lmb.shardsofhonor-第7章

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was　kneeling　with　his　hand　in　the　stream。　She　quickly　pulled　the　rest　of　them；　and　called　the　Barrayaran　over　to　her　side。
　〃Have　you　got　anything　in　your　kit　that　will　help　this？〃
　〃Only　the　antibiotic。〃　He　handed　her　a　tube；　and　she　smeared　some　on　Dubauer's　face。　It　was　not　really　a　proper　burn　ointment；　but　it　would　have　to　do。　Vorkosigan　stared　at　Dubauer　a　moment；　then　reluctantly　produced　a　small　white　pill。
　〃This　is　a　powerful　analgesic。　I　have　only　four。　It　should　carry　him　through　the　evening。〃
　Cordelia　placed　it　on　the　back　of　Dubauer's　tongue。　It　evidently　tasted　bitter；　for　he　tried　to　spit　it　out；　but　she　caught　it　and　forced　him　to　swallow　it。　In　a　few　minutes　she　was　able　to　get　him　to　his　feet　and　take　him　to　the　campsite　Vorkosigan　chose　overlooking　the　sandy　channel。
　Vorkosigan　meanwhile　made　a　handsome　collection　of　driftwood　for　a　fire。
　〃How　are　you　going　to　light　it？〃　inquired　Cordelia。
　〃When　I　was　a　small　boy；　I　had　to　learn　to　start　a　fire　by　friction；〃　Vorkosigan　reminisced。　〃Military　school　summer　camp。　It　wasn't　easy。　Took　all　afternoon。　e　to　think　of　it；　I　never　did　get　it　started　that　way。　I　lit　it　by　dissecting　a　municator　for　the　power　pack。〃
　He　was　searching　through　his　belt　and　pockets。　〃The　instructor　was　furious。　I　think　it　must　have　been　his　municator。〃
　〃No　chemical　starters？〃　Cordelia　asked；　with　a　nod　to　his　ongoing　inventory　of　his　utility　belt。
　〃It's　assumed　if　you　want　heat；　you　can　fire　your　plasma　arc。〃　He　tapped　his　fingers　on　the　empty　holster。　〃I　have　another　idea。　A　bit　drastic；　but　I　think　it　will　be　effective。　You'd　better　go　sit　with　your　botanist。　This　is　going　to　be　loud。〃
　He　removed　a　useless　plasma　arc　power　cartridge　from　a　row　on　the　back　of　his　belt。
　〃Uh；　oh；〃　said　Cordelia；　moving　away。　〃Won't　that　be　overkill？　And　what　are　you　going　to　do　with　the　crater？　It'll　be　visible　from　the　air　for　kilometers。〃
　〃Do　you　want　to　sit　there　and　rub　two　sticks　together？　I　suppose　I　had　better　do　something　about　the　crater；　though。〃
　He　thought　a　moment；　then　trotted　away　over　the　edge　of　the　little　valley。　Cordelia　sat　down　beside　Dubauer；　putting　an　arm　around　his　shoulders　and　hunching　in　anticipation。
　Vorkosigan　shot　back　over　the　rim　at　a　dead　run；　and　hit　the　ground　rolling。　There　was　a　brilliant　blue…white　flash；　and　a　boom　that　shook　the　ground。　A　large　column　of　smoke；　dust；　and　steam　rose　into　the　air；　and　pebbles；　dirt；　and　bits　of　melted　sand　began　to　patter　down　like　rain　all　around。　Vorkosigan　disappeared　over　the　edge　again；　and　returned　shortly　with　a　fine　flaming　torch。
　Cordelia　went　for　a　peek　at　the　damage。　Vorkosigan　had　placed　the　short…circuited　cartridge　upstream　about　a　hundred　meters；　at　the　outer　edge　of　a　bend　where　the　swift　little　river　curved　away　to　the　east。　The　explosion　had　left　a　spectacular　glass…lined　crater　some　fifteen　meters　wide　and　five　deep　that　was　still　smoking。　As　she　watched；　the　stream　eroded　its　edge　and　poured　in；　billowing　steam。　In　an　hour　it　would　be　scoured　into　a　natural…looking　backwater。
　〃Not　bad；〃　she　murmured　approvingly。　By　the　time　the　fire　burned　down　to　a　bed　of　coals　they　had　cubes　of　dark　red　meat　on　sticks　ready　to　broil。
　〃How　do　you　like　yours？〃　Vorkosigan　asked。　〃Rare？　Medium？〃
　〃I　think　it　had　better　be　well　done；〃　suggested　Cordelia。　〃We　hadn't　pleted　the　parasite　survey　yet。〃
　Vorkosigan　glanced　at　his　cube　with　a　new　dubiousness。　〃Ah。　Quite；〃　he　said　faintly。
　They　cooked　it　thoroughly；　then　sat　by　the　fire　and　tore　into　the　smoking　meat　with　happy　savagery。　Even　Dubauer　managed　to　feed　himself　with　small　chunks。　It　was　gamey　and　tough；　burned　on　the　outside　and　with　a　bitter　undertaste；　but　no　one　suggested　a　side　dish　of　either　oatmeal　or　blue　cheese　dressing。
　Cordelia's　humor　was　touched。　Vorkosigan's　fatigues　were　filthy；　damp；　and　splashed　with　dried　blood　from　hacking　up　their　dinner；　as　were　her　own。　He　had　a　three…day　growth　of　beard；　his　face　glistened　in　the　firelight　with　hexaped　grease；　and　he　reeked　with　dried　sweat。　Barring　the　beard；　she　suspected　she　looked　no　better；　and　she　knew　she　smelled　no　better。　She　found　herself　disquietingly　aware　of　his　body；　muscular；　pact；　wholly　masculine；　stirring　senses　she　thought　she　had　suppressed。　Best　think　of　something　else。。。
