The Great and Secret Knowledge
In this episode, Sofia B returns to talk about chapters 6 and 7 of Lois McMaster Bujold's science fiction masterpiece, The Vor Game, featuring our favorite young hero, Miles Vorkosigan!
The Vor Game, Chapters 6 and 7 with Sofia B
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Extended Notes
its autumn in Vorbarr Sultana
earth import trees
"Miles glimpsed one such tree. An Earth maple, with carnelian leaves and a silver-gray trunk, across the street. Then the door closed. Miles held that tree before his mind’s eye, trying to memorize it, just in case he never saw it again."
hes taken upstairs in impsec to see the boss, Simon Illyan
Overhult is unsure about leaving Miles alone with Simon
Simon is unconcerned
Miles looks like absolute shit
Simon looks him over
it gives Miles some deja vu
this is an easter egg for those whove read the warriors apprentice
People fear Illyan, but a lot of that is the office
hes been in the job20 years
screwed up during the soltoxin attack
illyan is only afraid of Miles's mom
apparently because of "vivid first impressions"
impressions plural?
Miles used to call him Uncle Simon. now its sir
Simon looks utterly exhausted
"them. The facts appear to be mutating every forty minutes, like bacteria. I don’t suppose you could have picked some more public way to self-destruct? Attempted to assassinate the Emperor with your pocketknife during the Birthday Review, say, or raped a sheep in the Great Square during rush hour?”"
he doesnt understand how Miles could have betrayed his father like this
Miles doesnt think he really did
Count V and aide walk in
Miles is jealous of how brilliant respected tall and handsome Jole is (Vs aide)
"Jole was even worse than Ivan, who while darkly handsome had never been accused of brilliance."
Simon turns off recording equipment
his father hugs him - its quite touching
Miles explains the incident
CV is fiddling with a light pen
Miles is annoyed by this
CV must notice his reaction because he puts it away
this shows he is cognizant of his actions and doesnt want to annoy his subordinates (or his son)
what a contrast with Metzov
CV is furious that Metzov dragooned trainees for the firing squad
"General Metzov, by your account,” said Admiral Vorkosigan, “dragged a platoon of eighteen-year-olds into what came within a hair of being a mass torture-murder.”
Miles nodded in memory. His body still twinged with assorted agonies.
“For that sin, there is no hole deep enough to hide him from my wrath. Metzov will be taken care of, all right.”"
Miles explains that half the techs were Greekies
Illyan is stunned to see that Metzov had no concern for the fallout
Miles says he thought itd be a problem, but he wasnt conscious of it until after the fact
but that doesnt stop him from spinning
"It . . . occurred to me, that if I died with them, at least it would be crystal clear that it hadn’t been some plot of your government or the Vor oligarchy. So that if I lived, I won, and if I died, I won too. Or at least served. Strategy, of sorts.”"
Miles asks if he'll be charged with treason
Illyan says no, but mentions its the second time...
he plans to hide M until it blows over
Miles asks for mercy for the mutineers, since they were in it together
CV explains that if he lets them off, Miles's career will be ruined
"Miles exhaled, a long breath. “In a weird sense, they were my men. Do it. Kill the charges.”
“Will you resign your commission, then?” demanded Illyan. He looked sick.
Miles felt sick, nauseous and cold. “I will.”"
Illyan asks how Miles knew about Metzovs actions during the Komarr revolt
M explains that he and Ivan did it
hes annoyed that Ivan didnt tell Illyan
Miles is trippin so he sits down cross legged
his dad thinks about helping but doesnt
he recommends they fast-penta Ahn
Miles explains how he and Ivan did the research
CV almost laughs
"Airtight security, you said,” murmured Count Vorkosigan, unsuccessfully suppressing a wheezing laugh. “The most expensive yet devised. Proof against the cleverest viruses, the most sophisticated eavesdropping equipment. And two ensigns waft right through it?”
Goaded, Illyan snapped, “I didn’t promise it was idiot-proof!”"
Illyan is so over Miles's bullshit
"This, on top of your earlier escapade with those damned mercenaries, on top of it all—house arrest isn’t enough. I won’t sleep through the night till I have you locked in a cell with your hands tied behind your back.”"
CV proposes that Illyan bring Miles into ImpSec
Illyan realizes no one will have Miles but himself
"None that I could, in honor, lean on to take him. Excepting yourself. I have always”— Count Vorkosigan flashed a peculiar grin—“leaned on you, Simon.”"
they plan to hide him - true exile but not disgrace
"Security can use his talents. Security more than any other department needs his talents.”
