Tooth and Claw - Doranna Durgin [93]
“He has nothing,” Takarr muttered, probably not aware that the Enterprise’s translating equipment would pick up such subtleties. “He’s all bluster.”
In front of him, Akarr bristled; Riker got a good close-up as the short fur on the back of Akarr’s neck rose in a slight ridge. And he groaned inwardly, knowing that daleura would demand a response.
Except that Akarr glanced back at Riker, and offered none. Instead he said, “We have information regarding the shuttle shield failures, and why the Federation seemingly sent us out in faulty equipment. I’m sure you’ve been worried about that, my ReynSa.”
“We’ve all been worried about it,” Troi said, the first to catch on to and puzzle over the undercurrents in the communication.
“But no one more than the ReynTa’s own mother,” Riker said.
Akarr said steadily, “If you’d also known of the problems with the tranquilizer darts, my ReynSa, I imagine you would have been too overwhelmed with worry to concern yourself over Takarr’s information about the probes.”
She didn’t ask him of which problems he spoke; she didn’t comment about the importance of Takarr’s discovery. She ignored Atann’s questioning look and said,
“And yet you still somehow took a kaphoora trophy. Such achievement! How did you manage?”
“That,” Akarr said, turning a daleura posture on his own mother, “is a story for another time. But how that story is told depends on what happens here.”
Silence followed, in which the ReynSa took a physical step backward and quickly checked Atann’s reaction. Atann didn’t note it; he was too busy puzzling over the strange nature of his son’s words. As were Troi and Picard. While Troi glanced from one to the other of them, hunting for clues, Picard looked to Riker. A captain’s demand. Make this make sense.
Riker heard it loud and clear. He lifted his chin in the smallest possible increment, an acknowledgment and promise. Later, it said, and he hoped it would be enough.
Atann would have spoken to his son then, but Akarr got there just before him, still addressing his mother. “My ReynSa, I was pleased to hear that the ReynKa received acceptable terms for the use of the charts. Nothing that happened here should affect that situation … don’t you agree?”
“Akarr,” she said, “you are not making yourself entirely clear. The ordeal of your kaphoora—”
In another bold move, Akarr cut her off. “There are some things that should remain private, and further discussion of my kaphoora at this time would make that impossible.”
“Unfortunately,” Riker said, inserting himself back into the conversation, “I suspect that such discussion would be inevitable, if the ReynSa insists on delaying the transfer of the star-chart data.”
“That sounds like a threat,” Atann said, although he clearly couldn’t tell just why it would be.
“Yes,” Picard said with a gentle smile—and byplay
that Riker 1knew he’d missed. He and Akarr weren’t the only ones here communicating with implications and innuendos. “I believe it is.”
Tehra cleared her throat, a strangled noise involving plenty of under-purr. “I understand,” she said briskly. “And after thinking about it, I must conclude that our data concerning the probes is incomplete—and that further investigation would require unacceptable delay. Atann, I withdraw my objections to the chart transfer. I trust your impeccable judgment in this matter.”
“That’s wonderful!” Troi said, infusing a little unfettered enthusiasm into the mix, playing straight man for them all.
“Indeed it is,” Heard said, and Riker could see the genuine relief in his face. “In fact, I would suspect that Mr. Data is just about ready to proceed. Why don’t you and I check on that, ReynKa … Counselor, perhaps Takarr would like to tour the ship? There’s plenty here to interest a young man of science.” And Takarr, who’d gone from studied belligerence to astonishment at his mother’s proclamation about his probe observations,