The Authorized Ender Companion Page 19

  Lankowski was one of Alai’s inner circle. While Petra and Bean stayed with Alai, Lankowski often called them to meet with the Caliph, referring to him only as “our mutual friend.” He didn’t seem to trust Bean too much, and Bean didn’t fully understand what Lankowski’s position was exactly, but they worked together with Alai and the other military leaders to plan an invasion of China, liberating the captive people of Asia.

  When Alai learned that his soldiers were killing innocents in India, having successfully liberated that nation from Chinese rule, he grew angry. As Caliph, he journeyed to India to correct the problem by killing the general there. Ivan followed him to India as a bodyguard and adviser. He was loyal to Alai, and was the only member of Alai’s inner circle in front of whom Alai let down his guard.

  Ivan learned of a plan to assassinate Alai and joined the conspirators so he could be close enough to them to protect his friend. When the assassination attempt occurred, Ivan fought against the would-be killers, sacrificing his life in protection of Alai. Alai mourned his friend, pausing in the midst of his escape from the attempted murder to close Ivan’s eyes as he lay dead in a parking garage.

  Lars (XN)

  Lars was a human male born approximately three thousand years after the end of the Formic War on the planet Trondheim. He was of Icelandic descent,as most of the colonists on Trondheim had been, and was married to Syfte, the daughter of Valentine Wiggin. Lars and Syfte were married very quickly and traveled with Valentine and her husband Jakt into space, setting out for the planet Lusitania, hoping to protect it from destruction by the Starways Congress.

  He was on Lusitania with his parents-in-law when his stepcousin-in-law, Quim, was killed by the pequeninos. He was part of the ill-fated rescue party that unsuccessfully tried to save Quim.

  Lavea, Leiloa (CM)

  Leiloa Lavea was a philosopher on the Polynesian-colonized planet Pacifica. Her ideologies taught her disciples to seek a simple life. Japanese philosopher Aimaina Hikari had studied her teachings. Her philosophies were known as a religion called the Ua Lava.

  Leaf-eater (SD)

  Leaf-eater was one of the pequeninos, the native life-forms on the planet Lusitania. He befriended Miro, but knew that Miro didn’t like him as much as the pequenino named Human.

  Leaf-eater was one of the pequeninos to speak with Ender and share with him many of their beliefs and rituals. Leaf-eater also saw Miro Ribeira climb the electrified fence that surrounded the piggies’ land, and wanted to plant him as a tree—the highest honor given a pequenino.

  Leaf-eater participated in the creation of the treaty between the piggies and the humans, and helped Ender plant a fellow piggie as a tree.

  League (EG, ES)

  The League was the name given to the confederation of Earth nations united to fight the Formics. It was led by the Hegemon.

  League War, the (EG, ES, EE)

  The League War was a short-lived conflict between the armies of Earth following Ender Wiggin’s victory over the Formics. It was resolved through the Locke Proposal, which allowed for a continuation of the League, but without the binding Warsaw Pact.

  Lee (EGS)

  A soldier in Ender Wiggin’s unbeatable Dragon Army, Lee was assigned his own command and two weeks later sent to Command School to train on the simulators with Ender and the rest of the newly promoted ex-Dragon soldiers.

  Lee Tee ([EE])

  Lee Tee was a scientist in Shakespeare colony, the first human settlement on a former Formic world.

  Legless lizards (IC)

  The legless lizards were native animal life on the planet Sorelledolce. They were gigantic.

  Letter to the Framlings (SD)

  The Letter to the Framlings was an essay written by Valentine Wiggin under her pseudonym Demosthenes, which addressed concerns she had about the treatment of lesser life-forms as enumerated in her Heirarchy of Alienness.

  Levy, General Shimon (EG)

  General Shimon Levy was a high-level officer in the International Fleet, who followed Ender Wiggin’s progress from Battle School through Command School, and the victory against the Formics.

  Li (EE)

  Li was a soldier in the Formic War who helped colonize a former Formic world. He sent reports on the scientific front to Hyrum Graff, then Minister of Colonization.

  Li, King (XN)

  King Li was a character in the fairy tale The Jade of Master Ho, which was popular on the Chinese planet Path.

