The Garden - Melissa Scott [40]
Janeway nodded again, less warily this time. So far, everything Revek had said fit the stories Neelix had heard and repeated, allowing for the inevitable distortions that occurred with each retelling. "Tell me about-I'm assuming it was a test? The first banquet that was waiting for us."
"You're exactly right," Revek answered. "Like I said, hospitality is very important to the Kirse- think of any human culture that ever valued the concept, and then triple that concern-and I think as a result there are a lot of complex rules surrounding giving and withholding anything, but especially around food. People don't touch that which doesn't belong to them without explicit invitation, and that goes double for food. If you had helped yourself to that food-if you'd picked anything in the gardens, for that matter-the Kirse would have decided you were animals and you would have been attacked and probably killed." He grinned suddenly, glancing again at Adamant. "I'm personally glad you didn't. Not only is human company a refreshing change, but I've won a bet with Night-Whispers on the subject."
Adamant made the whistling noise that was Kirse laughter, and moved away.
"So how did Voyager end up here, anyway?" Revek went on.
"One of my crew heard some stories about the Kirse," Janeway answered. She knew better than to hesitate, even as she tried to choose her words carefully, to give away as little as possible. "But we'd also heard that they were under attack from a people called the Andirrim, and one rumor said that they'd been destroyed."
Revek laughed. "Hardly. The Andirrim are the best of the raiders, that's true, but they're not nearly good enough to beat the Kirse. Though of course that colors the question of trade."
"Which we can discuss at a more-" Adamant hesitated, a slight frown creasing his forehead. "-friendly? when-we-have-become-better-acquaint-ed? -time."
Revek shrugged. "Suit yourself."
"Do you have many raiders, Adamant?" Janeway asked. She knew she risked offending him by being so direct, but this was important, particularly with Voyager in orbit. Certainly the elaborate network of orbiting platforms suggested a recurring danger.
"This is a rich world," Adamant answered. "It is- attractive to animals, I suppose. But only the Andirrim pose a consistent problem. And they are a nuisance, but not a threat."
"I see." Janeway tried to match his words to the orbiting platforms, the heavy weaponry Tuvok had deduced from the power signatures, and failed.
"But all of this can be discussed once we have eaten together," Adamant said. "It would make a better beginning that way."
Janeway took a deep breath. Clearly, they wouldn't get anywhere with the Kirse until they had shared a meal-and the way we're all feeling, she added silently, that's hardly a hardship. "Very well," she said. "We'd be-honored-to eat with you." For a moment, she thought she might have overdone it, but then she saw Revek's smile, at once wry and admiring, and guessed that had been the right note to strike.
"Tonight?" Adamant asked, and Janeway blinked.
"Surely you would want more time for preparation-?" she began, and cut herself off in the next breath, annoyed at her own assumption. Adamant tipped his head to the side, visibly perplexed.
"Adamant's helpers are very quick," Revek said. "And efficient."
They would have to be, Janeway thought, and fought back her instinctive distrust of the situation, born more of a hundred admirals' dinners than any rational response to Adamant's invitation. "Tonight would be good, then. But we have no desire to inconvenience you."
Adamant's expression cleared. "Ah. There will be no inconvenience."
"I'd suggest you bring your senior officers," Revek said, with a quick glance at Adamant, who blinked again.
"Indeed. Thank you, Thilo. You are indeed welcome to bring your compatriots-of-appropriate-status."