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about
it, anyway. It s not something you should just jump into.
When the last voice-print had been recorded, Mayhew carefully disconnected the toggle box Miles
held his breath and the senior pilot officer returned to convey them planetside.
The senior pilot officer addressed Miles with a shade more respect in his voice.  I had no idea you were
from such a wealthy family, Lord Vorkosigan. That was a solution to the problem I certainly hadn t
anticipated. But perhaps one ship is just a bauble, to a Barrayaran lord.
 Not really, said Miles.  I m going to have to do some hustling to cover that note. My family used to be
well off, I admit, but that was back in the Time of Isolation. Between the economic upheavals at the end
of it, and the First Cetagandan War, we were pretty much wiped out, financially. He grinned a little.
 You galactics got us coming and going. My great-grandfather on the Vorkosigan side, when the first
galactic traders hit us, thought he was going to make a killing in jewels you know, diamonds, rubies,
emeralds the galactics seemed to be selling them so cheaply. He put all his liquid assets and about half
his chattels into them. Well, of course they were synthetics, better than the naturals and cheap as
dirt uh, sand and the bottom promptly dropped out of the market, taking him with it. I m told my
great-grandmother never forgave him. He waved vaguely at Mayhew who, becoming conditioned,
passed over his bottle. Miles offered it to the senior pilot officer, who rejected it with a look of disgust.
Miles shrugged, and took a long pull. Amazingly pleasant stuff. His circulatory system, as well as his
digestive, now seemed to be glowing with rainbow hues. He felt he could go days without sleep.
 Unfortunately, most of the land he sold was around Vorkosigan Surleau, which is pretty dry not by
your standards, of course and the land he kept was around Vorkosigan Vashnoi, which was the
better.
 What s unfortunate about that? asked Mayhew.
 Well, because it was the principal seat of government for the Vorkosigans, and because we owned
about every stick and stone in it it was a pretty important industrial and trade center and because the
Vorkosigans were, uh, prominent in the Resistance, the Cetagandans took the city hostage. It s a long
story, but eventually, they destroyed the place. It s now a big glass hole in the ground. You can still see
a faint glow in the sky, on a dark night, twenty kilometers off.
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The senior pilot officer brought the little shuttle smoothly into its dock.
 Hey, said Mayhew suddenly.  That land you had around Vorkosigan whatever-you-said 
 Vashnoi. Have. Hundreds of square kilometers of it, and mostly downwind, yes?
 Is that the same  his face was lighting, like the sun coming up after a long, dark night,  is that the
same land you mortgaged to  he began to laugh, delightedly, under his breath; they disembarked.  Is
that what you pledged to that sand-crawler Calhoun in return for my ship?
 Caveat emptor, bowed Miles.  He checked the climate plat; he never thought to check the
radioactivity plat. He probably doesn t study anybody else s history either.
Mayhew sat down on the docking bay, laughing so hard that he bent his forehead nearly to the floor. His
laughter had more than an edge of hysteria several days without sleep, after all...  Kid, he cried,  have
a drink on me!
 I mean to pay him, you understand, explained Miles.  The hectares he chose would make an
unaesthetic hole in the map for some descendant of mine, in a few hundred years, when it cools off. But if
he gets greedy, or pushy about collecting well, he ll get what he deserves.
Three groups of people were bearing down upon them. Bothari had escaped customs at last, it
appeared, for he led the first group. His collar was undone, and he looked decidedly ruffled. Uh oh,
thought Miles, it looks like he s had a strip-search that s guaranteed to put him in a ferocious mood. He
was followed by a new Betan security patrolman, and a limping Betan civilian Miles had never seen
before, who was gesticulating and complaining bitterly. The man had a livid bruise on his face, and one
eye was swelling shut. Elena trailed, seeming on the verge of tears.
The second group was led by the shuttleport administrator, and included now a number of other officials.
The third group was headed by the Betan security woman. She had two burly patrolmen and four
medical types in her wake. Mayhew glanced from right to left, and sobered abruptly. The Betan security
men had their stunners in hand.
 Oh, kid, he muttered. The security men were fanning out. Mayhew scrambled to his knees.  Oh,
kid...
 It s up to you, Arde, said Miles quietly.
 Do it!
The Botharis arrived. The Sergeant opened his mouth. Miles, dropping his voice, cut across his
beginning roar by God, it was an effective trick  Attention, please, Sergeant. I require your witness.
Pilot Officer Mayhew is about to make oath.
The Sergeant s jaw tightened like a vise, but he came to attention.
 Put your hands between mine, Arde like that and repeat after me. I, Arde Mayhew is that your
full legal name? use that, then do testify I am an unsworn freeman, and take service under Lord Miles
Naismith Vorkosigan as an Armsman simple go ahead and say that part  Mayhew did so, rolling his
eyes from left to right.  And will hold him as my leige commander until my death or his releases me.
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That repeated, Miles said, rather quickly as the crowd closed in,  I, Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, vassal
secundus to Emperor Gregor Vorbarra, do accept your oath, and pledge you the protection of a leige
commander; this by my word as Vorkosigan. All done you can get up now.
One good thing, thought Miles, it s diverted the Sergeant completely from whatever he was about to
say. Bothari found his voice at last.  My lord, he hissed,  you can t swear a Betan! [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]