singing open the great gates

[middlingalong]

The following day, very little happens, except for Vorreedi mentioning that Yenaro has been arrested (by the civil police, for theft, on charges from a ghem-lord Miles has never heard of, as opposed to by Cetagandan security for treason).

Also, Ivan gets bored - with all the bodyguards Vorreedi now requires for them after the incident at the bioestheties exhibition, the possible spontaneity of going out with his ghem girlfriends is much reduced.

But the next day they get to attend the Singing Open of the Great Gates.

And oh, is there ever singing.

Comments

[isthisart]

Linyabel gets out of the room without alerting Vio.

"What?" asks Vio darkly.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Agh!" he exclaims, pacing agitatedly next to Lisbet. "What did you think? That because he's taller, and, and cuter, he had to be running the damn show? It's the haut way, isn't it? You bloody Cetagandan nincompoops, I'm the brains of this outfit! I've been onto you from Day One! But no, of course it had to be Ivan. Nobody ever takes me seriously!" He throws up his hands. "So you went and kidnapped the wrong man - you just blew your cover for the sake of grabbing the expendable one!"

[alicornucopia]

Vio seems transfixed, nearly as paralyzed as the Vorpatril in her arms. Her erstwhile sheepdogs nearly as much so.

[thisvorlunatic]

Great, now where the hell is Linyabel? Miles keeps going.

"It's been like this since we were little kids, y'know? Whenever the two of us were together, they'd always talk to him first, like I was some kind of idiot alien who needed an interpreter. And I! Am! Sick of it!"

[isthisart]

And at this climactic juncture, Linyabel reappears and stuns Vio neatly. The knife twitches spasmodically in her hand.

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles bolts forward to catch Ivan as he slumps out of the unconscious haut-woman's lap, caught by the nimbus of the stun. The alarming red line along Ivan's neck proves to be just a surface cut; Miles presses his handkerchief to it and asks of whoever might be listening, "Stun on top of whatever drug-mist she knocked him out with - is he in medical danger?"

[isthisart]

"I think not," opines the haut Pel, getting up from her chair to examine the contents of Vio's sleeves. She wafts fumes from the bulb of mist to her face to check by way of the smell, then says, "Ah - no, he's in no danger. It will wear off harmlessly. He'll be very sick when he wakes up, though."

"I'll get him some synergine," volunteers Linyabel, and she floats away again.

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles takes a few deep breaths and turns to Lisbet.

"Right. Now what?"

[exerce_imperia]

"Now... we consider our response," she says, staring meditatively down at the unconscious Vio. "And question haut Vio. But you need not be involved in that part."

[thisvorlunatic]

"No," he agrees. "I should be—"

He blinks, and stares at haut Vio's stolen float-chair as though seeing it for the first time.

"—I should be infiltrating Kety's ship," he breathes. "Oh yes. It's perfect. Listen - would I be right in saying that the Celestial Lady keys these float-chairs to their operators? Could you key them to anyone?"

[exerce_imperia]

"To any haut-woman," says Lisbet. "What - you propose to sneak aboard as Vio's prisoner, letting some other person play the part of Vio?"

[thisvorlunatic]

"Yes. That is exactly what I propose."

[exerce_imperia]

Lisbet smiles.

"I like it."

[isthisart]

Linyabel reappears, synergine-loaded hypospray in hand.

[exerce_imperia]

"I believe this mission will require an unusual degree of practicality," says Lisbet. "Haut Linyabel, how do you feel about impersonating Vio to smuggle Lord Vorkosigan aboard Kety's ship in this bubble?"

[isthisart]

"I suppose the bubble could obscure my voice, and - well, ideally, I'd have acting experience and have ever met her before, but we're probably short on both resources, aren't we. I'm willing."

[exerce_imperia]

"I would do a better job at the impersonation, but I am reluctant to deliver myself to Kety; he would have too many potential uses for me. You lack strategic importance, and your temperament is suitable even if your experience is not. You'll do." She turns to Miles. "I suggest you contact your party and make soothing noises to keep them from coming after you while we arrange this."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Certainly, if someone will lead me to a comconsole."

Someone leads him to a comconsole. He provides Ambassador Vorob'yev with the first plausible lie that pops into his head - oh, Ivan's getting a tour of the Star Creche, he suffered an attack of cousinly competitiveness, they'll be returning to the party as soon as they can get away without insulting their hostess, which shouldn't be all that long but Miles suggests that no one hold their breath. He promises quite sincerely to restrain Ivan from attempting to Ivan any haut-women, and follows his escort back to the freight bay.

[middlingalong]

Ivan, thoroughly unconscious (though breathing evenly) on the floor of the freight bay, is in no condition to Ivan anybody at all.

[isthisart]

Linyabel collects Vio's belongings in case she'll need to account for any of them to Kety or his other helpers.

[thisvorlunatic]

"My people will remain soothed for at least the next hour," Miles reports to Lisbet. "If Ivan wakes up, I'm sure you won't have any trouble keeping him under control. If - something goes wrong - I suggest you go directly to ghem-colonel Benin, to your Emperor, or both. My professional analysis of the situation is that Governor Kety's repeatedly demonstrated ability to diddle what everyone fondly believed were diddle-proof systems says in no uncertain terms that he has highly placed security connections, and allowing that person or people to get within rescuing distance could prove disastrous."

[exerce_imperia]

"Your logic is very convincing and your advice is noted," says Lisbet. "Good luck to you both." She stands back from the reconfigured float-chair.

[isthisart]

Linyabel assumes Vio's place in it, faint apprehension on her face but unhesitating.

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles climbs onto the armrest and allows himself a moment of deep regret that he is going into combat in dress blacks and riding boots, without so much as a stunner to his name - they're bound to pass through a security scanner or two that would recognize an energy weapon's power pack even behind a haut-bubble force-screen. Whatever little goodies Linyabel took from Vio will have to suffice.

"How many doses of that drug-mist was she carrying?" he murmurs. "And do you know how to work it? Point and squirt and hope the target breathes...?"

[isthisart]

Linya sloshes the substance around in its bulb and listens. "Two more doses, maybe. I imagine it does need to be inhaled -?" She looks at Pel, who nods. "We should go slip into Kety's delegation right away, unless there are more things I need to know?" She looks at Lisbet.