LMB Quote Game

[orchestrali]

Hooray! Sarsaparilla gets the Sherlock. You're up.

Somewhere LMB must have named Sayers' Peter Wimsey series as something of a model for the Vorkosigan series, in that it's a long series where you can pretty much start wherever. That's what got me started reading them and I'm glad I did. Suddenly lots of things Miles says and does made a lot more sense. I would read stuff and think, so *that's* where LMB picked that phrase up! Not that that's necessarily true, but there was a clear connection in tone and language use.

[sarsaparilla]

Ok then!

Yeah, your favorite kind—unconscious on the floor where I couldn't inject any kind of sense into the proceedings.

Book?
Speaker?
Who is being spoken to?
Favorite kind of what?



Well, I'm convinced. Peter Wimsey is officially going on my to-read list.

[orchestrali]

It sounds familiar but I have no idea where it is. Typical. Maybe I can go fishing for it over the weekend!

[sarsaparilla]

How about an expansion? I imagine this'll make it much easier.

Yeah, your favorite kind—unconscious on the floor where I couldn't inject any kind of sense into the proceedings. You took off to get yourself killed, or worse, and everybody would have blamed me. The last thing XXX said to me before we left was, 'And try to keep [him/her] out of trouble, YYY.'

Book?
Speaker(YYY)?
Who is XXX?
Who is being spoken to?
Favorite kind of what?

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

Yeah, your favorite kind—unconscious on the floor where I couldn't inject any kind of sense into the proceedings. You took off to get yourself killed, or worse, and everybody would have blamed me. The last thing XXX said to me before we left was, 'And try to keep [him/her] out of trouble, YYY.'

Book?
Speaker(YYY)?
Who is XXX?
Who is being spoken to?
Favorite kind of what?

Now I'm thinking of

Book? Cetaganda
Speaker(YYY)? Ivan
Who is XXX? Cordelia (or Aral)
Who is being spoken to? Miles
Favorite kind of what? Investigation? Rescuing the damsel in distress? Nailing the perpetrator?

[sarsaparilla]

Yeah, your favorite kind—unconscious on the floor where I couldn't inject any kind of sense into the proceedings. You took off to get yourself killed, or worse, and everybody would have blamed me. The last thing XXX said to me before we left was, 'And try to keep [him/her] out of trouble, YYY.'

Book?
Speaker(YYY)?
Who is XXX?
Who is being spoken to?
Favorite kind of what?

Now I'm thinking of

Book? Cetaganda
Speaker(YYY)? Ivan
Who is XXX? Cordelia (or Aral)
Who is being spoken to? Miles
Favorite kind of what? Investigation? Rescuing the damsel in distress? Nailing the perpetrator?

Almost. Here's one more expansion, to help you with the last question:

"Oh, but you were my ZZZ, YYY," WWW murmured, earning himself a glare. "And a good one too, as you have just demonstrated, yes?"
"Yeah, your favorite kind—unconscious on the floor where I couldn't inject any kind of sense into the proceedings. ..."

So, for the sherlock: What is ZZZ?

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

Almost. Here's one more expansion, to help you with the last question:

"Oh, but you were my ZZZ, YYY," WWW murmured, earning himself a glare. "And a good one too, as you have just demonstrated, yes?"
"Yeah, your favorite kind—unconscious on the floor where I couldn't inject any kind of sense into the proceedings. ..."

So, for the sherlock: What is ZZZ?

If I'm right then this should be the quote from Cetaganda:

"Oh, but you were my decoy, Ivan," Miles murmured, earning himself a glare. "And a good one too, as you have just demonstrated, yes?"

"Yeah, your favorite kind — unconscious on the floor where I couldn't inject any kind of sense into the proceedings. You took off to get yourself killed, or worse, and everybody would have blamed me. The last thing aunt Cordelia said to me before we left was, 'And try to keep him out of trouble, Ivan.'"

[sarsaparilla]

If I'm right then this should be the quote from Cetaganda:

Unfortunately, one word is still incorrect.

[voralfred]

Well, EPS has not yet found the correct word which is "backup".
Still, I think he deserves the sherlock and the new quote, don't you agree, sarsaparilla ?

