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“And anyone who leaks the video of the attack answers to uilty of treason and will be tried before a legitimate tribunal and sent to the Lunar Penal Colony for life”

“Close enough”

“Don’t be a stranger, Chrisjen We’re in difficult times The fewer surprises, the better”

“Yes, sir,” she said The link died The screen went dark She could see herself in it as a sray of her hair Soren was a blur of khaki and white

“You need et the fk out”

“Yes, ma’am”

She heard his footsteps retreating behind her

“Soren!”

“Ma’am?”

“Get me a list of everyone who testified at the Eros incident hearings And run what they said in testimony past the neuro-psych analysts if it hasn’t already been”

“Would you like the transcripts?”

“Yes, that too”

“I’ll have them to you as soon as possible”

The door closed behind him, and Avasarala sank into her chair Her feet hurt, and the presenti was stepping forward, clearing its throat The Buddha s a private joke She wanted to go home, to sit on her porch and listen to Arjun practice his piano

And instead …

She used her hand terminal rather than the office systee that made her want to keep them separate, even in ways as small as this He picked up the connection at once His face was angular, the close-cut beard almost entirely white now The merriness in his eyes was always there, even when he wept Just looking at hi to be late co the matter-of-fact tone Arjun nodded

“I aentle “The mask is heavy today?”

The mask, he called it As if the person she hen she faced the world was the false one, and the one who spoke to hihters was authentic She thought he rong, but the fiction was so co

“Today, very heavy What are you doing now, love?”