To Storm Heaven - Esther Friesner [93]
“Think that’ll do any real good if they decide to make a fight of it, sir?” Commander Riker whispered.
“Any one of them could freeze Worfs people in a wink.” “Agreed, but not Worf. I don’t think they relish the thought of angering him any further,” Picard replie& Riker looked at the fearful way that the remaining Na’amOberyin kept glancing at the Klingon and had to concede that his commanding officer was right. The situation was under control… so far.
Legate Valdor observed the proceedings with a smug demeanor. “Good. At least we are done with that rabble.” “This is not over, Valdor,” Lelys said vehemently.
“Nothing is settled.” “Nothing needs to be settled,” he replied disdainfully. “You have been given a firsthand demonstration of the vindictive, uncivilized behavior of the Ashkaarians, yet you still expect the Ne’elatians to change their minds and deal with them as if they were rational, sensible—” “Rational?” Udar Kishrit repeated thoughtfully.
“Sensible?” He looked at Ma’adrys. “How sensible was what you did for me, child?” The girl shrugged. “I cannot say. I do not know.” “No, you would not know, would you.” The leader of the Masra’et fell into pensive silence for a little while, then slowly extended his hand to Ma’adrys.
Gently he placed his arm around her shoulder. The girl gazed up at him, misgiving in her eyes, but his warm smile reassured her. Tentatively she returned his embrace. “Since I have been brought aboard this ship, I have seen and heard much in a very little time,” he said. “So many new things that even now I find difficult to comprehend, to accept, and yet—” “Why do you need to accept anything but what you have just seen?” Legate Valdor cut in. “These savages—” “Are they?” Udar Kishrit spoke like a man newly woken from a dream that carried the appearance of reality. “I don’t think I can believe that any more, but—but I hardly know what to believe beyond what I have just experienced.” He hugged Ma’adrys tighter.
“Of all those here present today, this child has the greatest account to settle with us for what our treatment of her world has cost her. She should have placed her hand on the hilt of the dagger and driven it deep. Instead she placed her own life between the blade and mine. Was that the act of a barbarian? Of a vengeful savage?” His features set with a new resolve.
“I say no.” “You say that because she is your grandchild!” one of the other members of the Masra’et challenged.
“I do not, Rak Ti’ask.” Udar Kishrit drew himself up tall and wrapped his dignity around himself and Ma’adrys. “She is my daughter’s child, I admit it now before you all, but that was never enough to sway me.
She is more than the blood that bore her. Can a world that raises up such people be called uncivilized?
Perhaps its people lack the technology we possess, the knowledge that might have been theirs but for our repeated intervention, but that can change. That must change, and we must help it.” A great muttering went up from almost every alien delegation in the briefing room. Robbed of his former ally, Legate Valdor smoldered. Among the Ne’etatians, Rak Ti’ask continued to voice his objections to any accord with Ashkaar. Other members of the Masra’et questioned Ma’adrys closely, some evidently pleased by her responses, others less so.
One of the latter spoke up: “Even if we are to offer Ashkaar technological equality, how are we to do it? I am willing to grant that they are not savages, but are they ready to master all we have to teach them?” “Some are,” Ma’adrys said, speaking more out of blind conviction than hard facts.
“Are they?” Hara’el asked. “And what about the rest?” “Are you still only your father’s echo, Hara’el?” Lelys accused him. “Do you, too, believe these people are no more than ignorant savages?” A marked change came over Hara’eUs otherwise pleasant features. He scowled so intently at Lelys that she paled. “With respect, my lady ambassador, that was unworthy of you. You wrong me. I speak of a very real possibility,