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“We have convened this session to provide testimony on the matter of Count Vormoncrief accusing my cousin, Ivan Xav Patril, of being a “traitorous bastard” at the Fall Assembly, at the Imperial Residence.”
“Why is Patril not here to answer my charge!?”
“No charge has been levied. My advisors, of which you were one, did not support an accusation two years ago so the matter did not come up. An accusation against a member of the royal family can only be brought to charge by a vote in this body.”
“He’s not--”
The Emperor held up a hand and Vormoncrief stopped. “Do not interrupt again, count, or you will be removed...Two counts Vordrozda clearly considered him in the line of succession. One tried to kill him and the other tried to proclaim him emperor to take control of the Empire. The claim of bastardy is specious and will not be considered.”
Vormoncrief sat down slowly, his face a deep red.
The Emperor rose and said with his usual quiet aplomb, “My lord counts, you are all generally aware of the events surrounding Count Vordrozda’s coup attempt. Some few are aware in more depth. Count Vormoncrief is one of those few. He has insisted on my cousin’s culpability. In fact, he has claimed his greater knowledge as the basis of that claim. So that you will understand Our decision in regards to him calling Ivan Patril ‘ a traitorous bastard’ we have decided to show you further evidence. After the initial resolution to the event, We requested and required of Lord Auditor Van Vorgustafson that he conduct an analysis and review of the evidence, gather more if he thought necessary to certify the decisions made. No one but myself has seen his report. He will present the relevant evidence concerning the questions called. My Lord Auditor?”
“Thank you, sire. Initially I followed the public information event itself with close attention, which should surprise none of you. The auditors as a whole were given the same briefing as the Emperor’s advisors. I was later given access to all information. I am very glad to have this opportunity to share the results of my investigation.
“In answer to a question asked at the time of the attempted coup, Lord Auditor Vorkosigan received the more detailed briefing but was not involved in the preparation of this report. As far as I am aware, neither he or Patril knew of it until now.”
“Before discussion, I will place the recordings made of then Lord Ivan Vorpatril’s initial calls upon his discovery of the plot.”
Only a few of them had heard or seen Ivan himself, heard the controlled panic in his voice, seen him surrender himself to the Armsmen and talk with the Armsmen Commander. “As you have seen, after he gave his warning, Vorpatril went straight to the Residence where he gave the Vorbarra armsmen and available ImpSec agents a sit rep, suggestions, and placed himself wholly in their hands.
“Count Vordrozhda’s claim that Lord Ivan Vorpatril collaborated with the conspirators by allowing the announcement and is thus guilty of treason is refuted in the first place by the fact that Vorpatril didn’t allow it. It was clearly the decision of those in command of the Residence.
“Other evidence was re-examined and additional detail was sought. There is no evidence that Vorpatril had any contact with the major or minor players in the coup. The central conspirators made sure they could not be questioned under fast penta so that method was not available to counter Count Vordrozda’s claim. It can’t be denied, however, that if Vorpatril was willingly involved, why would an armsman be sent to stun and kidnap him?
“This next shows that he voluntarily placed himself in danger to draw in the conspirators. Since the announcement would only be legitimate if issued from the Residence, Vorpatril’s suggestion of issuing notice of the change of emperor prematurely was tactically brilliant. The Armsman Commander and senior ImpSec officers recognized this. Their combined forces were able to identify the actual collaborators very quickly and retain control not only of communications but the Residence itself. It set the conspirators’ timetable off-kilter and finally it allowed ImpSec and the Guard to establish a legitimate martial law while searching out more of the conspirators.”
The silence in the chamber had grown heavy by the time the recording finished playing. Vorgustafson looked around for a moment and added, “I want to point out Vorpatril’s pause at the end, clearly he expected the room-wide stun he’d suggested. After the meeting he was placed in solitary confinement until the next morning when Armsman Gerard briefed him on the what to expect.”
The vid of the final confrontation actually drew a laugh at Ivan’s insouciant bravado.
