A pause.  "I've no intrinsic objection to legally, but it can't leave a data trail back to us.  Otherwise, alternate suppliers would do.  If their merchandise was of proper quality, of course."

"That goes without saying.  How would you propose to gain custody of my patient?"

Miles-san's expression grew equally faraway.  "Now, that's where it becomes quite interesting—"

"Lord Vorkosigan!" Vorlynkin interrupted.  "What the hell are you thinking?"  Jin wasn't sure if he really didn't know, or knew and objected.  Strenuously.

Miles-san waved that airy hand again.  "Any number of threads in my cat's cradle of Kibou-daini mysteries seem to run back to Lisa Sato—and stop.  I'm thinking I might be able to cut the whole knot right through if I had her to interrogate.  Er, talk to.  Grant you, it seems a little imaginative at first glance, but the more I think about it . . ."

"Imaginative!  It seems outright mad!"

Miles-san cast the consul a soulful look.  "But Vorlynkin, it would solve all your problems with asylum for minors at a blow.  Their mother being their closest possible adult next-of-kin."

"When did those become my . . . never mind."

Miles-san grinned in a glinty way that Jin did not entirely understand.  "Very good, Vorlynkin."

"What are you all talking about?" Mina practically wailed.

Miles-san lost his glintiness at once, and dropped to one knee in front of her swivel chair.  "Unpack, right.  Um.  You see, Mina, I was sent here by my government to check out some sneaky, nasty things that a Kibou cryocorp is trying to do back on one of my home worlds.  I think your mommy might be able to answer some of my questions, or at least give me some interesting new information.  Now, it just so happens that Dr. Durona over there"—Raven-sensei waved his long fingers kindly at Mina—"is a top cryorevival specialist, and he already works for me, which is what gives me this idea.  See, there are three things that have to be in place before I could undertake to wake up your mommy.  I have to be sure it would be medically safe for her, and I think Raven could see to that.  I have to be able to secure her cry—I have to be able to get hold of her, get her away from the place where she's now held without kicking up a dust, and I think I can do that.  And afterward, I have to be able to protect her from being arrested and taken away again, or it will all be for nothing, and that will be Consul Vorlynkin's job."

Vorlynkin looked startled at this news.  But when Mina's anxious gaze targeted him, he returned her a flicker of a smile, the first Jin had seen lighten his face.  Girls, hah.  Nobody handed Jin smiles like that when he was scared . . . he more usually got some sort of unsympathetic and bracing advice to buck up.