thisvorlunatic: (⑦ negotiation)
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan ([personal profile] thisvorlunatic) wrote in [personal profile] unmarred 2014-11-16 09:26 pm (UTC)

"Yeah, yeah."

Bathward they go, then. Stalas operates its controls while he talks.

"The story goes, Lord So-and-so of House Somebody - you hear it with a few different actual historical figures, or with made-up names, or with no names at all - was a rich fellow with a taste for luxury, and his favourite thing in the world was a long hot bath. One day he goes to visit the house of his good friend Lord Somebody-Else for a few days, to wine and dine and talk about taxes on imported goods and what-have-you. Lord Somebody-Else, being a generous and thoughtful sort, has his servants draw a bath... but when Lord So-and-so steps into the bathing chamber, he notices that there are no towels. Puzzled, he looks for a servant to correct this oversight, but there are none to be found nearby. So he stands next to the bath with the door closed and his armour on, and sure enough, an assassin bursts in half an hour later. Various versions disagree on what happened next, but it's generally agreed the incident put an end to that friendship. And now a 'bath without towels' is a byword for any situation with a strong odour of trap."

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