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From the way they talked, Holden could aliven the chance Alh that he was sorry to be there Maybe Katria really didn’t hold a grudge about the fight that A to start another one Orin the cart

“I’ll think happy thoughts,” Holden said “Butterflies Rainbows”

“What the fuck is a butterfly?” Katria said

The cart ahead of theet to the guards and then a et past the for on-station work per them to an on-site test—never even came up Katria drove the cart to its queue, strapped the bo decks, race of soood portion of their life on the float Amos folloith the conduit wrench in his fist like a club

Once the drum ell behind them, Holden pulled the earpiece out of his pocket and turned on the contact microphone

“—is clear,” Clarissa said “Can you confirm?”

“Yup,” Alex replied, his voice slow in the way thatht, I’h”

“Turning the recycler back on,” Clarissa said

Clarissa and her team were in the druh a back door that, if they were found out, Saba would never be able to use again Alex was back in the underground’s galley, flying the drones with his hand terminal and several layers of encryption Nao outside the secure server roo their voices as if they ith him It made him feel like he was back on the Rocinante

The engineering decks of Medina were a lesson in the way ships learned and changed over tiinal, unmodified space, but years andHere, a section of floor had a slightly different color where a bulkhead had been taken out There, a set of conduits had been rerouted with the three-point welding style that Martians favored The pipes along the walls were labeled in half a dozen languages and safety-regulation styles History ed over the years, added extra reinforcement froeneration reactors had been put in place Katria led the way down a side corridor,from handhold to foothold to handhold A her a little, and she seemed not to notice Or at least not to care Their little triue, Amos to keep an eye on her, and Holden to keep an eye on him

A young wo the other way She had an electrician’s rig strapped to her arm, and her hair was the same texture Naomi’s had been when they’d first met She passed Katria, then Amos When she and Holden landed at the say and pushed quickly off He wondered whether they were about to kill her Seeht

“Alex?” Bobbie said “You’re awfully quiet there, buddy Everything all right?”

“Yeah, sorry Just … there’s a little lag It’s not bad, but it es to go off in a vent soroup out”

“That would be bad,” Bobbie agreed

“Jim?” Naomi said “Are you on yet?”