This took her aback.  Her jaw worked, and she covered her confusion with another swallow of coffee, then grimaced.  "Jin, fetch my medicine out of the cupboard," she commanded.  Jin leapt up, rummaged for the square bottle, and brought it to her.  At her gesture, he also uncapped and poured—scantly, both Miles and, he thought, Suze noted, but she didn't complain as the boy settled once more.  "Cryorevival!  How?"

"Dr. Durona, here, is a noted cryorevival specialist.  If your facilities meet his specs, we'd like to, as it were, rent them."

A long pause.  "How much?" Suze said at last.

"I thought I'd offer you something your money can't buy.  In exchange for letting us revive our, um, patron—and for the discretion, of course—Raven will throw in a top-class revival for any other candidate of your choice."

Suze's jaw unhinged.  She sank back in her chair.  And after a moment breathed, "You devil."

Money would have worked, Miles thought.  But some things worked better.

Suze jerked her head toward Raven.  "Just how good is he?"

For answer, Miles unbuttoned his gray tunic and white shirt.  "This"—his hand traced the spider web of pale scars—"was a needle-grenade, very well aimed, at close range.  Ten years ago.  Raven did my revival."  Assisted at, strictly speaking, but Raven had acquired a decade's more experience and seniority since then.  "I guarantee, as a medical challenge nothing that you have downstairs can compare."

Suze looked away as he buttoned up again.  "Old age," she said, "is slower than a grenade, but a lot more thorough."

"This is unfortunately true," said Raven, "though I may have a few aids for that as well.  What I would suggest is that Madame Suze, here, draw up a list of half a dozen or so candidates, and let me triage them for the maximum chance of medical success.  This should produce the most satisfactory result all round."

"Mm," she said.  Her hand crept up and rubbed her chest, over her heart.  "Hm."

Jin, unable to contain himself any longer, burst out, "Please, Suze-san!  Let them!"

The caterpillar eyebrows climbed.  "What's it to you, boy?"

Jin pressed his lips together and looked imploringly at Miles.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Miles inquired.

Suze was shrewd enough to hesitate a long moment before her curiosity overcame her better judgment.  "Yah."

Miles opened his hand to Jin, who cried, "Miles-san promised to get my mother back!"

Suze's face pinched in horror.  "Oh, and you think you aren't going to draw attention, mister galactic investigator?  Lisa Sato was all about attention!"

"We may draw some eventually, but not to you," Miles said smoothly.  "As soon as her recovery permits, we'll remove her to the Barrayaran consulate and reunite her with both her children.  No link to this place."