Vorkosigan Readthrough: Cetaganda

[extrapenguin]

Here!

• Tung collects Wise Old Chinese Sayings and makes Miles memorize them – though I'm reasonably sure that "war is but a continuation of diplomacy by other means" is Clausewitz


• The Cetagandan Empire has 8 developed planets (the Something Cetas with satrap governors etc) and a fringe of 8 allied or puppet dependencies (how're they governed? Ghemish council?)


• Fletchir Giaja, at age 70-something, has selected no Crown Prince yet – do haut typically live to 120?


• Vorob'yev house colors are wine-red with a black trim


• The current ghemish movement for the dissatisfied young artistes is "retro-avant"


• Lord Yenaro got called "Yenni" – how common are surname-based nicknames?


• Miles, when being interrogated, somehow manages to ask all of the questions. Typical.


• LIMERICKS


• The plot hook setup for Ethan of Athos is really, really obvious and a bit clumsy


• What became of the kitten tree? Did its owner place more poorly due to Ivan's interference?


• I am bizarrely entertained by Lady Arvin and Lady Benello – they have managed to become some of my favorite bit part characters


• So, why does "man talk" work as an excuse? Is it the particulars of Ladies Arvin and Benello, or is it the culture?


• Ah, Miles stringing around Lord Vorreedi, treating his superior like a mushroom, as typical


• I now want the Ivan's Dick Bush, obvious winner of the 150th Annual Bioesthetics Exhibition


• How large a percentage of the haut are on Eta Ceta vs the other satrapies?


• The haut-lady eugenics council's sessions sound ... interesting


• The data dump was a brilliant idea


• Benin, at age 40 and a bit, was young for a Colonel, but now he's really young for a General. And wasn't there a mention earlier on that a ghem-lord can't really expect to achieve power before the age of 70?


• The "greatest danger would be for the haut to lose control of the ghem" – hmm. Hmmm. *walks over to Bujold Ficathon, leaves prompt*

Next up: Ethan of Athos, 18th of September