Work Text:
Take the first two third of Gwynne's story, deposit it here.
The statue is being presented to the public, all the usual dignitaries are present. Instead of a presentation of Kly the Mail (maybe that statue is produced to replace this one?), we get a more 'Conventional Equestrian Statue'.
The plot Bunny straains.. and we get:
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The crowd gathered to see another mundane bit of pigeon perch be revealed. The drape is finally withdrawn.
"Pym, give me your Plasma Pistol." Her voice was flat, sharp. Pym drew and handed her his sidearm instantly, not reflecting on what she'd use it for for several seconds.
With a smooth motion, she, ignoring the taboo on drawing a weapon in the presence of the Emperor, powered it up, disarmed the safety, and fired one accurate bolt.
Everyone around her ducked and flinched at the spray of molten bronze. The bolt had passed directly through the neck of the statue, decapitating it, sending the head flying up into the air. A precise shot, leaving a hole in the statue, the sculpted head on an arc, to finally make a 'clang' as it hit the paving stones on the far side.
The statute was now headless - making an unusual sight for all the crowd. Half the Emperor's Armsmen started to move to Cordelia; disarming her; the rest began to hustle the Emperor away, back into the safely of the Residence.
Aral looked on frozen, until he turned to Miles; "Didn't you -think- what your mother would do when she saw a statue of Ges?"
Simon (in his retirement) traced everything back to Byerly (and some of his dissolute friends)
The sculptor had been commissioned to produce a mostly-standard-presentation mounted rider statue; she started to look thru vids of people of the proper era to find an agreeable face. Byerly knew the Sculptor; he (as a prank) directed her to several vids of his cousin Ges (well known as one of the most handsome men of his time). The sculptor decided to use a composite of Ges's face and head, not knowing anything about Ges.
Lady Alys (and her friends) made repercussions felt. The Sculptor was shielded from most by Gregor; he recognized the prank played on an innocent by Byerly.
Cordelia satisfied herself with a particularly hawk-like examination of Byerly at next Winterfaire.
Byerly, when asks, said Uncle Ges never looked so good.
Miles, and his committee, was set to work developing a new presentation of 'The Value of Horses in Barrayar History'.
Cordelia, thru Aral, made a suggestion for a possible subject. Miles proposed it to the Committee; it was adopted quickly once the source was rumored.