Canaba

Canaba is a briefly mentioned figure whose prognosis about Sergeant Taura’s terminal decline shapes Miles Vorkosigan’s effort to ensure she will not face her final days alone. The book provides no further background about Canaba or the basis of his estimate.

Prognosis for Sergeant Taura

Miles tells Elli Quinn that he recently spoke with Canaba about the gray appearing in Sergeant Taura’s hair. Canaba estimates that once this sign appears, no more than two months remain before serious metabolic failure begins and Taura dies. The estimate turns Miles’s concern into a time-sensitive request: he asks Elli to notify him wherever Taura is, so he can reach her before the end and keep a promise he made to himself that she would not be alone.