Pantheon - Michael Jan Friedman [205]
As Picard walked down the corridor, he reflected on the charge Simenon had leveled against him: Captain Ruhalter was the same way.
As the second officer noted at the meeting, he had respected and admired Ruhalter. However, he realized now that he wasn’t completely comfortable with the man’s approach to command.
Ruhalter had indeed relied on his instincts, often to the exclusion of other potentially valuable information and opinions. For a long time, of course, that method had worked for him—but in the end it had produced a bloody disaster.
Picard wasn’t spurning the value of instinct—quite the contrary. He had gone with his gut more than once since his captain’s demise. But he preferred to poll his officers, to obtain their feedback and draw on their expertise before he made a decision on a major point of strategy.
And not just his officers. He was willing to solicit advice even from the most unlikely sources.
Like the one he was about to visit at that very moment.
Up ahead, the second officer saw the open entrance to the brig and caught a glimpse of Lieutenant Pierzynski, who was leaning against a bulkhead inside. The rangy, fair-haired Pierzynski was the security officer who had taken Pug Joseph’s place on guard duty.
As Picard got closer, Pierzynski must have caught sight of him, because he straightened up suddenly. If his behavior wasn’t enough of a clue, the ruddy color in his face gave away his embarrassment.
“Anything I can do for you, sir?” asked Pierzynski.
“There is indeed,” said the second officer. As he entered the brig area, he spotted Werber sitting on his cot behind the electromagnetic barrier. “You can repair to the hallway for a moment, Lieutenant. I would like to speak with the chief in private.”
The security officer hesitated, no doubt weighing the wisdom of leaving Picard alone with seven mutineers. In the end, however, Pierzynski must have thought it was all right, because he said, “Aye, sir. I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
“Thank you,” the second officer replied.
As Pierzynski left the room, Picard pressed some studs on a nearby bulkhead panel and altered the polarity of six of the seven barriers—Werber’s being the exception. The effect was to make those barriers impervious to sound as well as light. Then he pressed another stud and saw the doors to the corridor slide shut.
Finally, he turned to Werber and nodded. “Chief.”
The weapons officer shot him a dirty look. “Nice of you to visit,” he declared, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’d offer you a chair, but I don’t seem to have any lying around.”
The second officer didn’t take the bait. “This isn’t a social call,” he replied. “I’ve come on ship’s business.”
The prisoner laughed bitterly. “What do I care about your ship, Picard? If you’re in the center seat, she’ll be debris soon anyway.”
“That’s certainly a possibility,” the commander said.
Clearly, it wasn’t the comeback Werber had expected. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Since I thwarted your mutiny attempt, the Stargazer has been the victim of sabotage,” Picard explained. “Not once, but twice now. The third time, it might prove our undoing.”
That seemed to get the prisoner’s attention. However, he resisted the temptation to inquire about it.
“I thought a veteran weapons officer might have some interest in identifying the saboteur,” Picard went on. “Especially when he’s someone