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The Storive up its secrets, not because of the internal security—though that was an issue—as y Its reliance on calciunitude more than Naomi had ever seen, and the vacuu still ht about theh, she was certain they’d coht they’d be ready, even if she wasn’t sure yet what they were getting ready for

While the Roci arranged the data for her and the kibble broke down pleasantly in her stomach, she lay back and let her eyes close for a few minutes Her knees ached Her spine ached It wasn’t even the gravity of Freehold This world was smaller than Mars, and only a little bit denser She’d been on long burns worse than this Part of the proble work, and there turned out to be a suite of slected muscles that had atrophied over the years and weren’t happy to be put into service clearing vegetation and crawling around the bottoravity well

There was also, she suspected, so of a placebo effect She’d spent solife in free at full g, that now even though the gravity was actually fairly mild, she was primed to notice the discomfort She expected it, and so it was there

The Rocinante chiain almost immediately to announce Alex’s return It was less than aup the hallway that was usually the lift tube He was singing to hinize

“In here,” she called as he came close

Alex poked his head into the galley He waswalks and sunlight had darkened his skin and given him his cheekbones back

“Hola,” he said “Good news from Freehold We’re a business!”

He lifted his right arm The satchel in it was heavy with batteries ready to be recharged It was a minor convenience for the township to have Alex coe theain full up instead of waiting for their turn at the solar array So Freehold’s poor foresight on solar energy was now their cottage industry At least for now

Alex’s grin widened “And …”

“And?”

He lifted his left hand A second satchel “They paid in beer and curried goat I’ve got a little cook fire started outside It’s going to be great”

Naomi started to say that she’d just eaten, but the joy in Alex’s eyes was infectious She swung herself up to sitting “On my way,” she said

Thein the valley when she reached the airlock, but Alex’s little cook fire was glowing happily next to the landing strut, and the stars glittered between the floating vines above thee, slow- animals that lived in shallow caves all up and down the valley The srant The shards of carapace popped and cracked now and then, sending little sprays of spark up with the sht hoppers—tiny, nocturnal insect-like ani

Alex had two skewers of rease and curry onto the flames, and Naomi had to admit that they sainst the landing strut Alex took a bottle from his satchel, opened its neck, and passed it over The beer was cold and rich andthan she’d expected

“Robust,” she said