The Vor Game

penta?'

Cavilo and Metzov, Miles decided, had set up the old interrogation game of good-guy-bad-guy. Except they'd gotten their signals mixed, and both accidentally taken the part of bad-guy. 'If you really want to be helpful, get Gregor to the Barrayaran Consul. Or even just get out a message that he's here.'

'In good time, we may. Given suitable terms.' Metzov's eyes were narrowed, studying Miles. As puzzled by Miles as Miles by him? After a stretched silence, Metzov called the guard on his wristcom, and withdrew, with no more violent parting threat than 'See you tomorrow, Vorkosigan.' Sinister enough.

I don't understand your presence here either, Miles thought as the door hissed closed and the lock beeped. Clearly, some kind of planetary ground-attack was in the planning stage. Were Randall's Rangers to spearhead a Vervani invasion force? Cavilo had met secretly with a high-ranking Jackson's Consortium representative. Why? To guarantee Consortium neutrality during the coming attack? That made excellent sense, but why hadn't the Vervani dealt directly? So they could disavow Cavilo's arrangements if the balloon went up too early?

And who, or what, was the target? Not the Consortium Station, obviously, nor its distant parent Jackson's Whole. That left Aslund and Pol. Aslund, a cul-de-sac, was not strategically tempting. Better to take Pol first, cut Aslund off from the Hub (with Consortium cooperation) and mop up the weak planet at leisure. But Pol had Barrayar behind it, who would like nothing better than an alliance with its nervous neighbor that would give the imperium a toehold in the Hegen Hub. An open attack must drive Pol into Barrayar's waiting arms. That left Aslund, but . . .

This makes no sense. It was almost more disturbing than the thought of Gregor supping unguarded with Cavilo, or the fear of the promised chemical interrogation. I'm not seeing something. This makes no sense.

The Hegen Hub turned in his head, in all its strategic complexity, all the light-dimmed night cycle. The Hub, and pictures of Gregor. Was Cavilo feeding him mind-altering drugs? Doggie chews, like Miles's? Steak and champagne? Was Gregor being tortured? Being seduced? Visions of Cavilo/Livia Nu's dramatic red evening-wear undulated in Miles's mind's eye. Was Gregor having a wonderful time? Miles thought Gregor'd had little more experience with women than he had, but he'd been out of touch with the Emperor these last few years; for all he knew Gregor was keeping a harem now. No, that couldn't be, or Ivan would have picked up the scent, and commented. At length. How susceptible was Gregor to a very old-fashioned form of mind-control?

The day-cycle crept by with Miles anticipating every moment being taken out for his very first experience of fast-penta interrogation from the wrong end of the hypospray. What would Cavilo and Metzov make of the bizarre truth of his and Gregor's odyssey? Three ration-chews arrived at interminable intervals, and the lights dimmed again, marking another ship-night. Three meals, and no interrogation. What was keeping them out there? No noises or subtle gravitic vibrations suggested the ship had left dock, they were still locked to Vervain Station. Miles tried to exercise himself weary, pacing, two steps, turn, two steps, turn, two steps . . . but merely succeeded in increasing his personal stink and making himself dizzy.

Another day writhed by, and another light-dimmed 'night.' Another breakfast chew fell through onto the floor. Were they artificially stretching or compressing time, confusing his biological clock to soften him up for interrogation? Why bother?

He bit his fingernails. He bit his toenails. He pulled tiny green threads from his shirt and tried flossing his teeth. Then he tried making little green designs with tiny, tiny knots. Then he hit on the idea of weaving messages. Could he macrame 'Help, I am a prisoner . . .' and plant it on the back of someone's jacket by static charge? If someone ever came back, that is? He got as far as a delicate gossamer H, E, L, caught the thread on a hangnail while rubbing his stubbled chin, and reduced his plea to an illegible green wad. He pulled another thread and started over.

The lock twinkled and beeped. Miles snapped alert, realizing only then that he had fallen into an almost hypnotic fugue in his mumbling isolation. How much time had passed?

His visitor was Cavilo, crisp and businesslike in her Ranger's fatigues. A guard took up station just outside the cell door, which closed behind her. Another private chat, it seemed. Miles struggled to pull his thoughts together, to remember what he was about.

Cavilo settled herself opposite Miles in the same spot Metzov had chosen, in somewhat the same leisurely posture, leaning forward, hands clasped loosely on her knees, attentive, assured. Miles sat cross-legged, back to the wall, feeling distinctly at the disadvantage.

'Lord Vorkosigan, ah . . .' she cocked her head, interrupting herself aside, 'you don't look at all well.'

'Solitary confinement doesn't suit me.' His disused voice came out raspy, and he had to stop and clear his throat. 'Perhaps a library viewer,' his brain grated into gear,'—or better, an exercise period.' Which would get him out of this cell, and in contact with subornable humans. 'My medical problems compel me to a self-disciplined lifestyle, if they're not to flare up and impede me. I definitely need an exercise period, or I'm going to get really sick.'

'Hm. We'll see.' She ran a hand through her short hair, and refocused. 'So, Lord Vorkosigan. Tell me about your mother.'

'Huh?' A most dizzying sharp left turn, for a military interrogation. 'Why?'

She smiled ingratiatingly. 'Greg's tales have interested me.' Greg's tales? Had the Emperor been fast- penta'd? 'What … do you want to know?'

'Well … I understand Countess Vorkosigan is an off-worlder, a Betan who married into your aristocracy.'

'The Vor are a military caste, but yes.'

'How was she received, by the power-class—whatever they choose to call themselves? I'd thought Barrayarans were totally provincial, prejudiced against off-worlders.'

'We are,' Miles admitted cheerfully. 'The first contact most Barrayarans—of all classes—had with off- worlders, after the end of the Time of Isolation when Barrayar was rediscovered, was with the Cetagandan invasion forces. They left a bad impression that lingers even now, three, four generations after we threw them off.'

'Yet no one questioned your father's choice?' Miles jerked up his chin in bafflement. 'He was in his forties. And . . . and he was Lord Vorkosigan.' So am I, now. Why doesn't it work for me like that? 'Her background made no difference?'

'She was Betan. Is Betan. In the Astronomical Survey first, but then a combat officer. Beta Colony had just helped beat us soundly in that stupid attempt we made to invade Escobar.'

'So despite being an enemy, her military background actually helped gain her respect and acceptance among the Vor?'

'I guess so. Plus, she established quite a local military reputation in the fighting of Vordarian's Pretendership, the year I was born twice. Led loyal troops, oh, several times, when my father couldn't be two places at once.' And had been personally responsible for the five-year-old emperor-in-hiding's safety. More successfully than her son was doing so far for the twenty-five-year-old Gregor. Total screw- up was the phrase that sprang to mind, actually. 'Nobody's messed with her since.'

'Hm.' Cavilo sat back, murmuring half to herself, 'so, it has been done. Therefore, it can be done.'

What, what can be done? Miles rubbed a hand over his face, trying to wake up and concentrate. 'How is Gregor?'

'Quite amusing.'

Gregor the Lugubrious, amusing? But then, if it matched the rest of her personality, Cavilo's sense of humor was probably vile. 'I meant his health.'

'Rather better than yours, from the look of you.'

'I trust he's been better fed.'

'What, a taste of real military life too strong for you, Lord Vorkosigan? You've been fed the same as my troops.'

'Can't be.' Miles held up a ragged half-gnawed breakfast chew. 'They'd have mutinied by now.'

'Oh, dear.' She regarded the repellent morsel with a sympathetic frown. 'Those. I thought they'd been