Possession - J.M. Dillard [110]
Glancing around, she noticed the booth next to Data and Geordi’s had a display featuring an enormous hologram of a floating Klingon eye, which was currently glaring down at her. Alexander, Worf’s son, stood behind the display, manipulating the eyeball and clearly having a wonderful time doing it. Worf was standing close to a tall blond woman—very close. Guinan’s smile widened; this was looking more interesting by the moment.
She walked up to Alexander. “I didn’t know you were planning a display at the TechnoFair either, young man. And you usually tell me everything.”
The boy smiled delightedly. “It’s not my display, Guinan. It’s Kyla’s. She just let me set up the eye.”
Worf, in a surprisingly gentlemanly manner, introduced Guinan to the scientist Kyla Dannelke. Their body language was most interesting. Guinan thought of all the evenings Worf sat in Ten Forward alone, insisting that human women were “too delicate” for him. There wasn’t much about Kyla Dannelke that seemed delicate to her.
“So, have you two known each other long?” Guinan asked conversationally.
“Oh, it feels like forever,” Kyla replied drolly. Worf looked surprisingly embarrassed and everyone else broke into much more laughter than the situation seemed to call for. What had been going on while she was away?
“I want to hear everything that happened during the day devoted to the ‘Use of Chocolate as an Entertainment Consumptive,’ ” Troi declared. “Start talking!”
Guinan grinned. “The recipes! You just won’t believe them. For example: Rich Andusian chocolate bars, melted into Saurian brandy, with a little Terran vanilla, topped with whipped cream—”
Just then Picard strolled into view. He seemed tired, Guinan thought, but otherwise his usual self. The transport job must’ve been much more than he’d anticipated. And she’d heard about Ensign Ito’s tragic death. No wonder he looked weary. If she couldn’t lure him into Ten Forward, she’d beard the lion in his den. She couldn’t wait to try some of her new concoctions on him! She didn’t know anyone else who needed to relax more.
Picard was flanked by a tallish human male with a pleasant face and a pronounced widow’s peak. Picard said something, and the man gave a warm hearty laugh and replied with a pronounced New England accent. Beverly Crusher walked beside this man, and she, too, laughed.
Even the serene Vulcan male walking on Picard’s right seemed more placid than the average Vulcan. Yet there was a sadness about him.
“Guinan!” Picard said as he spotted her. “It’s good to see you. I certainly hope your … religious retreat fulfilled your spiritual needs and helped you find the peace of mind you were looking for. We’ll all certainly enjoy the advantages of your counsel.”
Religious retreat? What was he talking about? Oh, yes! She’d completely forgotten the “official justification” for her trip. She had been afraid he wouldn’t have let her go during the hectic transporting assignment if he thought she was just going to have fun. She blushed darkly as everyone but Data swallowed their smiles.
The android only looked confused. “Why would they discuss the consumption of chocolate at a religious retreat?” he asked La Forge, who only jabbed him into silence.
“Yes, it was wonderful,” Guinan assured the captain with only a little guilt. “Very … enriching.”Enriching wasn’t the word. She knew she’d put on at least five pounds.
He introduced her to the Vulcan scientist, Skel, and the android-builder, George Tarmud. Another android-maker! Guinan could see if she didn’t get out of here soon she’d be trapped into science-speak for hours.
Snagging Deanna’s arm, she said, “If you’ll excuse us, I promised Deanna I’d show her the recorded scenes from the seminars on ‘Religious Counseling Today.’ “
Troi’s eyes widened in horror as Guinan wrested her away from a chuckling Will Riker and pulled her quickly out of earshot.
“So, what’s with Worf and that woman?” Guinan hissed at her friend as they left the others. “I want details! And I thought it would be boring to have all those scientists on board.