Chapter 8

“Major?”

“Sir?”

“Tell me another story.”

….

“While you had your weapons to protect you, all I had was my faith—and my courage. Walk with the Prophets, child. I know I will.”

….

“I was there.”

“Sir?”

“B’hala. It was the eve of the Peldor Festival. I could hear them ringing the temple chimes.”

“You were dreaming.”

“No! I was there! I could smell the burning bateret leaves—taste the incense on the wind. I was standing in front of the obelisk, and as I looked up, for one moment , I understood it all! B’hala—the Orbs—the Occupation—the discovery of the wormhole—the coming war with the Dominion….”

….

“A people can be defined by where they come from. Who the Bajorans are is shaped in part by our world. It’s part of what ties us to the Prophets. The Cardassians didn’t belong there, so I fought them. All my life, I’ve fought for Bajor because that is my unit.” “You believe caring for your home brings you closer to your gods?”

“I suppose that’s one way of looking at it.”

“Yet your gods cast you out.”

“Not my gods. Only a few men and women who claim to represent them.”

….

“Why have you taken this woman’s body?”

“This vessel is willing. The Reckoning—it is time.”

“The Reckoning—what is it?”

“The end, or the beginning.”

….

“But what do the locusts represent? And why Cardassia—?”

“You were dreaming—and dreams don’t always make sense.”

“This was no dream!”

….

“The captain is not going to die. He is the Emissary, the Prophets will take care of him.”

“With all due respect, Major, I’d rather see Julian take care of him.”

“Chief, I know you’re worried, but the Prophets are leading the Emissary on this path for a reason.”

“Do not attempt to convince them, Major—they cannot understand.”

“Since when did you believe in the Prophets?”

“What I believe in—is faith. Without it, there can be no victory. If the captain’s faith is strong, he will prevail.”

“It’s not much to bet his life on.”

“You’re wrong—it’s everything.”

….

“Major?”

“Sir?”

“Tell me another story.”

….

“Nerys?”

Kira’s eyes fluttered awake. “Where—where am—?”

“You’re back home.”

She didn’t recognize the face. “Who—who are you—where—?” “You’re in the infirmary—”

Julian?

“—at Fort Tendro.”

No, Fort Tendro’s on the outskirts of the peninsula—practically the front lines. That’s where Torrna and I were headed.

She looked up to see a pleasant, round face, partially obscured by a wispy white beard and equally wispy white hair. “I’m Dr. Maldik,” he said. “How are you feeling?”

“Thirsty. And warm.”

Maldik smiled. “That’s good. Both very encouraging signs.”

“Wait a minute!” Kira cried out as Maldik started to walk away.

“What about Torrna? We were in the mountains, and—”

“Yes, you were in the mountains.” Maldik turned back around.

“Almost died there, too, based on the shape you two were in when you got here.”

Pouncing on the words “you two,” Kira said, “Antosso—General Torrna. Where is he?”

Tugging on his beard, Maldik said, “He’s already gone back to the capital. You and he had been declared dead by the Lerrit, you see— they claimed to have executed you. It therefore came as something of a surprise to see him stumbling into the fort, carrying you on his right shoulder.”

That bastard, Kira thought. Avtra must’ve been annoyed that he didn’t get his stadium receipts, so he decided to get some propaganda value out of pretending to kill us. Musing over her present condition, she thought, Of course, he came pretty close to calling it right that we were dead….

“In any case, he left immediately to pass on some news or other about the Lerrit, and also to let his wife and children know he was alive.”

Letting out a breath, Kira said, “Lyyra must have been devastated.”

“I wouldn’t know. Oh, the general did ask me to pass on a message.”

Kira gave Maldik a questioning glance.

The doctor tugged on his beard some more. “He said, and I think I’m quoting this precisely, ‘Thank her for me.’ ”

Snorting, Kira said, “He’s thanking me? What did I do, besides fall on my face?”

“Well, from what he said, you didn’t actually come out and tell him you were dying of pneumonia while you were stupidly trudging through freezing mountains after wading hip-deep in a swamp.”

In a weak voice, Kira said, “I didn’t want to worry him.”

Another beard-tug. “No, better to wait until you fall unconscious and then completely frighten him. Yes, good point, much better than simply worrying him.”

Kira ignored the barb, instead asking, “What about his arm? Were you able to save it?”

“Barely. You did a good job of keeping the wound clean. If you’d continued your summer stroll for much longer, it would’ve been infected, but he got the two of you here in time.” One last beard-tug, then: “Enough gossip. You need your rest.”

“I’m fine,” Kira said, and she started to sit up. The room proceeded to leap around, whirl in circles, and generally behave insanely—until she lay back down, and then everything was fine. “On the other hand, maybe rest isn’t a bad idea.”

In a tone that sounded irritatingly like Julian at his most smug, Maldik said, “Soldiers make such wonderful patients. Try listening periodically, it’ll do you wonders.”