"Valentine," he said, "you don't know what you're doing. If you interfere in any way, you'll destroy me. Do you understand me? Have I ever lied to you?"
"Constantly."
"Neglecting to tell you things is not lying," said Ender.
"I'm not going to let this happen. I know what you're planning."
"With all due respect, Val, you don't know anything."
"I know you, Ender, better than you know yourself."
"But you don't know this boy who calls himself by the name of a monster because he thinks the madman was his father."
For a few moments Achilles' anger had dissipated, but now it was coming back. "My father was a genius."
"Not incompatible concepts," said Valentine dismissively. To Ender, she said, "It won't bring them back."
"Right now," said Ender, "if you love me, you'll stop talking."
His voice was like a lash--not loud, but sharp and with true aim. She recoiled as if he had struck her. Yet she opened her mouth to answer.
"If you love me," he said.
"I think what your brother is trying to tell you," said Achilles, "is that he has a plan."
"My plan," said Ender, "is to tell you who you are. Julian Delphiki and Petra Arkanian lived in hiding because Achilles Flandres had agents seeking them, wanting to kill them--especially because he had once desired Petra, after his sick fashion."
The rage was rising in Achilles again. And he welcomed it. Valentine's coming had almost ruined everything.
"They had nine fertilized eggs that they entrusted to a doctor who promised he could purge them of the genetic condition that you have--the giantism. But he was a fraud--as your present condition indicates. He was really working for Achilles, and he stole the embryos. Your mother gave birth to one; we found seven others that were implanted in surrogate mothers. But Hyrum Graff always suspected that they found those seven because Achilles meant them to be found, so that the searchers would think their methods were working. Knowing Achilles, Graff was sure the ninth baby would not be found by the same methods. Then your mother spat on Hyrum Graff and he began to look int
o her past and found out that her name wasn't Nichelle Firth, it was Randi. And when he looked at the DNA records, he found that you had no genes in common with your supposed mother. You were not in any way her genetic child."
"That's a lie," said Achilles. "You're saying it only to provoke me."
"I'm saying it because it's true, in the hope that it will liberate you. The other children were found and returned to their parents. Five of them didn't have your genetic disorder, your giantism, and all five of them are still alive on Earth. Bella, Andrew--named for me, I must point out--Julian the Third, Petra, and Ramon. Three of your siblings were giants, and of course they're gone now--Ender, Cincinnatus, Carlotta. You're the extra one, the missing one that they gave up looking for. The one they never got to name. But your last name is Delphiki. I knew your parents and I loved them dearly. You are not the child of a monster, you're the child of two of the best people who ever lived."
"Julian Delphiki is the monster!" cried Achilles, and he lunged at Ender.
To his surprise, Ender made no evasive maneuver. Achilles' blow landed squarely and sent Ender sprawling onto the ground.
"No!" cried Valentine.
Ender picked himself up calmly and rose to face him again. "You know that I'm telling you the truth," said Ender. "That's why you're so angry."
"I'm angry because you say I'm the son of the killer of my father!"
"Achilles Flandres murdered everyone who showed him kindness. A nun who arranged for his crippled leg to be restored. The surgeon who fixed the leg. A girl who took him in when he was the least successful street bully in Rotterdam--he pretended to love her, but then he strangled her and threw her body in the Rhine. He blew up the house where your father was living, in the effort to kill him and his whole family. He kidnapped Petra and tried to seduce her but she despised him. It was Julian Delphiki that she loved. You are their child, born of their love and hope."
Achilles rushed at him again--but deliberately made it a clumsy move, so that Ender would have plenty of time to block him, to strike at him.
But again Ender made no move to step away. He took the blow, this time a deep punch in the stomach, and fell to the ground, gasping, retching.
And then rose up again. "I know you better than you know yourself," said Ender.
"You're the father of lies," said Achilles.
"Never call yourself by that vile name again. You're not Achilles. Your father is the hero who rid the world of that monster."