Remember when Miles was just a kid, climbing the dock and jumping back into the lake down at Vorkosigan Surleau, and sneaking rides on his grandfather’s horse? All he ever wanted to be was a soldier in Barrayar’s space navy. Here we are now, in chapter 25 (I checked), and his life has taken more twists and turns than he can count. BUT SOFT, WHAT LIGHT THROUGH YONDER WINDOW BREAKS? It is the East, and Lucas Haroche is the sun.
As you may recall from last week, Miles had left Gregor’s reception and was headed to ImpSec to try to address the bogus treason charges and spring Galeni when he had a badly timed seizure.
Not that there is any such thing as a well-timed seizure.
Miles gave in to the urgings of both his adolescent driver and his common sense and went home to sleep off the aftereffects. He greets the morning with a mug of coffee and a thorough review of the report on Galeni’s alleged effort to insert Miles’s name in the evidence room visitor logs. The case seems flawless. Miles can’t find anything in it that suggests that Galeni was being framed too, probably because Haroche wrote the report. Miles drags himself reluctantly into ImpSec when Dr. Weddell calls to report on the Komarran virus. It is indeed the same one that felled Illyan, and it was administered via airborne spores. Since Miles is in the building, Haroche asks him to drop by the office for a chat.
Haroche wants Miles to throw Galeni under the bus, and he knows the shape of Miles’s elephant. Haroche first offers to try to limit the consequences for Galeni—he suggests a reduction in charges, a possible pardon, and the drawbacks of a witch hunt in ImpSec. Continuing to search for a traitor in the ranks could indeed be very disruptive for ImpSec. Unless, you know, there actually was a traitor in ImpSec, and he had attacked the head of ImpSec in ImpSec HQ and then framed two other people for it. I think that could be disruptive too. Haroche seems less concerned by that possibility. He moves on to suggest that the real reason he’s called Miles here today is to give him some captain’s tabs and send him back to the Dendarii. Haroche likes working with people who take risks no one else will to get results no one else can.
We’ve heard about results before; Cordelia trusts beyond reason to get results beyond hope. I just thought I’d mention that other approach to results because Miles and Haroche can’t trust each other. I’m particularly snitty about Haroche in this scene because he disses Quinn. He calls her “This woman Quinn,” which is not her rank, and he suggests that he wants Miles to handle a situation that’s brewing out near Kline Station. You know who’s particularly well-suited to handle situations near Kline Station? QUINN. She’s a native. Knows the station and its complicated sanitation and waste disposal regs like the back of her hand. She’s also one of approximately three people in the Galactic Nexus who might have a useful personal contact on Athos, which is kind of near Kline Station (as close as Athos is to anything). I’m dying to know what that situation is, out by Kline Station. I hope it wasn’t just another ImpSec covert ops agent who was planning to recycle Miles’s biomass through a newt. Miles does a lot of thinking in chapter 25, but somehow, the possibility that the Kline Station thing was just a quick trip to his girlfriend’s newt-infested hometown algae tanks isn’t on his radar. How many sons do you think Quinn has by now? How many of them are also Terrence’s nephews? I bet it would be interesting if one of Elli’s psychic sons did the tyramine challenge with one of Miles’s children. The further I get into this reread, the more room I see in the Galactic Nexus for a lot more books.
Miles is so excited by Haroche’s offer that he almost walks into a wall on his way out of the office. Miles saw through the offer—he knows that Haroche is hoping that the possibility of a return to the Dendarii will encourage Miles to close his case and let Galeni hang. He only barely manages to suggest that he needs to think about it. It’s fortunate that he’s still capable of further reflection because a very little more thought leads him to the conclusion that Haroche wouldn’t allow Naismith to live very long. It would only work if Miles got Haroche first. I think that would have been an amazing spy vs. spy story, and that the Miles we saw in it would not be the Miles we have come to know. I’m glad it’s not an easy decision for Miles—his grief at losing Naismith was so great, it wouldn’t make sense for him not to wrestle with the possibility of getting him back. This is the “best two falls out of three” scene. The first fall was to the immediate impulse. The second fall weighs Galeni’s life and career against the lives that Miles has already sacrificed for his career. Miles doesn’t want to sacrifice Galeni, but the opportunity to save him is rapidly shrinking—Galeni is at Haroche’s mercy, and that mercy is likely to expire when Miles rejects his offer. Is it really a sacrifice if Miles couldn’t save Galeni anyway? I think temptation would have won round two if Miles hadn’t seen a way.
Good news for Duv! Miles does see a way. Next week, Miles invades ImpSec.
Ellen Cheeseman-Meyer teaches history and reads a lot.
Frankly, I think this is some of the finest writing in any of LMB’s works. The whole “two falls” so perfectly fits his military way of looking at the world, indirectly calls back the sparring of his father and The Sergeant (his good and bad angels on his shoulders as it were) and draws out just how close a choice it really is like all hard decisions tend to be. I can remember a couple of moments like that in my life and the relief after the choice is made is palpable.
