John Kirk
John Kirk asked Lois McMaster Bujold:

I'm curious: what were the Imperial Auditors up to during Vordarian's pretendership? I suspect that the real answer is "Nothing, because you hadn't invented them yet", but I wonder what their role would be in a situation like that.

Lois McMaster Bujold
Well, your first speculation is not wrong, but, taking them as an undetermined box in which anything might be happening as long as it didn't impinge on Cordelia's then-frame-of-view, I would expect, with 8 or 9 men, several possibilities. Any who were known loyalists to Aral would have been put under arrest, if Vordarian could catch them before they went underground. One or more could have died resisting or defying arrest. Any he could suborn, he would have. Fence-sitters would have found plausible bolt-holes, but not have been trusted by Aral afterward, and would have been encouraged to retire.

Vordarian didn't have long enough as emperor to appoint his own stable, I'm afraid. Luckily for them.

Ta, L.

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