One message waited on her hostel rooms comconsole: an urgent order from Lord Vorkosigan for her to take her aunt and flee the station at once, delivered in a tone of such intense conviction as to almost send her scurrying off despite its obviously outdated content. Instructions only, she noted; no explanations whatsoever. He really must have once held military command. The contrast between this strained, forceful lord and the almost goofy geniality of the young man whod bowed her out of the airlock bemused her; which was the real Lord Vorkosigan? For all his apparently self-revealing babble, the man remained as elusive as a handful of water. Water in the desert. The thought popped unbidden into her mind, and she shook her head to clear it.
After she returned to the infirmary, Ekaterin sat up for a while with her aunt, waiting for the Professor. Uncle Vorthys arrived in the next hour. He was unusually breathless and subdued as he sat on the edge of his wifes bed and embraced her. She hugged him back, tears starting in her eyes for almost the first time in this whole nights ordeal.
You shouldnt frighten me like that, woman, he told her in mock severity. Running around getting kidnapped, thwarting Komarran terrorists, putting ImpSec out of a job Your premature demise would entirely disarrange my selfish plan to drop dead first and leave you to pick up after me. Kindly dont do that!
She laughed shakily. Ill try not to, dear. The patient gown she wore was not a very flattering fashion, but her color did look rather better, Ekaterin thought. Synergine, hot liquids, warmth, quiet, and safety were working to banish her more alarming symptoms without further medical intervention, so that even her anxious husband was fairly quickly reassured. Ekaterin let her aunt tell him most of the story of their harrowing hours with the Komarrans, only putting in a few murmurs of correction when she waxed too flattering of her nieces part in it all.
Ekaterin reflected with bleak envy on the nature of a marriage that its principals could regard as prematurely threatened after a mere forty-plus years. Not for me. Ive lost that option. The Professor and the Professora were surely among the fortunate few. Whatever personal qualities it took to achieve this happy state, it was abundantly plain to Ekaterin that she did not possess them. So be it.
The Professors booming voice and precise academic diction returned to usual as he proceeded to harry the medtechs, unnecessarily, on his wifes behalf. Ekaterin intervened to suggest firmly that what Aunt Vorthys needed most now was rest; after one last disruptive pass through the private room, he took himself off to find Lord Vorkosigan and tour the late battlefield at the Southport locks. Ekaterin didnt think she could ever sleep again, but after she cleaned up and crawled into her own infirmary bed, a medtech brought her a potion and invited her to drink it. Ekaterin was still complaining muzzily that such things didnt work for her when the bed sheets seemed to suck her right down.
Whether due to the potion, exhaustion, sheer nervous collapse, or the absence of a nine-year-old demanding services, she slept late. The restful residue of the morning, spent chatting desultorily with her aunt, had drifted toward noon when Lord Vorkosigan trooped into the infirmary room. He was clean as a cat and his fine gray suit was crisp and fresh, though his face was traced with fatigue. He carried an enormous and awkward flower arrangement under each arm. Ekaterin hurried to help relieve him of them, sliding them onto a table before he dropped them both.
Good day, Madame Dr. Vorthys, youre looking much better. Excellent. Madame Vorsoisson. He ducked his head at her, and his white grin winked.
Wherever did you find such gorgeous flowers on a space station? Ekaterin asked, astonished.
In a shop. Its a Komarran space station. Theyll sell you anything. Well, not anything-that would be Jacksons Whole. But it stands to reason, with all the people meeting and greeting and parting through here, that there would be a market niche for this sort of thing. They grow them right here on the station, you know, along with all their truck garden vegetables. Why do they call them truck gardens, I wonder? I dont think they ever grew trucks in them, even back on Old Earth. He dragged over a chair and sat down near her, at the foot of the Professoras bed. I believe that dark red fuzzy thing is a Barrayaran plant, by the way. It made me break out in hives when I touched it.
Yes, bloody puffwad, she agreed.
Is that its name, or a value judgment?
She smiled. I believe it refers to the color. It comes from South Continent, on the western slopes of the Black Escarpment.
I was at the Black Escarpment for winter training once. Happily, these things must have been buried under several meters of snow at the time.
How shall we ever get them home, Miles? said the Professora, half laughing.
Dont burden yourself, he recommended. You can always give them to the medtechs when you leave.
But they must be very expensive, said Ekaterin in worry. Ridiculously so, for something they could only enjoy for a few hours.
Expensive? he said blankly. Automated weapons-control systems are expensive. Combat drop missions which go wrong are very expensive. These are cheap. Really. Anyway, it supports a business, which is good for the Imperium. If you get a chance, you ought to ask for a tour of the stations hydroponics section before you leave. Id think youd find it pretty interesting.
Well see if theres time, said Ekaterin. Its been such a bizarre experience. Its strange to realize Im not even late getting back to pick up Nikki yet. Just a few more days to complete his treatment, and Im done with Komarr.
Do you have everything in hand for that? Everything you need? Your aunt, he nodded at the Professora, is with you now.
I expect Ill be able to handle anything that comes up this time, Ekaterin assured him.
I expect you will. That scimitar smile flickered over his face again.
We only missed the ship we were originally scheduled to take this morning because Uncle Vorthys insisted we wait and travel back to Komarr with him in his fast courier. Do you know when that will be? I should send a message to Madame Vortorren.
He has a few chores here yet. ImpSec Komarr sent us out a special squad of boffins and techs to clean up and document that mess you made in the Southport loading bay
Oh, dear. Im sorry- she began automatically.
No, no, it was a beautiful mess. Couldnt have made a better one myself, and Ive made a few. Anyway, he will be overseeing them, and then returning to Komarr to set up a secret scientific commission to study the device, explore its limits and all that. And HQ sent me some high-powered interrogators whom I wanted to personally brief before they took charge of my prisoners. Captain Vorgier wasnt too happy that I wouldnt let any of his local people question our conspirators, but Ive already declared all details of this case need-to-know under my Auditors seal, so hes out of luck. He cleared his throat. Your uncle and I have decided I get the job of going straight back to Vorbarr Sultana from here and making the preliminary report to Emperor Gregor in person. Hes only been getting ImpSec digests.
Oh, she said, startled. Leaving so soon? What about all your things-you shouldnt go off without your seizure stimulator, should you?
Half self-consciously, he rubbed his temple; the white bandages were gone from his wrists, she noticed, leaving only pale red rings of new scars. To add to his collection, presumably. I had Tuomonen pack up all my kit and send it out here with the crew from HQ. It arrived a couple of hours ago, so Im all set. Good old ImpSec, they do piss me off sometimes. Tuomonen is going to get a major black mark, because the conspiracy in Serifosa Terraforming took place on his watch, and he never caught it, even though it was really the Imperial Accounting Office which should have been the first line of defense. And that idiot Vorgier is getting a commendation. There is no justice.