Page 46 (2/2)

“Fifteen, all told”

“Including you?”

“Sixteen”

She nodded “Any cargo?”

“No,” he said, and then seeo on After a moment, he looked away

Ceres had still been under Earth control back then Most of the people living on the base were Belters who’d taken contract with one of the Martian or Earther corporations Earth security by Belters Earth traffic control by Belters Martian bioresearch by Belters Marco had laughed at it all, but the laughter had an edge He’d called Ceres huest shrine to Stockholm syndrome

Everyone flying with Rokku had paid part of their share into the OPA, Naomi included And the OPA looked after the food to the hole, localMarco out to the bars so that he had so of it apart fro with the localin the silence had carried an almost transcendent contentment Or at least that was how she re as still to coht have been different

“Where do you need to be?”

“We don’t talk about that,” Filip said

Naoht me here because it’s secure, sa sa? So is it that you don’t want to be overheard by so h to ask for what you want, you don’t trust h for me to be here”

The words seemed to carry istical facts alsoabout why she’d left About who they were to each other It was like she could feel the words creaking, but she didn’t knohat Filip heard in them, or what she should have said differently For a moment, there was a flicker in his expression Sorrow or hatred or pain, it was gone too quickly to identify A new stratu her down Compared to what she already had, it was trivial

“He said I should tell you once ere off the station,” Filip said

“Apparently he didn’t know I’d be arranging passage on a different ship Plans change It’s what they do”

Filip’s gaze fixed on her, his eyes hard asto Maybe Filip thought it was a slap, that she washis words She didn’t know She didn’t know hi herself of that

“There’s a rendezvous point”