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Avasarala looked at hi it for release?”

“I a it for release to Admiral Souther Please send it i with the tips of both pinkies Avasarala took out her own hand tere to Souther WATCH AND CALL ME When she stood, her legs ached

“It was good seeing you again,” Michael-Jon said, not looking at her “We should all have dinner sometime”

“Let’s,” Avasarala said, and left

The women’s restrooainst the granite She wasn’t used to fear or awe Her life had been about control, talking and bullying and teasing whoever needed it until the world turned the direction she wanted it to The few times the implacable universe had overwhelal when she’d been a girl, a storypt that had trapped her and Arjun in their hotel room for four days as the food supplies failed, the death of her son Each one had turned her constant pretense of certainty and pride against her, left her curled in her bed at night for weeks afterward, her fingers bent in claws, her dreahtmares

This orse Before, she could comfort herself with the idea that the universe was es were just the accidental convergences of chance andelse It was intentional and inhu no co, she pulled up her hand terminal Arjun answered almost immediately From the set of his jaw and the softness of his eyes, she knew he had seen soht hadn’t been for the fate of mankind, but for her She tried to smile, but it was too ently and looked down

“I love you veryyou has let ood rinkles He was a more handsome man now that he was older As if the round-faced, comically earnest boy who’d snuck to herto read poe to become this

“I love you, I have always loved you, if we are born into new lives, I will love you there”

Avasarala sobbed once, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and nodded

“All right, then,” she said

“Back to work?”

“Back to work I may be home late”

“I’ll be here You can wake me”

They were silent for a moment; then she released the connection Adht hadn’t called Avasarala’sa troop transport She rose to her feet, forced herself to put one foot in front of the other The si seemed to clear her head Little electric carts stood ready to whisk her back to her office, but she ignored theain