The Garden - Melissa Scott [37]
began to walk away, its eight legs giving it a strange, rolling gait. Kim tried not to watch it go, not wanting to seem as desperate as he felt, but he could feel the human watching him, and met his gaze to see the man smiling very slightly, as though he could read Kim's emotions. The heavy wail of the Kirse transporter sounded again, and the table stepped through the opening that had appeared in the far wall. The door closed again behind it, and Kim suppressed a sigh. None of the food had fallen, or even shifted on its plates.
"What brings you to this planet, Captain Jane-way?" the Kirse speaker continued.
"We've come here to trade," Janeway answered, after a barely perceptible pause. "We're particularly interested in foodstuffs."
The speaker inclined his head gravely. "I am always interested in trade, particularly with people who have come such a distance. But I would prefer not to discuss such things until we've become better acquainted, person to person. May I suggest, Captain, that you and I-"
"And her officers," the human said.
The speaker gave him a quick glance, then inclined his own head gravely. "That you and your officers and I eat together first, to put things on a proper basis, before we move on to the details of negotiation."
"We would be delighted," Janeway said.
The speaker nodded again. "In the meantime, as an earnest of my intent, let me offer you something less-extravagant-than what was laid out for you before."
The winged Kirse lifted a hand, wings stirring to counterbalance the movement, and another door opened, this time in the opposite wall. Another walking table, smaller than the first, but as heavily laden,
waddled into the room, and the door beamed closed behind it. The winged Kirse gestured again, and the table settled into place, hands and less-human appendages deftly arranging the dishes across its surface.
"Thank you," Janeway said, and the human spoke before she could finish. "They'll be offended if you refuse, Captain." Janeway looked at him, not quite masking her curiosity. "No offense, but just who are you?"
The human gave her an easy smile. He was handsome in a bony sort of way, Kim decided, a tall, pale man with dark brown hair pulled back into a loose tail. There was a streak of silver at one temple, but otherwise it was hard to guess his age.
"My name's Thilo Revek. I crashed here a while ago, and the Kirse took me in. Adamant there asked me to help greet you."
"Adamant," Janeway repeated, with a quick glance at the Kirse speaker.
The speaker bent his head-not a native Kirse gesture, Kim guessed, but one learned from Revek- still with that oddly indulgent expression on his face. "He calls me Adamant. You are welcome to do the same."
"Thank you," Janeway said. "And he calls me Night-Whispers," the winged Kirse said. His voice was lighter, though still not quite feminine, and there was a note in it that might have been a whistle of laughter. "Will you eat with us, Captain?"
"We would be honored," Janeway said, without hesitation, this time. "But if you don't mind, I'd like to ask Mr. Revek a few questions first."
"Of course," Adamant answered. "You will have much to share. And we can't have much to say to each
other yet, I know, until we have become better acquainted. I trust Thilo will facilitate the process."
There was an almost admonishing note to the Kirse's voice. Kim glanced at Revek, curious, and saw the man's smile turn wry. "Don't worry, Adamant, you know how I feel about this place."
"Indeed. Then I trust you will make your cohorts feel at home." Adamant turned away, moving toward the new table. "Please, Voyagers, help yourselves."
Kim looked at Janeway again, uncertain, and the captain nodded to him. "Go ahead, Mr. Kim-all of you. I'll join you in a minute, once I've spoken to Mr. Revek."
There was a note in her voice that did not bode entirely well for the stranger. Kim hesitated for a moment longer, wondering if one of them should hold