Crossover - Michael Jan Friedman [41]
Hyperventilating, he could feel the color rising in his cheeks. He imagined that he was quite a sight. By the look on the commander’s face, he was right.
“I see what ye’re trying to do,” he growled, adding an uncontrollable blink in one eye, for effect. “Ye scheme yer little schemes, and ye think the Federation will be yers for the taking. Even if the fools at Starfleet canna make out what ye’re up to, I can. And I’ll nae rest until I destroy every last one of ye!”
Obviously repelled by the display, the Romulan withdrew a few paces to confer with his officers. Finally, he came to a conclusion.
“Interrogate him,” said the commander. “Find out if he has some hidden purpose, or if he really is as crazy as he appears. If he turns out to be insane in truth, you may put him out of his misery—and mine.”
Though he maintained his manic expression, Scotty blanched inside at the prospect. He knew he wouldn’t last long at the hands of a Romulan interrogator.
And then something incredible happened. The voice of a Romulan officer came from the room’s intercom system.
“Commander,” the voice said, “we have new orders regarding the prisoner.”
“What new orders?” the Romulan demanded.
“He is not to be harmed, sir.”
“What?” The commander was livid now.
“Sir, the orders come directly from Proconsul Eragian himself. We are to bring the prisoner and his vessel to a station in this sector. Eragian is en route and will deal with the matter personally.”
The commander grunted. Turning to Scotty, he managed a resentful sort of smile.
“So there is something more to your story, human. Whatever it is, I can assure you the proconsul will find it out.”
Scotty didn’t reply. He was too lost in his own thoughts. However, that only seemed to annoy the commander further.
“Watch him carefully,” the Romulan said. Then he departed, his officers falling into line behind him.
As he watched them go, Scotty wondered what the Romulan proconsul could possibly want with him. Had the Romulan hierarchy somehow connected his appearance to the unificationists … or to Spock?
The engineer doubted it. If they’d made that connection already, they’d have no need to question him. Yet the proconsul was sufficiently interested in him to come personally.
He couldn’t see why—at least not yet. But as he sat down again in his cell, he had the distinctly unpleasant feeling that he’d soon find out.
CHAPTER 10
Spock looked up from the circle of his students and saw Santek’s approach. The Romulan raised his hand in the traditional Vulcan salute. Though Santek’s control was good, Spock could see that he was apprehensive about something.
“Teacher,” he said, “I apologize for disturbing you during a lesson, but I must speak with you.”
The Vulcan had wondered about Santek’s absence. A good student, the man had been with him almost since the beginning of his work on Romulus.
Spock nodded, though he already had an idea what the Romulan would say. “Please, speak.”
“Teacher,” Santek sighed, “I regret that I will not be able to continue my studies. You have honored me with your instruction, and I beg your forgiveness if I have disappointed or failed you.”
The Vulcan considered his student a moment before answering. In that time, D’tan rose to his feet and approached Santek.
“You dishonor your teacher,” said D’tan. “You, who have been with us from the beginning.” The youth was clearly angry and had forgotten his control.
Despite D’tan’s age, he had always been a serious and earnest student. His emotional display genuinely surprised Spock, even more than Santek’s decision to join the escape attempt.
From the moment Belan had informed the Vulcan of the escape attempt, the number of Romulans who had chosen to terminate their studies and join Belan had grown steadily. And the number of students remaining had decreased proportionally.
“You betray all the Teacher has taught you,” D’tan said, furious now. “You betray the wisdom of Surak.”
Spock was certain that in another moment