Spirit Walk_ Old Wounds (Book 1) - Christie Golden [75]
“I have a stone from a lake in mine,” she said, her voice taking on a dreamy quality. “Given to me by someone very dear to us many years ago.”
Chakotay tried hard not to be impatient, but time was passing quickly. “Sekaya, what does Blue Water Boy have to do with this?”
She turned to him and smiled slightly. “I see that sometimes you still do not possess patience. Bear with me. Everything is tied to everything, Chakotay. You toss a stone into a lake, and the ripples spread far and wide.
“We had every hope that the Cardassians would not interfere with our lives,” Sekaya continued in a calm, steady voice, seeming to change the subject. He realized she was describing the events to him as she would tell a story around a fire at night: the great stories, the ones that lasted for thousands of years. This one, too, he suspected, would be remembered.
“And at first, they did not….”
Kolopak entered the hut and removed his hat, running his fingers through his thinning hair. His wife, Tananka, and his daughter exchanged glances.
“More Cardassians.”
Sekaya’s words were a statement, not a question. The drum she had been working on so intently a moment ago lay still in her lap. Her father nodded and took the glass of water his wife offered him and drank deeply.
“I thought Gul Evek assured Anthwara and the council that they would not interfere,” said Tananka.
“He did,” said Kolopak. He stared at the glass in his hand. “Gul Evek is not here now.”
Sekaya looked down. Normally, she enjoyed making drums, and was known for her skill. Now the hollowed-out segment of wood and the soaked rawhide skin seemed dreadfully unimportant to her.
“What is it they want?” asked Tananka.
Kolopak did not answer at once. Sekaya’s gaze roamed over his increasingly agitated features. Kolopak was a deeply spiritual man, a man of peace. But it was clear he did not like the ever more frequent visits of the Cardassian conquerors.
“They want us all back in one place, first of all,” he said. “They say it won’t be permanent.”
“What do you mean?” asked Sekaya. “We are already all in one place. No one has left the colony, ever, except—”
Abruptly she stopped and wished the words back. Even now, it was uncomfortable when anyone mentioned Chakotay. But her father seemed too distressed to notice—a clear sign of his inner turmoil.
“They want those who have moved away, to the plains or the river valleys, to come back to the original settlement site,” Kolopak continued. “They have told us that we must open our homes to those who are staying here.”
“That’s not a problem,” said Tananka. “We’re of different tribes, but we have more that binds us than separates us. We can make room.”
“But why do the Cardassians want us to do this?” Sekaya persisted.
“They told the council they simply want to know more about Dorvan V and its people,” Kolopak said heavily. He did not sound as if he believed the statement even as he uttered it. “They are taking…inventory of their latest acquisition. They are making lists of all plant and animal life and doing some testing. They want all of us to report to have tests done, and it will be more convenient for them if everyone is in the same location.”
“Tests?” yelped Sekaya. The rawhide and the ties were drying out. She did not care. “Father, what sort of tests are they talking about?”
“They appear to want to inventory us as well as the plants and animals,” said Kolopak. His eyes flickered over to his wife. She met his gaze evenly, then turned back to preparing the meal. “Find out what blood types we are. Examine our cell structure.” He waved a hand. “They told us in detail, but I have forgotten.”
Sekaya stared. Her heart lurched in her chest and her stomach was tight. “This is not good,” she said slowly. “I do not trust these people, Father. We are no different from any other humans. Our DNA, our cells, our blood types—surely the Cardassians will learn nothing new from examining us. This makes no sense. They must have another reason for wanting to do this, a reason they are not telling