"A Civil Campaign"

I'm still early in the reread, but this time through I'm struck by the number of times an offhand reference early on turns out to have significant bearing on later developments - not necessarily causally, but at least thematically. Cases in point:

• During the first conversation between Miles and Ivan, Ivan discusses the breakup of the "sweetheart deal" he had had with "Madame Vor-what's-her-name". He complains about the husband's sudden non-compliance in these words: "It was all so unreasonable. I mean, they're cooking up their kid in a uterine replicator. It's not like someone even can graft a little bastard onto the family tree these days." The case of Rene Vorbretten pops up in the very next chapter.


• During Kareen's discussion of her educational plans with her parents, her father trots out an old family joke: "Think what floating this harem would have been like back in the days of dowries!" The resolution of the Vormuir problem hinges on this very point.


• When Professor Vorthys returns from avoiding Ekaterin's would-be suitors, he is carrying a large bag full of pastries. He later takes half of them down to his basement lab for future consumption. Nikki trots along after him.  The fact that Nikki "knows where the Professor hides his cookies" pops up significantly in a later (and hilarious) scene.

Have I mentioned my appreciation of Bujold lately?