The following morning, there is an unusual visitor, who Ambassador Vorob'yev announces to Miles under that designation alone. (When Vorob'yev is questioned, alas, the identity of the visitor is only ghem-colonel Dag Benin, not haut-lady Anybody.) He is assigned to Celestial Garden internal affairs and Miles has been brought to his "negative attention" with respect to the death of Ba Lura. And the embassy has decided to extend to the colonel the courtesy of an interview with Miles. Which means a bodyguard (as a status symbol) and monitoring of the conversation (not).

The ghem-colonel greets him politely enough.