lmb.shardsofhonor-第52部分

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Prime　Minister　tell　you　my　purpose？〃
　〃Something　about　a　post。　I　told　him　I　wasn't　interested；　but　he　refused　to　convey　the　message。〃
　Vorbarra　closed　his　eyes　wearily　and　addressed；　apparently；　the　ceiling。　〃Tell　me…Lord　Vorkosigan…who　should　be　Regent　of　Barrayar？〃
　Vorkosigan　looked　as　if　he'd　just　bitten　into　something　vile；　but　was　too　polite　to　spit　it　out。　〃Vortala。〃
　〃Too　old。　He'd　never　last　sixteen　years。〃
　〃The　Princess；　then。〃
　〃The　General　Staff　would　eat　her　alive。〃
　〃Vordarian？〃
　The　Emperor's　eyes　snapped　open。　〃Oh；　for　God's　sake！　Gather　your　wits；　boy。〃
　〃He　does　have　some　military　background。〃
　〃We　will　discuss　his　drawbacks　at　length…if　the　doctors　give　me　another　week　to　live。　Have　you　any　other　jokes；　before　we　get　down　to　business？〃
　〃Quintillan　of　the　Interior。　And　that　is　not　a　joke。〃
　The　Emperor　grinned　yellowly。　〃So　you　do　have　something　good　to　say　for　my　Ministers　after　all。　I　may　die　now；　I've　heard　everything。〃
　〃You'd　never　get　a　vote　of　consent　out　of　the　Counts　for　anyone　without　a　Vor　in　front　of　his　name；〃　said　Vortala。　〃Not　even　if　he　walked　on　water。〃
　〃So；　make　him　one。　Give　him　a　rank　to　go　with　the　job。〃
　〃Vorkosigan；〃　said　Vortala；　aghast；　〃he's　not　of　the　warrior　caste！〃
　〃Neither　are　many　of　our　best　soldiers。　We're　only　Vor　because　some　dead　Emperor　declared　one　of　our　dead　ancestors　so。　Why　not　start　the　custom　up　again；　as　a　reward　for　merit？　Better　yet；　declare　everybody　a　Vor　and　be　done　with　the　whole　bloody　nonsense　forever。〃
　The　Emperor　laughed；　then　choked　and　coughed；　sputtering。　〃Wouldn't　that　pull　the　rug　out　from　under　the　People's　Defense　League？　What　an　attractive　counterproposal　to　assassinating　the　aristocracy！　I　don't　believe　the　most　wild…eyed　of　them　could　e　up　with　a　more　radical　proposal。　You're　a　dangerous　man；　Lord　Vorkosigan。〃
　〃You　asked　for　my　opinion。〃
　〃Yes；　indeed。　And　you　always　give　it　to　me。　Strange。〃　The　Emperor　sighed。　〃You　can　quit　wriggling；　Aral。　You　shall　not　wriggle　out　of　this。
　〃Allow　me　to　put　it　in　a　capsule。　What　the　Regency　requires　is　a　man　of　impeccable　rank；　no　more　than　middle…aged；　with　a　strong　military　background。　He　should　be　popular　with　his　officers　and　men；　well…known　to　the　public；　and　above　all　respected　by　the　General　Staff。　Ruthless　enough　to　hold　near…absolute　power　in　this　madhouse　for　sixteen　years；　and　honest　enough　to　hand　over　that　power　at　the　end　of　those　sixteen　years　to　a　boy　who　will　no　doubt　be　an　idiot…I　was；　at　that　age；　and　as　I　recall；　so　were　you…and；　oh　yes；　happily　married。　Reduces　the　temptation　of　being　bedroom　Emperor　via　the　Princess。　In　short；　yourself。〃
　Vortala　grinned。　Vorkosigan　frowned。　Cordelia's　stomach　sank。
　〃Oh；　no；〃　said　Vorkosigan　whitely。　〃You're　not　going　to　lay　that　thing　on　me。　It's　grotesque。　Me；　of　all　men；　to　step　into　his　father's　shoes；　speak　to　him　with　his　father's　voice；　bee　his　mother's　advisor…it's　worse　than　grotesque。　It's　obscene。　No。〃
　Vortala　looked　puzzled　at　his　vehemence。　〃A　little　decent　reticence　is　one　thing；　Aral；　but　let's　not　go　overboard。　If　you're　worried　about　the　vote；　it's　already　bagged。　Everyone　can　see　you're　the　man　of　the　hour。〃
　〃Everyone　most　certainly　will　not。　Vordarian　will　bee　my　instant　enemy；　and　so　will　the　Minister　of　the　West。　And　as　for　absolute　power；　you　sir；　know　what　a　false　chimera　that　notion　is。　A　shaky　illusion；　based　on…God　knows　what。　Magic。　Sleight　of　hand。　Believing　your　own　propaganda。〃
　The　Emperor　shrugged；　carefully；　cautious　of　dislodging　his　tubing。　〃Well；　it　won't　be　my　problem。　It　will　be　Prince　Gregor's；　and　his　mother's。　And　that　of…whatever　individual　can　be　persuaded　to　stand　by　them；　in　their　hour　of　need。　How　long　do　you　think　they　could　last；　without　help？　One　year？　Two？〃
　〃Six　months；〃　muttered　Vortala。
　Vorkosigan　shook　his　head。　〃You　pinned　me　with　that　'what　if'　argument　before　Escobar。　It　was　false　then…although　it　took　me　some　time　to　realize　it…and　it's　false　now。〃
　〃Not　false；〃　the　Emperor　denied。　〃Either　then　or　now。　I　must　so　believe。〃