[sarsaparilla]

Yes, I do. I hereby bequeath EPS the sherlock and the next quote. *ceremonial tap on the head*

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

XXX mutters, YYY listening:

"There's ZZZ, by God! Wouldn't I like to get my hands on [him/her/it]. ... "

Therefore 4 questions for 1 Sherlock point:

• XXX?
• YYY?
• ZZZ (him/her/it)?
• Book?

Bonus question for 1/2 Sherlock point:
What's in store for ZZZ?

The caption says in Dutch:"I shall never again be drunk"
(BTW. It isn't I in there and it isn't really ZZZ either!)

[orchestrali]

I recognize that!!

XXX? Aral
YYY? Cordelia
ZZZ (him/her/it)? Radnov
Book? Shards of Honor

Aral is going to restrain himself from strangling Radnov and instead take him to be tried for mutiny. I don't know, do we ever hear how Barrayarans punish mutineers?

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

I recognize that!!

XXX? Aral
YYY? Cordelia
ZZZ (him/her/it)? Radnov
Book? Shards of Honor

Aral is going to restrain himself from strangling Radnov and instead take him to be tried for mutiny. I don't know, do we ever hear how Barrayarans punish mutineers?

That's fast, by Jove.

That makes you the next inquisitor.

[orchestrali]

I was a little shocked at how fast I recognized that last one. Here we go with the next...

"First you whack him between the ears with a fence post, hard as you can. This gets his attention."

Book?
Speaker?
Who's listening?
The speaker is comparing another character with a category of animals. Which character and what kind of animal?
(These particular sentences are about the animal, so the "him" and "his" don't refer to the character.)


Was there someone who had a searchable file of all the quotes that have been used? I would certainly appreciate having that.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

Was there someone who had a searchable file of all the quotes that have been used? I would certainly appreciate having that.

Caroline Tredez has such a file, I think.

[voralfred]

Was there someone who had a searchable file of all the quotes that have been used? I would certainly appreciate having that.

You could try and use the "Advanced Search" on this very website.
If there is any significant word in the quote you have in mind, looking for that word with the option to look only in the sub-forum "Lois McMaster Bujold" should find it rather easily...

For instance, when restricted to the sub-forum "Lois McMaster Bujold" there were only two posts with the word "fence" and even a word as common as "attention" got only 31 instances. And "whack" returned just your post. A bit of cross-search should allow one to determine easily whether a quote has been posted earlier just with this "Advanced Search"

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

"First you whack him between the ears with a fence post, hard as you can. This gets his attention."

Sounds like something Crocodile Dundee might do in the Outback to get a wild buffalo to move out of the way.

[orchestrali]

Well, I'm sure it's effective on a lot of people—er, animals, for many purposes, not least being the satisfaction of the whacker...

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

"First you whack him between the ears with a fence post, hard as you can. This gets his attention."

Book?
Speaker?
Who's listening?
The speaker is comparing another character with a category of animals. Which character and what kind of animal?
(These particular sentences are about the animal, so the "him" and "his" don't refer to the character.)

Could be two young Vor ladies, at a Winterfair ball, discussing how to lure young Vor louts to ask them to dance.
But I can only remember Martya, or was it Kareen, who suggested hitting them with a large brick.

As for whacking an animal, hit us with a hint, please.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

... do we ever hear how Barrayarans punish mutineers?

Strangling with bare hands (Aral and the instigator of the Komarr Massacre)
Beheading with a sword (a. Vordarian and b, the Vorhala boys)
Execution by firing squad (Camp Permafrost techs and General Metzov)

[voralfred]

... do we ever hear how Barrayarans punish mutineers?

Strangling with bare hands (Aral and the instigator of the Komarr Massacre)
Beheading with a sword (a. Vordarian and b, the Vorhala boys)
Execution by firing squad (Camp Permafrost techs and General Metzov)

I beg to differ.
Orchestrali's question was clearly what was the legal way to punish mutineers, the fate that Radnov would receive from a military court precisely if Aral did not strangle him with bare hands.
Voradarian was beheaded by Bothari by Cordelia's order, not a court decision. The elder Vorhala boy was killed by his own troops, the younger was beheaded for formal duelling (with two swords), not mutiny (he was a civilian).
We know that Metzov's firing squad was a "criminal order" in that context, especially using "grubs", young trainees, as executioners. Though Miles did recognize that the situation was a bit ambiguous.

