"We've found it to yield much more reliable information than torture," ghem-Yulang says, watching as Sonia starts to succumb to the fast-penta. "And more humane, so it's a galactically accepted interrogation standard. People can and do try to resist, but it's impossible to overcome completely. It's a very powerful sedative. The relaxed inhibition and heightened free association do create a tendency to...ramble, but a trained interrogator can extract the most relevant information."

He turns back to face Sonia, her head drooping slightly, glassy-eyed but still very much awake. "I think we're ready to begin. What is your name?"

"Princess Sonia Titania Vorbarra," Sonia chirps immediately, straightening up in her chair. A weird parody of her usual sunny smile makes it onto her face, and she doesn't stop there. "Barrayaran girls don't have middle names, not technically, but Mama wanted me to have one. It's from some old Earth play. Shakespeare, I think. I'm not sure, I didn't manage to take that course on literary history before the -- "

"Stop," ghem-Yulang says, holding up a hand, and Sonia happily shuts her mouth. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-three," Sonia recites dutifully, then blinks and lets out an awkwardly pitched laugh. "Oh, no, wait. My birthday was a couple of days ago. I'm twenty-four."

"List the names of your siblings, please."

"Olivia and Evgeny," Sonia says proudly. Ghem-Yulang cuts her off before she can find a way to elaborate on that train of thought and nods at Tarn (and Byerly). "There. I think we have our baseline. Do you have any last questions before we begin the interrogation proper? I don't want to derail her once we get going."