It's midmorning, December 26th. The day after Christmas. Known in some times and places as the Feast of Stephen.

Dressed again in her travel-stained Vor gown, Cordelia lingers awkwardly in the Davies living room. It's a strange leavetaking: she has nothing to pack, and almost nobody to say goodbye to.

Will should be here shortly.

There's a brief, blurred impression of the stone statue's hand and the curve of its wing, too close, much too close --

-- and everything whirls and ( turns inside out... )

[After this.]Cordelia's not sure how long it takes her to get the shaking under control, or at least tamped down to a trembling in her gut and a slight unsteadiness of the hands. Long enough that when she finally rises to start putting things away, the burned-down incense stick is cold to the touch ( Read more... )

She hasn't been avoiding Milliways, exactly. Really she hasn't.

But with Aral's injury last month, she's been busier than usual. She's been handling her own work, along with as much of Aral's work as he'll let her do. Over half; and the fact that he hasn't fought harder to do more of it is truly frightening, if she lets herself think about it ( Read more... )

They did not bring Aral to the hospital; the galatic medical technology available on Sergyar is so compact and portable that, as with the mystery plague last year, it was easier to bring the hospital to him. The unspoken assumption behind it is what hurts. His own bed might be better than unfamiliar surroundings, is what nobody says. The fall ( Read more... )

Day #2: Will, Moiraine

*She comes walking briskly out of the access corridor, and stumbles and nearly falls as the Compulsion releases her ( Read more... )

Count Aral Vorkosigan, Viceroy of Sergyar, scanned the flimsy the aide handed him and set down his coffee mug with a deep and profound sigh of relief ( Read more... )

CALIBAN: Be not afeared. The isle is full of noises;
Sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometimes voices
That, if I then had wak'd after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again...

*The thought of sleeping again is much less enticing than it has been lately ( Read more... )

*The sores are beginning to scab over, and the fever's stayed down for most of the day. And she is beginning to feel hungry, for the first time in more days than she can remember. Maybe when Peter comes back she'll ask for something more substantial than broth and juice ( Read more... )