Sand and Stars by Diane Duane

Author:Diane Duane
Language: eng, eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2004-06-11T16:00:00+00:00

Sarek sat at the comm link in his assigned quarters aboard the Freelan space station, facing the cowled figure of a Freelan. Although there was no way to be sure, owing to the concealing cloak and mechanical-sounding voice interface, he thought he recognized the other as Taryn, the Freelan liaison he’d been dealing with for nearly seventy Standard years.

“Greetings, Taryn,” he said aloud.

The cowled and muffled figure was suddenly very still.

“Greetings, Ambassador Sarek,” the flat, mechanical voice said. “You recognized me?”

Sarek shook his head and dissembled, diplomatically, “I made a logical deduction as to your identity, Liaison. After all, during my meetings aboard this space station, you have been my contact during negotiations eighty-six-point-three percent of the time.”

The shrouded figure seemed to relax again. “I suppose I have. We have known each other a long time, Sarek of Vulcan.”

“Indeed we have, Taryn of Freelan,” the ambassador agreed solemnly.

“This time, you did not come alone,” Taryn said.

Sarek beckoned, and Soran stepped forward from the back of the room and seated himself beside the ambassador. “You are correct, Liaison. I brought my new aide, Soran, so he could begin familiarizing himself with Freelan/Vulcan trade agreements.”

“Why?” the other asked, bluntly.

“My health is not what it once was since my heart trouble twenty-seven years ago,” Sarek said, smoothly, having anticipated this question. His response was accurate, if deliberately misleading. Actually, his health was nowbetter than it had been for decades. “Someday,” the ambassador continued, “perhaps in the not-too-distant future, I will retire. I cannot continue to be the sole contact between our worlds. I wish my aide to become familiar with our negotiations.”

“I see,” Taryn said slowly. “Very well. Greetings, Soran.”

“Greetings, Liaison Taryn,” the young Vulcan said, raising a hand in salute. “May you live long and prosper.”

“Only if I can induce Vulcan to reduce their import tariffs!” the Freelan shot back. “It is difficult to prosper under the crushing weight of unfair tariffs!”

“As a matter of fact, tariffs were one subject I wished to explore today,” Sarek put in, smoothly. “May we begin?”

The cowled figure inclined his head. “Assuredly, Ambassador.”

Soran observed, for the most part in silence, as the two diplomats went over the trade agreements in question. Sarek’s mind was only partly on the subject at hand—with another portion of his mind, he was going over his plans for later that station-designated “night.”

The two diplomats finished their discussion of tariffs, and went on to discuss modifications to a long-standing trade agreement.

Taryn seemed slightly suspicious of Sarek’s motives in bringing up that particular agreement. “I must admit that I am surprised to hear you reopen this topic,” he said. “I had thought that the agreement we forged regarding those cryo-memory inserts actually favored Vulcan. I fail to see why you would wish to alter or revise it…. ”

“The modifications I have in mind are minor, Liaison,” Sarek said. “They should not take long to discuss. Perhaps, after our talk, we could…have a game?”

“As you know, I am extremely busy,” Taryn said, but then he hesitated.

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