The Last Colony (Old Man's War, #3)

by John Scalzi

With all the paperwork done and all the problems of the village solved, I did what anyone in my position would do: I took a nap. Welcome to the rough and tumble world of colonial village ombudsmanning. It’s possible it’s done differently elsewhere, but if it is, I don’t want to know.

“Such attitude,” I said to Jane. “She gets it from your side.” “She’s adopted,” Jane said. “And I’m not the smart-ass in the family.”

Teenagers can be idiotic and stupid, but teenagers also model their behavior from the signals they get from adults.

“You were on the hull for ten days?” I asked. “It’s not that bad,” Stross said. “I kept busy by studying for my doctorate. Comparative literature. Keeps me busy. Distance learning, obviously.”

When you make someone more than human, you make them less than human, too.

“She’s being a teenager,” I said. “New friends. New planet. New boyfriend.” “Yes. Enzo,” Hickory said. “We feel deeply ambivalent about him.” “Join the club,” I said. “We can remove him,” Hickory said. “Really, no,” I said. “Perhaps later,” Hickory said. “Rather than killing off Zoë’s potential suitors, I’d prefer the two of you focus on helping Jane find whatever it is that’s out there pawing on our perimeter,” I said. “It’s probably less emotionally satisfying, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s going to be more useful.”

“It’s who I am,” Jane agreed. “Something I got from Kathy, perhaps.” “Perhaps,” I said. It was rare that Jane would talk directly about Kathy; it’s hard to talk to your husband about his first wife, especially when you are made from that wife’s DNA.

“We need to discuss your treason problem,” Manfred Trujillo said to me. “I don’t have a problem with treason,” I said. “I can stop anytime.” I looked around the table at the rest of the Council members. The little joke didn’t go over well.

So the biological daughter of the man bent on the destruction of the CU, becomes its Hail Mary emissary on a mission save it from obliteration.

“I seem to be good at speaking the politicians’ language,” Szilard said. “Apparently there’s an advantage around here to being mildly socially retarded, and that’s the Special Forces for sure.”