WhiteChrys and a number of other cryocorps, shoved into premature responses by these breaking events, were making noises like outraged victims after all, and Miles, smirking, wished Ron Wing all the luck he deserved in his damage control.  Asterzine was all very well for setting a building on fire, but if one wanted to set a world alight . . . well.

Miles hardly needed, he reminded himself for the nth time, to mix in further, above-stairs.  Consul Vorlynkin was doing a fine job of looking out for Barrayar's interests, not to mention those of the Sato family, and Mark was atop affairs from the Durona Clinic end.  Miles had danced uncomfortably close to jeopardizing his primary mission with WhiteChrys on these fascinating side issues with NewEgypt, but given Mark's new enterprise, they might not prove so sidewise after all.  Miles was not above taking credit for accidental foresight; really, none of this would have come to pass if he hadn't gone on poking just a little farther than he'd needed to.  He must be sure to point that out to Gregor.

Ah.  Gregor.  The cover message would go to the emperor's eyes and ears only.  For inspiration, Miles called up a still vid of Gregor in full uniform and his sternest glower, the official pose that Gregor had dubbed the rod up my Imperial butt look.  Alas, it only inspired Miles to want to clown till he made that grave face crack a smile.  No, Gregor had clowns enough in his life.  Starting with about half of the Council of Counts, though they seldom made him smile.

Miles hit record once more, and began with crisp efficiency.

"Good day, Gregor.  As my follow-up note to Vorlynkin's little misguided emergency message last week indicated, suspicions of WhiteChrys chicanery on Komarr have proven correct.  The raw data and my summations are in the main body of my report.  I'm not sure what to do with the bribe.  I'm not going to give it back, but it's not going to be worth what Ron Wing promised, either, which makes dumping it directly onto the Imperial Service Veterans' Hospice a questionable proposition.  But we can deal with that later.  I'll stop at Solstice on my return trip if ImpSec Komarr and the Imperial Councilor want to ask further questions, though really, this should be enough to get them started.

"Oh, and with respect to Vorlynkin, I want a suitable Auditorial commendation to go on his diplomatic department record for exemplary assistance during my visit, or, ah, visitation.  And after, as I'm running away tomorrow and dumping all of the cleanup on the poor fellow."  Better him than me.

"Meanwhile, I suppose I'd better give you a quick synopsis of the erupting NewEgypt scandal, as it has impinged on my investigation.  It all started when the local loony party broke into the cryo-conference and failed to carry me off, which I described in brief in my last report, but after that . . ."