  Libo (See Figueria de Medici, Liberdade Graças a Deus “Libo”)

  Libyan Quarter (See Hundred Worlds)

  Life of Human (SD)

  Life of Human was a book written by Ender Wiggin as the Speaker for the Dead, telling the story of a pequenino (the native life of the planet Lusitania) named Human. It was not as well received as Ender’s other books, but had been written in a similar vein.

  Lighter (ES)

  A member of Rat Army during Ender’s command of the supremely dominant Dragon Army, Lighter hated Ender. He was among those who sought to murder Ender with Bonzo Madrid. He warned Bean in the mess hall that those who planned to kill Ender weren’t at lunch, but were finding the wunderkind alone.

  Lightstick (SD)

  A source of light similar to a flashlight used among the Hundred Worlds. Lightsticks were activated by turning the bottom of the stick. This will also widen or narrow the beam of light projected.

  Liki, Colonel (EG)

  Liki was the colonel in the International Fleet who questioned Graff and Rackham’s methods of training Ender, certain that they would prove to be too much for Ender to handle.

  Lincoln (SG)

  Lincoln was an essayist on the computer nets who spoke about Hegemony policy in the years following Ender’s victory over the Formics. As he had done before with Locke, Peter Wiggin, the Hegemon, was the voice of Lincoln.

  Lineberry, Dr. (EG)

  Dr. Lineberry was the principal of Valentine’s school when she was eleven. Lineberry called Valentine to the office one day where she met Colonel Graff.

  Li Qing-jao (XN)

  Li Qing-jao was an ancient Chinese poet. As a woman, she was an anomaly among poets of her era. She was an ancestor to Han Fei-tzu, and his daughter Han Qing-jao. Han Qing-jao relied on a poem written by Li Qing-jao during her grueling test to determine her worthiness as a “godspoken.”

  Lo ([EE])

  Lo was a citizen on Shakespeare, the first human colony settled on a former Formic world. She divorced her husband.

  Locke (EG, ES, EH, EE, SH, SG)

  The pseudonym for twelve-year-old Peter Wiggin, used when he wrote political and military commentaries on the computer nets. His columns, and those of his sister Valentine written under the name “Demosthenes,” became popular throughout the world. His identity was figured out by the International Fleet, though not exposed to the world.

  He and Demosthenes effected change in much of the international community in the aftermath of Ender’s victory in the Formic War. “The Locke Proposal” put an end to wars that plagued Earth and led to the resignation of the Hegemon. Earth had a tenuous peace, thanks to the writings of a fifteen-year-old boy.

  Peter continued to write as Locke, and eventually also as Demosthenes, after the wars. It was through such an essay that the call went out to the Russian government and military to rescue members of Ender’s army that had been kidnapped.

  This act earned the ire of Achilles Flandres, who had kidnapped Ender’s friends. He had a grudge against Locke, and hoped to expose him. Peter prevented this, however, by exposing his true identity to the world as part of an intricate plan that involved Bean, Sister Carlotta, the Vatican, and Hyrum Graff. They laid out a scenario where the public would call for Locke to become the new Hegemon, and Peter would reveal that he was Locke and, as a teenager, not qualified for the Hegemony. It would increase his influence dramatically, though some sources, he knew, would dry up—not wanting to give information to a simple teenager.

  Peter continued to w
rite as Locke, and public support for him increased. He revealed through his columns that the aggressive moves India was making under the direction of Achilles Flandres were actually a cover for Achilles’s association with China. He was setting up China to take over all of Asia by spreading India and Pakistan’s armies too thin. The column helped stop Achilles in India.

  Locke Proposal (EG, ES, [EE])

  The Locke Proposal was an international political agreement written by Peter Wiggin under his pseudonym, Locke. It put an end to the short-lived League War on Earth by allowing the International Fleet and the League to continue existence, but without governance of the Warsaw Pact.

  Lung, Cargo Officer (CM)

  Cargo Officer Lung was assigned to the cargo hold on the flagship of the fleet of spaceships that were ordered to destroy the planet Lusitania. He was fiercely loyal to his commanding officer, Lands, and tried to arrest Peter Wiggin II and Si Wang-mu when ordered to.

