by Black, Jake
It was Ender who gave in. He joined Novinha at the Children of the Mind of Christ. She told her husband that she loved him and wanted to be with him until one of them died. She hoped that unlike with Pipo, Libo, Marcão, or Quim, she would die first this time.
Novinha also told Ender that she no longer blamed him for Quim’s death. She understood the importance of her son’s religious endeavors. It was her own conversion to Christ that had brought her out of her angry, hateful feelings toward Ender and the world. She was committed to the order to which she belonged and was glad to have her beloved husband by her side.
A few days later, Novinha found Ender sleeping in the garden. He was struggling to breathe deeply. She called for help, and many from the abbey came running. Ender was apparently dying. He wouldn’t respond to any of the attempts to wake him. Novinha was terrified, and again blamed herself for what appeared to be the death of yet another loved one. She blamed herself for forcing him to bend to her selfish religious attempts at redemption in the abbey. He hadn’t wanted to come and now, like Pipo and Libo before him, would die because of her.
She waited outside the room where Ender lay dying, hoping for news or a miracle. She heard Plikt, Ender’s student and Valentine’s friend, say that Ender had spoken, saying “Peter.” This enraged Novinha and led to an angry confrontation between the three women Ender loved most dearly: Novinha, Valentine, and Plikt. As they hurled insults at one another, they realized—Novinha included—that they all loved Ender. They agreed to set aside their differences, at least temporarily, hoping desperately that Ender would come through.
Novinha expressed over the course of this that she was sad she’d been the cause of Ender’s suffering and for so selfishly not letting go of any pain. With Valentine’s suggestion, she tried to let Ender go.
Ender briefly regained consciousness, and Novinha was able to tell him that she loved him, but it was time for him to leave her and be free of his obligations to her. Ender accepted Novinha’s words, and his soul (or Auía) left his body. The shell of a person that remained crumbled to dust, and then less than dust. All that remained was a few hairs of his head. Novinha kept a handful to bury.
She mourned privately in her home with her sons Olhado and Grego by her side. Though sad, she knew she had done the right thing. She loved Ender and had let him go.
She attended Ender’s funeral in the shadows of the pequenino fathertrees, Rooter and Human. There she buried his remains and said good-bye for the last time to her husband.
von Hesse-Gussman, Ekaterina Maria Aparecida do Norte “Cida” (SD)
Cida was the top xenobiologist on the planet Lusitania. Actively Catholic, she and her husband Gusto had several children. Most notable among them was Novinha, who sought to follow in her parents’ footsteps by becoming a xenobiologist.
Cida was killed by the disease known as the Descolada. However, her death was not in vain as she and Gusto found a cure for the virus shortly before they died. Theirs were the last deaths from the disease on the planet.
Wahabi, Ghaffer (SH, SG)
Ghaffer Wahabi was the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He was a brilliant academic who understood world affairs very well. He was a loyal leader of his people and wanted nothing to do with India. But when Achilles Flandres, a former Battle School student and serial killer, inserted himself into an influential position with the Indian hierarchy and convinced the Indian military leaders to pull their troops off the border with Pakistan, Wahabi met with him.
Achilles was a master manipulator and was able to convince Wahabi to pull the Pakistani troops from the border as well. India and Pakistan would work together to control Asia and the world. Wahabi refused unification with India, but saw the benefits of working with that country to become the dominant forces in the world.
It was all a ploy by Achilles to weaken the Indian and Pakistani armies and allow China to take over Asia with great ease. Wahabi was ignorant to this, though, and maintained his military’s sights on Iran and the rest of the Muslim world.
China defeated India and Pakistan. The nations were rescued only after help from the Muslim world led by Alai. Alai wondered what Wahabi felt when it was he who had risen to power and influence and united the Muslim world—not Wahabi. The answer was simple. Wahabi became an ally to Alai, living with him in the newly established Caliphate compound in India.
Warmaker (XN)
Warmaker was a fathertree among the pequeninos, the patriarchal order of the native life on the planet Lusitania.
