Captain Vorpatril's Plotbunnies (2)

[bracketyjack]

II
“I should mention, in a personal communication I received from the Viceroy of Sergyar last night, Aral says he doesn’t remember ever ordering anyone to blow up Vordarian’s ImpSec building. Such a decision ought to have made it up to his level, he said, but in the confusion of the times, it’s perfectly possible it didn’t. And, ah, a few other

Comments

[rymenhild]

I think my favorite part about this one is Laisa being the competent business executive onscreen. Of course it would occur to her to get Mark and Kareen to invest in Cockroach Central.

[bracketyjack]

I thought so, and the glimpse of a business sensibility amid the imperial heartland seemed interesting too. Plus I like showing her growing into her unexpected job as empress.

The contents of the bunker were fun to enumerate as well, and left me thinking. Fine art on Barrayar? With the Franco-Russian heritage there must have been a fair dose of painting genes, and while I'm sure there's a lot of turgidly romantic art (The Maiden of the Lake and what not) there could be some amazing stuff as well. Daring modern renditions of 'Lady Vorkosigan Goes Shopping', 'Lord Vorkosigan Receives a Proposal', and who knows what, as well as a nice line in imperial and countly swagger portraits.

[bracketyjack]

Yes, I had fun with that catalogue, and it prompted some thoughts about Barrayaran fine art. Vorsamos is clearly a sort of Turner. Vorpicasso, anyone? The mind boggles ...

[countrycousin]

More later. But:
“This may make things clearer. Or not. It’s public footage of what I have just had the … undeniably pleasurable terror of witnessing. In the company of Simon, who so far as I can tell has screwed up but good, as well as Alys, a very muddy Ivan Xav, and the new Lady Vorpatril.” His face took on a look Cordelia had never seen, combining glee, rage, and exasperation. “Enjoy.”

Oh, I love that sequence. undeniably pleasurable terror . Were you influenced by your work on FFoG? Back to reading.

[countrycousin]

inhumation On this side of the pond, I have a pretty good working vocabulary. Didn't include this. You're as much fun to read as Nero Wolfe! :-)

[bracketyjack]

Always glad to add a word to someone's vocabulary. Exhume is better known, of course, and we tend to say inter rather than inhume, but you do find inhumation in archaeology.

[countrycousin]

stifle what could only be hysterical giggles.
[chuckle]

military terms

[anonymous]

(very belated -- referred here by the Tor discussion of CVA.) According to SFF author James D>Macdonald, there is one step beyond clusterfuck: the goat-roping -- a mess so bad you can be sure nobody is having any fun. I suppose CVAis just a clusterfuck because people at least enjoy watching Cockroach Central descend like a demon in a panto. (Barrayar has an English component; they must have pantos somewhere.) All four of these offstage bits are fun, but this one's a gem.

Re: military terms

[bracketyjack]

Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the info about goat-roping -- the military are nothing if not inventive when it comes to slang.

Can't think of many pantos with demons as such -- Aladdin, maybe, but that's a djinn. You did get demons in old church-plays though, and the figure dubbed the Vice, of which Barrayar has several at least. And Miles has that penchant for Shakespeare's Richard Crookback, a direct descendant of those Vices ...

Thanks for the comment.