Valentine Wiggin

Peter, you're twelve years old. I'm ten. They have a word for people our age. They call us children and they treat us like mice.

• Ender's Game
  • p. 91 (Easton Press, 1993)

"I've been studying history," Peter said. "I've been learning things about patterns in human behavior. There are times when the world is rearranging itself, and at times like that, the right words can change the world. Thing what Pericles did in Athens, and Demosthenes—"

"Yes, they managed to wreck Athens twice."

"Pericles, yes, but Demosthenes was right about Philip—"

"Or provoked him—"

"See? This is what historians usually do, quibble about cause and effect when the point is, there are times when the world is in flux and the right voice in the right place can move the world. Thomas Paine and Benjamin Franklin, for instance. Bismarck. Lenin."

• Ender's Game
  • p. 91 (Easton Press, 1993)

"It's a long way between writing a newsnet column and ruling the world," Valentine reminded him. "It's such a long way that no one has ever done it."

"They have, though. Or the moral equivalent."

• Ender's Game
  • p. 98 (Easton Press, 1993)

Real respect takes longer than official respect.

• Ender's Game
  • p. 162 (Easton Press, 1993)

Human beings didn't evolve brains in order to lie around on lakes. Killing's the first thing we learned. And a good thing we did, or we'd be dead, and the tigers would own the earth.

• Ender's Game
  • p. 170 (Easton Press, 1993)

Welcome to the human race. Nobody controls his own life, Ender. The best you can do is choose to fill the roles given you by good people, by people who love you.

• Ender's Game
  • p. 219 (Easton Press, 1993)

"So, what are you going to do?"

"Persuade him that he wants to come with us more than he wants to stay with her."

"How will you do that?"

"I'll lie to him."

"And if that doesn't work?"

"Then I'll tell the truth. We're allowed to do that in emergencies. We can't plan for everything, you know."

• Ender's Game
  • p. 12 (Easton Press, 1993)

"Peter isn't all bad, you know. He was the best we'd seen in a long time. We asked your parents to choose a daughter next—they would have anyway—hoping that Valentine would be Peter, but milder. She was too mild. And so we requisitioned you."

"To be half Peter and half Valentine."

• Ender's Game
  • p. 18 (Easton Press, 1993)