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“Are you feeling all right?” he asked “I think this is the first conversation we’ve had in ten years where you haven’t said so out her fingertips as if she could caress him

“Cunt,” she said carefully

When the connection dropped, she put her head in her hands for ait back in hard, focusing When she sat up, Bobbie atching her

“Evening,” Avasarala said

“I’ve been trying to find you,” Bobbie said “My connections were blocked”

Avasarala grunted

“We need to talk about so Someone I mean, Soren,” Bobbie said “You remeo?He handed it off to someone else I don’t knoho, but they were military I’ll swear to that”

So that’s what spooked hiht with his hands in the cookie jar Poor idiot had underestimated her pet Marine

“All right,” she said

“I understand that you don’t have any reason to trust ?”

Avasarala stood up, stretching until the joints in her shoulders ached pleasantly

“At this moment, you are literally the only one on my staff who I trust as far as I can piss You re on Ganyht it, and I assuainst you”

Bobbie stood up Her face, once just ashen, was bloodless

“I have to tell led

“No, you don’t They know And you can’t prove it yet any more than I can Tell them now and they’ll broadcast it, and we’ll deny it and blah blah blah The bigger proble sent”

She explained everything Soren’s false intelligence report, what it iht’s betrayal, and the mission to Ganymede on the Mao-Kwik yacht

“You can’t do that,” Bobbie said

“It’s a pain in the ass,” Avasarala agreed “They’ll bethe sato happen there They’re puttingOr that’s what they’re trying, anyway I’et on that ship,” Bobbie said “It’s a trap”

“Of course it’s a trap,” Avasarala said, waving a hand “But it’s a trap I have to step into Refuse a request froeneral? That co I’ to be powerless next year We play for the long terht knows that It’s why he played it this way”

Outside, another shuttle was lifting off Avasarala could already hear the roar of the burn, feel the press of thrust and false gravity pushing her back It had been thirty years since she’d been out of Earth’s gravity well This wasn’t going to be pleasant