Lost Era 06_ Catalyst of Sorrows - Margaret Wander Bonanno [101]
“Quirinus was the first world where I tried it. Logged thirty prefectures, planned to visit only two or three. I’d have gone home and reported that I hadn’t been able to take any orders in the other twenty-six or -seven, business was that bad. Take the write-off for the time and travel expenses, claim the loss, then we would not have to pay taxes on whatever we actually did sell. Do you see?”
“I’m beginning to,” Jarquin said grumpily, so absorbed in Leval’s explanation that he didn’t notice the human had slipped quietly away.
“I will be honest with you,” Tuvok was saying. “I am not good at deception. It doesn’t sit well with me. But if my partner cuts me off without funding, I would lose everything. I thought by deceiving you, I could keep you clear of it. Now you’ve asked too many questions, and you’re implicated along with me. If anyone from the homeworld comes asking questions…”
“We never had this conversation!” Jarquin said abruptly. “I am here only to examine your cargo to make sure you’re not running arms or any other illicit goods.”
He waved an imperious hand toward the container behind Leval, who yawned once more and, in a very leisurely gesture, began keying in the code to open it.
“What the hell are you doing?” Sisko demanded, seeing Zetha in his chair at the controls. Selar’s voice in his ear, as much as his inability to listen to much more of “Leval’s” explanation with a straight face, had led him back here with all due alacrity.
“Your job, if I had the skills!” the girl snapped, leaping out of the chair. “Selar’s signaling. What do we do now?”
“You get out of my way and let me do my job,” Sisko said, locking onto Selar’s signal. He supposed he could keep her in the pattern buffer until the Quirinians left, a risky move if they stayed too long, and what if they wanted to talk to her? “Then you go back to the living quarters and figure out another diversion in case our guests go looking for your ‘aunt.’ “
There was blood on Selar’s hazmat suit, and other stains Sisko didn’t dare examine too closely. Even after she stepped out of the decon beam he hesitated before taking the sample case from her, as if the exterior might somehow still be contaminated, stashing it under the control console where he hoped Jarquin wouldn’t notice it.
“I would have signaled sooner, had the patrols not been in the vicinity,” Selar explained as she disposed of the suit. Something in Sisko’s manner cautioned her to speak softly. “Is something wrong?”
He explained. “… and either I’m going to have to conceal you somewhere until they’re gone or, ideally, figure out a way to get you back to the living quarters without their seeing you. And since there’s only one gangway leading the length of the ship-“
Selar gestured toward the transporter.
“I’m not sure this transporter is safe for intraship beaming,” Sisko objected, reading her mind.
Selar retrieved her sample case and Tuvok’s before stepping back onto the pad. “We are about to find out, Lieutenant.”
Citizen Jarquin was bored. There were only so many cases of silk one could examine. Now it was he who was yawning as he gestured to Leval to reseal the third of the three containers he had asked to examine.
“Your cooperation is appreciated,” he told Leval. “And your rather creative approach to accounting is safe with me.”
Gesturing to his guards, he headed for the gangway, only to find his way obstructed by Zetha. The girl was on her knees picking up glass shards one by one. Apparently absorbed in her task, she didn’t look up until she realized one piece was directly under Citizen Jarquin’s boot.
“Give it up, girl. It’s probably beyond salvaging,