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Alex nodded I was thinking about how hard it is to break up family and about the faain and try to find some sort of resolution to ere to each other and all the things we did Seemed kind of anticlimactic now

“Well, seeing hoe’re going to be in dock for a good long tiht take a trip to Mars Check in on the old digs”

“Okay,” Holden said “But you’ll coht?”

Alex smiled “Plan to”

Chapter Three: Naomi

The Golgo table was set for opening throws, the first and second goals untouched and the field still e bass line from the Blauwe Blome’s main room was a vibration in the deck and a murmur that wasn’t too loud to talk over Nao the subtle play between ravity Across from her, Malikah and her tea a Blue Meanie, the bright azure fluid staining his mouth like lipstick It was three years – no, four? – since Naoo, and these people played every Thursday Naohed, and spun it Instantly, the opposition balls sprang out to hold her short,to co-opt her throw

It was the sort of response you played against a beginner Naoistered, ending the throw, and Naomi’s marker appeared, well past the field’s half roaned Everyone same Not all of them were

“Next up, next up!” one of Nao his wide, pale hand His na like that She retrieved the steel ball and tossed it to hi down her body and back Poor little shit Naomi stood back, and Malikah moved to stand with her

“You still got it,” Malikah said She had a beautiful voice, the accents of Ceres Stationthe harsher tones of the deep Belt

“Spent a lot of ti it when I was here last,” Nao, right?”

“Even if you want to” Malikah laughed, and Naohed with her

Malikah lived in a set of roorees spinward from the club The last time Naomi had been in it, the walls had been draped with silk patterned in brown and gold and the air had been rich with the artificial sandalwood incense that wouldn’t clog the air recyclers Nao asleep to recorded harpvoices of Malikah and Saether with Jim, and humanity was heir to a thousand suns within a two-year burn Being there, laughing with Malikah and the repair crews, Naos had changed or how little

Malikah touched Naomi’s shoulder, her brow furrowed “Bist ajá?”

“Was thinking,” Naohly Golgo wasn’t the only thing she was rusty with

Malikah’s o table erupted in shouts of glee and dismay For a moment, Sam was there too Not the actual woman with her red hair and cheerful obscenity and habit of using childish ters like meteoroid-breached hulls Only the space where she had been, and the to