"Tarn," he says shortly. It's...true enough. But Byerly's paranoid mind thinks of any number of possibilities. Those guards just looking the other way when Tarn the sadist murders Sonia. There are any number of advantages there. The responsibility wouldn't fall on the Cetagandans if that happened - they wouldn't be guilty of that crime - could just blame an outsider - and Piotr Vorkosigan would be enraged. Reckless. There would be an excuse to rid themselves of outsiders, as Zahal wishes...It could form an excuse to control and conscript the outsiders...No. Those guards are not guaranteed to safeguard Sonia.

"Then take a personal guard," he says. He gives a small shrug. "Natasha Romanova is a charming woman - speaks Russian, though not Barrayaran Russian. That odd woman Pearl, too, who was captured those months back - she's terribly serious. Satya is a lovely girl, too. Wonderful company. All capable and ferocious in their ways." He smiles wanly down at the floor. "I could volunteer as well." And suffer every moment. God. I can't take the way you look at me.