To Storm Heaven - Esther Friesner [97]
Ah, but the boy did promise to show this to his classmates as part of their lesson, and he couM not hope to leave the schoolroom to fetch it himself. He strove to keep his word in the only way possible. He did well. Smiling with fatherly pride, Worf took down the figurine and turned to inform Avren that they could leave now.
“What are you doing with batlh-ghobbogh-ylH?” Worf bellowed.
“Ai!” Avren jumped at the Klingon’s roar, sending the heroically named hamster flying. Fortunately for the beast, Avren had excellent reflexes. Tribble-wh~ battles-with-honor took only a short flight before the false shepherd clapped his hands around him once more. Fortunately for Avren, the hamster was still half asleep on re-entry and neglected to bite him.
“Don’t do that,” he told Worf irritably.
Worf snatched the hamster from Avren’s hands without deigning to respond. He replaced the creature in its tank, with only the slightest wince of pain crossing his face to indicate that his luck was not so good as Avren’s. He considered his nipped finger and said, “It is a dangerous beast when aroused. I should have let you learn the hard way.” “That little fluffball, dangerous?” Avren laughed until Worf silenced him with a single look.
“I, too, made that mistake. It may not look dangerous, but looks deceive. I should not need to teach that to one of your profession.” “Point taken. Let me see that. I know a little about healing,” Avren said, trying to make Worf permit him to examine the minor wound. Worf was less than cooperative, snatching his hand away from Avren indignantly. “Huh. Suit yourself. I know more than a few good herbal remedies, and I always carry my medicines with me.” He grinned, snatching up his wide-brimmed shepherd’s hat from a table and turning it so that Worf could see the little bunch of dried vegetation attached to the band. “See? Most of this is shepherd’s herb, the stuff they use to brew up their ritual drink, but I carry a few other simples here. The difference is, these are useful. All shepherd’s herb is good for is dulling the wits. Now a little pinch of this leaf moistened with water will stop bleeding quick as you—” “I prefer to use our own shipboard medical facilities,” Worf said gruffly.
“Ah. Well, I can’t argue with that.” Avren dropped the hat back onto the table just as the door hissed open.
“Father?” Alexander entered WorCs quarters and looked inquisitively at their Ne’elatian visitor.
“Alexander, what are you doing here? You ought to be in school.” “I told the teacher that you’d be bringing the figurine, but when you didn’t come I was given permission to return to quarters and bring it myself.” “I could not find it immediately,” Worf said gruffly.
“There it is, on the table beside batlh-gobbogh-yIH’s tank.” “So you are the master of that ferocious brute,” Avren said, trying to keep a straight face. “I wanted to pet it, but your father seems to be afraid that the creature will tear my throat out as soon as look at me.” Alexander gave Avren one of those looks all children reserve for adults they think are just insane enough to be interesting. “He does bite,” the boy acknowledged, “but not always.” He reached into the tank and set the hamster down on the table.
Immediately batlh-gobbogh-yIH scuttled onto the shepherd’s hat and began to waddle around the brim.
“If you had a pair of them, we could make a fortune betting on the races,” Avren said. He chuckled when the little animal found the bunch of dried flowers adoming the hatband and began avidly nibbling and stuffing them into its cheek pouches.
He stopped laughing when the hamster fell over on its side, black