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“Okay, that is a little weird Any other news I should know about?”

Fred glanced over at Gor, scowled, then leaned over and tapped the man’s shoulder Gor took off the headphones

“Take a break,” Fred said “We’ll make sure she’s solid”

“Yes, sir,” Gor said “Be aware that this close to the corona, we’re building up a little heat”

“We’ll keep an eye on it”

Gor unstrapped and slid down the ladder Fred watched hio with a wistful smile “I remember when I could take a ladder that way Been a few years, though”

“I don’t anymore either”

“Thus does age make cowards of us all Or h “Inaros and his ships haven’t made it as far as Saturn’s orbit yet, and piracy in the outer planets is spiking The colony ships are well supplied, under-armed, and there are a lot of them”

“They weren’t expecting a civil war”

“Is that what this is?”

“Isn’t it?”

“Well Maybe I’ve been talking to Smith I don’t suppose Alex and Bobbie overheardon the Razorback?”

Holden leaned forward “I don’t think they were spying on hi they would?”

“I was hoping your ht have This Draper woman’s too much the patriot So, without outside confirmation, Smith’s story is that there’s a breakdown in the naval coreat chunk of their ordnance to Inaros Might be there was another actor illing to swap out”

“For the protomolecule,” Holden said “That was the price of all this, wasn’t it?”