He captured the Catholic priest, Quim, who had traveled to preach the gospel to his family of piggies and argued doctrine with him. Warmaker starved Quim to death, exposing him to the Descolada, but was surprised to see how few of his “brother” pequeninos celebrated the death.
However, Warmaker was able to win more converts from among the pequeninos when the human citizens attacked the pequenino land, killing many piggies in the process. Warmaker taught them that humans were not worthy of the Holy Ghost, but that the pequeninos themselves were the chosen vessels.
War of Xenocide (IC)
“War of Xenocide” was the name given to the third Bugger War after Ender’s victory was revealed to be the worst act in human history.
Waterjumper (CM)
Waterjumper was a pequenino, the native sentient life of the planet Lusitania. He was a scientist and worked with his fathertree, Human, and the Formic Hive Queen to reconnect a small interplanetary computer network where Jane, the sentient computer program that lived in a human body, could control faster-than-light travel.
Watersnakes (SD)
Watersnakes were one of very few life-forms that lived on the planet Lusitania. They had somehow evolved to not be killed by the plague known as the Descolada that wiped out most of the planet’s life.
Wei Dun-nuan (CH)
Wei Dun-nuan was a bright young Chinese woman who taught Han Tzu the primary language of the world, Common, and refused to take Tzu out of his home to practice his reading and speaking skills.
Western Guilford Middle School (EG)
Western Guilford Middle School was the Earth-bound school (or Ground School) that Peter and Valentine Wiggin attended after Ender left Earth for Battle School.
White Lotus (SG)
White Lotus was a soldier in the Chinese Army in the aftermath of Ender’s victory over the Formics. She grew disgruntled with the Chinese government when its leader, Snow Tiger, had disregarded the military advice of Battle School graduate Han Tzu.
She was ordered to present Han Tzu to Snow Tiger, presumably for execution. Han Tzu went willingly, and both he and White Lotus were witnesses to Snow Tiger’s assassination. Han Tzu was crowned Emperor in his stead, which made White Lotus happy, as she was loyal to him.
White Tiger of the West ([XN])
White Tiger of the West was the name of one of the pantheon of gods on the Chinese-settled planet Path.
Wieczorek, Andrzej (English: Andrew) (PL, [TP])
Andrew Wieczorek was the sixth of Brian and Anne Wieczorek’s nine children. He was tested by the International Fleet against his father’s orders. He had a close relationship to John Paul, his immediately younger brother. Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, his nephew, was named for him.
Wieczorek, Anna (English: Anna) (PL)
An older sister to John Paul Wieczorek, and aunt to Ender Wiggin, Anna was one of the Wieczorek’s nine children. She was number three, and as such made the family noncompliant with world government’s population laws. As number three, she was the first child not allowed to attend school, though her parents homeschooled all of the children anyway to avoid the anti-Catholic rhetoric of the public schools. She was taught at home by her mother, Anne, for whom she was named. She hated learning polynomials.
Wieczorek, Anne (English: Anne) (PL, [TP])
John Paul Wieczorek’s mother, Anne, was also the grandmother to Ender Wiggin. She had a favorite sister growing up, Zofia, for whom her granddaughter Valentine Wiggin received her middle
name. As the mother of nine children, she and the rest of her family fell into the category “noncompliant,” which referred to the population laws that allowed only two children per family. Only those two children were allowed to go to school, but Anne and her husband Brian felt the public schools were too anti-Catholic and as such Anne homeschooled her other children. She was like many in her native country of Poland, which itself was considered a noncompliant nation. Because of their strong Catholic roots, the Wieczorek family felt it wrong to use any type of birth control and that families should have as many children as possible. Consequently their family was very large.
Anne doubted her son John Paul’s ability to learn faster than his older siblings until the International Fleet representatives—led by Captain Hyrum Graff—came to test the children. She was initially upset that John Paul was tested so young, but realized that she had ignored his talent and ability. It was a hard revelation for her to bear.
She moved to America with her family when Graff and John Paul made an arrangement that the family would not be poor. They changed their name to Wiggin upon entry into the United States.
