Speaker for the Dead

Libo’s work notes indicate that the pequeninos find glory in going to war with neighboring tribes.

Ender’s voyage takes eight days for him, but more than 20 years pass on Lusitania. When Ender’s ship stops near Lusitania, Jane says the Lusitanians want Ender to leave, that Novinha canceled her call for a speaker, but that two other calls were sent. Miro, Novinha’s oldest son, called for someone to speak Libo’s death, and Ela, Novinha’s oldest daughter, called for someone to speak for her father, Marcão. Libo had been killed by the pequeninos four years ago, and Marcão had died from a disease six weeks ago. Miro and Ouanda, Libo’s daughter, are the acting xenologers. They were supposed to reduce their interactions with the pequeninos to once a month, but they have not abided by the new guideline. The hive queen speaks to Ender and says that she senses an entity with a mind similar to hers but that this entity is afraid of her.

Grego, the youngest of Novinha’s six children—Miro, Ela, Quim, Olhado, Quara, and Grego—pries rivets from the benches while Bishop Peregrino delivers Mass. Ela imagines the abuse that would ensue if Marcão were still alive. A nun tries to stop Grego, but he knees her in the face. Ela’s attention is caught by Peregrino, who is complaining about the coming speaker and advising the people to behave politely but to keep their distance. Ela is confused and anxious because she thought a speaker would not arrive for decades.

Bosquinha takes Ender to the village, Milagre. She explains that the villagers are upset by his arrival and that they hate the pequeninos for killing Pipo and Libo. Although Bosquinha assumes Ender is a “nonbeliever,” Ender values sacred stories; however, he does not explain this to Bosquinha because he wants her to realize on her own that her assumptions are wrong. He asks about the Sons of the Mind of Christ, a Catholic order. Ender spoke the death of the order’s originator, San Angelo, which impresses the mayor. Bosquinha warns that speaking for Pipo will only bring pain, and she admits she wants to end all contact with the pequeninos.

Once inside the modest living space, the hive queen confirms to Ender that Lusitania is the right place to re-establish her species, although Ender is uncertain. The hive queen is willing to wait, but she plans to spend her time communicating with a different lifeform who can connect to the philotic system, or the framework of all matter and energy. Jane mocks Ender’s momentary self-pity, then displays a map of Milagre and the nearby pequenino forest and explains that the fence around Milagre stimulates pain receptors and that the pequeninos the xenologers talk to are all males. Although he knows where Novinha lives, Ender asks strangers for directions, hoping to make alliances. Most ignore him, but when he notices a boy named Olhado using his mechanical eyes to record a game a group of children are playing, he approaches the boy, who agrees to take him to the Ribeira house. A young girl joins them, and Olhado introduces her as Quara and introduces himself as Lauro Ribeira.

Miro is outside the fence speaking with the pequenino Leaf-eater who saw Ender’s ship. The pequeninos want to meet Ender, and Miro agrees but says it will take time to arrange. While walking back home, Miro sees Olhado and Quara with the Speaker and feels nervous: He is the one who called for Libo’s speaker, which he assumes his family will be upset about.

In a note to Miro, Ouanda talks about Human, a pequenino who got his name because he was especially smart as a child and because his father is Rooter. The letter references Miro and Ouanda’s “Questionable Activities,” which is how they refer to the things they teach the pequeninos.

Ender interprets the bareness in the Ribeiras’ house as a sign of the family’s unhappiness. When he enters, he is immediately attacked by Grego, who had a concealed knife taped to his leg. Ender grabs and holds Grego while he sends Quara to fetch an authority figure. She leaves and returns with Ela, who urges Ender to leave and makes excuses for Grego. Quim then enters and tells Ender he is unwanted, but Ender refuses to leave until he sees Novinha. Miro arrives home and, at first, demands Ender let go of Grego but changes his mind when he learns Grego attacked first. Ender admits to hurting Grego when the child struggles, and Quim, angry, leaves.

The family starts to relax as they talk to Ender. Grego urinates on his captor, but Ender doesn’t react. The conversation turns to the family, and Quim and Miro attempt to stop the conversation, but Ela disagrees. She admits that she called for a speaker for Marcão.

Ela speaks openly with Ender, talking about their deceased maternal grandparents—Os Venerados (the venerated), the creators of the Colada. She talks about how Marcão verbally and emotionally abused Miro and physically abused Novinha. The family argues, and Olhado, after being accused of turning off his electronic eyes during Marcão’s fits, plugs his eye into the terminal and plays a recording of one of Marcão’s outbursts. Quim weeps and blames himself for killing Marcão by praying for his death. Grego shakes and sobs, which the others attribute to his fear. Ender counters that Grego is not frightened but grief-stricken: “The rest of you might have been glad to see him gone, but for Grego it was the end of the world” (89). They try to comfort Grego, but Grego clings to Ender. Quara, who does not usually speak to people outside the family, tells Ender he stinks. After a while, Grego falls asleep, and Ender puts him to bed. Miro lends Ender clean clothes and washes his urine-stained pants.

In a note from Libo to Ouanda, Libo explains that he and Pipo began sharing knowledge with the pequeninos because they saw them as equals.

Novinha, whose real name is Ivanova Santa Catarina von Hesse, begrudgingly walks home but notices something is amiss when she sees so many lights on inside. Upon entering, Novinha is informed by Olhado that the Speaker is changing his clothes in her room. She wants to leave but instead waits in the kitchen. Ender enters behind her, so she can’t see him. Novinha wishes aloud that she could give the Speaker his 22 years back, and Ender responds that he now knows Novinha’s children better than she does herself. He then leaves the kitchen and goes to speak with Miro in Novinha’s room. Novinha follows to say she doesn’t want Ender to speak for Pipo. When she finally sees Ender’s face, she thinks he is both beautiful and dangerous. She explains she had been inspired to call for a speaker after reading The Hive Queen and the Hegemon, and she says the original Speaker for the Dead “destroyed everything he touched” (95), not knowing that Ender is the original speaker. Angry, Ender accuses her of lies and ignorance, but the anger is short-lived. He explains he has been called to speak for Marcão.

Ela and Miro defend Ender and describe how he helped Grego. They laugh while telling the story, making Novinha uncomfortable. Novinha argues that Marcão was worthless, but Ender knows no one is worthless and assumes that Novinha knows redeeming information about Marcão. She yells at Ender for using her nickname, Novinha. Ender touches Novinha’s face, and she slaps his hand away and kicks him out of the house. In Portuguese, he says, “Thou art fertile ground, and I will plant a garden in thee” (98), and then he leaves the room. Novinha hears Quara crying and someone singing to her in another language. Novinha is scared that Ender will reveal the truth and that the truth will get Miro killed by the pequeninos. She falls asleep listening to her laughing children and has a dream that Libo is alive and they are married.