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In the center of the room, there were tables with built-in terminals to pipe in encrypted information from a thousand different sources Privacy baffles kept even the waitstaff froe ad their dinners while they worked And in the back were dark wooden tables in booths that recognized her before she sat down If anyone below a certain status walked too close, a discreet young man with perfect hair would sweep up and see them to a different table, elsewhere, with less iin and tonic while the threads of iuyen couldn’t have enough influence to put Errinwright against her Could the Martians have asked that she be removed? She tried to reood suspect ca to do about it?

Well, if she couldn’t be party to the Martian negotiations in an official capacity, she could still have contacts on an infor even before she knew quite why She picked up her glass, tapped the table to let it knoas permitted to let someone else sit there, and ios in a hyper despite itself The air smelled of perfume too expensive to be applied tastelessly As she neared the bar, she saw conversations pause, glances pass between one young fount of a What’s she doing here?

She sat down next to Draper The big wonition in her eyes that boded well She uessed what she was S hell, the wo

“Buy you a drink, Sergeant?” Avasarala asked

“I’ve had a few too ht”

Avasarala lifted an eyebrow, and the bartender quietly gave thebefore

“You made quite an impression today,” Avasarala said

“I did,” Draper said She see to ship me out I’m done here May just be done”

“That’s fair You’ve accomplished what they wanted from you anyway”

Draper looked down at her Polynesian blood, Avasarala guessed Maybe Samoan Soes Her eyes were narrowed, and there was a heat to theer

“I haven’t done shit”

“You were here That’s all they needed from you”

“What’s the point?”

“They want to convince u you—didn’t know about it By bringing you, they’re showing that they aren’t afraid to bring you That’s all they need You could sit around with your thuue about the offside rule all day It would be just as good for them You’re a showpiece”

The marine took it in, then raised an eyebrow

“I don’t think I like that,” she said

“Yes, well,” Avasarala said, “Thorsson’s a cunt, but if you stop working with politicians just for that, you won’t have any friends”

The aze on her own, she sobered

“That thing that killed your friends?” Avasarala said while theher in the eye “It wasn’t one of mine”