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Anna drank herthe rich texture and ridiculous luxury of it A bell chimed on soot up and left One stayed, a beautiful but sad-faced woman who looked down at a terminal on the table with a vacant, thousand-yard stare

“ExcuseAnna ju man in a naval officer’s uniforestured aardly at the chair next to her “Mind if I sit?”

Anna recovered enough to s himself into the seat He was very tall for an Earther, with short blond hair and the thick shoulders and narroaist all of the young officers seeender

Anna reached across the table to shake his hand and said, “Anna Volovodov”

“Chris Willia her hand a short but firm shake “And yes, ma’am, I knoho you are”

“You do?”

“Yes,back as far as we can trace them When I saw you listed on the civilian roster, I made sure to remember the naled her out because she was a minister of his faith, then he wanted to talk to her as a ears to become Pastor Anna and said, “What can I do for you, Chris?”

“Love your accent, ma’am,” Chris replied He needed time to build up to whatever it was that he’d approached her about, so Anna gave it to him

“I grew up in Moscow,” she replied “Though after two years on Europa I can alhed, so out of his face “That’s not bad,at full speed, I can’t understand a word the skinnies say”

Anna chose to ignore the slur “Please, no more ‘ma’am’ Makes me feel a hundred years old Anna, please, or Pastor Anna if you have to”

“All right,” Chris said “Pastor Anna”

They sat together in companionable silence for a few moments while Anna watched Chris work up to whatever he needed to say

“You heard the alarht?” he finally said “Bet it woke you up”

“It’s why I’m here,” Anna replied

“Yeah Action stations It’s because of the dusters— I mean, Martians, you know”

“Martians?” Anna found herself wanting another glass of the delicious ht distract Chris, so she didn’t wave at the waiter

“We’re in weapons range of their fleet now,” he said “So we go on alert We can’t share sky with the dusters any on alert Not since, you know, Ganymede”

Anna nodded and waited for hi, you know, it’s already killed soshotter, but still Somebody”

Anna took his hand He flinched a bit, but relaxed when she smiled at him “That scares you?”