  Lusitania (See Hundred Worlds)

  Lusitanian Aborigines (See Pequeninos)

  Lusos (SD, XN, CM)

  “Lusos” was the term used to describe the human settlers of the planet Lusitania.

  Macios (SD)

  Macios were wormlike creatures that lived on merdona vines, native to the planet Lusitania.

  Madrid, Amaro de (PB)

  The father of Ender’s contemporary “Bonzo” Madrid, he was a proud Spaniard who considered all of Spain to be his family. He often boasted that Spain retained its identity after invasion from crusading Muslims, particularly when other nations could not do so. As a lawyer, he fiercely defended his opinions on nationalism, religion, and the law.

  When the International Fleet’s testing officer came to test Bonzo, Amaro fought to keep his son, but it was a losing battle. He publicly criticized the Fleet and Battle School, but was secretly honored that his son could potentially be the savior of the world. As a result, he indulged his boy in his whims, spoiling him.

  He loved Bonzo tremendously. There was an overabundance of love in their home. However, after Bonzo’s second visit with the International Fleet, Amaro grew distant from his family. He would hold “meetings” outside of work hours. He would go to a second office or apartment, and disappear. Bonzo would later determine that his father had been having an affair with another woman, an act that was devastating to his wife.

  He reconciled with his wife, but tension was still high between the two. He was ashamed of his actions, and stopped trying to be as close to Bonzo as he’d once been. Regardless, he was crushed when Bonzo’s body was returned to them years later, having been killed at Battle School.

  Madrid, Mother (PB)

  Bonzo Madrid’s mother was the caressing comfort of his life. While she was not as outspoken as her husband, she was the provider of everything Bonzo needed. At five years old, he came to realize she was there. She had been present before, of course, but was the quiet strength of the family. She was well known for her orange flatbread and admired by all who met her. She was crushed when Bonzo asked her why her husband would go to a second apartment or office for a meeting.

  She left her husband, Amaro, and took Bonzo with her. She tenuously reconciled with her husband. They lived together, but her heart was broken again a few years later when her son was killed by Ender Wiggin at Battle School.

  Madrid y Valencia, Tomas Benedito Bonito de “Bonzo” (PB, EG, ES, [SH], [CM])

  Born in Toledo, Spain, and baptized in the Cathedral there, Tomas Benedito Bonito de Madrid y Valencia, or “Bonzo” (pronounced “Bone-so”) as he came to be known, was a student in Battle School during Ender’s time. A tortured soul, his parents were proud Spaniards, and they adored Bonzo. His name “Bonito” meant “pretty boy,” a fact that he disdained but lived with.

  He was exceptionally bright, convincing his father he could understand the intricacies of his father’s religious and patriotic conversations by eighteen months. The International Fleet began testing Bonzo before he was two years old. He excelled at the tests, and was given the flashing implant/monitoring device that would mark him as a candidate for Battle School when he came of age.

  As he grew, Bonzo learned he could get whatever he wanted from his parents. He would stay up past bedtime to read and was spoiled with sweets. But he was a keen observer, and learned from everything his father said, and everything he didn’t.

  Bonzo learned that his family, while full of love, often hurt each other in subtle ways. And he realized that he was the only member of the family who recognized it. He wrote a note to himself that read he was the true ruler of the family. The note, witnessed through his implant, garnered the attention of the International Fleet, and they sent a representative to confirm to the boy that he was in fact the ruler of his house. It was a test. How would the potential commander react to this newfound power?

  He observed his parents further, learning about their pasts and futures. He was confused by their choices, and it sometimes upset him. But he would quickly dismiss it. However, he felt that it was his responsibility to make them happy. He was, after all, their ruler, and that’s what “good” rulers did—made their subjects happy.

  One day, he secretly followed his father to one of the extra “meetings” his father was having. He saw his father go into a building. He asked his mother about it, devastating her. She took Bonzo to his grandmother’s house. There Bonzo pieced together that his father was having an affair.

  His parents eventually reconciled, but there would forever be tension in the household. Bonzo made the decision that he would not grow up to be like his father. He promised himself he would never break his mother’s heart.

