Shadow of the Caliphate, Chapter 1
Revelations
Bean and Petra sat side by side in their hotel in the Netherlands, scouring the nets.
"There's no way that Achilles would be content living in the Hegemon's compound, placidly playing the role of Assistant Hegemon," Bean said. "It's not in his nature. Because Peter has—stupidly, may I add—placed him into a position of power, Achilles must have done something to further his schemes by now."
"I'm sure you think you know him, Bean, but one day you'll just have to accept the fact that nobody can know what he's thinking," Petra said. "Not even you. He's insane."
"That's the thing about him," Bean said. "He always does the unexpected, because he knows that we're not expecting it. So, in actuality, I always know what he's going to do by assuming that he won't do what I think he will." He grinned at Petra. "You know what Ender used to say—in order to defeat your enemies, you have to know them as well as you know yourself."
"I know what you're thinking," Petra said. "But you're nothing like him. You never were."
"We're not getting into this conversation again, Petra. Just keep looking through the nets. The proof is out there," Bean said for the thousandth time. "All we have to do is find it."
"Maybe Peter didn't really give him any power," Petra said. "Did you think of that? Arrogant and overconfident, perhaps, but Peter Wiggin is not stupid. Maybe the reason you can't find news about Achilles on the nets is because he doesn't have enough authority to do anything but get Peter's coffee."
"If Achilles had the power to get Peter's coffee," Bean said grimly, "Achilles would doubtless be Hegemon by now."
Petra sat back in her chair and rubbed her eyes wearily. Searching the nets for evidence of what Achilles was up to as Assistant Hegemon was the last thing on her mind. Above all, what cast a shadow of guilt over her days with Bean was that she was lying to him by letting him believe that Volescu could diagnose Anton's Key in their embryos. But Petra knew that if she didn't continue to keep up the lie, he would refuse to go through with the implantation at all. And she knew that she would be even sorrier if that happened.
Bean looked over at her. "Are you okay? Having second thoughts about marrying me?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Petra said, quickly sitting upright again. She scrolled through the list of news articles until one of the headlines caught her eye. It was dated from two weeks previous.
...
ASSISTANT HEGEMON ORDERS RELEASE OF PRISONERS
The recently appointed Assistant Hegemon, Achilles de Flandres, has ordered the release of all prisoners held for crimes that are no longer illegal in the International Defense League. This includes violators of the Strategos wartime secrecy policy, the IF statute of weapon development, and the IDL's law against human genome research. Hegemon Peter Wiggin has confirmed this order.
...
A chill ran through Petra. "Bean," she said, turning the swivel screen of her desk towards him. "Look at this."
Bean scanned the article quickly. "Violators of the IDL's law against human genome research—that's Volescu," he said.
"He doesn't have a test for Anton's Key," Petra said suddenly. For a brief second she was sorry she had blurted it out, but now was as good a time as any. Actually, now that she thought about it, it was better than most.
Bean paused in his reading. "What?"
"His only test is to implant them and see what happens," Petra said, bowing her head in an apology. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but—"
"You were afraid I wouldn't go through with the procedure," Bean interrupted. "You want to have my babies so badly that you would lie to me to do it. You think it won't matter whether or not our child has Anton's Key because I won't be alive to see them suffer."
"No," Petra said, blinking back the tears in her eyes. "Stop talking about death and dying when there's a baby to be made."
"I don't care how much you cry, I'm not making a baby if I can't guarantee that it won't turn out like me," Bean said. "You know that. So why did you tell me, Petra?"
"Because," Petra said, gesturing to the screen of her desk, "I was tired of lying. Plus, you have to go through with the implantation now. If you don't act like everything is going according to plan, Volescu will know—and he'll tell Achilles."
Bean frowned and leaned over to re-read the short article. "Just because Achilles freed Volescu from prison doesn't mean that he's working for him now," he said without really believing it.
"But it's highly likely," Petra pointed out. "If Volescu gets a hold of the embryos, it won't be only for his own genome experimentation anymore. Achilles wants them because he can use them to get to us." She smiled triumphantly at Bean. "So if you don't implant through Volescu, Achilles will know that you're onto him."
Bean smiled back. "You were always a clever one," he told her. "That's why I married you." He typed in the command that would shut off his desk and stood up to stretch out his cramped back muscles. "But somehow I don't believe that you'd risk your own embryos just so Achilles can steal them and use them as bait."
"Of course not," Petra said. "He has to steal somebody's embryos to use as bait, but he sure isn't getting ours."
"You want to switch them," Bean mused, laying down on his bed face-first. "He'll only think he has our embryos."
"And when he sets his trap, we'll go because he expects us to come get our children." Petra shut off her desk as well and came over to lie next to him. "He thinks he's going to kill us while we try to protect them."
Bean nodded, understanding her at once. "You craft a good plan, Mrs. Delphiki. I always knew they brought you to Command School as a tactician for a reason."
Petra smiled at his use of her new last name. "But Achilles will have to fight his way past the security guard we posted at the hospital to get the embryos," she said. "I don't want the guard to get hurt or killed for protecting fake ones."
"No, Achilles won't bother," Bean said. "It's not worth the bloodshed and the publicity when he can just bribe the guard to let him past."
"If the guard's already under Achilles' pay, then how are we going to get in to switch them?"
Bean grinned and rolled over onto his side. Petra was talking as if Bean had already agreed to their plan—but in a way, he had no choice. The decision had been made for him. When he and Petra went to Volescu to find out what could be done as a test for Anton's Key, Bean had knowingly accepted that he wanted a child. The thought that Volescu—as monstrous a scientist and a human being that he was—could not deliver such a test had never crossed Bean's mind.
Now, with the revelation that Volescu was indeed indebted to Achilles, it was crucial that Bean and Petra continue with the implantation procedure as scheduled. If Achilles somehow found out that the embryos he had stolen from Bean and Petra were not theirs, there would be little harm done. But if Achilles did not realize it in time, this would be the advantage that Bean needed to finally bring the monster down.
"We'll call in the cavalry, of course," Bean answered, grinning.
...
To: tuxedo%soldier [at] Anonymoose[dot]net
From: frozen%vegetable%medley [at] 3dayID[dot]net
Subj: Requesting delivery service
Encrypt: ****
Decrypt: *******
Ambul,
If you have a trusted friend on hand, I need their help getting something of mine to safety. They must be obscure. For reasons that should be apparent to you, I cannot do this myself, nor can anyone who may be associated with me. That means no Battle School kids.
If you do not have such a trusted friend on hand, forward this to Alai. Don't bother telling me you can't get in contact with him. I know you're in Damascus. You can find a way.
Bean
Hey, all! This is my first Ender story. I'd love to hear your opinions, so please let me know what you thought of it! :)