Nightshade - Laurell K. Hamilton [24]
Audun smiled and moved as close to the captain as the guards would allow.
‘Oh, for goodness sake,” Picard said. “Give me room to breath, Lieutenant.”
‘Captain, I…”
‘That is an order.”
Worf gave a very curt nod, then stepped back. The other guards did as well, having been convinced earlier that the Klingon was in charge.
Picard smiled at Audun. “I enjoyed our talk last night.”
‘As did I, Captain. May I introduce my fellow Greens? Marit and Liv.” Marit was a short woman with nearly solid brown hair. Liv was tall and slender and almost white-blond. The women smiled and nodded.
‘We are very grateful to you, Captain, for allowing us an opportunity to participate in these peace talks,” Liv said.
‘It is I who am honored. Your work in biotechnology rivals the Federation’s.”
Liv blushed, bowing her head.
‘She is not accustomed to strangers,” Audun said. “We have learned to keep to ourselves. It is safer.”
‘Was there trouble?” Picard asked.
‘None, but until today we were members of a dangerous subversive organization. Traitors. In time of war, traitors may be shot on sight.” He smiled as he said it, to take the sting out of the words but
“You were hunted like animals?” Troi asked.
‘Sometimes, Healer, sometimes,” Audun said.
A gong sounded in clear, ringing tones. Everyone in the room turned to see General Basha standing in front of a long table. It was laden with food.
General Alick, head of the Venturi faction, stood just out of reach, behind the table, as well. He was wider through the shoulders and waist than Basha-the closest Picard had seen any of the Orianians come to being fat. But it was hard fat, muscle disguised under bulk. Picard would have guessed that many enemies had judged by outward appearances and been outwitted and out maneuvered by the slow, bulky-looking general.
‘Welcome all,” General Basha said.
‘To this place of peace,” General Alick said.
‘Eat and drink without fear,” Basha said.
‘We stand on neutral ground,” Alick said.
‘And it is against our most sacred laws to defile neutral ground,” Basha finished.
It had taken Picard nearly three hours to arrive at the compromise they had just heard. Both Alick and Basha had been determined to have the “honor” of opening the peace talks.
All the food on the table was bite-sized or slightly bigger. There were no plates. Napkins were to be used strictly for dabbing at hands and mouth. They were not to be used as plates. Plates allowed the sprinkling of poison. If you picked up one item of food at a time and ate it right away, no one could tamper with it.
As the food was laid out indiscriminately and no one had any idea who would be eating what, it was safe, except from random tampering. And the Orianians did not believe in random assassination. That was considered rude.
Lieutenant Worf had said, “I am glad to see the Orianian assassins have some honor.”
Picard hadn’t been sure if the Klingon was serious or being sarcastic. He couldn’t recall ever hearing Worf use sarcasm before.
There was a pile of styrofoamlike cups. Each guest was to use one cup, then throw it away, again to lessen the chances of poison.
Picard stared at the pile of cups and wondered how much energy and failing natural resources had gone into making them. All to be thrown away. He sighed. One problem at a time. Peace, then the planet’s salvation could begin.
‘We have a special honor for the Federation ambassador,” General Basha said.
‘The Torlick and the Venturi have worked together on a surprise for the ambassador,” General Alick said.
Picard looked from one to the other, unsure what was about to happen. But that the two warring factions had worked together on anything was a miracle.
Two guards wheeled in a tray with what looked like an old-fashioned urn on it. Basha and Alick took places on either side of the small wheeled cart. The two men spoke in unison like an a capella choir.
‘Captain Jean-Luc Picard, the Venturi and the Torlick wish you to know we are not entirely uncivilized.”
‘We have