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Saba saw the storm in her almost before she kneas there He stepped over to her, knelt at her feet, and put his head in her lap She coughed out a laugh and patted his hair again It was an obeisance that he didn’t mean, and she knew it He knew it too But even if it didn’thi

“You should stay another night,” she said

“I shouldn’t I have crew and cargo and a reputation as a freea little bit

“You should co up with all the girls on Medina”

“I would never be unfaithful to you”

“Dahter in her voice too now Drummer knew that she wasn’t an easy woman to love Or even to ith There weren’t ate her moods, but Saba was one of them Was the best at it of anyone

The syste the first approach of the day Soon, there would be briefings and s and conversations off the record with people she liked or trusted or needed, but never all three at once She felt Saba’s sigh more than she heard it

“Stay,” she said

“Come with me”

“I love you”

“Te amo, Camina,” he said, and rose to his feet “And I will flitter off to Medina and back so quickly you’ll hardly knoas gone”

They kissed once, and then he left, and the cabin seemed empty Hollow as a bell The system made another little tock

“I’ll be there in five,” she said

“Yes, hn replied

She dressed, did her hair, and was in the office in slightly less than fifteen hn didn’t chide her for it