“After this, Vorpatril was placed once again in solitary confinement while order was restored. The answers he returned to the questions submitted to him, while blunt and somewhat profane, point back to his plan and the actions taken by others on it.
He put up the manifesto document and waited until those who were willing to read it were finished. “It was clearly the intention of the conspirators to use Vorpatril to establish their legitimacy and dispose him when convenient, to be replaced by Vordrozda himself. If you have read this ‘manifesto’, you should ask yourselves how long the empire and your place in it would have lasted.”
He put a final document on the screen. “The last box on the plan make his intentions clear.” He highlighted it: a heavy black outline with ‘Not be Emperor’ printed plainly inside. “The conclusion can only be that Lord Ivan Vorpatril did not collude or collaborate either before, during, or after the events in question. There is no basis for a charge against him. In order to help stabilize the situation he then volunteered for self-exile and to give up his status as Vor. The accusation by Count Vormoncrief is slander.”
The chamber was still for moment and then one man raised his hand. The Emperor nodded to the Speaker, who said, “The Council recognizes Count Vorhallas.”
The old man rose slowly, leaning on his cane. “Sire, I am sorry to say that I was one of those men who advised you to accept the exile of your cousin, deeming our empire too fragile to allow him to remain. I regret that advice. I move that before we vote to close this matter forever that the Council of Counts award Ivan Xav Patril its highest commendation for bravery and service.”
It wasn’t unanimous but a clear majority of the counts rose to stand with him in favor of both his motions. Gregor rose with them and bowed to them afterwards. “Thank you, my lords count.
When they were all seated again, Gregor rose a second time. “In the matter of the slander of Ivan Xav Patril, Count Vormoncrief, you retain your vote in council but henceforth it will be made by your Chosen Voice. For the period of one year, your seat will not speak in session other than to vote. You are warned personally to be considerably more discreet in your language… No, there will be no appeal. This session is closed with my thanks.”
***
Lord Van Vorgustafson took a seat in his emperor's office and accepted a glass of wine. “That was not the response I expected but I also hadn’t considered the impact of the presentation until I was making it.”
“Most people consider my cousin an amiable fool and very few of them have gotten to know the man who came back from Escobar.”
“I’d have said the same but reviewing the evidence and examining his personal and service record creates a different picture. Yes, he was considered a good natured and unambitious officer among his peers but his work history reveals him to be skilled at his job, with considerable acumen. His promotions were earned, not nepotism, and Desplains was not happy to lose him. Too astute to be drawn in as a dupe. I was glad it was clear he wasn’t involved… I doubt you’ll every get it past the counts but I think he’d be a very fine auditor.”
“He would cringe in horror at ever again being junior to his cousin,” Gregor said with a smile. “But he’d finding a path of his own. I look forward to the results...Ah, yes Gerard. Bring him in… Lord Auditor Vorgustafson, I believe you said you’d like to meet my cousin, Ivan Xav Patril.”
***
It has been reported previously that Count Boriz Vormoncrief was dismissed from the Winter Assembly at the Residence after calling Lord Ivan Patril a quote “traitorous bastard.” The Emperor called a closed session of the Council of Counts to discuss the matter of a slander against a member of the royal (imperial) family and Count Vormoncrief’s demand that a charge of treason be placed against Patril.
Full details of the evidence presented to the Council by Lord Auditor Van Vorgustafson has not been made public. A precis is expected from the Residence by tomorrow morning. The Speaker of the Council, in a release, said that in a vote of the Counts Patril had been cleared of any possibility of a charge now or in future and had been commended for his actions. Count Vormoncrief has been reprimanded by the Emperor and will, in future, be represented in Council by his Voice.
Both actions are unusual. One comment we received, under agreement of anonymity, said that the Emperor was displeased with the misleading presentation of privileged information. It re-affirmed that Patril did send warnings to the Emperor, ImpSec, ImpMil and the Municipal Guards and placed himself in the hands of the Vorbarra Armsmen to help them capture the conspirators of Count Vordrozda’s coup attempt. Any implication that he cooperated with the conspirators is false.