Wieczorek, Arakdiusz (English: Arek) aka “Baby 2” (PL)
The second-youngest child of the Wieczoreks’ nine children. This baby’s name and gender are unknown in the story, but Orson Scott Card has stated he is a boy named Arakdiusz. When the Wieczorek family moved to America and changed their surname to Wiggin, it is believed this child joined them. Peter Wiggin was given his middle name, Arkady, in tribute to him.
Wieczorek, Brian (English: Brian) (PL, [TP])
Brian Wieczorek was a proud Polish man, and an equally proud Catholic. With the rise of the Hegemony and the International Fleet, Brian felt that much of his nationalism and identity were being lost. It is interesting to note that he has such an un-Polish name, yet felt such a loyalty to his country and his people. With his wife, Anne, he fathered nine children, making his family tremendously “noncompliant” with the world’s population laws, which allowed for only two children in a family.
Brian worked hard to feed his family as a university professor, but lost that position and had to take a clerical job because of his family’s noncompliance. The loss put great financial and emotional strain on the family.
A short time later, Brian was angry when the International Fleet sent a delegation led by Captains Helena Rudolf and Hyrum Graff to test his children. Confrontational, he initially forbade the Fleet from testing or speaking with John Paul, their seventh child. His interaction got so heated that he actually hit Hyrum Graff, a very serious offense. Graff did not arrest Brian, however. The violence, though, ended up causing John Paul to make a decision that hurt Brian even more: he agreed to move the family to America and to change their name to Wiggin.
As John Paul’s father, Brian was also Ender Wiggin’s grandfather.
Wieczorek, Cyryl (English: Cyril) aka “Baby 1” (PL)
The youngest of the Wieczoreks’ nine children. This baby’s name and gender are unknown in the story, but have been revealed by Orson Scott Card to have been a boy named Cyril. It is believed this child moved from Poland to America with the family, which changed its last name to Wiggin.
Wieczorek, Katarzyna (English: Catherine) (PL)
Catherine Wieczorek was the second oldest child of the Wieczoreks’ nine kids. She was legally allowed to attend school, but because of her parents’ fears that the public schools were too anti-Catholic, she was taught at home with the rest of her siblings. She was not allowed to take the Battle School screening test when the International Fleet arrived to administer it because of her gender.
Wieczorek, Mikolaj (English: Nicholas) (PL)
Nicholas is fourth of the nine children of Brian and Anne Wieczorek. He was tested by the International Fleet for Battle School screening, against his father’s wishes.
Wieczorek, Piotr (English: Peter) (PL)
The oldest of Brian and Anne Wieczorek’s nine children, Peter was smart. He was legally allowed to attend school as he and his sister Catherine were the only “compliant” children in the Hegemony’s population laws. It is believed that Peter Wiggin, this Peter’s nephew and the future Hegemon, was named for him.
When Captain Helena Rudolf arrived at the family’s home to administer the International Fleet’s Battle School screening test, Peter was not allowed to take it. He was considered too old at age thirteen and was jealous of his younger brothers who were required to be tested.
Wieczorek, Tomasz (English: Thomas) (PL)
Thomas is fifth of the nine children of Brian and Anne Wieczorek. He was tested by the International Fleet, against his father’s wishes. His brother John Paul gave his youngest son Andrew (Ender) the middle name Thomas in tribute.
Wiggin, Andrew “Ender” Thomas (Polish Name: Andrzej Tomasz) (EGS, EG, WG, ES, [EH], GB, [YM], EE, [SH], [SP], [SG], IC, SD, XN, CM)
Andrew “Ender” Wiggin was born the third child of John Paul and Theresa Wiggin. Due to government population laws, third children were extremely rare and often mocked for their position in the family. He was named for his father’s brothers, Andrew (Andrzej) and Thomas (Tomasz) Wieczorek.
Ender was often beaten physically and abused emotionally by his older brother Peter. At age three, after learning arithmetic from his sister Valentine (whom he loved deeply), Ender was given the International Fleet’s monitor in the back of his neck. The device recorded Ender’s actions, transmitting them to the Fleet, who used the findings to determine if a monitor carrier was eligible for Battle School.
