Part 21 (1/2)

Wiggin laughed. ”Well, I guess there's no help for it, then. Seen enough?”

”I think so.”

”Then let's go,” Wiggin said. ”I don't have to go back to my desk, so we can leave through the main air lock. It's right over there. Then we can go anywhere you want. It's still Posting Day, after all, and the night's pretty young.”

All Troi wanted to do now was report back to the Enterprise, and that meant getting out of the sensorproof gray zone as quickly as possible. She also wanted to find Will, and if he was likely to be anywhere, it would be- ”Perhaps we can go back to that nice restaurant we were at before,” Troi said.

”Well, maybe we could,” Wiggin responded. ”For now.”

”So let's leave the way we came, shall we?”

The young Krann shrugged. ”Well, all right.”

Troi and Wiggin quickly walked back to the small air lock and, once through, they retraced their steps back to the security gate.

That was where Will had been all along, standing there, waiting for her. He looked very angry. He was getting rather good at it.

”Dex!” Troi yiped. ”Wiggin, it's Dex!”

”Oh, hull,” Wiggin muttered. ”It would be.”

Riker walked up to the two of them and confronted them right in front of the guard booth. A crowd began to collect.

”Where in hull have you two been?” Riker spat. ”I swear, every time I turn my back on you, Pralla, you're off with some young punk-”

”Hey, wait a minute-” Wiggin began.

”Shut up!” Riker spat.

”Hey, Wiggin,” Guss called from the booth. ”You want me to call security?”

Riker turned to address him. ”Guard, I am Dex Portside Sanitation Systems Supervisor.” There was an intake of breath from the collecting crowd. ”This incident is under control. There is no need for security personnel here.”

Guss blinked. ”Of course not, Supervisor.”

”Then, as you were.” Riker turned back to Troi. ”You're coming home with me, Pralla. Right now.”

”Yes, Dex,” Troi said sheepishly.

”We'll forget about it this time,” Riker continued, his lips tight. ”We'll charge this little incident off to too much celebrating. Too much Posting Day.”

”Yes, Dex.” Troi looked quite penitent.

”And you, ”Riker said, turning to Wiggin. ”If I ever catch you near my spouse again, I will stuff you out the nearest waste hole. Is that clear?”

”Yes, Dex,” Wiggin replied quickly.

”What did you call me, Journeyman?” Riker snapped. ”That mode of address is reserved for friends and equals only, and you are neither of those to me.”

Wiggin straightened up. ”I apologize for my conduct, Dex Portside Sanitation Systems Supervisor. I intended no offense.”

Riker nodded slowly. ”None taken, then. Back to your routine, Journeyman, and do it fast.”

”Yes, Supervisor.” Wiggin spun on his heel and left quickly, hurrying back through the security gate for Bay Fourteen.

”Let's get out of here,” Riker muttered. ”There's a tube car coming. We need to get out of the gray zone so we can touch base with the captain.”

”We also need to talk,” Troi said into his ear as the car arrived and slowly drew to a halt. ”Do we want to return to the s.h.i.+p?”

Riker shook his head. ”I don't think we're quite done aboard here yet. We'll at least call in first, let the captain know we're still alive and kicking.” He suddenly smiled. ”I found us a place. We can go there.”

”A place? Do you mean a place to stay?”

”Yes. It's kind of like a hotel room, but free of charge. They let me sign for it, so I did. Reminds me of one of those inexpensive little bed-and-breakfast places in Europe, whatever they're called-oh, yes. A pension. I think the one I found is meant for drunks, so they can sleep it off. Maybe that's why it's free. It's provided as some kind of public service.” He paused. ”Deanna, you do realize we're being led around-”

”-by the nose? Yes, I do. And wait'll I tell you about what I saw.”

They boarded the tube car. As it pulled away, Wiggin reemerged from the security gate and, standing there, watched as the train departed. When it was finally gone, he allowed himself a tight, brief smile. He then rapped his knuckles on the side of Guss's guard booth and walked onto the tube station platform to wait for the arrival of the next car. It had been a job well done, but he was off duty now and, after all, it was Posting Day, and there were drinks and a woman or two out there somewhere with his name on them.

Chapter Sixteen.

PICARD WAS IN HIS READY ROOM, taking another call from the First Among Equals.

”Things are tense here, Captain Picard,” Kerajem said. He was in his office at Government House. ”The Cabinet is increasingly restive. The older ministers are almost too scared to speak, and the younger ones want to teach the Krann a lesson, as that idiot Jemmagar put it during our last emergency meeting.” Kerajem nearly spat. ”How could we ever hope to teach the Krann a lesson?”

”And where are you on this, First?” Picard asked.

”In the middle, as usual, and hoping for some sort of miracle. Captain Picard, do you have any hope that Presider Hek is open to some sort of peaceful settlement?”

Picard considered his words carefully. ”I'm not sure, First,” he said. ”I cannot tell what's on his mind or what kind of settlement he might accept. I have been trying to find out all along, but the man is extraordinarily difficult to read.”

”So you think he is insincere about seeking a peaceful resolution to this crisis?”

”As I said, I'm not sure,” Picard said. ”But I do think he is a practical man. If a peaceful settlement is attractive enough, if it allows him to maintain his authority, then he might agree to one.”

Kerajem nodded. ”I hope you're right, Captain.”

”There is one practical reason for hope, First Among Equals,” Picard said. ”In my last conversation with him, Presider Hek seemed to bring up the possibility that the Krann might want to settle on the fourth planet of this system.”

”Settle down? And abandon their fleet in s.p.a.ce?” Kerajem shook his head. ”I doubt they would ever do such a thing, Captain Picard. They've been living a s.p.a.ceborne existence for thousands of years, and they're used to it. Oh, some of them might like to live planetside, but I can't believe all of them would. It's just not their way.”

”They lived on a world once,” Picard pointed out.

”That was a long time ago. ” Kerajem sighed. ”Captain, our Cabinet session resumes in a minute. I'll call you at the next recess.”

”Very well,” Picard said. ”Good luck to you, First Among Equals.”