No? No plans to become a soldier or nightclub bouncer? Pity.

[ He lifts his hand to tug gently on one of Prior's stray locks of hair. The length looks almost silly to his Barrayaran eye, where even the town clowns like him keep it military-regulation short. It's charming, truly.

With a small sigh, he turns towards more serious matters. He's very nearly sincere when he says: ]

But it doesn't have to be your thing, dear Prior. Just a thing you can do. I can teach you marksmanship instead, if that pleases you better, but one must always be prepared to be disarmed.