The Garden - Melissa Scott [48]
"Aye, Captain." The engineer rarely sounded more stiffly Klingon than when she was angry, but at least she had her temper well under control this time.
"Then let's go." Janeway paused in the door to the transporter chamber. "The Kirse are waiting."
Torres handled the beam-down herself, watched without jealousy by the transporter chief. He was Starfleet, and Janeway marked his attitude with approval. Torres seemed to be winning over at least some of the technical crew. Then the familiar whine of the transporter beam drowned her thoughts, and she opened her eyes on a twilit courtyard. Tuvok had been right, the open space was nearly three times as large as the room where they'd first met the Kirse, and it was full of plants as lush as any she had seen in the Kirse's outer gardens. White flowers the size of her spread hand were just uncurling from near-black pods, and even as she watched one opened fully, its petals quivering slightly in the faint breeze. She could hear water running, could smell its cool dampness in the fading light, and turned her head to see water rising from a circular fountain. The shallow basin was inlaid with more of the multicolored metals in a pattern that reminded her faintly of an old-fashioned compass rose.
"It's beautiful," Kim said, and she turned back in time to see him blush. "Sorry, Captain."
"Not at all." In the distance, between a stand of trees as slim and pale as candles, Janeway could see the Kirse-a larger party this time, four aliens plus Revek-approaching along the graveled walk. "It is beautiful."
"Thank you," Adamant said. "Thilo suggested that you might enjoy dining here."
Janeway nodded to the human, who hung back at Night-Whispers' side, still smiling faintly. "I appreciate the choice, Mr. Revek."
"My pleasure, Captain." Revek glanced at Adamant, seemed to receive some unspoken signal. "Let
me introduce the rest of our party. Adamant and Night-Whispers you know, these others are Keyward and Fair-Watching."
Janeway nodded politely. The Kirse were very similar in features, and even the presence or absence of the great wings-something to investigate further later, she added silently-didn't help much in telling one from the other. Adamant and Keyward were distinguished only by Adamant's slightly greater height, while Fair-Watching and Night-Whispers seemed identical except for the color of their tunics. "And this is my first officer, Chakotay; my tactical officer, Tuvok; and my operations officer Harry Kim, whom you've already met."
Adamant bowed gracefully, the others copying him a heartbeat later, and cocked his head, studying Tuvok with frank curiosity. "You are not of the same pattern as these rest? Is it an issue of function?"
"I am a Vulcan," Tuvok said, with more than usual austerity. "This has nothing to do with my position on Voyager."
"I told you about Vulcans," Revek said, and Adamant gave him a quick glance.
"My apologies. I'm not familiar with your species, despite Thilo's briefings." He gestured toward the path the Kirse had arrived on, and lights sprang to life along its edges, small lights that quivered like flames and did little more than illuminate the actual walkway, so that the twilight pressed in unabated on all sides. The effect was startlingly beautiful, like a picture of some faerie kingdom from a children's storybook. "But I hope to remedy my ignorance over dinner. If you'd come with me?"
"Of course," Janeway answered, and fell into step at his side. She glanced back once, and saw the others pairing off, and Revek took his place at Adamant's
right. The noise of the