[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
How does it sound? As good as Empress Cavilo?" Miles gave it an intense beat,"Or, we could work
together. The Vorkosigans have traditionally felt that the substance was better than the name. The power
behind the throne, as my father before me who has held just that power, as Gregor has doubtless told
you, for far too long you're not going to dislodgehim by batting your eyelashes. He's immune to
women. But I know his every weakness. I've thought it through. This could be my big chance, one way
or another. By the way milady do you care which emperor you wed?"
The time lag allowed him to fully savor her changes of expression, as his plausible calumnies thudded
home. Alarm; revulsion; finally, reluctant respect.
"I underestimated you, it seems. Very well . . . Your ships may escort us to safety. Where clearly we
must confer further."
"I willtransport you to safety, aboard theAriel. Where we will confer immediately."
Cavilo straightened, nostrils flaring. "No way."
"All right, let's compromise. I will abide by Gregor's orders, and Gregor's orders only. As I said, milady,
you'd better get used to this. No Barrayaran will take orders from you directly at first, till you've
established yourself. If that's the game you're choosing to play, you'd better start practicing. It only gets
more complicated after this. Or, you can choose to resist, in which case I get it all."Play for time,
Cavilo! Bite!
"I'll get Gregor." The vid went to the grey haze of a holding-signal.
Miles flung himself back in his station chair, rubbed his neck and rolled his head, trying to relieve his
screaming nerves. He was shaking. Mayhew was staring at him in alarm.
"Damn," said Elena in a hushed voice. "If I didn't know you, I'd think you were Mad Yuri's understudy.
The look on your face . . . am I reading too much into all that innuendo, or did you in fact just connive to
assassinate Gregor in one breath, offer to cuckold him in the next, accuse your father of homosexuality,
suggest a patricidal plot against him, and league yourself with Cavilo what are you going to do for an
encore?"
"Depends on the straight lines. I can hardly wait to find out," Miles panted. "Was I convincing?"
"You werescary."
"Good." He wiped his palms on his trousers again. "It's mind-to-mind, between Cavilo and me, before it
ever becomes ship-to-ship . . She's a compulsive plotter. If I can smoke her, wind her in with words,
with what-ifs, with all the bifurcations of her strategy-tree, just long enough to get her eye off the one real
now ..."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Signal," Elena warned.
Miles straightened, waited. The next face to form over the vid plate was Gregor's. Gregor, alive and
well. Gregor's eyes widened, then his face went very still.
Cavilo hovered behind his shoulder, just slightly out of focus. "Tell him what we want, love."
Miles bowed sitting down, as profoundly as physically possible. "Sire. I present you with the Emperor's
Own Dendarii Free Mercenary Fleet. Do with us as You will."
Gregor glanced aside, evidently as some tactical readout analogous to theAriel's own. "By God, you've
even got themwith you. Miles, you are supernatural." The flash of humor was instantly muffled in sere
formality. "Thank you, Lord Vorkosigan. I accept your vassal-offering of troops."
"If you would care to step aboard theAriel, sire, you can take personal command of your forces."
Cavilo leaned forward, interrupting. "Andnow his treachery is made plain. Let me play a portion of his
last words for you, Greg." Cavilo reached past Gregor to touch a control, and Miles was treated to an
instant replay of his breathless sedition, beginning with naturally the flim-flam about the named heir,
and ending with his offer of himself as a substitute Imperial groom. Very nicely selected, clearly unedited.
Gregor listened with his head in a thoughtful tilt, his face perfectly controlled, as the Miles-image
stammered to its damning conclusion. "But does this surprise you, Cavie?" asked Gregor in an innocent
tone, taking her hand and looking over his shoulder at her. From the expression on her face,something
was surprising her. "Lord Vorkosigan's mutations have driven him mad, everyone knows that! He's been
sulking around muttering like that for years. Of course, I trust him no further than I can throw him "
Thanks, Gregor. I'll remember that line. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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How does it sound? As good as Empress Cavilo?" Miles gave it an intense beat,"Or, we could work
together. The Vorkosigans have traditionally felt that the substance was better than the name. The power
behind the throne, as my father before me who has held just that power, as Gregor has doubtless told
you, for far too long you're not going to dislodgehim by batting your eyelashes. He's immune to
women. But I know his every weakness. I've thought it through. This could be my big chance, one way
or another. By the way milady do you care which emperor you wed?"