  Shortly before his seventh birthday, Bonzo accepted the invitation to go to Battle School.

  Bonzo progressed normally through Battle School and was given command of Salamander Army. Bonzo worked his army hard, hoping to improve Salamander’s standing in the school’s rankings. He bragged about defeating Rat, Scorpion, and Hound armies, all upsets. His army was Ender’s first assignment, one that came over a year early for Ender. Bonzo was angry at the assignment of an untrained, inexperienced soldier and took it out on Ender. He would not allow Ender to participate in the army’s practices and tried unsuccessfully to ban Ender from practicing with his friends from his launch group during Free Play.

  Ender was not allowed to fire his weapon during actual battles, either. The one time he did, Bonzo angrily traded him to Rat Army, glad to be free of Ender and his irritating presence.

  As Ender rose through the ranks at Battle School, Bonzo grew jealous. He and a group of older kids, including Bernard, made plans to kill Ender. He even warned Bean, the youngest member of Ender’s army, that he would be going after Ender.

  Bonzo made his move when Ender was in the shower after a battle and subsequent workout. As Bonzo moved in for the kill, Ender used his own soapy body and the heat of the bathroom to his advantage. Ender hit Bonzo repeatedly in the face, chest, stomach, and groin before escaping with Dink Meeker. But the damage had been done. Ender Wiggin killed Bonzo Madrid.

  Bonzo’s body was sent back to his parents on Earth.

  Magnetic Whips (ES)

  Magnetic whips were a police-used crowd control weapon in Rotterdam in the Netherlands when Bean Delphiki lived as an orphan on the streets there.

  Male Speaker (Accountant) (See also Speaking) (IC)

  The Male Speaker, who held a day job as an accountant, was the Speaker for the Dead at the first Speaking Ender attended at age twenty on the planet Sorelledolce. Like most, this Speaker for the Dead modeled his speech on the deceased’s life after Ender’s two books The Hive Queen and The Hegemon, which he’d written under his pseudonym, the “Speaker for the Dead.” With the popularity of the books, Speaking became a traditional funerary rite on human worlds throughout the galaxy.

  Malu (CM)

  Malu was a revered prophet figure on the planet Pacifica. He was the living leader of the Ua Lava religion and had a close tie to Grace Drinker, a te
acher of the religion who served as his translator. He lived on the sacred island Atatua, where he communed with the gods. No one could go to the island without first being purified, or made worthy to enter. Once there, though, they could speak with Malu, if he deemed it appropriate, and find spiritual guidance.

  Grace told Malu of the arrival of two off-worlders who sought an audience with the spiritual giant of Pacifica. They did not have time to be purified, so Malu made the journey from his secluded island to the mainland, where he met with Peter Wiggin II and Si Wang-mu, who were hoping to subvert the Starways Congress’s plan to destroy Jane, the sentient computer.

  Malu knew of Jane, believing her to be a god, and told the story, through Grace as his translator, of her development and existence. He knew the need to keep Jane alive. Having said his piece, Malu took his leave of Peter II and Wang-mu, only to return very shortly thereafter. He approached Wang-mu. He knew that it was her love that would bring the god Jane and Peter II new life.

  Once Ender died, joining his soul with Peter II’s and Valentine II’s, all in Peter II’s body, Malu celebrated, for he knew the god Jane was safe inside Valentine II’s body. But he also knew that his people had disobeyed congressional order, by Jane’s secret direction, and did not discard their old computers that once housed the sentient computer-god.

  He was present when the new non-Jane compliant computers were started up, and also watched as their old computers were restarted. The old computers housed a network wherein Jane could potentially live. Malu celebrated when it became apparent that she could live, at least part-time since she was in Valentine II’s body, in their old network and could continue to control faster-than-light travel. His god lived.

  Mandachuva (SD)

  A native “piggie” or pequenino on the planet Lusitania, Mandachuva was a good friend with the piggie named Rooter. They encountered the xenobiologist named Pipo, and often spoke with him, teaching him about piggie culture.

  Mandachuva lived for many years, befriending not only Pipo, but also his son, Libo, and grandchildren, Miro and Ouanda. He was a reliable guide to the piggie society, which the xenologists on Lusitania relied on.