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even, in addition), Pierre could have been related to Dorca's father, who might have been a Vorrutyer, since Dorca inherited through his mother, and thus she was a Vorbarra. Any of these possibilities make Miles's second connection with Yuri's line less direct than his first, but if the connection with Yuri's line that we want is actually to a Vorrutyer madman, then this can do it. With the Vorrutyer penchant for marrying their daughters to powerful families, sometimes several generations in a row, the deleterious effects of cousin marriages alone should have made many of the "best" families somewhat barmy even without a specific tendency to madness.

Since Mad Yuri did not count Piotr as a Vorbarra descendant, these links through Piotr Pierre to the Vorrutyers meet the need to get to the "mad" part of Yuri's inheritance without getting to the Imperial part. Miles certainly has two separate links if one link is through his grandfather Piotr, and the other is through his great-grandfather Xav. Let us not quibble about whether this is really "Yuri's line," since the real worry is in inheriting Yuri's madness. "Yuri's line" is a reasonable shorthand for the blood that resulted in Yuri's madness.

In The Vor Game Miles mentions six factions on the succession issue, although it is not clear whether or not he is making them up for Cavilo's benefit. The old list was: Vorkosigan, Vorpatril, Vortaine, Vordrozda, Vordarian. This is only five and it is not clear that all actually have surviving claimants. It is also possible that Lord Vortaine's daughter, said to be in her fifties in The Warrior's Apprentice, did marry and have children, providing a continuing Vortaine-derived line. Yes, this is rather late, but my great-grandmother had her last child at fifty-two and some women continue to be fertile even later. Vordrozda could have had brothers or sisters and continuing lines through them. Just because no one is mentioned as linked to Vordarian does not mean that the line of descent he based his claim on has to have ended with his death.

But who would be the sixth? Given the many connections of the Vorrutyers to the Vorbarras, there could be a Vorrutyer claim. There could still be descendants of not only the "true Vorbarras" Dorca supplanted (besides Ezar and his heir, Gregor), but also of who knows how many Vorbarras supplanted in the same way even earlier in Barrayar's turbulent history. Thus there is little problem coming up with six factions. It is more of a question of whom to leave out of the list: Vorkosigan, Vorpatril, Vordarian, Vortaine, Vordrozda, Vorrutyer, and "true" Vorbarra.

This doesn't include the possibility that someone thought to be dead might be alive, or that someone thought to have died unmarried and without issue might have secretly married and had legitimate issue. Nor is it impossible that illegitimate issue might make a claim, too. The Barrayarans have not progressed to the complete and certain census of citizens that Beta Colony has, and there could be more than just a few hiding out from past wars or from sweeps such as Yuri's through all rivals. They could also be patriotically, for the good of Barrayar, refraining from upsetting what appears to be a reasonable order. Ezar's father could probably have made a claim when Dorca seized the Imperium, but did not. He could have had many possible reasons for refraining—such as being only seven years old, for instance. Finally, they might be as nutty as fruitcakes, true to their Vorrutyer heritage, and not know that the Imperium could be theirs. What a wealth of opportunity!

Can't you just see it? Somewhere, some father is passing on the True Talisman of the Vorbarras so that, should the Imperium falter, his son can present this talisman to make his claim. Meanwhile, he is to cultivate his skills and knowledge, practice virtue, and support order. Oh yes, and when the time comes, pass on this duty to his sons.

—Suford Lewis

THE END

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The Vorkosigan Companion

Table of Contents

PREFACE

CREATOR