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They both looked up as she turned the corner

“Hi,” she said Soren was s, for hie The otheran excessively casual outfit that tried too hard to look like it belonged in a seedy pool hall It clashed with the ht posture Bobbie had a feeling she’d seen his face before, but in a different setting She tried to picture hi his co away “You play?” He picked up a pool cue that had been lying on one of the tables, and began chalking the tip Bobbie didn’t point out that there were no balls on any of the tables, and that a sign just behind Soren said RENTAL BALLS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

His co into his pocket Between his fingers Bobbie caught a glimpse of black plastic

She smiled She knehere she’d seen the second man before

“No,” she said to Soren “It’s not popular where I couess,” he replied His senuine and a lot colder He blew the chalk dust off the pool cue’s tip andtoward her left “Too heavy for the early colony ships”

“Makes sense,” Bobbie said,back until the doorway protected her flanks

“Is this a proble at Bobbie

Before Soren could reply, Bobbie said, “You tellin Avasarala’s office when Gany or other”

“You’re digging a hole, Bobbie,” Soren said, the pool cue held lightly in his right hand

“And,” she continued, “I know Soren handed you so his boss had asked hio I bet you don’t work in data services, do you?”

Nguyen’s flunky took a ain

Bobbie burst out laughing

“Seriously,” she said, looking at Soren “Either stop jerking that pool cue off or take it somewhere private”

Soren looked down at the cue in his hand as though surprised to see it there, then dropped it

“And you,” Bobbie said to the flunky “You trying to coh point of ht forward and flexed her elbows slightly