To Storm Heaven - Esther Friesner [11]
He’s an adult male Orakisan.” “Not when he’s anywhere near Ambassador Lelys,” Dr. Crusher said. “Or when he’s near his father, for that matter. I’d say that Hara’el has some growing up to do.” “Is that your considered opinion as a physician?” “As a physician, a parent, and a woman.” “Well, that about covers it.” Riker returned his attention to Troi. “What about the ambassador herselD How is she coping with the situation?” “Of the three, she appears to be the one most in control of her feelings, but only on the surface. Her brother is one of the colonists, he and his family. She also has a younger sister who underwent the alteration process before the Orakisans realized what was happening on Skerris IV. The girl is barely out of childhood, and when she was still small, Lelys’s family lost their parents. Lelys herself raised her sister. If she dies, the ambassador will lose both a sister and a daughter.” “Ambassador Lelys never mentioned a sister,” Dr.
Crusher said. “Not during the briefing. Not even when she came to bring me to the conference room.
She always struck me as the friendliest of the three, very outgoing, eager to make contact outside of official business. I thought we were friends.” She sounded vaguely disappointed.
“I am sure that you are friends,” Troi reassured her.
“If Lelys didn’t tell you about her sister, it’s just to keep from thinking of her. The only reason I know about the girl is because I consulted the background records of the Orakisan delegation. Ambassador Lelys has enjoyed a spectacular career, rising through the ranks to her present position in barely half the time Legate Valdor has been in the diplomatic service.” “So it looks as if Valdor’s resentment against Lelys is more than just a coping device,” Riker observed. “I hope our lovely ambassador knows enough to watch her back,” “She won’t have to bother,” Dr. Crusher said. “If this mission fails, she told me that as its leader she’ll be held personally responsible, demoted, andregiven the severity of the crisismpossibly asked to resign.” “You’re kidding. Isn’t that a little severe?” “That’s the Orakisan way. Reward success and make an example of failure. It’s no worse than some practices we’ve encountered, and much better than a few from our own past. In ancient Babylon, ifa doctor failed to cure a patient, they chopped off his hand, and if the patient diedw” She allowed Riker and Troi to reach the obvious conclusion.
Riker let out a long, low whistle. “Now that’s severe.” “If hardly the way to encourage many people to go into the medical profession,” Troi added..”Hmm.
Tut’s curse, ancient Babylon, the mysteries of Earth’s past… You are a romantic, Beverly.” “Just an amateur student of Earth history. I like to think of it as my small contribution to conservation.
Ideas can become extinct too. So much has been lost, so many things that we could still learn from.” She was not aware of the rising passion in her voice, but her friends were. Riker and Troi exchanged a look of amusement.
“Another expert diagnosis, Counsellor,” he said.
“The patient is definitely an incurable romantic.” Dr. Crusher made a face at him. “Fine. Guilty as charged. I’d rather be a romantic than a cynic any day.” “Who said I was a cynic?” Riker spread his hands.
“You can be a romantic and practical at the same time. Nothing in Starfleet regulations against it.
Besides, romantics never lose hope. I can’t believe that in all the universe—or at least in all those colonies Skerris IV founded—there isn’t one place where they still grow n’vashal.” “I agree with Commander Riker,” Troi said.
“According to Hara