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“I don’t knohy she wouldn’t be on the Rocinante And no offense, but I’er I’ it turns out to have been”

“I was thinking the same about my house,” Smith said

One of the Marines – taller, and with a slushy accent that Alex couldn’t place – nodded “You should take cover, sir We’re going to have to pass through soht not control”

He meant that the enear Alex pressed hiainst the wall that the prime minister hadn’t claimed and braced The lift slohat had been down becaain The marines stepped back, raised their weapons, and the doors opened An eternal half second later, they moved out into the corridor, Alex and the pri

The corridors of the ship were empty, the crew strapped in their couches for the battle or else on thethese halls safe while the four of the forward from doorway to intersection to doorway The distance behind thereater with every little jump, and Alex was deeply aware of the doors they’d passed that could open without any guards between him and whoever came out The marines didn’t seem worried, so he tried to take comfort in that

The halls had the sae and the mess had had, but marked with location codes and colored strips that would help navigate the ship One line was deep red with HANGAR BAY written in yellow Hindi, English, Bengali, Farsi, and Chinese Where the red line went, they followed

They went quickly and quietly and Alex was al they’d make it to the bay without trouble when the enemy found them

The ambush was professional The slushy-voicedstarted Alex couldn’t see where it was co fro forward At the intersection ahead of theht the flare of muzzle flashes and the s on a bulkhead looking up the corridor, like they were shooting into a well Even if he’d had a gun, there was a very set

“We’re taking fire,” the other marine said, and it took Alex a quarter second to understand he wasn’t talking to them “Tollivsen’s shot”

“Still in the fight,” the slushy accent shouted

Across the corridor from Alex, Prime Minister Smith was huddled behind the lip of a doorway Most civilians tried to press against the wall and ended up launching the lines S

Another burst of fire sang past, tearing long black strips fro the air with the smell of cordite

“Oyé,” one of the attackers called “Hand up So, sa sa?”

The first marine fired three rounds in fast succession, and the attackers’ laughter follo

wed it Alex couldn’t be sure, but he thought the people firing at hiht armor