, in favor of all out anarchy. The war to end everything. And you..."

"Will argue the opposite. World- no, galactic peace is what is necessary." I nod. You knew I would say this. And yet you play innocent? What sort of man are you?

"Peter."

"Yes?" He responds quickly.

"Stop lying to me." I turn my gaze towards him as his face falls. "How long did you think I would buy the facade? A man as smart as you wouldn't fumble or bumble." His shoulders collapse into his being and he leans away from me slightly. I push closer. "You knew what I would offer, that much was obvious. You also knew what me coming here meant. What you would have to write about, convince people of. I didn't need to spell it out for you because you already read the book. What are you trying to convince me of?"

"I-i... Uh" he stutters. I lean back to give him some space. "I, well, we've been taught so many things, rumors, truth, I didn't know what to believe about you." A man, or a manipulator?

"You're a bad liar Peter." He gulps.

"Alright then. I'll tell you why. You knew I was real, could believe I would turn against the IF quickly as they aren't the country I swore my oaths to. Your plan with Ender didn't work and so now you want to play me. You'd need a way to keep me permanently off of Earth if my continued life was made known, since they'd probably do something stupid like give me a position of power. So you would conceal it. Keep me, Ender, and the rest of the students in space, so you could dominate. Frame us for turning against the IF and then use that newfound public unity to control a peaceful and happy humanity." He gulps. "Do you have anything honest to say to me, Peter, before I go talk with Valentine?"

He clamps his mouth shut, but looks contemplative. I hit the nail on the head and into the coffin.

"That's what I thought," I say, standing up to leave.

I'm halfway across the yard when Peter calls.

"I've never been understood so clearly before." He chokes. I stop. You're right, but is this really you Peter? Or are you just vying for my attention? "I've done that- hic- so many times," he clears his throat, "but no one sees it. That I want to help. But it has to be me." I turn and look at him. His eyes are red where there used to be white, thin tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. "You saw. You anticipated. And you're still willing to help me?" No. Anyone but you.

"For the same reason you will help us," I state, calmly walking over to him again. Stay away stay away stay away. "It furthers a personal agenda and humanity's well being at the same time. As long as that happens, what's wrong with it?" I almost have to bite the words out. I sit gently on his bench and reach my hand out to touch his face, gently brushing a tear away.

In that moment, that split second, I see everything. A deep sorrow for injuries he could not stop himself from inflicting. The pure truth. He believes me. Believes I understand him, just as he always thought I would. An ache to be like Valentine, calmer, nicer, to be like me, kind but still cold. I do my best not to yank my hand away. You're not like him you're not like him you're not. He grabs it and kisses it gently.

"You're beautiful," he quietly informs my knuckles. "Extraordinarily so. Unimaginably ethereal." He softly places my hand on my lap, wiping his eyes and stalking off into the woods.

I'm gonna need some Germ-X for that.

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"She took a long and convoluted route so we wouldn't follow her immediately."

"Duh, Harvey. Espionage 101. Fall asleep in that class?"

Thwap! "Shut up, Einri."

"That hurt, you jerk-off!"

"Children, watch the language. And be nice."

"We're older than you Andrej."

I hold up my hand, if only to stop their incessant chatter for a moment. They obey my silent request.

"We go to their hotel. They'll be on Earth for the next few days so we have some leeway."

"Little creepy. Kay was real spooked when she saw us today and I don't think she'll be much kinder next time." Harvey claims. I roll my eyes as Andrej puts his face in his hands and Einri sighs.

"So we prove it." Einri says.

"How?"

"We send her a message. Plain as day. Open invite." Andrej says.

"So we're leaving our possibly only chance at getting the hang back together on the chance she shows up to a cafe meet 'n greet?"

"She'll show," I say confidently, sending her my message.