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he hated most about Val's letter. All that it said was about Peter. About how he was not at all like Peter. Thewords she had said so often as she held him, comforted him as he trembled in fear and rage and loathing afterPeter had tortured him, that was all that the letter had said.And that was what they had asked for. The bastards knew about that, and they knew about Peter in the mirror inthe castle room, they knew about everything and to them Val was just one more tool to use to control him, justone more trick to play. Dink was right, they were the enemy, they loved nothing and cared for nothing and hewas not going to do what they wanted, he was damn well not going to do anything for them. He had had only onememory that was safe, one good thing, and those bastards had plowed it into him with the rest of the manure --and so he was finished, he wasn't going to play.As always the serpent waited in the tower room, unraveling itself from the rug on the floor. But this time Enderdidn't grind it underfoot. This time he caught it in his hands, knelt before it, and gently, so gently, brought thesnake's gaping mouth to his lips.And kissed.He had not meant to do that. He had meant to let the snake bite him on the mouth. Or perhaps he had meant toeat the snake alive, as Peter in the mirror had done, with his bloody chin and the snake's tail dangling from hislips. But he kissed it instead.And the snake in his hands thickened and bent into another shape. A human shape. It was Valentine, and shekissed him again.The snake could not be Valentine. He had killed it too often for it to be his sister. Peter had devoured it toooften to bear it that it might have been Valentine all along.Was this what they planned when they let him read her letter? He didn't care.She arose from the floor of the tower room and walked to the mirror. Ender made his figure also rise and gowith her. They stood before the mirror, where instead of Peter's cruel reflection there stood a dragon and aunicorn. Ender reached out his hand and touched the mirror; the wall fell open and revealed a great stairway第 162 页 共 340 页http://www.en8848.com.cn/ 原 版 英 语 阅 读 网