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“It’s yucky,” she said

The big man chuckled

“Well, if it wasn’t before, it sure is now, pu his napkin “Why don’t you put that right here?”

“I’m sorry,” Prax said “She’s just—”

“She’s just a kid, Doc,” Amos said “This is what she’s supposed to do”

They didn’t call the dinner a dinner It was a reception sponsored by the United Nations at the New Hague facilities on Luna Prax couldn’t tell if the as aor an ultrahigh-definition screen On it, Earth glowed blue and white on the horizon The tables were spread around the rooanic array that Avasarala had explained was the current fashion Makes it look like some assle just put them up anywhere

The room was al theht, several small tables were filled with short, stocky men and wo around Avasarala and her a-system analysis and media-relations control Every outer planets hand they shook was an inclusion that their subjects of conversation denied To his left, the scientific group was dressed in the best clothes they had, dress jackets that had fit ten years before, and suits representing at least half a dozen different design seasons Earthers and Martians and Belters all roup, but the talk was just as exclusionary: nutrient grades, adjustable peries, phenotypic force expressions Those were both his people from the past and his future The shattered and reassembled society of Ganymede If it hadn’t been for the middle table with Bobbie and the crew of the Rocinante, he would have been there, talking about cascade arrays and non-visible-feeding chloroplasts

But in the center, isolated and alone, Holden and his creere as happy and at peace as if they’d been in their own galley, burning through the vacuum And Mei, who had taken a fancy to Amos, still wouldn’t be physically parted fro to yell and cry Prax understood exactly how the girl felt, and didn’t see it as a probleravity childbearing, right?” Holden said “It’s not really that much riskier for Belters, is it?”

Prax sed a mouthful of salad and shook his head

“Oh, no It’s tremendously difficult Especially if it’s just a shipboard situation without extensive nancies, there’s a developical abnormality five tierh,” Prax said “Nearly all of the children born on Ganyenetic analysis If there’s a lethal equivalent, they just drop the zygote and start over Non-germ line abnorh, so that’s not so bad”

“Ah,” Holden said, looking crestfallen

“Why do you ask?”

“No reason,” Nao conversation”

“Daddy, I want tofu,” Mei said, grabbing his earlobe and yanking it “Where’s tofu?”

“Let’s see if we can’t find you so his chair back from the table “Co the crowd for a dark, for to a waiter as opposed to a dark, for woman came up to him with a drink in one hand and a flush on her cheeks

“You’re Praxidike Meng,” she said “You probably don’t remember me”

“U her collarbone as if to clarify what she ht after you put out the video about Mei”