Cryoburn - Lois McMaster Bujold [63]
Jin said doubtfully, "If you want any favors from Suze-san, you better catch her early in the day. When she's still sober."
"Not a problem," Miles-san said. "Then, if everything proves workable, we can go on to the next step."
"What is the next step?" asked Consul Vorlynkin, in fascinated tones. He looked like a man staring at a groundcar wreck. In slow motion. That he was in.
"Securing Madame Sato."
"How?"
"I'm going to have to do a spot more research first, to devise the optimum ploy. According to the public records, she's being kept at the NewEgypt facility out in the Cryopolis here in Northbridge, which is actually pretty convenient." Miles-san's lips drew back on a peculiar grin. "It could be just like old times."
Armsman Roic sat up in alarm. He put in, with some urgency, "What about those commodified contracts Ron Wing was going on about? Maybe you could work out a way to just, I dunno, buy her. All peaceable and aboveboard." He added after a moment, "Or under the table, but peaceable, anyway."
Miles-san paused again in his pacing, as if arrested by this notion. "Shrewd idea, Roic. But she's not just any cryo-patron. I suspect that any interest in her is likely to send up a big red flag." He fell into motion again. "Still, hold that thought. It might be useful later, for the retroactive tidying up."
Roic sighed.
"The ideal," Miles-san went on, "would be to arrange things so that she wasn't missed at all."
"These commercial cryochambers are all continuously monitored," said Raven-sensei. "You'd need some way to fudge the readouts." He hesitated. "Or go low tech, and just swap in another cryo-corpse. That way, all the readings would be naturally right. They wouldn't know the difference unless they pulled it out and unwrapped it."
Miles-san tilted his head, like Gyre the Falcon contemplating a choice morsel of meat. "The old shell game, eh? That . . . might actually be highly feasible. I wonder if I could borrow a spare from Suze? God knows, cryo-corpses are not an item in short supply around here."
Vorlynkin choked. "Do you have any idea how many different crimes you've just rattled off?"
"No, but it might not hurt to make up a list, should your lawyer need it. Could speed things up, in a pinch."
"I thought the task of an Imperial Auditor was to uphold the law!"
Miles-san's eyebrows flew up. "No, whatever gave you that idea? The task of an Imperial Auditor is to solve problems for Gregor. Those greasy cryocorps bastards just tried to steal a third of his empire. That's a problem." Despite his smiling lips, Miles-san's eyes glittered, and Jin realized with a start that underneath, he was really angry about something. "I'm still considering the solution."
Jin wondered who Gregor was. Miles-san's insurance boss?
Mina had scrunched her chair closer and closer to where Jin rocked in his. An audible sniffle escaped her, which made both Miles-san and Vorlynkin crank their heads around. Miles-san lurched and lifted a hand toward her, stopped short, and gestured at Jin instead, who, thus compelled, gave his sister a clumsy pat on the shoulder that only made her eyes fill up and overflow for real.
"Lord Vorkosigan, for pity's sake, enough for tonight," said Consul Vorlynkin. "These children have to be exhausted. Both of them."
Jin could wish he hadn't added that last. His eyes stung in contagion with Mina's. Now he was offered it, Jin wasn't so sure he wanted sympathy-it eroded his resolve as annoying bracing remarks never did.
"To be sure," said Miles-san immediately. "Baths, I think, and we can give them both Roic's room. He can bunk in with me. I expect some clean T-shirts would do for nightclothes. Toothbrushes?"
Miles-san and Vorlynkin arguing, Jin discovered, were not nearly so daunting as the pair of them united in sudden agreement. The ordinary business of bedtime blocked further tears. Jin expected Mina found the consulate house stranger than he did. He'd slept in parks, after all, and in all sorts of odd crannies