Speaker for the Dead

In a transcript between Leaf-eater and Miro, Leaf-eater is bothered by the fact that dead humans don’t serve a purpose.

Miro and Ouanda take Ender outside the fence, where they tell Ender about the pequeninos’ tree-based religion, which involves talking to trees by hitting them with sticks. Ender looks up through the leaves of the tree that grew out of Rooter’s body, and he experiences a moment of déjà vu, remembering when the hive queen shared her peacefulness with him. Miro reveals they have taught the pequeninos some human technology and have given them a copy of The Hive Queen and the Hegemon. Ender accuses the xenologers of condescension, asserting that the pequeninos know more about him than Miro and Ouanda do. Leaf-eater emerges, shocked, then walks away. Ouanda and Miro continue to argue, and they explain that Leaf-eater is Human’s rival. Led by Ender, they follow Leaf-eater.

Meanwhile, Quim chastises Olhado and Ela for helping Ender. Ela defends herself, arguing that obeying Novinha is traitorous and that the speaker can heal their family. Olhado starts weeping, and Novinha comes into the room. Novinha says Ela might be right, and she sends everyone but Olhado out of the room, so she can comfort Olhado, which she hasn’t done since he lost his eyes.

Ender, Miro, and Ouanda find the pequeninos, and Ender admits he wrote The Hive Queen and the Hegemon, which shocks the xenologers. He also says he is not sure he will restore the hive queen there but that he will listen to the pequenino’s stories. Agitated, Human wants Ender to speak for them; humans have oppressed them to the point where it is like they are already dead. He runs up a tree and then falls to the ground, saying he would rather die than be denied the ability to travel in space. The hive queen promised Rooter she would teach the pequeninos, and Ender promises to share what he feels is safe to share with the pequeninos. Human yells in Ender’s face, and Ender cries. Miro explains that crying is how humans show pain, and Mandachuva says he saw Libo and Pipo cry. The pequeninos realize they hurt Libo and Pipo, and they all wail. Miro understands that the Speaker is the original Speaker for the Dead and Ender the Xenocide.

Ender says he will do what he can for the pequeninos, but he needs to know their story. Leaf-eater refuses the offer and leaves. Ouanda asks the pequeninos how they have wood products, given that their religion forbids cutting down trees. She explains that humans cut down trees to make things. Upset, the pequeninos beg Ender not to harm their trees. Human explains that trees give themselves when needed, and Leaf-eater, who had been listening, tells the pequeninos to show the humans what he means. They go to a tree, and the humans watch as the pequeninos beat on the tree and sing. The tree falls over, and the pequeninos draw outlines of the products they need, and the tree splits itself into the various pieces. Mandachuva urges Miro to sing for the brother who gave his life to answer their question.

In a transcript of a conversation between Human and Miro, Human questions why humans never climb the fence, arguing that there is grass on both sides.

Bosquinha calls a meeting with Peregrino, Dom Cristão, and Dona Cristã to discuss Starways Congress’s orders. Lusitania is classed as an experiment, not a colony, so its inhabitants have no legal rights. A program has notified Bosquinha that Ender and the Congress have separately searched Lusitanian files. She thinks Congress is copying files and plans to destroy Lusitania’s records afterward. Dom Cristão noticed and started making copies, but Peregrino did not and is upset no one told him of the infiltration. Bosquinha suggests they email important records to Ender, who appears undetectable. If Congress does destroy the files, the Lusitanians could rebel and cut off their ansible connection.

Everyone appears at the speaking for Marcão. Ender organizes the speaking around Marcão’s three known identities—Marcos, Marcão, and Cão. Marcos was known as a steelworker, husband, father, and model citizen with no record. Marcão was known as big and strong, and Cão, which means dog, was known as angry and abusive. Marcão was respected by his coworkers, while Cão was bullied. Ender says the bullies are not responsible for Marcão’s violence in adulthood. Marcão was not seeking power over his family but loyalty from his wife, whom he fell in love with after she once defended him. Novinha, however, was not defending Marcão but ensuring the bullies got the punishment they deserved. Later, Novinha agreed to marry Marcão, knowing he had a fatal disease that had already rendered him sterile. Quim interrupts and threatens to kill the Speaker for calling Novinha a “whore.” Novinha stops Olhado from attacking Quim, and Quim leaves. Ela explains to a confused Quara that Marcão is not their father, and Quara asks if Ender can be their father.

Resuming the speaking, Ender says Novinha loved Pipo and blames herself for his death. She discovered something about the Descolada, but she hid the information in locked files and refused to marry Libo so she could protect him from being killed. However, she loved him, and he fathered her six children. Bruxinha and her children start leaving, and Ender adds that Libo hated himself for hurting his family and attempted to stay away from Novinha. Marcão agreed to the arrangement because he loved Novinha and hoped to gain her loyalty, if not her love. The pain of watching her have Libo’s children became torturous, and he began abusing Novinha and yelling at Miro. Miro realizes that Ouanda is his sister, and he tries to avoid despair by mirroring Ender’s wisdom and empathy. Ender concludes, saying that Novinha took the abuse as her penance and that Marcão must have found joy in his marriage. He reminds the audience that Novinha acted as she did to prevent Libo’s death.

Ender wishes he could help the pained Ribeiras. Bosquinha approaches and says the people will forget the speaking by morning. She then explains what Starways Congress is doing. Ender asks if Bosquinha will submit to Congress and if she can save her files. She tells him that she and the other leaders emailed him their files, and Ender says he will return them unopened when the time comes. Ender requests she wait to make any decisions and asks for her to hold a meeting in an hour.

Jane speaks to Ender, telling him she can make it look like the ansible connection has been severed, which would give the Lusitanians an advantage if they rebel. Ender apologizes, but Jane doesn’t say anything else. He returns home to find Ela, and he asks her for help with Novinha. Ender shows Ela that Starways Congress has destroyed Lusitania’s files. He needs Novinha to come to the meeting he has arranged with Bosquinha so she can tell them the secrets she is hiding about the Descolada. Ela leaves, and Ender feels envious of Novinha because she has a child who trusts her.