"The Barrayaran problem with mutants is... complicated. It's half about - defects and peculiarities," he gestures at himself, "and half about unusual genetics," he gestures at Linyabel. "And during the Time of Isolation there wasn't a way to tell the difference - something in the genes was just the assumed explanation for any defect, it's not like they let the visible ones stick around and breed to see what happened - so when we emerged into the bright new world of the wormhole nexus, human nature being what it is, of course certain people decided genetic engineering was just... mutants on purpose. Deliberately tainted, as opposed to accidentally. Maybe it wouldn't have gone that way if it hadn't been Cetaganda that invaded us, I don't know, but here we are."