Part 14 (2/2)
It was a stunning vista. The view earlier paled in comparison. The sky was now pale orange, and hundreds of feet below a river ribboned between two high banks. Long, untamed blades of gra.s.s sprouted here and there, on the one hand appearing random, but on the other, adding to the overall look and feel of the place as if it had been carefully planned.
”I like to come here to think. It's one of my favorite places.”
”What do you think about?”
”Love at first sight.” She paused. ”Yes. I do believe in it.”
”Well, now, I must admit, I'm surprised. That's hardly the sign of a rational, nonimpulsive mind. Love at first sight is the ultimate leap of faith.”
”Nothing about it is particularly rational,” she admitted. ”I'd suppose you'd say my rationale is more romantic than anything else.”
”And what's your rationale, may I ask?”
At first she said nothing, as if trying to figure out the best way to put her thoughts. ”I think that, to some degree, all of us are fractured souls. Cut in half. And we wander through life looking for the rest of ourselves. And sometimes we're fortunate enough to meet someone who possesses, in themselves, the part of ourselves that we've been missing. We may not realize it on a conscious level, but definitely on a subconscious level. We see in someone else... something of ourselves.”
She held her hands up in front of her, palms facing each other. ”That's why sometimes you meet someone and you just immediately feel comfortable with them. You feel like you've known them all your life. The reason is that they're a part of you, and you're a part of them. You're soul mates. You... fit.” She interlaced her fingers. ”And once you've fit together, nothing can pull you apart unless you let go.” She released her grip, drawing her hands apart.
”And how did you develop this...” He coughed politely. ”This theory?”
She smiled gamely. ”it seemed the most reasonable explanation for why my parents came together. I mean, no rational being would have seen them as any sort of workable couple. Yet my mother claimed that the moment they met they just... just knew.” She shrugged. ”So who knows?”
”But that's kind of sad, really.”
”Why?” she asked, puzzled.
”Because, since you're such a rational type, if you ever met your 'soul mate,' you'd probably intellectualize it to death. How could any sort of pure romantic notion stand up to being rationally disemboweled? You'd never follow your impulse.”
”Love at first sight is hardly the sort of thing that happens all the time. My att.i.tude is different from yours. You always follow your impulse. And you have good impulses, I'm sure, by and large. You're very confident, and that's a requirement in your career. But it's not the kind of mindset I'm used to. I doubt there's any sort of future for us.”
He slid closer to her and then said, ”Change me.”
She stared at him. ”What?”
”You're studying to be a psychologist. The entire point of that is to help people. If you think I have some sort of emotional shortcomings, then you can try and do something about it.”
”I'm hardly a fully trained therapist, Will. I'm not qualified. You'd be... you'd he little more than a guinea pig. It wouldn't be ethical.”
”Why not? It's only unethical if you pa.s.s yourself off as something you're not. And I'm perfectly willing to be a guinea pig. Believe me, I doubt if anything you'd say or do could be any more grueling than officer training at Starfleet.”
He stuck out a hand. ”What do you say? Deal?”
She stared at him for a moment. ”You're just hoping that this will afford you an opportunity down the road to make love to me.”
”That's right,” he said without hesitation. ”And you're hoping ii will, too. Secretly, you're grateful for the chance to bring me 'up' to your level so that you can then feel better about allowing yourself to come 'down' to the more basic alt.i.tude of my level.”
He spoke with such conviction and such certainty that Deanna actually felt an unusual sensation... her cheeks were burning.
Riker noticed the flush in an instant and then said, using precisely the tone she had the other day, ”I didn't read your mind. I hazarded a guess. All you did was confirm it.”
And he looked at her with such challenge in his eyes that she took his hand and squeezed it firmly... so firmly that it left him numb fora few minutes as she said, ”It's a deal. Prepare to be a guinea pig, Lieutenant Riker.”
”Miss Troi, point me to the maze.”
CHAPTER 18.
In a caf?, just outside the Federation emba.s.sy, Mark Roper sat down for breakfast. He studied the menu, then thought about what he'd like to have. Moments later, it arrived, courtesy of a smiling waitress, who knew that he would want nothing else, knew the name on his credit account, and went off to deduct from it not only the cost of his breakfast but how much he would want to tip her.
To Mark Roper, it eliminated a lot of the fuss and bother of meals.
A rap on the window of the caf? next to Roper made him look up. Outside was Lieutenant Riker, looking pleasant and refreshed. Roper gestured for Riker to join him, and the youthful officer entered the caf? and sat down across from him.
”So how did it go with young Deanna yesterday?” asked Roper.
”Very nicely. Very nicely.”
”Lwaxana was something else, I'll bet.”
”Oh, yes.”
”So tell me... did you do it with Deanna?”
Riker's whole body sagged in disbelief. ”Mark... what is this obsession with my s.e.x life?”
”I have none of my own,” replied Roper a bit sadly. ”I have to get my enjoyment vicariously.”
”May I suggest you find someone, and quickly. This is becoming a bit obsessive. Besides, aren't you concerned about how your daughter will react if I take up with Deanna?” And then Riker s eyes narrowed. ”Wait a minute. That's it, isn't it.”
”That's what?”
”You'd prefer if I became involved with Deanna hecause then you figure I'd stay away from your daughter.”
At that, Roper laughed loudly, so loudly that he started to cough. Finally, upon composing himself, he said, ”Captain... you're giving me motives that are far too Machiavellian. Whatever my daughter and you do is fine by me. Whatever you do with Deanna is fine by me. To he honest, whatever my daughter and Deanna did with each other would be fine by me. Although, I must admit, it'd be surprising as h.e.l.l. I'm just curious, that's all.”
”Well, to satisfy your curiosity...”
”Nothing happened.”
”Right.”
”As a matter of fact,” said Roper, leaning forward and pointing at Riker, ”I'll bet that you put some moves on her, and you were shot down cold.”
”Well...” Riker coughed politely. ”As a matter of fact, yes.”
”Thought so.”
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