Day of Honor 01_ Ancient Blood - Diane Carey [12]
“I know.”
Leading the way into the turbolift, Worf gripped the duffel bag as if it were some kind of lifeline, and he met Grant’s easy expression and friendly eyes.
“For Alexander’s sake,” Worf said quietly, “your presence is a good comfort. He needs to see some elements of family from time to time.”
“Well, he’s got you, doesn’t he? You’re his dad. What else does any kid need?”
“More,” Worf told him candidly. “Especially now, as he gets older.”
Grant laughed. “You’re so hardwired! Don’t worry. I can see right through you, just like I always could. You just get a nice steel rod to chew on, tell me all about this graft on Sindikash, we’ll go down and clear the field, then we’ll come back to this crate and have a family reunion that’ll shake the bulkheads.”
As the lift doors opened on the deck where Worf lived with his son, he stepped out into the corridor, then paused. He tried to feel better about what was ahead of them, and in some ways he did, yet nagging anticipation kept him from being pleased that he and Ross Grant would now get the chance to blend their dissimilar abilities.
“Such an event,” he said, “will be much more pleasant after this mission is over. I hope it ends soon.”
With a nod, Grant chuckled again. “And you’ll break its legs if it doesn’t, right?”
“And that guy over there … a ferret.” Grant was speaking quickly, clearly nervous.
“What?” Worf felt nervous as well. It was not fear of battle or conflict that was bothering him. It was the fear that Toledano had been right, that Klingons were involved in these dishonorable acts.
“You know. An Earth ferret.”
“That is a human, not a … ferret.”
“Oh, come on. Get involved, will you?”
Sitting in a public square watching passersby and trying to decide which animal they were in a previous life did not strike Worf as a pleasant way to pass the time. Grant’s insistence on this activity was on a par with other eccentricities Grant had shown over the years, all of which amounted to speaking when there was nothing to say, or when speech was a detriment to their plans. But his flawless record had shown Worf that his sometimes strange behaviour was worth the price of his involvement.
“Oh, look at that guy over there. Elephant. No doubt about it. Ouch—and he’s walking with a peacock!”
Worf grunted.
“An earth peacock, I mean. Oh—right there. Guy with the hat. Some kind of lizard, for sure. You can tell by the way he walks that he’s got that kind of personality. And look at that mouth!”
“He is not a lizard. I have fought lizards.”
“You always did have a concrete imagination. You shipboarders ought to unclench once in a while… chihuahua … panther … slime devil… hey, you’re not eating. Aren’t you hungry?”
“No.”
“You didn’t eat much when we had dinner with Alexander, either. It’s the honor thing, right? Klingons shouldn’t act like that. Y’know, I sure hated to say good-bye to Alexander so soon. I hope we can wrap this up fast. Will you relax? Why are you so nervous? You checked the schedule, didn’t you? She’s coming eventually, right?”
“Yes, she is coming.”
“Vulture … mugatu … tribble … you can get me inside, can’t you?”
“We shall see very soon.”
“Because if you can, then I can find the trail. I’ve cracked criminal organizations on fifteen planets so far. You know how?”
“You talk too much, Grant. You always talk too much.”
“Because I understand how technology helps criminals, that’s why. They have to keep records. Any organization bigger than three people nowadays has to keep records.”
“You have explained this before.”
Grant continued without a break. “… They steal huge amounts of wealth and they have to keep track of it. And that track leaves prints. The riches flow back and point. And that’s how you bring ‘em down. You just get me to a computer inside the governor’s private square. I can sniff out—hey! Hey! Look — there she is! She’s coming!”
“Grant! Do not turn that way! Pretend you do not see her.”
“Don’t see her? How can anybody miss her? She’s surrounded by guards.”
“I see that.”
“Man, they’re ugly. They’re coming this