The following morning, all is in readiness. Armed and outfitted with supplies, the landing party steps onto a transporter platform.
"Energize," Spock commands.
Mr. Simon Gardner and three of his comrades watch the transporter beams to turn into living beings. He stands up in front of his desk. He puts on a smile. Spock, T'Mara, McCoy, and Lopez are all facing the four men.
Mr. Gardner offers his hand. "Captain Spock, welcome."
Spock steps forward and graciously shakes the man's hand. "Greetings, Mr. Gardner. This is Lieutenant Commander T'Mara Spock, who is also my wife."
T'Mara steps forward. Simon takes her hand, then kisses the back of it. "I am honored to meet such a beautiful woman." He lets go of her hand.
"Thank you, Mr. Gardner, for your kind words." T'Mara steps away, then glances at Spock.
Spock gestures to McCoy. "My Chief Medical officer, Dr. Leonard McCoy."
Simon shakes the doctor's hand. "We could use a good medical man here. We will arrange a room for you to commence your exams."
Spock then gestures to Lopez. "Our Chief Medic, Lieutenant Commander Jennifer Lopez."
Mr. Gardner takes her hand, then kisses the back of it. "Another lovely lady in my presence. Maybe I should reconsider joining Star Fleet. I did not realize they had such beauties there."
Lopez pulls her hand slowly away. "Thank you, sir."
"Captain, we appreciate your arrival. We have arranged quarters for you and your staff. George, escort these fine people to their rooms."
"Yes, Mr. Gardner." George guides them out of the brick building. He walks them to another brick structure, which is a block away. They all walk up a set of steps and go inside.
"We only have two spare rooms." George opens the doors to each room. "Make yourself at home. Mr. Gardner will be in his office most of the day. Once you are ready, just come back over."
"Thank you, sir," Spock says, then faces McCoy. "Well, Doctor, I presume this room will be suitable for you and Lopez."
"Quite suitable, Spock." McCoy smiles at Lopez. He gestures to the medic with an almost flirtatious manner.
Spock raises his brow, then turns toward his own room with T'Mara. He places their bags at the front of the bed. Very quietly, he says, "I do hope McCoy remembers that these quarters likely contain surveillance devices."
He waits until they are all back outside before asking, "T'Mara, after your brief encounter, what is your assessment of Simon Gardner?"
As they walk, she considers. "Mind you, this is based on intuition. In such a short meeting, I can say he was putting on a good front, but I briefly sensed some psychopathy traits from him." She frowns. "High intelligence also, which makes him very formidable."
"Indeed. Thank you, T'Mara, that is helpful."
They soon arrive back at Gardner's office building and walk up a flight of stairs. Spock knocks on the solid wood door.
"Come in," an assistant responds.
They enter, and Spock approaches the governor's desk. "Mr. Gardner, we would like to proceed with the physicals."
"Certainly, your doctor and medic may use the room down the hall. My aides will escort the colonists in." Mr. Gardner shifts in his chair. "George, show the doctor and the lovely medic to the room."
"Certainly, sir." The aide rises and gestures for McCoy and Lopez to follow. They leave the room.
"Captain, Lieutenant Commander, please sit." Gardner points to two chairs.
Spock rolls both chairs in front of the desk. He allows T'Mara to sit first. "Mr. Gardner..."
"Please call me Simon. There is no need for formality."
"Very well...Simon, your colonists – are they all content with your government?" Spock asks frankly.
Simon chokes out a laugh. "Well, there is always the disgruntled few, but yes, they are quite happy. There is enough work, food, water. No one lacks here." He smiles suggestively at T'Mara. "And there are the pleasures of life…"
Spock clears his throat. "Mr. Gardner…"
"Oh Captain, no harm done. Just being friendly." Gardner gives a sly smile.
"No...of course not, Simon." Spock stretches his legs out crossing them by his ankles. He thinks it best to play the governor's game.
"So Spock, you had mentioned supplies."
"Yes, we offer food, medical supplies, and equipment. We just need to schedule when and where."
"Excellent, Spock. We can discuss that later. By the way, how long do you plan to stay here on our colony?" Simon's eyes dart back and forth.
"Star Fleet wants a thorough report on your colony's progress, which is typical. So perhaps ten days. I hope this will not present an inconvenience for you and your staff."
"Oh, no trouble, you are welcome to stay as long as you wish. Take advantage of our hospitality and all New Barbados has to offer." Simon nervously shifts in his chair. "Everyone will welcome you."
Spock notices that Mr. Gardner did not look him straight in the eye. "My wife and I will be welcomed by the colonists? I understand that the humans who formed this colony disdain non-human species, especially Vulcans. They were not pleased that earth became home for some aliens."
"Your wife..."
"Yes, like me she is half Vulcan. So Simon, is this fact?"
Simon's brows crinkle downwards. "Oh...Spock, no. Those are strictly vicious rumors. We are open-minded individuals. There'll be no problems here."
"Then you won't object if my wife and I do some exploring?" Spock rises, and T'Mara follows suit.
"Go ahead, be my guest." Simon stands, then waves his hand towards the door.
