The Vorrutyers are a great many things. Few of them savory in our last few generations. [There's a delicate way one can curl their lip to such an extent and not put a dent in one's lipstick. It takes skill. Or perhaps, practice.] Hypocritical is not one of them, at least.

[That's always been Vorkosigan soil.]

If Pierre can keep from doing anything too exciting in the next month, we'll be putting forth our plan in the early spring meeting. Do we have an alliance?

[She holds out her hand, wrist up, fingernails glittering in the garden's lamps.]