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“It would be hard,” Naomi said “We four have been e rely on for a lot of years now”

“Yeah,” Jim said And then a moment later, “Do you knoho this lady was Amos went back to check on?”

“No I don’t”

“You think she was his lover?”

“I don’t know,” Naoate ”

“Hmm Maybe I do

n’t knohy I was thinking lover” His voice had started taking on the fuzzy edges of sleep “Hey, can I ask an inappropriate question?”

“If memory serves”

“Why didn’t you and Aether? I mean back on the Cant”

Naohed, rolled over, put her ar with him all this time, she liked the way his skin smelled “Are you serious? Have you paid any attention at all to his sexuality?”

“I don’t think Amos and I are supposed to do that”

“It’s not a place you want to be,” Naomi said

“H, you kno much he followed you around back on the Cant And he’s never talked about leaving the Roci”

“He’s not staying on the Roci forfor you”

“Me?”