Isolde opened the door to her room in Vorhalas House later that evening to find it already lit. She made it dimmer. Drained from her near panic attack and her conversation with the emperor, Isolde was ready to surrender to slumber, but knew she had better speak to her uncle before retiring for the night. She kicked off her shoes and unbuttoned her sleeves; with a deft pull her hair came tumbling from its twist. She padded down the deserted hall to the count`s chambers, greatly resembling a hospital room now that the count`s illness had progressed. She nodded to the doctor outside the bedchamber, who did not impede her. She opened the door on a darkened bedchamber. Old Vorhalas lay on the great bed, shrunken with age and illness, paper white and pierced with tubes, monitors, and all manner of medical device. His breathing was barely audible above the whir of machines.
``Uncle,`` she said, not bothering to speak in a whisper.
``Yes, child,`` he responded, voice wavering.
``I did as you asked.``
``And? What did he say?``
``He said, `Let`s see what happens.```
He let out a voiceless `ha!` ``Good. Good. Excellent. How long did it take him?``
``Less than fifteen minutes, sir. I believe he anticipated us.``
``Yes, of course. Good.`` He sighed. ``Good. You should go get some sleep, girl, the hard part starts in the morning.``
Starts? She thought. The hard part is still weeks away, Uncle. The hard starts when you die. But you won`t be around to worry about that, now will you? Something prickled in her memory. ``Lord Auditor Vorkosigan was there.``
Her uncle`s eyebrows rose, creating deep creases in his skin. ``Was he,`` he said thoughtfully.
``Yes, sir.``
``How interesting. What did he say?``
``He seemed to doubt my conviction and my ability,`` she continued before he could interrupt. ``However, I had thought it might be to our advantage to play on both Conservatives and Progressives.``
``How so?``
Succinctly she stated the reasoning which she had outlined so many times in her mind. ``The Conservatives will support us to keep the Vor system in place. To encourage this, we may be able to plant the idea that our liege persons would request an election. To a staid conservative mind, a female blood member is better than democratic rule.``
That line of reasoning was sound. ``Yes, go on.``
``The Progressives will see this as a step towards liberality, a woman receiving the deeds. `` Or the Countship, she thought. ``Their bone, however, and for all its promise, has a hollow center. My sons will inherit, not my daughters.`` Not that I plan to have any sons... ``It is my belief, Uncle, that most of our support will come from the Progressives, those who support women`s rights. There are, of course, those who would rather freeze on Kyril Island rather than see a woman inherit, in both Progressive and Conservative camps.``
``That may be a much larger number than you believe.``
``Yes, sir, but the truth is we don`t know. We have the Emperor`s permission. We need to begin networking tomorrow morning, early, and the first place I would like to start is with Vorkosigan.``
The old count`s mouth tightened. This has been what she was afraid of. His flat out rejection of anything Vorkosigan, simply because it was Vorkosigan. He opened his mouth. ``We should begin with our allies first, not our enemies...``
``Sir, all of you allies are Conservative old sticks, most of whom would consider you maddened by disease to propose such a thing. Sir, Vorkosigan won the Vorrutyer and Vorbretten votes--``
``Vorbretten, I will grant you. Richars lost that vote all by his own idiotic self.``
``Fine, sir. But the Lord Auditor is energetic, a Progressive, and highly influential. This vote cannot be won by alienating one so powerful. I would like--``
``Enough,`` he stared intently into her blue eyes. She had proven to him much of what he already knew and then some. The fact that she had picked all of it up on her own...She was so very capable, this one. In need of training to be sure, but the potential was...Curse the child for being born female. And for being so young. He would have to find her a very good regent before he died...one with greater willpower than hers, and a sense of honor. Irritably he gave her his decision, doubtless that even without it she would have moved forward track. ``Do whatever you deem necessary with the Vorkosigans. I will not assist you. Since you seem to find it so critical, it is to be your private project...along with your other duties as they arise.``
She nodded calmly. ``Yes, sir. Is there anything else?``
She appeared to accept this without any childish resistance. ``Not at this time.``
Again she nodded. ``Goodnight sir.``
``Goodnight, child.``