　〃From　spaceman　to　caveman　in　three　days；〃　she　meditated　aloud。　〃How　we　imagine　our　civilization　is　in　ourselves；　when　it's　really　in　our　things。〃
　Vorkosigan　glanced　with　a　twisted　smile　at　the　carefully　tended　Dubauer。　〃You　seem　able　to　carry　your　civilization　on　the　inside。〃
　Cordelia　flushed　unfortably；　glad　for　the　camouflaging　firelight。　〃One　does　one's　duty。〃
　〃Some　people　find　their　duty　more　elastic。　Or…were　you　in　love　with　him？〃
　〃With　Dubauer？　Heavens；　no！　I'm　no　cradle　snatcher。　He　was　a　good　kid；　though。　I'd　like　to　get　him　home　to　his　family。〃
　〃Do　you　have　a　family？〃
　〃Sure。　My　mom　and　brother；　back　home　on　Beta　Colony。　My　dad　used　to　be　in　the　Survey　too。〃
　〃Was　he　one　of　those　who　never　came　back？〃
　〃No；　he　died　in　a　shuttleport　accident；　not　ten　kilometers　from　home。　He'd　been　home　on　leave；　and　was　just　reporting　back。〃
　〃My　condolences。〃
　〃Oh；　that　was　years　and　years　ago。〃　Getting　a　little　personal；　isn't　he？　she　thought。　But　it　was　better　than　trying　to　deflect　military　interrogation。　She　hoped　fervently　that　the　subject；　say；　of　the　latest　Betan　equipment　would　not　e　up。　〃How　about　you？　Do　you　have　a　family？〃　It　suddenly　occurred　to　her　that　this　phrase　was　also　a　polite　way　of　asking；　Are　you　married？
　〃My　father　lives。　He　is　Count　Vorkosigan。　My　mother　was　half　Betan；　you　know；〃　he　offered　hesitantly。
　Cordelia　decided　that　if　Vorkosigan；　full　of　military　curtness；　was　formidable；　Vorkosigan　trying　to　make　himself　pleasant　was　truly　terrifying。　But　curiosity　overcame　the　urge　to　cut　the　conversation　short。　〃That's　unusual。　How　did　that　happen？〃
　〃My　maternal　grandfather　was　Prince　Xav　Vorbarra；　the　diplomat。　He　held　the　post　of　ambassador　to　Beta　Colony　for　a　time；　in　his　youth；　before　the　First　Cetagandan　War。　I　believe　my　grandmother　was　in　your　Bureau　for　Interstellar　Trade。〃
　〃Did　you　know　her　well？〃
　〃After　my　mother…died；　and　Yuri　Vorbarra's　Civil　War　was　brought　to　an　end；　I　spent　some　school　vacations　at　the　Prince's　home　in　the　capital。　He　was　at　odds　with　my　father；　though；　before　and　after　that　war；　being　of　different　political　parties。　Xav　was　the　leading　light　of　the　progressives　in　his　day；　and　of　course　my　father　was…is…part　of　the　last　stand　of　the　old　military　aristocracy。〃
　〃Was　your　grandmother　happy　on　Barrayar？〃　Cordelia　estimated　Vorkosigan's　school　days　were　perhaps　thirty　years　ago。
　〃I　don't　think　she　ever　adjusted　pletely　to　our　society。　And　of　course；　Yuri's　War。。。〃　He　trailed　off；　then　began　again。　〃Outsiders…you　Betans　particularly…have　this　odd　vision　of　Barrayar　as　some　monolith；　but　we　are　a　fundamentally　divided　society。　My　government　is　always　fighting　these　centrifugal　tendencies。〃
　Vorkosigan　leaned　forward　and　tossed　another　piece　of　wood　onto　the　fire。　Sparks　cascaded　upward　like　a　stream　of　little　orange　stars　flowing　home　to　the　sky。　Cordelia　felt　a　sharp　longing　to　fly　away　with　them。
　〃What　party　has　your　allegiance？〃　she　asked；　hoping　to　keep　the　conversation　on　a　less　unnervingly　personal　plane。　〃Do　you　stand　with　your　father？〃
　〃While　he　lives。　I　always　wanted　to　be　a　soldier；　and　avoid　all　parties。　I　have　an　aversion　to　politics；　they've　been　death　on　my　family。　But　it's　past　time　someone　took　on　those　damned　bureaucrats　and　their　pet　spies。　They　imagine　they're　the　wave　of　the　future；　but　it's　only　sewage　flowing　downhill。〃
　〃If　you　express　those　opinions　that　forcibly　at　home；　it's　no　wonder　politics　e　looking　for　you。〃　She　poked　at　the　fire　with　a　stick；　freeing　more　sparks　for　their　journey。
　Dubauer；　sedated　by　the　painkiller；　fell　asleep　quickly；　but　Cordelia　lay　long　awake；　replaying　the　disturbing　conversation　in　her　mind。　Still；　what　did　she　care　if　this　Barrayaran　chose　to　run　his　head　into　nooses？　No　reason　for　her　to　get　involved。　None　at　all。　Surely　not。　Even　if　the　shape　of　his　square　strong　hands　was　a　dream　of　power　in　form。。。
　She　awakened　deep　in　the