To Storm Heaven - Esther Friesner [27]
“Geordi, whoever or whatever this ‘answer’ is, we must tread carefully. If you wish to bring her aboard the ship undetected, we need to find another way than by disguising her. Disguises always carry the risk of discovery. If that were to happen, how would you explain it to the Ne’elatians? We can’t afford a diplomatic incident.” “Well, she won’t be able to speak to anyone from Starfleet while she’s here,” Geordi maintained.
“Except you,” Troi stated.
Geordi agreed without saying a word. “If I speak with her, I can pass on what she tells me, but the Orakisans will want to hear this straight from the original source before they’ll believe it.” “Ambassador Lelys would take your word as a Starfleet officer.” A breeze stirred the branches overhead, casting a network of shadows over Geordi’s face. “She’s not the one I’m worried about.” It took no psionic gift to realize who Geordi meant.
“Legate Valdor.” “You were there, you heard him. If that man doesn’t have an ax to grind—” “Legate Valdor is significantly older than Ambassador Lelys,” Troi said. “Despite this, she has surpassed him as a diplomat and is his superior. He resents being obliged to obey someone young enough to be his daughter. Aside from that, I believe he senses that his son, Hara’el, is attracted to the ambassador and views this as disloyalty.” “Okay, then he’s got a whole lot of axes,” Geordi opined. “All the more reason to have him hear the real story about this world firsthand.” “I agree.” Troi thought it over, then said, “I have it!” “What?” “This will only work if she is familiar with the palace.” “She is.” “Good. Then have her meet you at the northeast corner of the grounds, at a place called Bi’amma’s Tower. One of our Ne’elatian hosts has been serving as my guide; he showed it to me earlier today. We only viewed it from a distance. No one actually goes to visit it. My guide told me that the structure is old and unstable, but allowed to remain unmolested as a historical monument. That whole sector of the grounds belongs to the first foundation of the palace.” “You’re assuming that I’ll be able to find my way there too,” Geordi said.
“Easily. The old walls surrounding it are no more than scattered heaps of stone, and the tower itself is clearly visible. You can reach it without needing to go through the palace itself, and,” she smiled impishly, “you will not need to ask directions.” “Don’t be afraid,” Captain Picard said, standing behind one of the chairs in the conference room and motioning for the girl to take a seat there. “You’re perfectly safe here.” Geordi looked down at the shivering body pressed tightly against his own. “It’s all right, Ma’adrys,” he whispered. “We’re all your friends. Nothing’s going to happen to you.” Then, scarcely understanding why the words escaped him, he added, “I won’t let it.” The girl slowly unburied her face from Geordi’s shoulder and looked around the room. Her gaze passed over those faces already familiar to her from the palace—the captain, Troi, Riker, Lelys—lingered somewhat longer over those new to her—Dr.
Crusher, Data, Valdor, Hara’el—and came to a dead, eyepopping halt at Lt. Worf.
“What is that?” she demanded of Geordi, stepping out of his embrace to point at the Klingon. Oddly, she sounded more indignant than afraid. Worfs expression at being the object of such a rude question was unreadable.
Geordi made haste to answer her question and to complete the introductions. By the time he finished, she had recovered full self-possession and had taken the seat Captain Picard offered her. Her eyes were wide with a lively interest in all the new and alien things surrounding her, and she met the curious looks of the others with a steady, unflinching gaze.
“So, Ma’adrys,” Captain Picard said. “Have you been told where you are?” “When I met Geordi at the tower, he told me where I would be taken,” the girl replied calmly. “I did not believe him. The scroll of the trickster Yaro teaches that the Lady of the Balances bore a son whose destiny was to pour lies into one pan of his mother’s blessed scales and undo