Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga, #7) QUOTES

21 " Where do you think the term ‘count’ came from, anyway?” “Earth, I thought. A pre-atomic—late Roman, actually—term for a nobleman who ran a county. Or maybe the district was named after the rank.” “On Barrayar, it is in fact a contraction of the term ‘accountant.’ The first ’counts were Varadar Tau’s—an amazing bandit, you should read up on him sometime—Varadar Tau’s tax collectors.” “All this time I thought it was a military rank! Aping medieval history.” “Oh, the military part came immediately thereafter, the first time the old goons tried to shake down somebody who didn’t want to contribute. The rank acquired more glamour later. "

― Lois McMaster Bujold , Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga, #7)

23 " Divide the infinite future into five-minute blocks, and take them one by one. "

― Lois McMaster Bujold , Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga, #7)

25 " Cordelia – “Why so rough?”
Aral – “It’s very poor. It was the town center during the time Isolation. And it hasn’t been touched by renovation, minimal water, no electricity choked with refuse.”
“Mostly human,” added Peoter tartly.
“Poor?” Asked Cordelia bewildered. “No electricity? How can it be on the comm network?”
“It’s not of course,” answered Vorkosigan.
“Then how can anyone get their schooling?” Cordelia
“They don’t.”
Cordelia stared. “I don’t understand, how do they get their jobs?”
“A few escape to the service, the rest prey on each other mostly.” Vorkosigan regarded her face uneasily. “Have you no poverty on Beta colony?”
“Poverty? Well some people have more money than others, but no comm consuls…?”
Vorkosigan was diverted from his interrogation. “Is not owning a comm consul the lowest standard of living you can imagine?” He said in wonder.
“It’s the first article in the constitution! ‘Access to information shall not be abridged.’”
“Cordelia, these people barely have access to food, clothing and shelter. They have a few rags and cooking pots and squat in buildings that aren’t economical to repair or tear down yet with the wind whistling through the walls.”
“No air conditioning?”
“No heat in the winter is a bigger problem here.”
“I suppose so. You people don’t really have summer. How do they call for help when they are sick or hurt?”
“What help?” Vorkosigan was growing grim. “If they’re sick they either get well or die.”
“Die if we’re lucking” muttered Veoter.
“You’re not joking.” She stared back and forth between the pair of them. “Why, think of all the geniuses you must missing!”
“I doubt we must be missing very many from the Caravanceri.” Said Peoter dryly.
“Why not? They have the same genetic compliment as you.” Cordelia pointed out the – to her -obvious.
The Count went rigid. “My dear girl, they most certainly do not. My family has been Vor for nine generations.”
Cordelia raised her eyebrows. “How do you know if you didn’t have the gene-typing until 80 years ago?”
Both the guard commander and the footman were acquiring peculiar stuffed expressions. The footman bit his lip.
“Besides,” she pointed out reasonably, “If you Vor got around half as much as those histories I’ve been reading imply. 90% of the people on this planet must have Vor blood by now. Who knows who your relatives are on your father’s side.
Vorkosigan bit his napkin absently. His eyes gone crinkly with much the same expression as the footman and muttered, “Cordelia, you really can’t sit at the breakfast table and imply my ancestors were bastards. It’s a mortal insult here.”
“Where should I sit? Oh I’ll never understand. "

― Lois McMaster Bujold , Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga, #7)

27 " I am oath-sworn armsman to Count Piotr,” Bothari recited the obvious. He was watching her closely now, a weird smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. “Let me rephrase that. I know the official penalties for an armsman going AWOL are fearsome. But suppose—” “Milady.” He held up a hand; she paused in mid-breath. “Do you remember, back on the front lawn at Vorkosigan Surleau when we were loading Negri’s body into the lightflyer, when my Lord Regent told me to obey your voice as his own?” Cordelia’s brows went up. “Yes . . . ?” “He never countermanded that order. "

― Lois McMaster Bujold , Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga, #7)

29 " The base doctor had no charts; Cordelia’s medical records were of course all behind enemy lines in Vorbarr Sultana at present. He shook his head and keyed up a new form on his report panel. “I’m sorry, Lady Vorkosigan. We’ll simply have to begin at the beginning. Please bear with me. Do I understand correctly you’ve had some sort of female trouble?” No, most of my troubles have been with males. Cordelia bit her tongue. "

― Lois McMaster Bujold , Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga, #7)

31 " Desperately, Cordelia stuck her foot through the whatchamacallit foot-holder, stirrup, grabbed, and heaved. The saddle slid slowly around the horse’s belly, and Cordelia with it, till she was clinging underneath among a forest of horse legs. She fell to the ground with a thump and scrambled out of the way. The horse twisted its neck around and peered at her, in a dismay much milder than her own, then stuck its rubbery lips to the ground and began nibbling up weeds. "

― Lois McMaster Bujold , Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga, #7)

33 " truth,” she said in a burst of candor, “I’m not sure I’d want to give custody of a pet cat to Bothari. Doesn’t he strike you as a bit strange?” “Aral and I are keeping an eye on things. Bothari’s doing very well so far, I think. He found Mistress Hysopi on his own, and is making sure she gets everything she needs. Has Bothari—that is, does Bothari bother you?” Droushnakovi gave Cordelia an are-you-kidding? look. “He’s so big. And ugly. And he . . . mutters to himself, some days. And he’s sick so much, days in a row when he won’t get out of bed, but he doesn’t have a fever or anything. Count Piotr’s armsman-commander thinks he’s malingering.” “He’s not malingering. But I’m glad you "

― Lois McMaster Bujold , Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga, #7)

35 " One corner of his mouth crooked up, then the quirk vanished in a thoughtful pursing of his lips. “He’s bisexual, you know.” He took a delicate sip of his wine. “Yes,” she agreed absently, looking fondly across the room. “Now he’s monogamous.” Vordarian choked, sputtering. "

― Lois McMaster Bujold , Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga, #7)

37 " One of Piotr’s most enormous horses, quite naked of bridle, saddle, halter, or any other handle to grab, was trotting out of the barn. Clinging to its mane like a burr was a dark-haired, dwarfish little boy. Miles’s sharp features shone with a mixture of exaltation and terror. Cordelia nearly fainted. “My imported stallion!” yelped Piotr in horror. "

― Lois McMaster Bujold , Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga, #7)

39 " It made her furious. All Kareen's courage of endurance had given her nothing. Lady Vorpatril's brave and bloody birth-giving was taken for granted, but whack off some idiot's head and you were really somebody, by God--! "

― Lois McMaster Bujold , Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga, #7)