"Mark. And that comment I tossed off as Naismith about a sister-in-law... actually applies to him. By Betan law he's my brother - or my son if I choose to adopt him as such, which I don't. Mother, though... I can just hear her. 'Miles, what have you done with your little brother?'" He sighs and rubs his face with both hands. "Somehow I feel like 'I never knew he existed' is an inadequate excuse."

"That's why I asked, I don't want to keep labeling him 'the one who stunned me' in my head." She pauses. "I don't think he can fool Cordelia. Does whatever the plan is call for doing so?"

"Oh, yes. It also calls for becoming Emperor of Barrayar, which I don't think he can do either, at least not for very long."

"But he could do dramatic amounts of damage on his way down." She sighs. "How'd you get nabbed?"

"Ah." He shifts on his bench. "An unknown party hired Admiral Naismith to kidnap Lord Vorkosigan. I decided the best way to find out who and why was to take the job. I was... technically right."

After a moment, he adds, "What worries me in hindsight is that from what I can tell, Mark came up with that ploy. It shows an uncomfortably close reading of my psychology."

"He does a very good you. He probably could have salvaged things after the flinch, he just - didn't, or maybe expected to go on flinching and not be able to recover after a few of those, I'm not sure which."

"For the sake of my sanity, I cherish the hope that maybe he didn't especially want to fool you. I am not sure I can bear to think of him as my brother, if..." He lets the sentence trail off into an unhappy silence.

"I wonder what his handlers have on him. Brute psychological force, maybe."

"I shudder to think."

"Well. He did apologize. Insofar as one can do so sincerely while firing a stunner."

"What I wouldn't give for a close reading of his psychology." Miles reflects on this a moment, then amends, "As long as gaining such an understanding wouldn't make me any crazier than I already am, which I'm not sure I'm willing to take for granted. His upbringing must have been... something."

"Medically monstrous at a bare minimum, and a spectacular quantity of information crammed into less lifetime than you've had. He had an excuse for not using your pen; it might be that they weren't able to get one for him to practice on, but he can't have reasons like that to avoid everything you'd be able to do."

"Also, I had the dubious privilege of a halfway civil conversation with the man in charge of this plot. He, um... didn't seem like he'd pass the qualifications for a Betan parenting license. If you see what I mean."

"Oh, does he do things other than shout and hit people? Yes. I don't have much expectation he'll be able to hold onto Mark, although I don't guarantee it'll be any good for anybody when he loses him."

"I agree with your assessment. On all counts."

Linya eyes the hinges on the door, then sighs again and gives up, apparently finding that avenue useless.

"I had a look around when I got here. Of course, that was before you arrived, with copious clothing and ropes and a chair. Want to block the sink with a spare garment and see what happens?"

"How much do you think they value us having access to water?"

"Point."

"I could try to improvise something with the ropes, but they'd see me doing it and stun us both as soon as they open the door, I expect. And if we park over there," she gestures at the part of the room that is concealed by the door when the door is open, "they can tell we're doing it and, say, opt not to feed us or leave Galeni in a state to need confinement - this when I'm reasonably sure they didn't believe me when I told them how much I eat to begin with and am none too sure that they haven't already killed him." She eyes the half-plate of food that she left him. "It's going to take me a few hours to get hungry enough to eat that considering how poorly it's aged. I should've finished it but I've never seen you fast-penta hungover before and didn't know if you'd want it."

"Well, thanks. But yeah, you can have it. I'll probably regain my appetite sometime in the next twenty-four hours."