I used to cry when Mama killed chickens, she wants to say, but if they get on the subject of home, she'll be thinking about it all day and all night. Beth can't afford that, if she's going to keep being useful. And if she's not useful to the Barrayarans, she's pretty sure they'll throw her out on her ass.

So instead, she just says, "Something has to die, if you want to eat. That's life." Animals or plants--it's always true. And then, mostly in hopes of disgusting Byerly, "It looked gross. Lots of little bones."