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Dr. Cheung's at a funeral all day, so Linya decides to go up to London and see if Miles is out of his Mood.
Security has decided to be deeply unhelpful today. She is currently showing them various forms of ID and repeating in a slow, patient voice that she has been here before, there is not more than one of her, and she promises she is not there to assassinate her husband or whatever fool thing has them skittish today. Perhaps she shouldn't drop in while the captain's missing; it seems to make them worse. But she got in before while he was missing...
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isthisart
isthisart
"I may be noticed missing if we're here longer than a couple of days," she remarks.
isthisart
"I wonder what they're planning to do about that. There is probably no plausible deal I can offer that gets me out of here to put in soothing appearances, is there?"
thisvorlunatic
"I don't know. Maybe you'll decide you like Mark better and run off with him to briefly be Empress of Barrayar," Miles jokes.
isthisart
"The title only appeals in isolation of all the suggested context."
isthisart
"Although I do occasionally fantasize about accumulating a sufficient bankroll to buy a planet, I imagine it would be least feather-ruffling if I administrated it under the title of Vicerine and reported to Emperor Gregor rather than striking off on my political lonesome, considering choices I have made since first coming up with this daydream."
isthisart
"Oh, no, because the details depend very much on whether I can afford much terraforming."
thisvorlunatic
"Aha. Well, I'll keep an eye on the astronomical survey news and see if I can't find you a cheap one with good prospects for Winterfair."
isthisart
"Not this coming Winterfair, I think. I am currently quite illiquid, being mostly invested in the pens and their export. But thank you."
thisvorlunatic
"Uh, speaking of which, how likely is it that you could come up with eighteen million marks really quickly...? ImpSec would pay you back, I'm very nearly sure of it, but the Dendarii were supposed to be paid almost a month ago and if we manage to get out of here somehow before the money finally shows up I'd really like to get that sorted as fast as possible."
isthisart
"I could get that much on credit, I'd imagine, the bank that my agent found for Earth financial operation was very excited to be working with me. If you're sure I'll be paid back I can advance it in your direction. I can get less out of pocket, although not so little that I haven't been staying in nice hotels and trying interesting restaurants."
thisvorlunatic
"We are owed that eighteen million marks for a very impressive mission. Hellish, but impressive. I don't think there'll be trouble getting the money out of ImpSec once an actual line of communication is established."
isthisart
"Miles, did you break open a Cetagandan prisoner of war camp, and if so, am I going to need to stand in front of you and look extremely haut?"
isthisart
"I can see it now. 'Miles, please tell these gentlemen that you were my present from Fletchir personally and are not acceptable collateral damage in seeking revenge for that embarrassing business at Dagoola.'"
"Why would he be telling them?" inquires Galeni.
"Because well-brought-up ghem do not speak directly to haut-wives. Or look straight at us. I have managed to avoid this social annoyance by not interacting with ghem since I got married."
"Why would he be telling them?" inquires Galeni.
"Because well-brought-up ghem do not speak directly to haut-wives. Or look straight at us. I have managed to avoid this social annoyance by not interacting with ghem since I got married."
thisvorlunatic
"At least, since there actually are two of me, there's a chance I'll be able to pull off pretending Naismith and Vorkosigan are not the same individual."
isthisart
"I don't really like the idea of putting Mark in the line of fire for the breakout. His misbehavior exists but is unrelated."
thisvorlunatic
"I'm hardly going to let Mark pick up the Dendarii and run off with them. And I definitely don't want to let the Cetagandans know that Naismith and Vorkosigan are the same person, can you imagine?"
isthisart
"That would at minimum result in extremely interesting correspondence with Lisbet. It's possible it could be kept to that minimum, but."
thisvorlunatic
"Not likely. Whatever positive effect Lisbet has been having, it wasn't enough to prevent what was going on at Dagoola before Naismith showed up."
isthisart
"Well, I haven't exactly asked her what the plan with Marilac is supposed to be. It seems unlike her, but of course she'd have to get Emperor Fletchir on board in order to effect any policy changes. Cynically I'd say she's using Marilac to prune the selection of warlike ghem she has to deal with before making some move or other."
thisvorlunatic
"I can think of more appealing ways to prune one's selection of warlike ghem."