40 Debtors' Planet by W. R. Thompson

Author:W. R. Thompson [Thompson, W. R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General, Fiction, Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780671883416
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 1994-04-30T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

I NEVER KNEW there were so many shades of black, Picard thought wryly, as he and Offenhouse stumbled through the woods. There was just enough starlight to let him see a few dim shapes, but not enough to let him distinguish between inky shadows and fallen branches. The captain's only consolation was that the ambassador had tripped and fallen more times than he had.

Offenhouse stumbled, fell flat on his face and cursed. "Picard," he said quietly, "would you say we're lost?"

"Thoroughly," Picard answered.

"Then there's not much point in moving on, is there?" Offenhouse asked. "For all I know we're heading straight back toward Castle Dracula. I'd rather sit quiet and not attract attention."

"I see your point," Picard said. Carefully, he sat down and rested his back against a tree trunk. "We should try to think of a way to signal the Enterprise."

"With what?" The vague shape that was the ambassador sat down by a tree. "Think their sensors will find us?"

"Possibly," Picard said. "The question is, will it occur to anyone to search outside the castle for us?"

Offenhouse chuckled. "I hope you're not suggesting we go back. You know, it isn't going to take our playmates long to start looking for us, and I'll bet they've got night-vision gear, or whatever you people use nowadays."

"We use something that we call night-vision gear," Picard said. "Of course--"

The ambassador hushed him. "Light," he whispered.

Picard craned his head and spotted a feeble green glow moving in the woods. Not Ferengi, he thought. Their equipment would not give itself away with any light. The same rule applied to Federation equipment.

The light grew closer, and Picard saw several human shapes among the trees. He saw more lights and realized that he and Offenhouse were surrounded. If they stayed absolutely still, the searchers might miss them-—

The search was too efficient for that, and within moments a trio of men found them. One man carried a wooden staff, which was covered by a glowing green moss. A corner of the captain's mind noted how the Megarans used a bioluminescent plant as a night-light. The feeble light glinted oddly on another man's bulging eyes--No, Picard realized, he's wearing infrared goggles. That's a Ferengi design, too. Curiouser and curiouser.

The other two men carried swords, and they gestured for Picard and Offenhouse to stand. One man tapped the ambassador's elbow with his swordpoint, making him raise his hands. "Do you affect everybody this way?" Picard asked Offenhouse in exasperation while three more armed men joined them.

The man with the staff hissed urgent words. Deprived of his translator, Picard could still guess his meaning: Keep quiet. Come with us. Or else. The captain knew better than to resist; he hoped the ambassador felt the same way.

What happened next made little sense. A knife flashed, and the man with the staff fell to the ground with a gurgling sigh. His killer hissed harsh words to the other men, and the soldiers answered with sullen mumbles. The killer picked up the erstwhile leader's staff.

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