At age six, while a student in “regular” school, Ender’s monitor was removed. This was usually the sign of not making Battle School and generally led to further estrangement from one’s peers. When Ender was mocked for losing his monitor, he viciously attacked a fellow student named Stilson, injuring him severely. Ender would describe the attack as an attempt to win not only that fight, but all the rest, too, so Stilson would leave him alone.
Ender had a difficult relationship with his older brother Peter. Peter often beat Ender, usually during their games of “Astronaut and Bugger,” a form of “cops and robbers” based on the Formic invasions. Ender was terrified of his brother, and was sure he was a murderer at heart.
The day following his fight with Stilson, Ender met Colonel Hyrum Graff who recruited him for Battle School. Graff explained Battle School to Ender, and in spite of his parents’ objections, Ender agreed to go.
On the spaceship flight to Battle School, Ender first experienced zero-gravity and found it disorienting. He laughed at Graff, seeing him in zero-G for the first time, which led to Ender being spurned by the other children as Graff insisted that only Ender was smart enough to find that funny. Graff made further efforts to alienate Ender from his peers by making him a teacher’s pet. The other students were jealous and disliked Ender. This was made worse when another student attacked Ender in the spaceship, and Ender broke the boy’s arm. Ender was even more upset to hear Graff say that they weren’t friends, but that Graff had a job to do, and he ordered Ender to be the best of the soldiers.
At Battle School, Ender found his bunk, the only one available in his room. Following instructions given by the computer, he also discovered his locker and the jumpsuits it contained. He met Dap, his supervisor, and learned quickly the geography of Battle School.
Ender enjoyed watching the video games the older boys played and, by watching, figured out how to win the games. He beat an older boy at the video game on only his second attempt playing. Though the victory did not gain Ender any respect, it was personally gratifying to know that he could learn and win so quickly.
A short time later, Bernard (the boy whose arm Ender broke on their spaceflight) assembled a gang of fellow students. Like Peter, Bernard enjoyed picking on Ender. Bernard also mocked other students including a boy named Shen. Ender, tired of the bullying, hacked into the school’s computer system and sent messages under assumed names such as “God” to the other students’ computer d
esks. These messages mocked Bernard and resulted in Bernard bullying others further to reassert his standing among the students. The messages also served to make students like Shen grow loyal to Ender. These loyal students became the members of Ender’s own gang in the school.
When Ender first entered the Battle Room at Battle School, it was an awkward experience, though by befriending Alai—Bernard’s best friend—he was able to work up rudimentary skills of zero-gravity motion. The two new friends teamed up, and with Shen and Bernard, they froze the rest of the first-timers in the Battle Room.
One of Ender’s most common activities during the allotted “Free Play” time each day was playing the “Giant’s Drink,” a video game that seemed unbeatable. Ender grew obsessed with defeating the Giant in the game, and though the process was frustrating, he eventually won. His character in the game killed the Giant, a fact that haunted the young boy. He felt that he was a murderer.
But accomplishing the impossible had a surprising consequence. Ender was promoted to be a member of the Salamander Army, commanded by Bonzo Madrid. The promotion came over a year early, when Ender was still six. Such assignments never came before a student was eight. As he left his launch group, Ender shared a brief, tender moment with Alai, solidifying their friendship.
Bonzo resented Ender who, he felt, was too young and inexperienced to be in an army. Ignoring the harsh treatment from his commander, Ender decided to contribute all he could and learn even more during his time with Salamander. In Salamander Army, Ender also met Petra Arkanian, one of the few female students at Battle School. Both outcasts, Ender and Petra became friends. Petra took Ender to the Battle Room for an extra practice since Ender wasn’t allowed to practice with his army. For further practice, Ender organized Free Play practice sessions in the Battle Room, inviting his friends from his launch group.
Ender obeyed Bonzo’s orders, which included not drawing his weapon in actual battles. In a battle against Leopard Army, however, Ender finally broke from his commander and fired his weapon. As a result, Bonzo traded Ender to Rat Army. Ender was seven now. He’d been at Battle School for just over a year.