But this . . . If the techs had been civilians, Metzov would clearly be in the wrong. If this had been in wartime, while being harried by some enemy, Metzov might be within his rights, even duty. This was somewhere between. Soldiers disobeying, but passively. Not an enemy in sight.

"In the heat", in wartime, in contact with the enemy, firing squad might be the accepted mean of execution for mutineers. But then it would be in a hurry, a summary execution decided by the military authority in charge, to prevent the extension of the mutiny by setting a swift example. Not the legal sentence of a military court in a settled situation after the event.

But in fact we do know the legal punishment for desertion in front of the enemy, and one can assume that mutiny would carry the same punishment. Indeed, Metzov equates mutiny to refusal to obey a direct order.

"It's a mass refusal to obey a direct order, Ensign. Mutiny by any barracks-lawyer's definition. "

Mass refusal is even worse than individual refusal. On the other hand, Radnov's mutiny did not happen when facing the Betans, they had already been chased off planet (although, yes, their ship was still in orbit, so one could claim the mutiny was "in the heat" of the battle, the Betans could be ready to strike at any moment... which they actually did at some point).
And we do know the punishment for desertion "in the heat": quartering
..which does not mean "being confined to his quarters"

Desertion in the heat of battle," said Miles. "If he gets extradited home, the penalty's quartering. Technically."
"That doesn't sound so bad." Hathaway shrugged. "He's been quartered in my recycling center for two months. It could hardly be worse. What's the problem?"
"Quartering," said Miles. "Uh—not domiciled. Cut in four pieces."
Hathaway stared, shocked. "But that would kill him!" He looked around, and wilted under the triple, unified, and exasperated glares of the three Barrayarans.

Of course this is for ordinary Barryarans, maybe even for "ordinary Vors", but for a Count or a Count's heir, mutiny is tantamount to high treason and then the punishment is death by exposure, tied to a stake in Vorbarr Sultana's main square and left to die slowly of hunger and thirst. Not that Radnov was concerned, but Miles had risked that already for violation of Vorloupulous' law, and Metzov also tried to charge him with treason for the fetaine affair.

Lest the current quote is forgotten :

"First you whack him between the ears with a fence post, hard as you can. This gets his attention."

Book?
Speaker?
Who's listening?
The speaker is comparing another character with a category of animals. Which character and what kind of animal?
(These particular sentences are about the animal, so the "him" and "his" don't refer to the character.)

A little hint, maybe ?

[orchestrali]

Sorry I meant to post a hint earlier! Oh yes, I'd forgotten that bit about quartering. Ha. Voralfred was right; I was asking about the legal punishment for mutineers.

Anyway, here's an expansion:

"Didn't need to. XXX was ready. Reminds me of how you train a YYY zzz. First you whack him between the ears with a fence post, hard as you can. This gets his attention. Then you can start in."

XXX is a person, being compared to a zzz, which is an animal. YYY is a place name.

Book?
Speaker?
Listener?
XXX?
zzz?
Don't need to give YYY. I didn't want to put it in cause it would give away too much. If another hint is needed later I'll say what it is, and maybe the animal too.

I think it is Martya who suggests hitting men with a brick...but that's not this quote!

[Caroline Tredez]

Dag about how he talked to Barr on the river to humble him a bit. I think he's comparing him to either a mule, or a young horse from his home camp. He's talking to Fawn, in "Passage".

Btw, orchestrali , if you PM me with an email adress, I could send you my file of past quotes, but it's sadly out of date, going back from the beginning to maybe half of the game.

[orchestrali]

That's all correct! The animal is a mule. That one sentence is "Reminds me of how you train a Raintree mule." So, not Dag's home camp, but close.

I will go update the Sherlock thread and then it will be Caroline's turn. I think I will just go with searching the forum—I hadn't realized how well that would work. Thanks for offering that file though!

[voralfred]

Caroline, yoo-hoo ?
We have a new member, contraryjim, possibly a participant to this game, so don't let us wait too long for the next quote...