[ Ah. He thought he had seen Wash part of that group when they had made their return. There's a small sigh as he avoids glancing back at the soldiers. Their voices are growing fainter, but he knows when he's being insulted.

There would be a time and a place for petty revenge. Or he might explode from having to bare it. It was easier in modern Barrayar to lash back, he had his rank, his position of authority. Here, his life hung precariously in the balance and he was vastly outnumbered. ]

If only you could throw them back into the pit they crawled out of, [ he remarks mildly. ] Were they this pleasant when you were introduced?