He finds himself flushing, just a little bit, out of sheer confusion. But I could still kill you, he wants to protest, you'd still be dead, and where will your trust have gotten you then -
But that's the point, isn't it? Count Vorkosigan is offering trust because he is offering trust. Because he does trust. Because he genuinely believes Mark won't hurt him or his family. It's a trick, he tries to convince himself, it must be a trick, somehow, some method of suborning him...But Vorkosigan wouldn't play with the safety of his son, the safety of his wife. He really expects that Mark won't hurt him.
And...I won't. He realizes that right then and there. He won't be able to hurt them. If Bothari were gone from this room, if Aral Vorkosigan pressed his throat into Mark's hands, Mark wouldn't be able to choke the breath from him. Because that would mean killing his clones, too. Because that would mean killing himself.
Because that would mean killing this man who trusts him. Who's looking at him with compassion and kindness. This man whom he was told was a monster, but who is anything but that.
He looks down, suddenly shy. "I know. I've read Miles' psych profiles." And then, after a hesitation, he says, "I guess that it would be...convenient. For mission-planning purposes."
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He finds himself flushing, just a little bit, out of sheer confusion. But I could still kill you, he wants to protest, you'd still be dead, and where will your trust have gotten you then -
But that's the point, isn't it? Count Vorkosigan is offering trust because he is offering trust. Because he does trust. Because he genuinely believes Mark won't hurt him or his family. It's a trick, he tries to convince himself, it must be a trick, somehow, some method of suborning him...But Vorkosigan wouldn't play with the safety of his son, the safety of his wife. He really expects that Mark won't hurt him.
And...I won't. He realizes that right then and there. He won't be able to hurt them. If Bothari were gone from this room, if Aral Vorkosigan pressed his throat into Mark's hands, Mark wouldn't be able to choke the breath from him. Because that would mean killing his clones, too. Because that would mean killing himself.
Because that would mean killing this man who trusts him. Who's looking at him with compassion and kindness. This man whom he was told was a monster, but who is anything but that.
He looks down, suddenly shy. "I know. I've read Miles' psych profiles." And then, after a hesitation, he says, "I guess that it would be...convenient. For mission-planning purposes."