Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen spoiler thread > Likes and Comments

Ursula wrote: "Lois wrote: "Ursula wrote: "So, I was thinking, these books tend to be about the worst possible thing that can be done to the lead character.

And for Cordelia, apparently, the worst possible thing... ... Plus, of course, Miles walking in on Cordelia mirrors nicely Cordelia and Aral walking in on the dinner party. "


Some tropes are universal. :-)

Plus, which one may only learn when older, that particular privacy problem cuts both ways. Preemptive sibling rivalry, I finally decided.

The tension between Miles and Jole couldn't exactly be called sibling rivalry, nor precisely stepfather-stepson, but there was certainly a dead serious struggle for possession of Cordelia going on under the so-polite-and-careful veneer.

(Cordelia won.)

Ta, L.

Lois wrote: "(Cordelia won.)"

Well, yeah! Of course.

Now I have an entirely new insight into why the WGW and Chalionverse exist. Any interest into branching out into psychological horror? (I suspect not, but you'd be so *good* at it...)

I will note that Aral and Cordelia own and live at Vorkosigan house, while Miles neither owns nor lives in Viceroy's Palace. Unexpectedly showing up at one place vs. the other is very different.

Matthew wrote: "Now I have an entirely new insight into why the WGW and Chalionverse exist. Any interest into branching out into psychological horror? (I suspect not, but you'd be so *good* at it...)

I will note that Aral and Cordelia own and live at Vorkosigan house, while Miles neither owns nor lives in Viceroy's Palace. Unexpectedly showing up at one place vs. the other is very different."

Good point about the right to be there.

Also, Aral and Cordelia let everyone know in advance that they were going to be coming, even if the precise time they showed up wasn't known. Which is reasonable, as it was a long (several days, at least) trip, and unexpected things can happen to make a firm arrival time difficult to plan.

But at least, since their arrival was anticipated, the Vorkosigan house staff could anticipate their arrival, and have things ready.

Cordelia, on the other hand, seems to have greatly reduced the staff at the Viceroy's Palace since Aral's death. And they had no warning of eight guests plus staff being moved in for an unknown amount of time.

Although I'm a bit surprised that none of Cordelia's staff called to warn her of the unexpected guests, if only to ask where to put them all, and would the cheapest, worst, hotel in K-berg be suitable for Miles.

Did the staff not think to call Cordelia, emergency level "Volcano"? Was the palace left unlocked and unoccupied, so Miles could just walk in? Did he pick the locks?

An Auditor's Seal overrides all locks.

Karl wrote: "An Auditor's Seal overrides all locks."

Heh. But think it was more the thing where children, despite having grown up and moved out, still tend to regard the parental home as theirs, especially if the 'rents haven't taken the precaution of moving somewhere too small or distant for the kids to move back into.

In this case, Miles has been there a number of times before, lulling the staff ("Oh, we want to surprise my mother!"), so he is assumed to have access, plus he was pulling his practiced "No one expects the Imperial Auditor!" move. Which of course worked about as well as courting Ekaterin like a Dendarii mission.

Ta, L.

Lois wrote: "Karl wrote: "An Auditor's Seal overrides all locks."

Heh. But think it was more the thing where children, despite having grown up and moved out, still tend to regard the parental home as theirs, especially if the 'rents haven't taken the precaution of moving somewhere too small or distant for the kids to move back into."

Ha! And for Miles, an entirely different solar system isn't too distant, nor is the viceroy's "palace" too small, being merely a "low, rambling house" certainly smaller than either of the Vorkosigan residences in the capitol or at the lake.

If Cordelia wants privacy, she'll likely need a one-bedroom flat somewhere in the Cetagandan Empire. Probably with paranoid ghem providing the security and staff, as Miles seems capable of turning her own against her.

Miles could probably subvert the Cetagandan security too!

Okay, pronunciation question:

Kaya Vorinnis: Is that kay-uh or kah-yuh? (IPA: keʌ or kɑjʌ)

Matthew wrote: "Okay, pronunciation question:

Kaya Vorinnis: Is that kay-uh or kah-yuh? (IPA: keʌ or kɑjʌ)"

KAI-yuh

Or, what the reader wills.

Ta, L.

Is there a pronunciation guide anywhere for the series that I haven't stumbled upon as yet? It wasn't that long ago (Cryoburn?) that I learned that Vorkosigan has a long O in the middle.

Drat. I wish that had been spelled Kaia, then.

Does Barrayar still use its ToI full-phonetic alphabet?

The Vorkosigan Companion, which was included on the Cryoburn CD, has a pronunciation guide for essentially every name in the series up to that point.

Will have to see if I can find a Cryoburn CD. I snagged the Kindle version.

Jan wrote: "Will have to see if I can find a Cryoburn CD. I snagged the Kindle version."


Copies of the first (and only) hardcover printing of Cryoburn are still for sale out there. The disc comes-with.

Ta, L.

Matthew wrote: "Drat. I wish that had been spelled Kaia, then.

Does Barrayar still use its ToI full-phonetic alphabet?"

I would pronounce that Kah-I-yah. Or perhaps Kay-ee-uh. No improvement in accuracy, anyway.

Ta, L.

Lois wrote: "Copies of the first (and only) hardcover printing of Cryoburn are still for sale out there. The disc comes..."

Thanks, Lois and Matthew. I didn't know this existed!

A somewhat out of date guide can be found at The Bujold Nexus. The is the same text as in the Vorkosigan Companion. (The author Suford Lewis allowed it to be re-published)

Michael wrote: "A somewhat out of date guide can be found at The Bujold Nexus. The is the same text as in the Vorkosigan Companion. (The author Suford Lewis allowed it to be re-published)"

Any chance I could contact Suford Lewis? I wouldn't mind adding pronunciation guides for the articles in the vorkosigan wikia site, but I'm disinclined to perform large-scale theft of other people's work (which is why there's nothing there for pronunciations).

Karenhunt wrote: "Michael wrote: "A somewhat out of date guide can be found at The Bujold Nexus. The is the same text as in the Vorkosigan Companion. (The author Suford Lewis allowed it to be re-published)"

Any cha..."

You could just provide a link to the Nexus guide.

Kate wrote: "Karenhunt wrote: "Michael wrote: "A somewhat out of date guide can be found at The Bujold Nexus. The is the same text as in the Vorkosigan Companion. (The author Suford Lewis allowed it to be re-pu..."

Maybe, but I'd want something in each article, ideally. I'll think on it a bit, anyway. Nothing stops me from putting something on the front page, linking there, it's true.

Hang on, the Companion is supposed to be on the disc with CryoBurn? It wasn't on my copy!