The warrior's apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold Read Free Book Online Page B

sprang up to declaim dramatically, “this makes you my long-lost sister!”
    “Huh?” said Elena, bewildered.
    “Sure. Or—anyway, there’s a 1/17th chance that we came out of the same replicator.” He spun about her, conjuring farce against her terrors. “My l/17th twin sister! It must be Act V! Take heart, this means you’re bound to marry the Prince in the next scene!”
    She laughed through her tears. The door rattled ominously. The corporal outside declaimed with unnecessary volume, “Good evening, sir!”
    “Shoes! My shoes! Give me back my stockings!” hissed Elena.
    Miles thrust them at her, killed the comconsole, and sealed it with one frantic, fluid motion. He catapulted onto the sofa, grabbed Elena about the waist and carrying her down with him. She giggled and swore at him, struggling with her second shoe. One tear was still making a glistening track down her cheek.
    He slipped a hand up into her shining hair, and bent her face toward his. “We better make this look good. I don’t want to arouse Captain Koudelka’s suspicions.” He hesitated, his grin fading into seriousness. Her lips melted onto his.
    The lights flicked on; they sprang apart. He peered up over her shoulder, and forgot for a moment how to exhale.
    Captain Koudelka. Sergeant Bothari. And Count Vorkosigan.
    Captain Koudelka looked suffused, a slight upward curl escaping from one corner of his mouth as it from enormous inward pressure. He glanced sideways at his companions, and tamped it out. The Sergeant’s craggy face was icy. The Count was darkening rapidly.
    Miles finally found something to do with all the air he’d taken in. “All right,” he said in a firm didactic tone, “Now, after ‘Grant me this boon,’ on the next line you say, ‘With all my heart; and much it joys me too, to see you are become so penitent.’ “ He glanced up most impenitently at his father. “Good evening, sir. Are we taking up your space? We can go practice elsewhere...”
    “Yes, let’s,” Elena squeaked, picking up her cue with alacrity. She produced a rather inane smile for the three adults as Miles towed her safely past. Captain Koudelka returned the smile with all his heart. The Count somehow managed to smile at her and frown menacingly at Miles at the same time. The Sergeant’s frown was democratically universal. The duty guard’s smirk broadened to a muffled snicker as they fled down the hall.
    “Can’t miss, eh?” Elena snarled out of the corner of her mouth at Miles as they rose up the lift tube.
    He executed a pirouette in midair, shamelessly. “A strategic withdrawal in good order; what more can you ask for being out-gunned, out-numbered, and out-ranked? We were just practicing that old play. Very cultural. Who could possibly object? I think I’m a genius.”
    “I think you’re an idiot,” she said fiercely. “My other stocking is hanging over the back of your shoulder.”
    “Oh.” He twisted his neck for a look, and plucked off the filmy, clinging garment. He held it out to her with a sickly, apologetic smile. “I guess that didn’t look too good.”
    She glared at him and snatched it back. “And now I’m going to get lectured at—he treats every male that comes near me like a potential rapist anyway—he’ll probably forbid me to speak to you, too, now. Or send me back to the country forever...” Her eyes were swimming for their lives. They reached the door. “And on top of that, he’s—he’s lied to me about my mother—”
    She fled into her bedroom, slamming the door so hard that she came close to taking off a few fingers from the hand Miles was raising in protest. He leaned against the door and called through the heavy carved wood anxiously. “You don’t know that! There’s undoubtedly some perfectly logical explanation—I’ll get it figured out—
    “Go AWAY!” her muffled wail came back.
    He shuffled uncertainly around the hall for a few
    more minutes, hoping for a second chance, but the door