He isn't wrong. That's the worst thing, the most frustrating thing. She'd even said as much to Miles -- that even if he could be convinced not to help the Cetagandans, Piotr would only have had him executed as soon as he returned to camp.

She's losing excuses to be angry with him, each dropping away after the next, and it isn't until they start to that she realizes she wanted them. That she did want to be angry at Byerly, just a little bit.

"Byerly," she cuts him off sharply, her voice hot and raw. Nothing has quite managed to eclipse the hurt on her face. She's tired of lies and excuses. She doesn't even know if she's still getting them, if that's all she's going to get, but she's tired of it.