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“We’re in a shooting war,” Avasarala said “I don’t think the Navy would want to spare a ship to haulthe investigation into Venus, aren’t I? Blank check and all”

Errinwright grinned exactly as if he’d ot you taken care of Jules-Pierre Mao is taking a yacht from Luna to Ganymede to oversee his company’s humanitarian aid efforts He’s offered a berth It’s better accoet at the office Probably better bandwidth too You can overnment now? I hadn’t known,” she said

“We’re all on the sa those people cared for”

Avasarala’s door opened and Roberta Draper loomed into the office She looked like crap Her skin had the ashy look of that of so Her jaas set Avasarala nodded toward the chair

“I take up a lot of bandwidth,” she said

“Won’t be a probleet first priority on all communications channels”

The Martian sat down across the desk, well out of the cahs, elbows to the sides, like a wrestler getting ready to step into the cage Avasarala lance at the woman

“Can I think about it?”

“Chrisjen,” Errinwright said, bringing his hand ter the screen “I told the secretary-general that thisout to the Jovian systeot too much to do or if you’re at all uncomfortable with the trip, you just say so and I’ll find soood as you”

“Who is?” Avasarala said with a toss of her hand Rage was boiling in her gut “Fine You’ve talked me into it When do I leave?”

“The yacht’s scheduled for departure in four days I’ht turnaround, but I didn’t have confiro”

“Serendipity”

“If I were a religiousI’ll have the details sent to Soren”

“Better send it toto have a lot on his plate already”

“Whatever you like,” he said

Her boss had secretly started a war He orking with the saenie out of the bottle on Phoebe, sacrificed Eros, and threatened everything hu a fight he thought he could win because he was pissing himself over the real threat She smiled at hiuyen Children had died on Gany for calories Soht’s round cheeks fell a millimeter His brows knotted just a bit He knew that she knew Because of course he did Players at their level didn’t deceive each other They won even though their opponents knew exactly as happening Just like he inning against her right now

“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