The Warrior's Apprentice (Vorkosigan Saga, #2)

by Lois McMaster Bujold

“There’s an officer no one disobeys. The Admiral’s Captain.” Elena smiled at the image. “Yes. Now, she was an officer for the Betans, and no one thinks she’s strange, or criticizes her for wanting to break the rules.” “On the contrary. She’s so strange nobody even thinks of trying to include her in the rules. She just goes on doing things her own way.”

“It’s not balanced on a hoax,” she said earnestly. “You balance it.” “Isn’t that what I said?” He laughed, shakily.

This was just the sort of thing he would have been taught how to do at the Imperial Service Academy, he thought with an inward sigh. There was probably a book on it. He wished he had a copy; he was getting mortally tired of having to reinvent the wheel every fifteen minutes.

He was getting dressed. Men who’d done isolated duty all agreed, you had to keep the standards up or things went to hell. Miles had been awake three hours now, and had his trousers on. In the next hour he was either going to try for his socks, or shave, whichever seemed easier.

“Whew,” remarked Ivan, sounding respectful. “You sure got them going. You have to be higher than I am now just on psychic waves or something.” “Not really.” Miles grimaced. “Why not? I sure would be.” There was an undercurrent of envy in Ivan’s voice. “My name isn’t Naismith.” Ivan opened his mouth, closed it, studied him sideways.

“Miles—assuming you’re right about all this—what is it we’re going to do, once we get back?” Miles’s lips drew back in a mirthless grin. “I’ll figure something out.”

“You’re making me feel like I’ve got a bull’s-eye painted on my back.” Miles grinned, feeling bizarrely exhilarated. “Wakes you up, doesn’t it?”