In the end, I fail to understand how Blue Mars won the Hugo over this but that’s my own tastes shining through, I suppose.
I don’t want those images in my head. But if I’m going to suffer them, I’m going to hope other share them.
I’m just surprised this took so long for anybody to realize. You’d think it might come up sooner. Well, maybe Barrayar is a bit backwards in the forensic sciences.
This might have worked, if only Haroche hadn’t made multiple stinks in Miles’s own house. He should have started the subversion BEFORE the infractions.
For the latter? Maybe a pair, I suspect. No reason to rush, after all. Dozens in the former is possible, depending on Athosian preferences. I mean, her face (at the time) wasn’t natural, but the original was hardly unpleasant, and she’s at least competent though perhaps not Silica University gene-pool quality, that was rather high-end. I do wonder how diverse the overall pool was, even aside from the manipulated versions.
It’d never be a sacrifice, more like a scapegoat, but that’s not quite the word I want either.
I ageee that these scenes are briliantly written. I’ve reread Memory multiple times and it’s still great.
I forgot about Kline Station. Funny that Haroche chose exactly this. Maybe “he” wanted to give Ellen a good reason to mention Athos. :)
If Miles has to deal with a situation near Kline station, surely he’d take Eli with him? So Haroche is offering both the elephant of “Admiral Naismith” and sex as an incentive for Miles to cooperate. Money, sex and elephants – Haroche offers all three, as Miles could not afford the Dendarii on his own, his lover Eli won’t leave them to be with him on Barrayar, and his elephant identity is tied to them.
This book contains some of Miles’ biggest failures, but also some of his finest hours.
I meant to post this in a previous chapter’s review, but how qualified is Haroche for the job of Impsec head? He’s certainly competent in many ways, but he has no galactic experience whatsoever (and that’s vital, given the complexities of Barrayar’s position in the Nexus), he’s taking risks with the vital Imperial interest of integrating Komarrans into Imperial service, and he seems to have no feel for Vorish issues (neglecting the importance of Alys). I’m starting to wonder if he would have gotten the job even if Miles didn’t exist.
6, I would say he is administratively competent, at least in theory, operationally, ostensibly experienced, but he got caught having to juggle the villain ball in this book, so he’s going to end up looking bad. Of course, he might personally be anti-Komarran, and even anti-Galactic, as well as old-school Barrayaran masculine (even old Prime Minister Vortala had problems with that aspect in some ways), but none of that showed up in his characterization, his motives were simply a venial ambition, which makes him in many ways, the lamest of all the villains.
He could have taken the job, and done competently at it, which is fine, if things are peaceful, and probably not flubbed up too badly if they went off-kilter, which is probably better than having a frustrated Captain Negri in the position, or even a Negri having to adapt to a peaceful world.
I know we’re not much worried about spoilers here, and we’re not even reading ‘A Civil Campaign’ yet, but I have to shout out for a glorious real world instance of my favorite moment in all of literature – when Katerina proposes to Miles:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/04/568271761/well-done-mate-australian-lawmaker-proposes-during-same-sex-marriage-debate
@8: “Why, yes, madame. Certainly. Now?”
@8 – I squealed! I’m so happy for them.
@6 As his plot goes off the rails, he’s discarding “non-relevant” consequences. I don’t think we can take his performance in this book as typical of him.
@8 That’s Milesian levels of seizing an opportunity. I bet it took both hands.
The first time I read the book, I didn’t catch that Haroche was the villain till Miles did (don’t ask me why. It seems pretty obvious every time I reread. I suppose I was reading it more as a plot MacGuffin than as a mystery). I still love his sudden tumbling to the truth–and the fact that knowing who did it and why doesn’t come close to solving his problem. I also love exactly how tempting Haroche’s bribe is even once Miles knows it’s a bribe.
Slight defense of Haroche’s wariness of working with Quinn. Whether or not he’s really wary of working with her, it’s plausible and helps justify putting Miles back. After all, he just found out he has an army of 5,000 people who don’t know they work for him and who have no reason to be loyal to him or Barrayar.
More importantly, we’ve seen Quinn on her own. If you were Haroche and had all his skeletons to hide, would you want to work with her? Miles may be Haroche’s worst nightmare but at least he’s a worst nightmare with a couple of Barrayaran shaped handles Haroche stands a chance of grabbing. Sort of like trying to put the key back in a hand grenade while the clock is ticking, but still more than he has with Quinn.
I remember when first reading this, I figured out it was Haroche more or less when miles did, for more or less the same reasons: right after he made the offer to Miles, and realizing it was a bribe.
12, speaking for myself, I find myself enjoying a story rather than analyzing it, at least the first time, though it’s been so long since reading Memory that I don’t actually recall reading it initially, I do know I’ve done that with other books. So you are not alone in that respect.
In terms of the Dendarii and Quinn, they are certainly an example of a potential rogue agent, though perhaps not that terrible on a galactic scale, it is still something to be worried about, and let’s face it, it’d be an expensive tool so what kind of value would it deliver anyway? Then again, I’m a bit dubious about the economics of the whole process anyway. How useful ARE mercenary fleets in the Nexus, really?
