Star Trek: DS9: The Never-Ending Sacrifice by Una McCormack

Author:Una McCormack [McCormack, Una]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.

The young master nearly kicked down the front door. Maleta had to jump out of his way as he came past her. “Where is he? In the back?” He didn’t wait for an answer, but strode down the hall toward the master’s study. Maleta hurried after him. She had seen many things in her years of service to the Pa’Dar family, but the young man who refused his father’s money and preferred to live like he was lowborn was something shockingly new. Maleta thought the master should have taken a firmer stand over the whole business, but for some reason he seemed content to let his only child spend his days wiping up after beggars. Nothing good would come of it. There had to be standards. One day the young master would inherit the house and the money. Maleta doubted he would keep on scratching out a living in Torr when that happened. But would he be fit to be the master of the house?

The young master had kindly left the door of his father’s study open behind him, so Maleta lowered herself down to sit on the stairs and listen.

“How could you!” the young master shouted.

“Rugal! Always a pleasure to see you. What have I done now?”

“You know what I’m talking about!”

“These days, I never know what anyone is talking about—don’t kick that, please, it belonged to your mother—perhaps you could take a moment to tell me?”

“Ziyal! Tora Ziyal! Kotan, how could you?”

The Dukat half-breed. Maleta sniffed. It had been all over the news yesterday that she had left Cardassia Prime. Quite right too.

“Ah. Yes. I heard that she’d left.” Maleta heard the creak of the master’s chair as he sat down again. “I doubt you’ll believe me, but I had nothing to do with that.”

“You’re right, I don’t believe you.”

“I didn’t think you would.”

“After all that happened to me. She was lonely! Pen and I had made friends with her. She could have settled down here, given time. It wouldn’t have been easy, but she was brave and clever and she could have done it.”

“Rugal, did you hear that I had resigned from all my government appointments?”

There was a pause. Maleta leaned forward. “What?” the young master said.

“About six weeks ago. I resigned from the Council, the Science Ministry, and the Assembly. Alon Ghemor resigned from the Bureau at the same time. In protest over Meya’s use of this affair as a means to discredit Dukat.”

Maleta heard the young master take a few steps around the room. “You mean that you and Alon Ghemor felt sidelined, and decided to position yourselves as a credible opposition?”

“You can think that if you prefer,” the master said in even tones. “I found myself thinking that Dukat did not deserve to be punished for what must be the single selfless act in his entire life. Ghemor’s left Prime, by the way. Not what you’d do if you were thinking of yourself as heir apparent.”

There was another long pause. “I’d like to believe you.

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