　Vorkosigan　yielded　a　little。　〃Yes。　I　can　see　that　you　must。〃　His　face　tensed　in　frustration；　as　he　contemplated　the　man　in　the　bed。　〃Why　must　it　be　me？　Vortala　has　more　political　acuity。　The　Princess　has　a　better　right。　Quintillan　has　a　better　grasp　of　internal　affairs。　You　even　have　better　military　strategists。　Vorlakial。　Or　Kanzian。〃
　〃You　can't　name　a　third；　though；〃　murmured　the　Emperor。
　〃Well…perhaps　not。　But　you　must　see　my　point。　I　am　not　the　irreplaceable　man　which　for　some　reason　you　choose　to　imagine　me。〃
　〃On　the　contrary。　You　have　two　unique　advantages；　from　my　point　of　view。　I　have　kept　them　in　mind　from　the　day　we　killed　old　Yuri。　I　always　knew　I　wouldn't　live　forever…too　many　latent　poisons　in　my　chromosomes；　absorbed　when　I　was　fighting　the　Cetagandans　as　your　father's　military　apprentice；　and　careless　about　my　clean　techniques；　not　expecting　to　live　to　grow　old。〃　The　Emperor　smiled　again；　and　focused　on　Cordelia's　intent；　uncertain　face。　〃Of　the　five　men　with　a　better　right　by　blood　and　law　to　the　Imperium　of　Barrayar　than　mine；　your　name　heads　the　list。　Ha…〃　he　added；　〃I　was　right。　Didn't　think　you'd　told　her　that。　Tricky；　Aral。〃
　Cordelia；　faint；　turned　wide　grey　eyes　to　Vorkosigan。　He　shook　his　head　irritably；　〃Not　true。　Salic　descent。〃
　〃A　debate　we　shall　not　continue　here。　Be　that　as　it　may；　anyone　who　wishes　to　dislodge　Prince　Gregor　using　argument　based　on　blood　and　law　must　first　either　get　rid　of　you；　or　offer　you　the　Imperium。　We　all　know　how　hard　you　are　to　kill。　And　you　are　the　one　man…the　only　man　on　that　list　who　I　am　absolutely　certain；　by　the　scattered　remains　of　Yuri　Vorbarra；　truly　does　not　wish　to　be　Emperor。　Others　may　believe　you　coy。　I　know　better。〃
　〃Thank　you　for　that；　sir。〃　Vorkosigan　looked　extremely　saturnine。
　〃As　an　inducement；　I　point　out　that　you　can　be　no　better　placed　to　prevent　that　eventuality　than　as　Regent。　Gregor　is　your　lifeline；　boy。　Gregor　is　all　that　stands　between　you；　and　being　targeted。　Your　hope　of　heaven。〃
　Count　Vortala　turned　to　Cordelia。　〃Lady　Vorkosigan。　Won't　you　lend　us　your　vote？　You　seem　to　have　e　to　know　him　very　well。　Tell　him　he's　the　man　for　the　job。〃
　〃When　we　came　up　here；〃　said　Cordelia　slowly；　〃with　this　vague　talk　of　a　post；　I　thought　I　might　urge　him　to　take　it　up。　He　needs　work。　He's　made　for　it。　I　confess　I　wasn't　anticipating　that　offer。〃　She　stared　at　the　Emperor's　embroidered　bedspread；　caught　by　its　intricate　patterns　and　colors。　〃But　I've　always　thought…tests　are　a　gift。　And　great　tests　are　a　great　gift。　To　fail　the　test　is　a　misfortune。　But　to　refuse　the　test　is　to　refuse　the　gift；　and　something　worse；　more　irrevocable；　than　misfortune。　Do　you　understand　what　I'm　saying？〃
　〃No；〃　said　Vortala。
　〃Yes；〃　said　Vorkosigan。
　〃I've　always　felt　that　theists　were　more　ruthless　than　atheists；〃　said　Ezar　Vorbarra。
　〃If　you　think　it's　really　wrong；〃　said　Cordelia　to　Vorkosigan；　〃that's　one　thing。　Maybe　that's　the　test。　But　if　it's　only　fear　of　failure…you　have　not　the　right　to　refuse　the　gift　for　that。〃
　〃It's　an　impossible　job。〃
　〃That　happens；　sometimes。〃
　He　took　her　aside；　quietly；　to　the　tall　windows。　〃Cordelia…you　have　not　the　first　conception　of　what　kind　of　life　it　would　be。　Did　you　think　our　public　men　surrounded　themselves　with　liveried　retainers　for　decoration？　If　they　have　a　moment's　ease；　it　is　at　the　cost　of　twenty　men's　vigilance。　No　separate　peace　permitted。　Three　generations　of　Emperors　have　spent　themselves　trying　to　untangle　the　violence　in　our　affairs；　and　we're　still　not　e　to　the　end　of　it。　I　haven't　the　hubris　to　think　I　can　succeed　where　he　failed。〃　His　eyes　flicked　in　the　direction　of　the　great　bed。
　Cordelia　shook　her　head。　〃Failure　doesn't　frighten　me　as　much　as　it　used　to。　But　I'll　quote　you　a　quote；　if　you　like。　'Exile；　for　no　other　motive　than　ease；　would　be　the　last　defeat；　with　no　seed　of　future　victory　in　it。'　I　thought　the　man　who　said　that　was　on　to　something。〃
　Vorkosigan　turned　his　head；　to　some　unfocused　distance。　〃It's　not　the　desire　for　ease　I'm　talking　about　now。　It's　fear。　Simple；　squalid　terror。〃　He　smiled　ruefully　at　her。　〃You　know；　I　fancied　myself　quite　a　bravo　on