"Ender, I would never let myself get in the position of trying to control you against your will."
"You just spent the last six years doing that."
"And got court-martialed for i
t, you'll notice."
"And your punishment was to get the job you've wanted all along. Let me see. Minister of Colonization doesn't go to Earth to be under the thumb of the Hegemon. He stays in space, nicely ensconced with the International Fleet. So even if they change hegemons, it won't involve you. And if they fire you--"
"They won't," said Graff.
"You're so sure of that."
"It's not a prediction, it's an intention."
"You, sir, are a piece of work," said Ender.
"Oh, speaking of pieces of work," said Graff, "did you hear that Demosthenes has retired?"
"The guy on the nets?" asked Ender.
"I don't mean the Greek author of the Philippics."
"I don't actually care," said Ender. "It's just the nets."
"The nets, and this rabble-rouser's screeds in particular, are where the battle was played out and you lost," said Graff.
"Who says I lost?" asked Ender.
"Touche," said Graff. "My point is that the person behind the online identity is actually younger than most people imagined. So the retirement isn't about age, it's about leaving home. Leaving Earth."
"Demosthenes is becoming a colonist?"
"Isn't that an odd choice," said Graff, sounding as if it weren't odd to him at all.
"Please don't tell me he's coming on my ship."
"Technically, it's Admiral Quincy Morgan's ship. You don't take over till you set foot on the ground in your colony. That's the law."
"Dodging the question as usual."
"Yes, you'll have Demosthenes on your ship. But of course no one will be using that name."
"You've been avoiding the use of the masculine pronoun--of any pronoun," said Ender. "So Demosthenes is a woman."
"And she's eager to see you."
Ender sagged in his chair. "Oh, sir, please."
"Not your normal hero-worshiper, Ender. And since she's also going to be awake through your whole voyage, I think you'll want to be prepared by seeing her in advance."
"When is she coming?"
"She's here."
"On Eros?"
"In my cozy little antechamber," said Graff.