M'lord returned only an unreassuring grin.  "I want you to test how far they'll go to reopen their lines of communication.  Indicate you'll do your diplomatic best to calm me down, but you're not sure it can be done.  If they offer you incentives for the task, take them up."

"You . . . want me to accept a bribe, sir?"  A little real offense tightened Vorlynkin's jaw, as well as understandable alarm.

"Well, at least pretend to consider it, eh?  It will show us who wants what, and how badly.  If they don't come through, I'll have to think of another move, but if you're a tolerably good fisherman, I think you can hook them for me."

"I'll, um . . . try my best, sir." Vorlynkin didn't exactly stare at the Lord Auditor as if the little man had sprouted two heads, but Roic could almost see the consul scrambling to keep pace.  Yeah, welcome to my world.

The debriefing broke up.

The consulate harbored two spare bedrooms upstairs fitted out for guests, not much used for the purpose and slowly filling with assorted storage.  One had been hastily cleared for the Lord Auditor.  Roic turned down the bed and rummaged in m'lord's luggage for the seizure stimulator.  M'lord stripped to his underwear, sat on the bed, and eyed the medical device with loathing.

"Kludgy thing."

"Yes, m'lord.  Tell me, am I to trust the consulate fellows here, or not?"

"I'm not sure yet.  I've been caught out before with embassy staff or even ImpSec couriers being suborned."

"Because if you mean to use them for backup, which we very much need, you're going to have to start including them in your loop.  I could see Lieutenant Johannes, f'r instance, didn't know what to make of you leaving him out just now."

"It's this Lord Auditor thing.  I used to be able to get almost anyone to talk to me, damn it.  In your spare minutes, try your hand at evaluating them, eh?  I've no doubt they'll be more willing to be frank with you, simple honest face and all that."

"Yes, m'lord."

"I already know that somebody out there is buying people.  Question is, has the consulate been bought already, or did there seem no need to secure it before I showed up?  At least neither of the Barrayarans have families here, so I don't have to worry about negative incentives."  M'lord scowled, lay back, and set the stimulator to the curve of his skull.  Roic handed him the mouth guard, which he fitted around his teeth.  He took a breath and squeezed his eyes shut like someone about to down a dose of some nasty-tasting medicine, and triggered the stimulator.