Miles Errant - Lois McMaster Bujold [228]
"I want them to go free. To be set free somewhere safe, where House Bharaputra can't kidnap them back."
"A strange altruism. I can't help wondering, why? Why this whole mission in the first place? What did you hope to gain?"
His mouth opened, but no sound came out. He couldn't answer. He was still clammy, weak and shaking. His head ached blackly, as though draining of blood. He shook his head.
"Peh!" snorted Quinn. "What a loser. What a, a damned anti-Miles. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory."
"Quinn," said Bothari-Jesek quietly. There was a profound reproof in her voice, just in that single word, which Quinn heard and acknowledged with a shrug of her shoulder. "I don't think either one of us knows quite what we have hold of, here," Bothari-Jesek continued. "But I know when I'm out of my depth. However, I know someone who wouldn't be."
"Who?"
"Countess Vorkosigan."
"Hm." Quinn sighed. "That's another thing. Who's going to tell her about—" A downward jerk of her thumb indicated Jackson's Whole, and the fatal events that had just passed there. "And gods help me, if I'm really in command of this outfit now, I'm gonna have to report all this to Simon Illyan." She paused. "Do you want to be in command, Elena? As senior shipmaster present, now that Bel's under quasi-arrest, and all that. I just grabbed 'cause I had to, under fire."
"You're doing fine," said Bothari-Jesek with a small smile. "I'll support you." She added, "You've been more closely involved with intelligence all along, you're the logical choice."
"Yes, I know." Quinn grimaced. "You'll tell the family, if it comes to that?"
"For that," Bothari-Jesek sighed, "I am the logical choice. I'll tell the Countess, yes."
"It's a deal." But they both looked as if they wondered who had the better, or worse, half of it.
"As for the clones," Bothari-Jesek eyed Mark again, "how would you like to earn their freedom?"
"Elena," said Quinn warningly, "don't make promises. We don't know what we're going to have to trade yet, to get out of here. To get—" another gesture downward, "him back."
"No," Mark whispered. "You can't. Can't send them . . . back down there, after all this."
"I traded Phillipi," said Quinn grimly. "I'd trade you in a heartbeat, except that he . . . Do you know why we came downside on this bloody drop mission in the first place?" she demanded.
Wordlessly, he shook his head.
"It was for you, you little shit. The Admiral had a deal half-cut with Baron Bharaputra. We were going to buy out Green Squad for a quarter of a million Betan dollars. It wouldn't have cost much more than the drop mission, counting all the equipment we lost along with Thorne's shuttle. And the lives. But the Baron refused to throw you into the pot. Why he wouldn't sell you, I don't know. You're worthless to everybody else. But Miles wouldn't leave you!"
Mark stared down at his hands, which plucked at each other. He glanced up to see Bothari-Jesek studying him again as if he were some vital cryptogram.
"As the Admiral would not leave his brother," said Bothari-Jesek slowly, "so Mark will not leave the clones. Will you? Eh?"
He would have swallowed, but he'd run out of spit.
"You'll do anything to save them, eh? Anything we ask?"
His mouth opened and closed. It might have been a hollow, soundless yes.
"You'll play the part of the Admiral for us? We'll coach you, of course."
He half-nodded, but managed to blurt out, "What promise—?"
"We'll take all the clones with us when we go. We'll put them down somewhere House Bharaputra can't reach."
"Elena!" objected Quinn.
"I want," he did swallow this time, "I want the Barrayaran woman's word. Your word," he said to Bothari-Jesek.
Quinn sucked on her lower lip, but did not speak. After a long pause, Bothari-Jesek nodded. "All right. You have my word on it. But you give us your total cooperation, understood?"
"Your word as what?"
"Just my word."
" . . . Yes. All right."
Quinn rose and stared down at him. "But is he even fit to play the part right now?"
Bothari-Jesek followed her look. "Not in that condition,