The time lag allowed him to fully savor her changes of expression, as his plausible calumnies thudded
home. Alarm; revulsion; finally, reluctant respect.
"I underestimated you, it seems. Very well . . . Your ships may escort us to safety. Where clearly we
must confer further."
"I willtransport you to safety, aboard theAriel. Where we will confer immediately."
Cavilo straightened, nostrils flaring. "No way."
"All right, let's compromise. I will abide by Gregor's orders, and Gregor's orders only. As I said, milady,
you'd better get used to this. No Barrayaran will take orders from you directly at first, till you've
established yourself. If that's the game you're choosing to play, you'd better start practicing. It only gets
more complicated after this. Or, you can choose to resist, in which case I get it all."Play for time,
Cavilo! Bite!
"I'll get Gregor." The vid went to the grey haze of a holding-signal.
Miles flung himself back in his station chair, rubbed his neck and rolled his head, trying to relieve his
screaming nerves. He was shaking. Mayhew was staring at him in alarm.
"Damn," said Elena in a hushed voice. "If I didn't know you, I'd think you were Mad Yuri's understudy.
The look on your face . . . am I reading too much into all that innuendo, or did you in fact just connive to
assassinate Gregor in one breath, offer to cuckold him in the next, accuse your father of homosexuality,
suggest a patricidal plot against him, and league yourself with Cavilo what are you going to do for an
encore?"
"Depends on the straight lines. I can hardly wait to find out," Miles panted. "Was I convincing?"
"You werescary."
"Good." He wiped his palms on his trousers again. "It's mind-to-mind, between Cavilo and me, before it
ever becomes ship-to-ship . . She's a compulsive plotter. If I can smoke her, wind her in with words,
with what-ifs, with all the bifurcations of her strategy-tree, just long enough to get her eye off the one real
now ..."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Signal," Elena warned.
Miles straightened, waited. The next face to form over the vid plate was Gregor's. Gregor, alive and
well. Gregor's eyes widened, then his face went very still.
Cavilo hovered behind his shoulder, just slightly out of focus. "Tell him what we want, love."
Miles bowed sitting down, as profoundly as physically possible. "Sire. I present you with the Emperor's
Own Dendarii Free Mercenary Fleet. Do with us as You will."
Gregor glanced aside, evidently as some tactical readout analogous to theAriel's own. "By God, you've
even got themwith you. Miles, you are supernatural." The flash of humor was instantly muffled in sere
formality. "Thank you, Lord Vorkosigan. I accept your vassal-offering of troops."
"If you would care to step aboard theAriel, sire, you can take personal command of your forces."
Cavilo leaned forward, interrupting. "Andnow his treachery is made plain. Let me play a portion of his
last words for you, Greg." Cavilo reached past Gregor to touch a control, and Miles was treated to an
instant replay of his breathless sedition, beginning with naturally the flim-flam about the named heir,
and ending with his offer of himself as a substitute Imperial groom. Very nicely selected, clearly unedited.
Gregor listened with his head in a thoughtful tilt, his face perfectly controlled, as the Miles-image
stammered to its damning conclusion. "But does this surprise you, Cavie?" asked Gregor in an innocent
tone, taking her hand and looking over his shoulder at her. From the expression on her face,something
was surprising her. "Lord Vorkosigan's mutations have driven him mad, everyone knows that! He's been
sulking around muttering like that for years. Of course, I trust him no further than I can throw him "
Thanks, Gregor. I'll remember that line. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]