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“Is talking to you fro to figure outyou here, and they don’t have a n in place because they’re as confused as we are You’ll be contacted by someone in the next week or so They’ll ask you to leak information froiving you a whole lot of false inforreat If not and you tell et lucky and you’ll do both”

Bobbie put the teacup back on the desk Her hands were in fists

“This,” Bobbie said, “is why everyone hates politicians”

“No They hate us because we have power Bobbie, this isn’t how your mind likes to work, and I respect that I don’t have tis to you,” Avasarala said, the s like it had never been “So just assu, and that when I ask you to do the impossible, it’s because even your failure helps our cause somehow”

“Our cause?”

“We’re on the saether That is us, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Bobbie said, glancing at the Buddha in his shrine He smiled at her serenely Just one of the teaet the fk back out there and start calling everyone all over again This time take detailed notes on who refuses to help you and the exact words they use in their refusal Okay?”

“Solid copy on that, ain “Get out of ht breed conteht fro next to him for several days had ratcheted up her dislike to a whole new level When he wasn’t ignoring her, he was condescending He talked too loud on his phone, even when she was trying to carry on a conversation of her own So to visitors He wore toowas he ate cookies all day

It was ienerally the kind of person who cared at all about other people’s dietary habits But his preferred brand of cookie ca machine in a foil packet that crinkled every ti But after a couple of days of the Crinkle, Crunch, Choh She dropped her latest pointless connection and turned to stare at hinored her and tapped on his desk ter to ask him to dump the damn cookies out on a plate or a napkin so she didn’t have to hear that infuriating crinkle sound anyet er to shush her and pointed at his earbud

“No,” he said, “not really a good—”

Bobbie wasn’t sure if he was talking to her or soot up and ave her a withering glare, but she just se of his desk creaked a little under her weight

He turned his back to her

“I understand,” he said “But this is not a good time to discuss— I see I can probably— I see, yes Foster won’t— Yes Yes, I understand I’ll be there”

He turned back around and tapped his desk, killing the connection

“What?”

“I hate your cookies The constant crinkle of the package is driving me insane”

“Cookies?” Soren said, a baffled expression on his face Bobbie thought that it ht be the first honest emotion she’d ever seen there

“Yeah, can you put therabbed up the package and tossed the bin next to his desk