"Ah, that would explain it.  Your Roic looks a fellow I'd want to duck behind in a crisis, too."  It was plain Wing had no trouble translating assistant as bodyguard.  No one, looking at Roic and Miles together, ever thought anything else.  Miles was fairly sure Wing had not yet decoded the complexities of Armsman.  Wing went on, "I was intrigued to learn you have a relative who is a major shareholder in the Durona Group.  Unless the name Vorkosigan is common on Barrayar?"

"Mark?"  So, you've finally caught up with that.  Another clue, one of several, that Miles's Auditorial visit to Kibou had come as a surprise to the cryocorp, and they were still on the scramble to peg him.  Miles had met deep-laid plots, years in fruition; Wing's maneuvers smelled of stopgap, maybe only days old.  "My younger brother, actually."

"Really!"  Wing smiled.  "Do you think our Komarr expansion project would be of interest to him, as well?"

Yes, but not in the way you think.  "I'd prefer to keep Mark out of this.  He's a very shrewd businessman.  While I've labored my whole life in public service for very little reward, he's piled up profits to envy, passing me by.  One of the things that most excites me about your project is the chance at last to beat him at his own game."  Miles arranged his lips in a smile of vulpine sibling rivalry.

Wing got it at once, which said something about Wing.  "I quite see."  He added after a moment, "And does he have anything like your influence in public affairs, Lord Vorkosigan?"

"No, he pretty much keeps to the shop."

"Too bad."

"Not from my point of view."

"And the rest of your famous family?  Are you on warmer terms with them?"

"Oh, yes.  Though a chance to show them all up doesn't come along every day."  Miles let his voice turn faintly whiny.  "I've always had more to prove, on Barrayar."  There, let Wing digest that.  A nice balance between jealous greed and the promise of an influence worth peddling.  And it would stand up to surface inquiry.  Thank you, brother.

Wing's brow furrowed in doubt.  "Won't Dr. Durona report back to him?"

"Let's just say I'm working on that."  Miles softened his voice so the hum of the cart kept it from carrying.  "You know the old saying, Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?"

Wing nodded.  "That's a good one."  He hesitated.  "We've prepared a presentation on the Komarr Project for you, next.  Should we invite the good doctor to view another part of the facility during that?"

"It won't be necessary.  Unless you have some technical innovation you prefer not to disclose to potential rivals?"

"No, the Komarr installation will be based on tried and trusted technology.  Our innovations are all to the business model."