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“She’s as thin as wire,” Saba said “I could blow her over fro”

There was no humor in his face

“I trust her with my life,” Naomi said “No hesitation”

“You’re asking me to trust her with more than that,” Saba said “I don’t Not that she doesn’t know, not that she’s unwilling or not to trust But straight between us, sister Putting all of us on one girl just this side of hospital? It’s not prudence”

“I think you’re asking ”

“You go with her,” Saba said “Leave the prison work to me and mine We’ll do that You back up your crew”

Naomi shook her head “The prison’sShe’s got backup already Jordao Katria’s man Unless you don’t trust him?”

“I don’t trust anyone,” Saba said “Not him, not her, not you But I hat I have to ith, and I know you’re not going to run when things go harsh Maybe Katria’s people will, maybe they won’t You won’t And … the sensors are more important than the prisons We lose the prisons, we only lose the prisoners, savvy sa?”

He was right, and she knew it Putting the success or failure of the ile wo her the backup to deal with an eination, Naomi saw the letters on her list as clearly as if she’d been reading them afresh SAVE JIM She shook her head “Prison’s mine Sensor arrays are hers Won’t be a problem”

Saba sighed as thelike a bearing going bad las in a mix of Hindi and Spanish that she could almost follow She looked Saba in the eyes until he looked away “Work up a schedule, then All the ship data’s on there But do it fast We have to distribute it by hand before we pull the trigger”

“Two hours,” Naomi said “I’ll have it ready”

An hour later, there was still no word from Bobbie No way to check in

They waited in their bunks, the doors open on their little coainst the sink with his arms crossed Alex sat in the doorway of his cabin Clarissa stretched out on the deck like a bored teenager waiting for the hours to pass until she could begin living Her skin was unnaturally sht It helped the illusion Naoed the flight schedule while they talked

“I don’t know,” Alex said “Ion the other side of the gates There have got to be soet shot at But if we’re only looking at twenty-one ships?”

“I’m only lookin’ at one,” Amos said