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“I was in the navy,” Holden said “I understand”

“Good That’ll cut about half an hour of legal bullshit”

“I’ll happily tell you everything I know,” Holden said “No need for the rough stuff”

The captain smiled like winter

“If you were anyone else, I’d think that was a figure of speech,” she said “What is your relationship to the structure at the center of the slow zone? What were you doing there?”

He had spent sonot to tell anyone anything Except Nao the burden of the mystery on her On one hand, the chance to unburden hiravity On the other…

He took a deep breath

“This is going to sound a little strange,” he said

“All right”

“Shortly after the protomolecule construct lifted off fro? I was… contacted by Detective Josephus Miller The one who rode Eros down onto Venus Or at least so that looked and talked like him He’s shown up every feeeks since then, and I ca him Well, him and Julie Mao, as the first one to be infected, to drive ht that they… it wanted e Holden felt a strange lu this conversation here He wanted to be talking with Naomi in their bedroom on the Rocinante Or at a bar on Ceres It didn’t matter where Only who

Was she dead? Had the station killed her?

“Go on,” the captain said

“Apparently I was an with the journey out, with the proto for him at the station The attack by her marine, and the consequences as Miller explained them The visions of the vast empire and the darkness that flowed over it, the death of suns He relaxed as he went along, the words co easier, faster He sounded insane even to himself Visions no one else could see Vast secrets revealed only to hiht he was important That he was special and chosen, and that what had happened to him and his crew had been dictated by a vast andDoors and corners, Miller had said, and because he hadn’t puzzled out what the deadAnd to the station His relief and his growing self-disgust e of the cliff, because he’d been sure that he couldn’t fall Not him