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“There was a night ere out at so Ashanti was in the kitchen, washing dishes Washing clean dishes by hand Scrubbing theers were bleeding, but she didn’t seem to notice, you know? I tried to stop her, pull her away, but she started screaain until I let her resuhter For that moment, I hated her”
“And I reestured to the room Its bed with real linen sheets The textured paper on the walls, the scented air
“You can’t cos the way I tell you that they are, and when I try and o away”
“Is that what you want?” Bobbie said Her voice was crawling up to a higher energy level It was anger, but it brought her back to being present “You want oing to hate me for it?”
“Of course I want you to callto hate you for the hter very much”
“I’hed
“I didn’t call you in here and show you all of this because I was tired of the lag I’m worried Fuck it, I’m scared”
“About what?”
“You want a list?”
Bobbie actually s back
“I’m scared that I’ve been outplayed already,” she said “I’m afraid that I won’t be able to stop the hawks and their cabal froht be wrong What happens, Bobbie? What happens if whatever the hell that is on Venus rises up and finds us as divided and screwed up and ineffective as we are right now?”
“I don’t know”
Avasarala’s tere A note from Admiral Souther Avasarala had sent hi lunch when they both got back to Earth, then coded it for high-security clearance with a private encryption schema It would take her handlers a couple of hours at least to crack it She tabbed it open The reply was plain text
LOVE TO
THE EAGLE LANDS AT MIDNIGHT PETTING ZOOS
ARE ILLEGAL IN ROME
Avasarala laughed It was real pleasure this time Bobbie loomed up over her shoulder, and Avasarala turned the screen so that the big marine could peer down at it
“What’s that h that her lips were al woman smelled of clean sweat and the cucuuest quarters
“Nothing,” Avasarala whispered “He’s just followingat it”
Bobbie stood up Her expression of incredulity was eloquent
“This really is how government works, isn’t it?”
“Welcoo get drunk”