"Thank you," Spock replies, and leaves with T'Mara.
Inside the room, Mr. Gardner's demeanor changes. Still standing, he folds his arms across his chest. "George, send two men to follow that damn pointed-eared bastard and his wife. Tell the men to keep their distance. They must not know they are being followed, and those damn beasts have acute hearing."
"Yes, sir. Right away, sir." George leaves the room.
"Vulcans...they disgust me," Simon mutters to himself.
Spock and T'Mara walk down the hallway. They enter the room where McCoy and Lopez are conducting physicals.
"Doctor, may I have a moment with you?" Spock asks.
"Certainly, Captain." McCoy leaves the room with him.
The Captain pulls him aside, then whispers, "Have you discovered any evidence of mind-controlling drug in the people's systems?"
"No Spock, but I have a suspicion that they are choosing who we see," McCoy says, also in a low voice.
Spock straightens as he remarks, "I suspected as much. Well, Doctor, continue on. T'Mara and I are headed out to explore the city. We will return to our room in approximately three hours."
"Okay, Captain then we will see you then." McCoy walks back to the examination room.
Spock and T'Mara proceed down the stairway, then exit the building. They walk the city streets. Both observe the passersby to see if they can detect any unusual behaviors. They begin to receive hard stares from some colonists.
One person gawks, then yells, "Vulcan, get out of here! We don't care if you are a member of Star Fleet. You are the reason we left earth!" This outburst is noticed by others.
Another man steps forward. "Go back to your ship, Vulcan dog!"
Spock urges T'Mara to get close by his side.
"Not so welcome as we were led to believe," she states, keeping a keen eye on the ever-increasing number of malcontents. Five men emerge from the growing crowd, carrying lead pipes.
Spock and T'Mara draw their phasers and attempt to back away, but suddenly there are other men behind them. Determined arms lash out and knock the phasers away. A pipe swings toward Spock, but he manages to avoid it. Three colonists grab hold of T'Mara. As she struggles to break free, they throw her to the street and pin her down. Spock grapples with the same man who is continuing to attack him with a pipe. A blow from the pipe strikes his right side, but he manages to twist around, get behind his assailant, and fell him with a nerve pinch.
While Spock faces two other pipe swinging assailants, T'Mara encounters problems of her own. One of the men restraining her notices a cut on her cheek.
"You are a blasted half breed!" he sneers, and backhands her.
She does not flinch and is able to keep her face expressionless. This provokes the man into slapping her face again. She still does not cringe. The man on the other side of her presses his knee down hard on her side. He presses down even further. He keeps it up until she finally cries out in pain. Distracted by her cry, Spock is hit in the back by a pipe. The blow is so hard that it causes him to fall to his knees.
Twenty-five yards away, two men watch the attack. One pulls out his phone and contacts Mr. Gardner.
Simon, who is walking back to his office, answers his phone. "Yes," he says curtly.
"Mr. Gardner, this is Steve. Our guests are under attack by some of the colonists."
"Damn! I did not want any harm done to our 'friends', at least not yet. Contact the authorities and stop them now! We can't afford to have them suspect us."
"Yes, sir." Steve quickly calls for help and then puts away his pocket phone. Together with his companion, he runs toward Spock and T'Mara. "Stop! Stop! You are attacking innocent people!" he screams at the crowd.
Confusion breaks over the attackers' faces. "Why? Are we not to attack all those we call nonhuman?"
"These people are here to assist us. It is a crime to attack Fleet officers! You must cease!" Steve tries to yank one man away from Spock. Sirens can be heard. The men and bystanders scatter like mice.
T'Mara stands up first. She coughs, trying to catch her breath. Seeing Spock on the ground, she runs to his side. He slowly stands, then sways into her. She helps to steady him.
"I am alright," he assures her. He observes the cuts and bruises on her face. "And you?"
"Yes...yes I will be fine. My side hurts, but I don't think any substantial damage was done. Are you certain you are okay?"
He bends over to dust himself off, then straightens his uniform jacket. "Yes. Bruised muscles, most likely."
Spock turns to face Steve.
"Are you injured?" Steve asks with caution.
"I am functional, sir. My wife seems not to have suffered any serious damage." Spock's voice goes cold. "That is not the welcome we were promised. Explain."
"I apologize, sir. This sort of thing rarely happens. The people here are for the most part quite orderly."
Spock's eyes bore into him. "Perhaps that is because you do not have Vulcans walking down your streets."
"Captain, you need to discuss this with Mr. Gardner. I assume you can walk?" Steve responds.
"Of course."
They all make their way back to the main building. T'Mara observes that Spock has some difficulty climbing the stairs. She wonders if his ribs are cracked. They all walk to the room where Dr. McCoy and Jennifer Lopez are finishing physicals on two colonists.
Seeing them entering, McCoy's eyes widen. "Spock! T'Mara! What happened? Sit down here." McCoy indicates the chairs nearest him.
Spock needs attention first," T'Mara tells him. "He was struck by pipes."
McCoy runs a medical scanner over him. His eyes flare when he sees Mr. Gardner enter the room. "Is this how you treat people who come to offer you aid?"