“To see the obvious?”
“And the less obvious. Many officers may be trusted with the Emperor’s life. Rather fewer with his honor.”"
CV suggests Miles go to infirmary
he asks about Kyril Island
"The climate was ferocious, the terrain was lethal, a third of the population including my immediate superior was dead drunk most of the time. The average IQ equaled the mean temperature in degrees cee, there wasn’t a woman for five hundred kilometers in any direction, and the base commander was a homicidal psychotic. Other than that, it was lovely.”"
Miles is surprised to learn CV once commanded the base
"How’d you like it?”
“I can’t remember much. I was drunk most of the time. Everybody finds their own way of dealing with Camp Permafrost. I might say, you did rather better than I."
Miles has one more question
"Miles looked up at his father. “Did I do the right thing, sir? Last night?”
“Yes,” said the Count simply. “A right thing. Perhaps not the best of all possible right things. Three days from now you may think of a cleverer tactic, but you were the man on the ground at the time. I try not to second-guess my field commanders.”
Miles’s heart rose in his aching chest for the first time since he’d left Kyril Island. He nodded, satisfied."
Miles goes downstairs to infirmary
the surgeon seems awed by CV
Miles knows the real CV, the one who came home for lunch every day to spend quality time with his son
"Only Miles knew the interior view of those hours, how the big man in the green uniform would bolt a sandwich in five minutes and then spend the next hour and a half down on the floor with his son who could not walk, playing, talking, reading aloud."
when Miles didnt want to do PT, CV would spur him forward
"'You are Vor. You must not frighten your liege people with this show of uncontrol, Lord Miles.”"
M realizes that with CV in his life, no wonder he wasnt awed by Metzov
He's treated for five days in the infirmary then released
"Why can't I go home?" Miles complained to his mother on her next visit. "Nobody's telling me anything. If I'm not under arrest, why can't I take home leave? If I am under arrest, why aren't the doors locked? I feel like I'm in limbo."
"Countess Cordelia Vorkosigan vented an unladylike snort. "You are in limbo, kiddo."
we get a great description of Lady Vorkosigan
he thinks about how she was a captain on an astronomical survey, an explorer, brave
she moves through Barrayaran society with aplomb
"It was the casual fearlessness, Miles decided, that made his mother so unsettling."
Miles complains about not being let out.
Lady V explains the fallout
annoying bit of unnecessary exposition: "Think of it as a funny reservist." She would know this already
Metzov is getting booted by with no court martial.
Miles is still in limbo tho
the plan is for the Barrayaran militaristss to settle down before letting him out
"It all seems so unreal." He hunched back into his pillow. "I only wanted to serve."
She suggests that he could up Vorness and see the galaxy
he counters with why don't you do that?
"Ah." She smiled bleakly at the touche. "Some people's needs are more compelling than guns."
turns out the Count cant come see him to make it look like he's angry
unnecessary exposition: the thing about Aral's high hopes in Miles around his congenital injuries. clearly they both have talked about this already
"Miles sighed glumly. "I want something to do. I want my clothes back."
Ivan doesnt want Miles's limbo stuck on him (like a button on the episode)
Chapter 7
Miles is led to his protected witnesses apartment
he thinks about being a political nonperson
"Was it possible life in limbo was having a chameleon effect, rendering him translucent?"
he has all his stuff from Kyril Island
he looks around. ordinary stuff
there must be bugs all over
Miles didn't have any neighbors
he wanders around but gets gently directed back to his area
he thinks about rappeling down the outside
Miles gets enough food tokens for a month and shudders
He cleans all his stuff and gets dressed
he pretends he's in a cabin on a starship
Someone comes to his door
its a guard, scanning for whatnot
in comes a man, the emperor gregor vor barra
Miles gestures him to sit
asks if Emperor has bugs running
he says he asked for none but who knows with Illyan
Emperor has wine, the private reserve "elegant anesthesia"
Gregor cant stay too long, but they have time to pound a couple bottles
he references Cordelia's religion - what is it?
Mom put Gregor up to it, even provided the wine
calls it ambrosia
made me wish i could still drink wine
Miles thinks about growing up with Gregor, tho he was five years older than Miles Ivan and Elena
Gregor gives sympathy about Miles's military career
he complains about his dull service
he talks about their forebears, how active they were militarily
Miles says they were flung into situations
Mad Yuri killed most of CVs family
Gregors melancholy, Miles wonders if he's thinking about how bad his father was, or if he even knew the truth about Serg's evil
"Nobody who'd known Serg talked about him, Count Vorkosigan least of all. Miles had met one of Serg's victims. Miles hoped Gregor never would."
