Page 16 (1/2)

Agnete said, “Why were they fighting?”

He shifted his head to look at her Agneteabout so in that?”

The old ar His eyes shifted up to the sky, but he wasn’t looking at anything Or not anything that was there

“He have any friends?”

Lara shook her head “None that he ever talked about He doesn’t do relationships with people Just responsibilities to them”

“So just the wife, then, as far as you know Sex and friendship That’s a tough knot to unwind”

“I think he really loves her,” she said Again the little twitch of regret They were going to have to be careful how they used her,in love with Rittenaur if they took their eyes off her

The old man made a deep, soft sound Like satisfaction The yacht bobbed on the waves “I forget, you know? I just forget”

“What, boss?”

“How co with”

“Not following you”

The old ed, and the fake arm almost matched the real one The movement was still just a little asymmetrical It made him seem jaunty

“There was a guy I knew back in Sol systeht it would fix everything until you got a lot of it Because that’s e all reach for Anything we need, anything ant, anything that’s grinding us doe can get high or rich or laid and make it better Only if that was true, people would eventually get enough drugs or money or sex and be happy”

“We’d be out of jobs,” Agnete said

“But Rittenaur…” The old uy lives his whole life in this culture where it’s about…”