Page 19 (1/2)

“I have to think about it,” he said “I’ll be in touch”

“I respect that,” Monica said “But please don’t take long If we’re not going with you, we’ve still got to go with someone”

He dropped the connection In the silence, the deck seeer than it was

“This isn’t coincidence,” Holden said “We just happen to get locked down by Mars, and the only thing that can get us out of the docking cla? No way We’re beingthis It’s him”

“Jim—”

“It’s hiether a coherent sentence,” Nao like this?”

Holden leaned forward and the seat under him shifted His head felt like it was stuffed ool

“If we leave, they can still take her away from us,” he said “Once this story is done, on’t be in any better position than we are right now”

“Except that ouldn’t be locked on Ceres,” Nao way back A lot could change”

“That wasn’t as co as you meant it to be”

Naomi’s smile was thin but not bitter

“Fair point,” she said

The Rocinante huh their autoh the ducts The ship breathing and drea his fingers with Naomi’s

“We still have some money We can take out a loan,” she said “We could buy a different ship Not a good one, but… It wouldn’t have to be the end of it all”

“It would be, though”

“Probably”