Cryoburn - Lois McMaster Bujold [107]
"Mina!" Madame Sato held her daughter a little away from herself, and stared over her mask. Her voice shook. "You've grown!"
For the first time, Miles thought, those eighteen missing months and what they'd stolen from her was brought home. Proof she could touch, not just words and more words.
She looked up at last, in some bewilderment, at Vorlynkin. "And who's this?"
Mina answered eagerly, "It's Vorlynkin-san, Mommy. He took care of us at his house. It has a great garden! All Jin's creatures like it, too." She grabbed Vorlynkin's hand and swung on it, without the least dismay on his part.
Vorlynkin smiled and offered Madame Sato his other hand up, which, after her first wobbling attempt to rise, she realized she needed, and took. He was tall enough that she actually had to look up-she'd been eye-to-eye with Leiber.
"Stefin Vorlynkin, Madame Sato. I'm the Barrayaran Consul to Kibou-daini. I'm very pleased to meet you at last."
She made an abortive motion for her daughter to stop using the consul as a swing-set, but Mina had already abandoned the hand and was running around the pair in excited circles. Jin hopped up and down in a burst of explanations, most of which seemed to turn on the continued health and well-being of his creatures, with special reference to Lucky.
"You've been looking after my children?" she said uncertainly.
"Only for the past few days, ma'am. You have a couple of really good kids, there. Very bright."
Miles thought a flicker of a smile might have turned her mouth, under the mask. It was certainly the first time he'd seen her dark eyes crinkle with pleasure.
Raven intervened at this point to run his still-new revive back to her bed, but he indulgently allowed the family reunion to go along. Miles watched through the glass, the children waving their arms and explaining their lives for the last eighteen months, Madame Sato looking dismayed as she struggled to keep up.
Vorlynkin came to watch over his shoulder. "So glad to see her awake and cognizant. It solves several legal conundrums for me. Now I can actually protect those kids."
"Just so." Miles smiled.
Roic collected Raven and padded off about their next task. Leiber, looking confused, waved inarticulately through the glass at the Sato family and said, "But now what do I do?"
Miles turned to him, folding his arms and leaning against the wall. "Well, you're certainly not a prisoner. The only people on this planet I have the legal authority to actually arrest are other Barrayarans."
"Uh, but what about Hans and Oki?"
"I didn't arrest them, I kidnapped them. According to Roic. I see I shall have to explain to you the difference between permission and forgiveness, sometime."
"And what is the difference?" inquired Vorlynkin, brows rising.
"Success, usually. In any case, Dr. Leiber, you are free to leave at any time. I just don't recommend it, not unless you have a better plan for hiding out than your last one. Presuming Hans and Oki are not your bosses' only resource for legwork."
"No, they're not," sighed Leiber.
"You are also free to stay. Camping here overnight would make a better hiding place than any commercial venue, to be sure. We could all use a little time to digest all this, I suspect. Although I'd also suggest you re-think any attempt to make your orbital shuttle tomorrow afternoon. You'd certainly not make it past the shuttleport."
"No," Leiber agreed unhappily. "Not now."
"And what are you going to do next, my Lord Auditor?" asked Vorlynkin.
Miles rubbed his jaw and scowled in thought. "What any commander does when he's outnumbered, I suppose. Look for allies."
Chapter Sixteen
Roic's interrogations of their inadvertent