Miles asks about Gregor's birthday
Gregor says folks are all trying to get him to marry
Miles is like go for it dude, have a son and settle all this schemery
Gregors like you could be one of the schemers
Miles is like have you seen me? bro i look wack. get married have kids
Gregor ponders running away
Miles does not like where this is going
Gregor asks about the chinese emperor who swept up somewhere
Miles is like no dude youre Vor, you cant wander off
Miles tries to distract by playing tacti-go even though he doesn't want to
Gregor tries to beat Miles. Miles goes easy on him, but not too obviously. Gregors having fun
they drink more
"I don't think I've beaten you at this since you were fourteen," sighed Gregor, concealing secret satisfaction at the low point spread of that last round. "You should be an officer, dammit"
Miles explains that the game isnt analogous to real battle. Miles likes it for not being so chaotic
Gregors like wtf why did they send you there, mentions the time Miles commanded a space fleet
Miles is like chill dude thats a secret
also he didnt prove he could obey, only command
Gregor says he doesnt know why Illyan didnt do more with them
he likes that Miles brought them secretly into Barrayar's service
Miles thinks Illyan took the deal to keep them from working for Barrayar's enemies
explains their size and function
Miles sort of tells the story of sneaking in and tricking them all into serving him
he thinks about how wild it was
hes not fond of heights? how has this not come up
Gregor ass ghow Kyril Island compared to battle with the Dendarii?
"Oh, there were certain parallels," Miles admitted. "Both were jobs I wasn't trained for, both were potentially lethal, I got out of both by my skin - lost some skin. The Dendarii episode was....worse."
Miles should have put on tunes, the silence is oppressive
Miles asks Gregor to get him out
Gregor admits that he feels compelled to do what Illyan and Vorkosigan suggest he do
Illyan wants him kept out of sight so thats that
"How much time? Dammit, if I don't get something to do soon, I'm going to be the first case of human spontaneous combustion recorded on vid."
they still havent proven that that is a thing, hilarious
Miles is way drunk now, says they're treating him like a mascot
Gregor knocks over a stack of chips
"Being a mascot isn't bad work, if you can get it." He promises to talk to Illyan about it
Miles gets a job! He's administrative assistant to the guard commander for the building
he's there a month and so over it
he wonders if he'll get out before Winterfair
another month
he starts to watch every training vid in the library
gets halfway before being called to Illyan's office
There he meets his superior, Captain Ungari
specialist in military evaluation
Illyan surprises Miles to report any news on the Dendarii Mercenaries
he only got a bday message from Elena
Simon puts up a holodisplay of wormholes, tells Miles to evaluate the scenario
Miles proves he's got the goods to analyze the data and complete an assessment
this also introduces us to the locations the story will be taking us, a bit of table setting
that ends in a reminder of whats up with Cetaganda
Simon explains their focus
"Wormhole strategy. The devil’s cat’s cradle,” Illyan muttered editorially. He squinted at his glowing schematic. “Four players, one game-board. It ought to be simple. . . ."
theres an arms race developing in the Hegen Hub, planetary governments hiring mercs and building armed jump stations and the like
the Dendarii have been contracted by Aslund to cover while they build a station
we learn that the Dendarii have changed their name back to the Osserin Fleet
Vervain hired someone called Randall's Rangers
Illyan moves on to Cetaganda
he suggests that Pol might react badly to learning Barrayar and the Dendarii have a link
they might turn to Cetaganda
Illyan wants information
"Illyan, generally, wanted information with the same passion that a strung-out juba freak craved a spike. He turned now to Ungari. “So what do you think, Captain? Will he do?”"
"He’s more physically conspicuous than I’d realized.”
“As camouflage, that’s not necessarily a disadvantage. In his company you ought to be nearly invisible. The stalking goat and the hunter.”"
turns out CV thinks they should send Miles out to ascertain info on the Dendarii and the situation in general
asks if Miles could be Naismith again
"To activate that suppressed persona again . . . It wasn’t just a part, Illyan. “I could play Naismith again, sure. It’s stopping playing Naismith that scares me.”"
Miles is freaking out inside but keeping cool
Illyan sends him out to be on hand if they need him to take control of the Dendarii
money to bribe them away from the Hub
Hell be Naismith, keeping it cool
"You will, of course, obey Captain Ungari’s orders. That goes without saying.” Illyan’s direct stare was chill as a Kyril Island midnight.
Miles smiled dutifully, to show he took the hint. I’ll be good, sir—let me off-planet! From ghost to goat—was this a promotion."