Miles is stuck visiting Cetaganda with his doltish cousin Ivan, representing Barrayaran nobility at an Imperial funeral. Miles must have suspected that it wasn't going to be dull after the bogus docking instructions and the odd man who launched himself into their ship and started to pull a weapon on them. Three attacks and a mysterious murder later, Miles is juggling two emperors, two secret services, and a half-dozen traitors--nd that's not even counting the women.
Product Description
When the Cetagandan empress dies, Miles Vorkosigan and his cousin Ivan are sent to Cetaganda for her funeral as diplomatic representatives of Barrayar. Upon arrival, the two men are inexplicably attacked by a servant of the late empress. When the same servant turns up dead the next day, Miles and Ivan find themselves in the middle of a mystery. Miles tries to play detective in a strange, complicated, and deceptively alien culture, while lascivious Ivan manages to get himself involved with several noble females at the same time, a diplomatic no-no of the first order. As the plot thickens, it becomes clear that it's up to Miles to save the empire. With her usual skill, Bujold addresses timeless issues of human identity through the personal dramas of her characters.
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Miles is stuck visiting Cetaganda with his doltish cousin Ivan, representing Barrayaran nobility at an Imperial funeral. Miles must have suspected that it wasn't going to be dull after the bogus docking instructions and the odd man who launched himself into their ship and started to pull a weapon on them. Three attacks and a mysterious murder later, Miles is juggling two emperors, two secret services, and a half-dozen traitors--nd that's not even counting the women.
Product Description
When the Cetagandan empress dies, Miles Vorkosigan and his cousin Ivan are sent to Cetaganda for her funeral as diplomatic representatives of Barrayar. Upon arrival, the two men are inexplicably attacked by a servant of the late empress. When the same servant turns up dead the next day, Miles and Ivan find themselves in the middle of a mystery. Miles tries to play detective in a strange, complicated, and deceptively alien culture, while lascivious Ivan manages to get himself involved with several noble females at the same time, a diplomatic no-no of the first order. As the plot thickens, it becomes clear that it's up to Miles to save the empire. With her usual skill, Bujold addresses timeless issues of human identity through the personal dramas of her characters.