"Galactic to the core of me in equal measures," he says with a fond smile. "And I have a place on Barrayar as well, though I like to think I take after my mother very much as well." He reaches up to squeeze her shoulder gently. "If I can manage it, you can too."

Buoyed up like this, he thinks he could do just about anything. So he's happy to promise her. "Of course," he says. "Anything you like."