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“Don’t hurry,” she said “I may just take a little nap”

Holden paused at the hatch, looking back Naoo Her eyes were tired, her body stilled by exhaustion, but she was slad to be back

In the galley, a half-dozen voices were in co one above the other toward a kind of symphonic shared excitement It sounded like he felt Holden ducked in Alex was sitting on one of the tables with his feet on the bench, talking to Chava Lo about fast-cycling targeting stutter and acceleration Chava was talking at the sa some physical description of whatever they were on about Sun-yi was just looking from one to the other, a down, but still loo over Sandra Ip and Maura Patel Bobbie had swapped her powered arhtly-too-sht his eye, smiled, and waved He waved back, but Sandra Ip had already recaptured her attention, and Bobbie was shaking her head and answering a question he hadn’t heard

Holden had the sudden, visceraldown to dinner together with their one son, having half a dozen conversations with and past each other Even though he recognized he was already pri that washed over him was profound This hat family looked like, sounded like, how they acted Even the neho he’d been trying not to resent feltvisit than interlopers

Alex hopped down and ca, aardeach other on the back and laughing

“No more leave,” Holden said

“Holy shit Right?” Alex said “I take off for a feeeks, and everything turns into chaos”

“It really, really does” Holden went to the coffee maker and Alex followed at his elbow “I think this has to qualify for the worst vacation ever”

“How’s Nao?”

Holden picked out the tea that Nao hydrated et her a drink, but I think she actually wantedto start a conversation”

“Sheback to full power”

“Intellectually, I know that,” Holden said, picking up the bulb of tea It s anywhere on the ship that was re, you know? It’s really, really a”

“Any word from Amos?” Alex said, and his smile dimmed at the answer in Holden’s eyes He tried to force the carefree tone back into his voice when he spoke, but Holden wasn’t fooled “Well, that doesn’t mean much It won’t be the first time a planet’s blown up on him”

“They’re starting to get confirmed death lists,” Holden said “It’s still early A lot of things still falling apart down there, and there’s going to be a lot more bad before it sees better But he’s not on the list yet”

“So that’s good And c’mon It’s Amos Everyone on Earth dies, and he’ll probably stack the bodies and climb up to Luna”