@12, 14 – The first time I read Memory, I had NO IDEA it was Haroche until Miles did. Rereading is a different experience. Once you know, you can’t stop knowing.
@15 Same. The narrative seems to want readers only to know who isn’t responsible–not Miles, not Duv–and I’m usually happy to go along with what the narrative wants.
@15, 16 – I remember when my girlfriend was reading Memory for the first time – her prime suspect was Laisa, on the grounds that it had to be someone introduced in the book, and that Haroche would be “too obvious.” I guess it’s fortunate for Gregor’s state of mind that she was wrong…
@7:
“…his motives were simply a venial ambition, which makes him in many ways, the lamest of all the villains. “
So, basically… Money, sex, power, elephants, and a civil service job promotion.
18, reviewing Memory, Haroche put it as a desire to show his competence with a slight fear of new hotshots coming up, but really, his goal was hardly offensive, it was a temptation of the moment, merely inspired by a happenstance opportunity that lead him astray, even though he probably could have used entirely legitimate means to pursue his ends if he truly wanted them.
Haroche is an example of the corrosive power of evil. He let one really bad impulse pretty much destroy his character and his life. He is what nearly happened to Miles. What would have happened if he had gotten away with lying to ImpSec? How far would he have fallen?
While we’re on thought experiments, I’ve been thinking over what Miles might have done if the second frame had been someone other than Galeni, who he knew and trusted. What if it had been General Allegre, or similar? How much does the plot and character depend on the second frame causing a mental allergic reaction?
(I’m personally inclined to think Miles would not have fallen for Haroche’s frame/bribe/trap combo in any event, because he’d want a solid Why to go with the Who. But I’m curious what others think.)
21, I don’t even see it in Miles’s character to sell out a Cetagandan or Jacksonian on this. Now maybe if Haroche had pursued another means to force Illyan out (like questioning Simon’s judgment by not handling Miles’s injuries properly), then we could have a different story.
@22 – I’m not sure that it is even about who Miles is willing to (knowingly) sell out.
Much of why Miles rejects the frame of Galini is that Miles knows Galini, and trusts him, and thinks that Galini’s character would not lead him to do what he was accused of. So he suspects “frame” and sets out to prove it.
But put someone in the frame whom Miles doesn’t know, and he would not know the frame didn’t fit.
And if Miles doesn’t suspect the frame, then he doesn’t necessarily suspect Haroche of setting it up. If Haroche had framed a random Barrayan officer, rather than a Komarran known to Miles, he might have won all.
23, Miles might be less suspicious of a fix were it somebody else, but he was clearly interested in documentation, documentation, documentation. Short of an absolute confession (and how many ImpSec officers would be able to clear themselves under Fast-Penta?), he wouldn’t rest since he’d worry about a further conspiracy, making even the expediency of “Shot while resisting arrest” unavailable.
No, I think by making it a matter of an assault, Haroche guaranteed his exposure, because Miles would never rest until he was dead certain who was involved., whereas if Haroche had simply accused Illyan of some malfeasance, then it’d be another matter.
This seems to be the moment when Miles realizes he doesn’t want to Be Naismith any more. Naismith’s life continues to appeal but the persona no longer fits. He doesn’t do what Naismith would do, say yes and try to cheat his way out of it. He figures out what Lord Vorkosigan would do, or rather what he should do.
25, I’m not sure I would say he doesn’t want to be Naismith, I think he’s just refusing to pay the price because it’s not worth that much to him. I think it’s more that he simply can’t afford the risk that taking the Naismith option would entail. He’s already injured one innocent victim by his failure to get proper medical treatment, so he knows that price.
Of course, it’s still something that haunts him in Komarr and A Civil Campaign.
Don’t forget that the only thing you can’t trade for your heart’s desire is your heart. If takes up Naismith again while in conflict with Impsec (which he would be since Haroche would have to kill him sooner or later), it fundamentally changes the nature of that identity. He wouldn’t be Miles serving Barrayar in a way only he could but Miles trying to depose the head of Impsec.
@27 “the only thing you can’t trade for your heart’s desire is your heart” I had not heard that phrase before, but I certainly will remember it. Thanks for sharing that!
@28 It’s in the book :p
@28 – out of so many fantastic lines in Lois’s books, I think that one is probably the best. Certainly in the top three.
That line would resonate with any decent (in the sense of “upstanding”) person.
@7 I’d not been familiar with the word “venial” and so my impression was that you were continually misspelling “venal”.
Of course one does not dismiss, out of hand, the knowledge and experience of someone one has only encountered on the internet. Nor would I directly contradict the actual author of a book, say oh I don’t know, about a passing mention of invasive apes.
This means I googled ‘difference between venial and venal’. Both words do exist! Venal is the one more commonly used.
But venial, you keep using that word … I do not think it means what you think it means.
There are a lot of things I love in this chapter and this part is very high on the list.