Mosaic - Jeri Taylor [22]
Tuvok, he knew, was more concerned with reestablishing contact with voyager than with conjecturing about an archaeological site. But Harry also knew that it wasn't unusual for an away team to lose temporary contact with the ship, as there were many kinds of interference that would cause trouble with the long-range comm system. And he was too caught up in the present mystery to worry unduly about what was probably a routine mishap. He waited until he had Tuvok's attention.
"It may be," the Vulcan mused, "that the eventual goal will be what the inhabitants considered the most important site-the grave of a leader or great dignitary, or possibly the location of sacrificial offerings." Harry stared at the intricate grouping of skeletons that lay before them, dozens of them laid out in a series of concentric circles. Was it possible these magnificent creatures had been sacrificed to some deity, living or imagined? The thought gave him a chill, even though he knew through his studies that many species-including his own-had at one time performed such rituals.
Unbidden, the moment of sacrifice flashed through his mind: a priestly knife held high, plunging, gouts of blood spraying a feathered spasm, then stillness, great wings forever closed. He shook his head to clear it of such disturbing thoughts and began to search for the next blue spire, the marker for the next site.
He couldn't find it.
Perplexed, he turned toward Tuvok, who was also scanning with both eyes and tricorder, his dark forehead furrowed. "I don't get it, sir," said Harry. "It doesn't seem like this should be the end of the line-there's nothing particularly special about this site."
"Agreed, Ensign. It may be that the location of the final site is hidden, protected in some way in order to provide a defense against defiling or looting."
Harry looked around. No clues presented themselves. The green slime of the ground was unmarked; the flora dense and solid. It was as though the trail simply ended. And yet he knew there must be more. The trail had been so clear, so explicit.
And then the thought struck him, like a spoken voice in his mind: "For anyone on the ground. his
The trail could be followed by anyone on the ground. But these were beings capable of flight. The markers of the final location might be visible only from the air.
"I've got it, sir," he said excitedly. "There must be a pattern that can be seen from the air, not the ground."
Tuvok understood immediately. "That would be logical, Ensign. Proceed with that hypothesis."
"I'm going to enter the coordinates of every marker we've encountered. The tricorder will able to extrapolate an aerial view."
Excited now, he plunged into the overgrown thatch of the vegetation that surrounded them.
Jal Sittik emerged from the Kazon shuttle and moved eagerly into the hot sunlight.
Today would be the day he would achieve greatness. He took a deep breath, drawing warm air into his lungs, feeling them expand and imagining they were drawing power into his body--power that would, on this day, cause him to achieve a great triumph: victory over the puny Federations.
Jal Sittik put his hands on his hips and faced into the sun, filling his lungs with strength, summoning his virility so that his men could look on him and derive strength from him, and bless their good fortune in being part of his great destiny.
He knew that he struck a fine figure for his men to witness. The adornments in his hair were impressive: for each of his kills, he had woven a Behrni