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Calhoun was rolling his eyes and moaning urgently. Miles ungagged him for a moment.
  plus ten percent! Calhoun panted.
Miles gagged him again, and counted out another four thousand dollars. The valise was much lighter
now. They locked the closet behind them.
* * *
 Miles! His grandmother fell on him ecstatically.  Thank God, Captain Dimir found you, then. The
Embassy people have been terribly worried. Cordelia says your father didn t think he could get the date
for the challenge in the Council of Counts put off a third time  She broke off as she saw Elli Quinn.
 Oh, my.
Miles introduced Ivan, and named Elli hastily as a friend from off-planet with no connections and no
place to stay. He quickly outlined his hopes for leaving the injured mercenary in his grandmother s hands.
Mrs. Naismith assimilated this at once, merely remarking,  Oh, yes, another of your strays. Miles silently
called down blessings upon her.
His grandmother herded them to her living room. Miles sat on the couch with a twinge, remembering
Bothari. He wondered if the Sergeant s death would become like a veteran s scar, echoing the old pain
with every change of weather.
As if reflecting his thought, Mrs. Naismith said,  Where s the Sergeant, and Elena? Making reports at
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the Embassy? I m surprised they let you out even to visit me. Lieutenant Croye gave me the impression
they were going to hustle you aboard a fast courier for Barrayar the instant they laid hands on you.
 We haven t been to the Embassy yet, confessed Miles uneasily.  We came straight here.
 Told you we should have reported in first, said Ivan. Miles made a negative gesture.
His grandmother glanced at him with a new penetrating concentration.  What s wrong, Miles? Where is
Elena?
 She s safe, replied Miles,  but not here. The Sergeant was killed two, almost three months ago now.
An accident.
 Oh, said Mrs. Naismith. She sat silent a moment, sobered.  I confess I never did understand what
your mother saw in the man, but I know he will be sadly missed. Do you want to call Lieutenant Croye
from here? She tilted her head at Miles, and added,  Is that where you ve been for the last five months?
Training to be a jump pilot? I shouldn t have thought you d have to do it in secret, surely Cordelia would
have supported you 
Miles touched a silver circle in embarrassment.  This is a fake. I borrowed a jump pilot s I.D. to get
through customs.
 Miles... Impatience thinned her lips, and worry creased twin verticals between her eyebrows.  What s
going on? Is this more to do with those ghastly Barrayaran politics?
 I m afraid so. Quickly what have you heard from home since Dimir left here?
 According to your mother, you re scheduled to be challenged in the Council of Counts on some sort of
trumped-up treason charge, and very soon.
Miles gave Ivan a short I-told-you-so nod; Ivan began nibbling on a thumbnail.
 There s evidently been a lot of behind-the-scenes maneuvering I didn t understand half of her
message discs. I m convinced only a Barrayaran could figure out how their government works. By all
right reason it should have collapsed years ago. Anyway, most of it seemed to revolve around changing
the substance of the charge from treason by violation of something called Vorloupulous s law to treason
by intent to usurp the Imperial throne.
What! Miles shot to his feet. The heat of terror flushed through him.  This is pure insanity! I don t want
Gregor s job! Do they think I m out of my mind? In the first place, I d need to command the loyalty of
the whole Imperial Service, not just some grubby free mercenary fleet 
 You mean there really was a mercenary fleet? His grandmother s eyes widened.  I thought it was just
a wild rumor. What Cordelia said about the charges makes more sense, then.
 What did Mother say?
 That your father went to a great deal of trouble to goad this Count Vor-what s-his-name I can never
keep all those Vor-people straight 
 Vordrozda?
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 Yes, that was it.
Miles and Ivan exchanged wild looks.
 To goad Vordrozda to up the charge from the minor to the major, while appearing publicly to want just
the opposite. I didn t understand what difference it made, since the penalty s the same.
 Did Father succeed?
 Apparently. At least as of two weeks ago, when the fast courier that arrived yesterday left Barrayar.
 Ah. Miles began to pace.  Ah. Clever, clever maybe. ..
 I don t understand it either, complained Ivan.  Usurpation is a much worse charge!
 But it happens to be one I m innocent of. And furthermore, it s a charge of intent. About all I d have to
do is show up to disprove it. Violating Vorloupulous s law is a charge of fact and in fact, although not
in intent, I m guilty of it. Given that I showed up for my trial, and spoke the truth as I m sworn to, it d be
a lot harder to wriggle out of.
Ivan finished his second thumbnail.  What makes you think your innocence or guilt is going to have
anything to do with the outcome?
 I beg your pardon? said Mrs. Naismith.
 That s why I said, maybe, explained Miles.  This thing is so damned political how many votes d you
suppose Vordrozda will have sewn up in advance, before any evidence or testimony is even presented?
He s got to have some, or he d never have dared to float this in the first place.
 You re asking me? said Ivan plaintively.
 You... Miles eye fell on his cousin.  You... I am absolutely convinced you are the key to this thing, if
only I can figure out how to fit you into the lock.
Ivan looked as if he were trying, and failing, to picture himself as a key to anything.  Why?
 For one thing, until we report in somewhere, Hessman and Vordrozda will think you re dead.
 What? said Mrs. Naismith.
Miles explained about the disappearance of Captain Dimir s mission. He touched his forehead, and
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