fermata

[isthisart]

Linya sees Dr. Cheung onto a ship other than the Ariel, which agrees to tote him to Komarr very, very slowly, knocking him out for each jump and having someone look after him when he comes around green in the gills. It's not going to be a fun trip for him, but it's better than trying to collaborate with a multi-week conversational turnaround time. It's pricey - the ship has nonperishable cargo with no deadline at its destination and already employs a medtech, but still - but she thinks it's worth it.

Her business on Earth concluded, she examines the list of tourist attractions she didn't get around to, determines that none of them are worth sticking around for, and gets on a much faster vessel and goes all the way home. The first thing she does when there is go looking for whichever of the Count or Countess is easiest to find.

Comments

[on_my_word]

Linya's father-in-law may be found in the library, reading the local news.

[isthisart]

Linya knocks on the doorframe to announce her presence.

[on_my_word]

"Welcome home," he says, looking up.

[isthisart]

"Thank you. I've just told Cordelia about the business with Miles's clone. How much do you already know? And," pen woggle, "there's a copy for you of the baseline medical scan that will tell you the difference if you're unsure."

[on_my_word]

"I know there was some business with a clone, and Illyan is quietly tearing his hair out over it."

[isthisart]

"We've been calling the clone Mark, which he will answer to when he is not pretending to be Miles. It was part of a Komarran plot to replace Miles and wreak various havoc. Mark is currently wandering wherever he may please with a pocketful of cash and the principal plotter deceased and has been informed that he is welcome here if ever he wishes to show up."

[on_my_word]

"Well. All right."

[isthisart]

"So if you see me pointing a medical scanner at Miles every time he wanders out of sight for ten or more seconds, that's why, I was fooled for about five minutes."

[on_my_word]

"I... see."

[isthisart]

"Any questions?"

[on_my_word]

"Do you not think 'every time he wanders out of sight for ten or more seconds' is... a little excessive?"

[isthisart]

"It doesn't take very long and I am not willing to make the mistake again. I will probably scale it back to spot checks after a long string of matching results, and stop entirely if I find out that Mark has taken up some sort of stable occupation somewhere."

[on_my_word]

"What qualifies as a stable occupation?"

[isthisart]

"I didn't have anything specific in mind. If he figures out how to be Mark I will simply be less paranoid that he will decide to put Miles on like a coat again one day."

[on_my_word]

"Hmm. I see what you mean."

[isthisart]

"And he knows what his tells are - with me, with Ivan, I suppose there could be other gaps if he impersonates Miles to you or Cordelia - and could train them away if he were determined to do it, so. Scanner."

[on_my_word]

"Yes."

[isthisart]

She shrugs. "Questions?"

[on_my_word]

"...How was Miles, last you saw him?"

[isthisart]

"Pleased about not being arrested," she says. "Less pleased that he had to ship out immediately after the dust settled, but - stable by Miles standards."

[on_my_word]

"That's something of a relief. Thank you."

[isthisart]

"You're welcome."

Linya settles back into the routine of life-at-home-while-Miles-is-gone. She plays the piano. She works on Little Aral Adri. She calls Ekaterin to make plans for later in the week. She updates the pen manufacturers about projected demand from Earth sellers. She talks to Tsipis. She eats an extremely large bowl of groats for breakfast the first morning after her touchdown, and spends a few hours scanning the university course catalog and writing emails to the professors associated with various classes, and puts out a job ad for someone to go to Komarr to meet Dr. Cheung and help settle him in while he will no doubt still be woozy from the trip. And then it is about lunchtime, and Captain Illyan is expected.

[as_i_remember]

He arrives precisely on time, and sits down to lunch with Linya - Aral and Cordelia have, at his request, made other plans.

"Lady Vorkosigan. How was your trip?"

[isthisart]

"Most of it was pleasant. The unpleasant part was very much so, alas."

[as_i_remember]

"I have heard... some things. I would like to hear more things," says Captain Illyan.