Tooth and Claw - Doranna Durgin [90]
“Our treachery?” Picard said, somewhat taken aback by the hyperbole.
She made an affirmative gesture, a quick, annoyed flick of her hand. “Exactly. Explain to the ReynKa, Takarr, what you’ve found.”
The boy wasn’t quite ready for this. Not old enough, not inclined enough … Picard could see him talk himself up into a properly stiff posture and attitude. “I spend much of my time with off-planet concerns, Captain Pi card. It is my area of… expertise.”
From a youth of this rough-and-tumble society? An interest, yes, but an expertise? Nadann had certainly not mentioned it.
“I have found your charting probes.”
Someone had found them, that was for certain.
“I see,” said Picard, and there was silence, although Troi stirred and probably wanted to say something-something more conciliatory, most likely, something to make the news on the padd go away. Glancing at Picard, she held her tongue.
“That’s all you have to say?” the ReynSa demanded.
“Tehra,” Atann said, staring intently at her with as much of a challenge gaze-hold as he seemed to think he could get away with under the circumstances, “the captain and I have come to some common understandings—”
“Did they include sending out probes in our own space, without consulting us?”
“No,” Picard said. “They included the nature of the Federation and its peoples, and how we respond when we think we’re being toyed with.” He came around the table to stand before her, addressing her directly—far more directly, in fact, than Admiral Gromek would ever prefer.
But Picard was the one who’d been doing the daleura two-step, not Admiral Gromek.
“They included a certain number of demonstrations,” he told her, “the gist of which is this, ReynSa—we will find a way to get what we want. If that means sending charting probes out as backup when it becomes evident you have contrived ways to take advantage of our good nature without any intention of making good on your own promises even to negotiate.” He looked at her, let his words sink in, and his understanding of the Tsoran’s manipulative intent, and then said, simply but with his gaze locked on hers, “Then that’s what we do. Those probes would never have been launched had your own intransigence not made it necessary.”
“That does not change the fact that it is treachery,” the
ReynSa said, showing her teeth and ignoring Atann’s loud under-purrs of protest. “You will never have our charts after this! Let your precious Ntignanos wait for you to complete your work. I cannot imagine it will be in time.”
No. It wouldn’t be. He didn’t need Troi’s stricken expression to drive the point home. The padd report made it quite clear enough—the probe charting was proceeding at its fastest pace, and it wasn’t fast enough. But Pi card just stared back at her, a step closer than he had been—uncertain of the way to handle cross-gender daleura interaction, but going for the bluff.
“Captain,” Riker said, his voice harsh with fatigue but still holding a note of intensity that immediately captured Picard’s attention.
“What is it, Number One?” he said, despite the fact that the ReynSa was even less pleased to have him turn away from her than she was to have him stepping up to challenge her.
“There’s more to this situation than there would seem—information you should have. May we speak privately?”
“I object,” the ReynSa said. “You have already done enough behind our backs!”
“Riker—Commander Riker—” On the viewscreen, Akarr had pivoted to look at Riker, his expression conflicted, his under purr coming in stops and starts. “There is—that is, we need to talk—”
Riker looked at him a moment—what seemed to Pi card to be a meaningful exchange, almost a warning-and then returned his attention to the comm screen. “I think it would be best, Captain.”
“So be it,” Picard said; he did not fail to note that Troi gave the slightest of nods. “We’ll be waiting. But,” and
he caught Riker’s gaze on the viewscreen, a silent communication across an entire solar system, “don’t be long.”
Riker gave a short nod, and the screen went