"Which reminds me, Vorlynkin," Miles-san went on over his shoulder in a more clipped tone, "what are the limits of the political and legal protection this consulate can offer, once it becomes known that Madame Sato has, er, escaped custody, as it were?  You're not a full-scale embassy . . ."

Vorlynkin said reluctantly, "By our budget, we're a branch of the embassy on Escobar.  But we're legally more than a consulate, because we're the only full-time diplomatic facility Barrayar maintains here.  It would be . . . it could be an ambiguous argument."

"And ambiguous legal arguments burn lots of time, ah.  That might just be good enough."  Miles-san rose to pace again.

Mina sank back into her swivel chair, her expression caught between hopeful and confused.  Jin realized he'd been gripping the arms of his own chair so hard his fingernails were white, and slowly released his clutch.  Mina's words whirled around and around in his head, You could get my mommy back?  Really?  Really?  Really . . . ?  Who did this half-sized galactic think he was?  When he'd said he was a delegate to the cryo-conference, but didn't seem to be a doctor, and the others had all called him an auditor, Jin had vaguely assumed his job had something to do with insurance.  Or maybe, less boringly, insurance fraud.  He seemed to know a lot about fraud, anyway.

"First things first.  Johannes, what vehicles does the consulate maintain?"

Johannes jerked, as if he'd been a watcher of a play unexpectedly addressed by one of the characters.  "Uh, the official groundcar, of course.  And we have a lift van.  I have a float bike, myself."

"Lift van, perfect.  Tomorrow, then, we'll take Jin and Raven and go pick up Jin's creatures, and bring them back here to the consulate, so that'll be off his mind and my conscience."

Jin looked up, caught between thrilled and bewildered.  Didn't these Barrayarans mean to let him go . . . ?  On the other hand, as long as he had his animals back, and didn't have to go back to Aunt Lorna and school, did it matter where he stayed?

"My consulate isn't exactly set up to host a menagerie," said Vorlynkin.

"No, they'll be fine here!" Jin assured him, panicked at the thought of being separated yet again from all his pets.  "There's so much room.  And your back garden is all walled in.  They won't bother you a bit."

"What kind of—no, never mind.  Go on, Lord Vorkosigan."

"At the same time, I will take Raven to meet Suze and company, and inspect the facilities.  We might avoid having to retool the consulate laundry room into a cryo-revival facility"—though he did not sound as if this proposed renovation gave him much pause—"if, like the installation we saw today, her old place already has one.  And it's still in good shape, not stripped."

Jin said doubtfully, "If you want any favors from Suze-san, you better catch her early in the day.  When she's still sober."