and immediately saw the reason for the enthusiasm: Lieutenant Ro was slowly making her way into the bar, helped along by a cane and the bracelike exoframe fastened around her legs. She scowled at the applauders, but Tenmei could see her smiling behind it as she worked her way toward a table to join Nurses Etana and Richter.
Quark was suddenly grinning from ear to enormous ear. He straightened his topcoat, breathed into his palm, and stood. “If you’ll excuse me, Ensign, duty calls,” he said, and headed straight for Ro’s table.
Tenmei popped a vithi bulb into her mouth, thinking that perhaps the day had just taken a turn for the better, for everybody.
6
“Y ou have the look of someone lost,” Shing-kur told her visitor.
Ghemor stood with her arms folded outside the holding cell, staring at the Kressari, acutely aware of the nearby Bajoran guards who were watching them both. Major Cenn had been gracious enough to let her see Shing-kur, but he was wise enough not to leave Ghemor alone with her, even separated by a force field.
“You must have me mistaken for someone else,” Ghemor said.
Shing-kur’s eyes, conveying pleasure, resembled orbs of obsidian glass. She sat in repose on the bench against the back wall of her cell. “Oh, I think I read you well enough, Iliana. Is it all right if I call you that? She never let me use her old name.”
“I don’t give a damn what you do.”
“No? Then why are you here?”
Good question. “I’m trying to understand why someone with your obvious intellect could be so self-destructivelydevoted to someone like her. What exactly is the hold she has on you?”
“No hold, Iliana,” Shing-kur said.
“What, then?”
“She needed someone, and I was there for her.”
“That’s it?”
Shing-kur regarded her for a moment. “Haven’t you ever been needed?”
Ghemor took a half step toward the force field. “Help me stop her.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Don’t you care about the all the harm she’s done? The harm she still plans to do?”
“Ah, yes, all the harm she’s done.” Shing-kur’s eyes turned white. “You’re like everyone else. You spare no thought for the harm that’s been inflicted on her. For the betrayals she’s endured.”
“Help me to understand, then.”
Shing-kur sat up. “I was right about you. You truly do feel lost right now, don’t you? Something’s changed since we last spoke. It’s in your face.”
“Nothing’s changed,” Ghemor said through her teeth. “She’s still out there, and you’re still in a cage.”
“Then I daresay that makes two of us,” Shing-kur said, her eyes shifting back to deepest black.
“Ghemor?”
She turned. Dax and the doctor were standing near the exit. The Trill tilted her head toward the door.
“A moment of your time, please.”
Ghemor cast a final glance at the Kressari and followed the officers out. Dax led them into the interrogation room. Whatever she had to say, she obviously wanted to do it in private.
The petite lieutenant folded her arms before her. “What were you doing in there?”
Ghemor shrugged. “Taking care of some unfinished business.”
Dax seemed to be considering whether or not to insist that Ghemor elaborate, then apparently decided to let the matter pass.
“If I may say, Ms. Ghemor, you look at bit drawn,” Bashir said. “How are you feeling?”
“Honest answer? Pretty useless. But thank you for asking.”
“When was the last time you slept?” the doctor pressed.
“Probably too long ago.”
“Then I advise you to get some rest,” Dax said. “That’s why we came to see you. We have a new theory about the wormhole. We’re launching Defiant tomorrow so we can put it to the test. If we’re right, we could have you back in your universe before lunchtime…and maybe give your counterpart a little surprise as well.”
Ghemor merely nodded, suddenly too drained to say anything out loud. She caught her reflection in the interrogation
Quark was suddenly grinning from ear to enormous ear. He straightened his topcoat, breathed into his palm, and stood. “If you’ll excuse me, Ensign, duty calls,” he said, and headed straight for Ro’s table.
Tenmei popped a vithi bulb into her mouth, thinking that perhaps the day had just taken a turn for the better, for everybody.
6
“Y ou have the look of someone lost,” Shing-kur told her visitor.
Ghemor stood with her arms folded outside the holding cell, staring at the Kressari, acutely aware of the nearby Bajoran guards who were watching them both. Major Cenn had been gracious enough to let her see Shing-kur, but he was wise enough not to leave Ghemor alone with her, even separated by a force field.
“You must have me mistaken for someone else,” Ghemor said.
Shing-kur’s eyes, conveying pleasure, resembled orbs of obsidian glass. She sat in repose on the bench against the back wall of her cell. “Oh, I think I read you well enough, Iliana. Is it all right if I call you that? She never let me use her old name.”
“I don’t give a damn what you do.”
“No? Then why are you here?”
Good question. “I’m trying to understand why someone with your obvious intellect could be so self-destructivelydevoted to someone like her. What exactly is the hold she has on you?”
“No hold, Iliana,” Shing-kur said.
“What, then?”
“She needed someone, and I was there for her.”
“That’s it?”
Shing-kur regarded her for a moment. “Haven’t you ever been needed?”
Ghemor took a half step toward the force field. “Help me stop her.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Don’t you care about the all the harm she’s done? The harm she still plans to do?”
“Ah, yes, all the harm she’s done.” Shing-kur’s eyes turned white. “You’re like everyone else. You spare no thought for the harm that’s been inflicted on her. For the betrayals she’s endured.”
“Help me to understand, then.”
Shing-kur sat up. “I was right about you. You truly do feel lost right now, don’t you? Something’s changed since we last spoke. It’s in your face.”
“Nothing’s changed,” Ghemor said through her teeth. “She’s still out there, and you’re still in a cage.”
“Then I daresay that makes two of us,” Shing-kur said, her eyes shifting back to deepest black.
“Ghemor?”
She turned. Dax and the doctor were standing near the exit. The Trill tilted her head toward the door.
“A moment of your time, please.”
Ghemor cast a final glance at the Kressari and followed the officers out. Dax led them into the interrogation room. Whatever she had to say, she obviously wanted to do it in private.
The petite lieutenant folded her arms before her. “What were you doing in there?”
Ghemor shrugged. “Taking care of some unfinished business.”
Dax seemed to be considering whether or not to insist that Ghemor elaborate, then apparently decided to let the matter pass.
“If I may say, Ms. Ghemor, you look at bit drawn,” Bashir said. “How are you feeling?”
“Honest answer? Pretty useless. But thank you for asking.”
“When was the last time you slept?” the doctor pressed.
“Probably too long ago.”
“Then I advise you to get some rest,” Dax said. “That’s why we came to see you. We have a new theory about the wormhole. We’re launching Defiant tomorrow so we can put it to the test. If we’re right, we could have you back in your universe before lunchtime…and maybe give your counterpart a little surprise as well.”
Ghemor merely nodded, suddenly too drained to say anything out loud. She caught her reflection in the interrogation
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