"Does he also have a half that doesn't? Sure."

"I don't know, I don't know how his fractions work. I don't know how his anything works. What card games do they play wherever you're from?"

"Depends on the century. Poker's stuck around, and it's always fun."

"Poker has not stuck very well, least on Barrayar. Do you want to teach me something or vice-versa?"

"Oh, you teach me, that sounds much more entertaining."

"Inexplicable Lalita reasons," he says cheerfully, and attends to the explanation.

"Mark was here first."

"Sure."

Cards cards cards.

Ivan is not that good at cards! But he has some experience with genetically engineered people and picked a game that's mostly luck.

It's fun.

It passes the time.

"Oh, is that them?" wonders Isabella.

"Unless someone else has been upstairs the entire time, yes."

Dr. Hall glances over in idle curiosity.

Lalita's curiosity is rather more than idle.

"...Hell of a crowd all of a sudden," Mark observes, when he and Stalas emerge from the stairwell.

"Faster than light travel."

"For more direct transit from point A to point B through the horrifying void."

"Bar says this one," says Ivan, pointing at Lalita, "is your half-alt, or something, Mark. Same half that finds me mysteriously entertaining."

"Your half-alt is my husband Lalita, and I'm Isabella, and this is Dr. Hall."