Mr. Gardner looks to Spock, then back to the good doctor. "Just a misunderstanding among the colonists."
McCoy's hands clench and his voice becomes gruff. "Misunderstanding... my foot. I don't call this a misunderstanding. I call it assault."
As he helps Spock remove his uniform jacket and shirt, the Vulcan closes his eyes to control the pain. T'Mara gasps as she sees the welts on both arms, the blackish-green bruising surrounding his rib cage and back. His right ribcage is swollen.
McCoy and Lopez begin treating Spock.
"This won't happen again," Simon promises. "I'll have the men who are responsible arrested."
After a few moments, McCoy asks Spock to stand and breathe in. He carefully wraps the captain's midsection with a pressure bandage, then turns his attention to T'Mara. He runs a scanner over her. She is fortunate to have only received bruising on one side.
After Lopez helps Spock into his shirt, he faces the governor. "Mr. Gardner, we were obviously being followed by two of your men. May I ask why they did not stop the attack at once?"
"Well, Captain, they were not spying on you. I sent them out for your protection. Believe me, those men will be disciplined for the lack of a quick response." Simon glances over to George. "Inform Steve and Charles that they will be suspended for a week without pay for dereliction of duties."
"Yes, sir. Right away." George contacts Steve and Charles via computer. Simon fronts a smile. "Approve, Spock?"
"Adequate, Simon. Should I assume that if we venture out tomorrow, we will not encounter any further problems?"
"You have my word." Gardner's eyes waver.
Spock expression hardens. "I had your word before. Perhaps you need to convince me."
"Let me know when you wish to explore so I can have the authorities put out extra patrols," Simon says with conviction.
"Very well. My wife and I will head back to our room to rest. Doctor, Medic Lopez, are you finished with the exams for today?"
"Two more, Spock," McCoy remarks.
"Alright Doctor, come by our room when you are done. There are some things I wish to discuss."
Simon speaks up. "Oh Captain, one of my men will come by your room at 1830 hours. Dinner at New Barbados Inn, for some nice elegant dining and good spirits. Dress clothes will be provided for all of you." He flashes a broad smile.
Spock slightly sighs. He wants to decline, but determines to continue the charade. "Very well, Simon. 1830 hours."
Simon leaves the room and goes back to his office.
"Mr. Gardner, should we taint their food with Transoxidene?" George asks.
"No, not at this time. I need to keep their minds clear. They are not here to give us aid. They are here to investigate us. I need to determine how much they already know. Also, there are rumors among the colonists that there are five strangers passing themselves as colonists. I believe they are members of Spock's crew. We will continue this deception till we discover the truth." Simon sits down at his desk.
oooooo
Back in his room with T'Mara, Spock sets up a small interference device and then sits on the edge of the bed. He takes his communicator in hand and signals the ship.
"Captain Spock, how are things proceeding?" Commander Uhura's voice comes over the communicator.
At the moment, he decides to hold back about being attack. "Commander, all is well. Any updates?"
"Everyone has reported in. Nothing new so far." Then the commander sends across a coded message.
"Received, Uhura. I will report back in four hours. Spock out."
T'Mara sits next to Spock, who is entering the sequence of codes into the padd. He returns his focus to his wife. "My aisha, how are you feeling?" He touches lightly her bruised face with his forefinger.
She caresses the side of his face. "I'm fine. Just sore where that man laid his knee into me. And you? How are you holding up?"
He knows she is deeply concerned. "Doctor McCoy mended my cracked ribs, but I will need to be careful for a time. The deep bruises are a bit more of a challenge."
"You should rest. We have a couple of hours till we need to get ready for our evening with Mr. Wonderful." She pats his knee.
Picking up on her tone he responds, "I assume you meant that as sarcasm. In any case, I cannot rest until Dr. McCoy and..."
There is a knock on the door.
"I think you just talked up our friends," she smiles.
"Indeed." Spock stands, then walks to the door and opens it. "Come inside." Once McCoy and Lopez enter, he tells them, "An interference devise is in place. We can speak freely."
"Well Spock, as I informed you before, all the colonists we examined show no signs of mind control drugs. But I suspect that is because they were hand selected."
Lopez turns to face Spock. "Captain, this is true, but these colonists seem glassy-eyed, and a bit fearful."
T'Mara begins to nod in agreement. "Yes, I also noticed some fear in George's eyes. His demeanor is one of uneasiness, not respect. He obeys because he is scared. The men that attacked us seemed almost zombie-like...for lack a better description."
McCoy glances back to Spock. "Is it wise to join this man for dinner? How do we know he won't have our food tainted?"
"Yes, a distinct possibility," Spock concurs.
Lopez spoke up. "Captain, I can sneak samples of the food and drink, then excuse myself. In the restroom, I can use my padd to run an analysis. It would only take a couple of minutes."
"Very well," Spock agrees. "We will not partake of any food or drink until you return."
McCoy sighs. "Well Spock, this man needs rest. I guess we will see you in a couple of hours."
Alone with his wife, Spock sits heavily on the edge of the bed. She kneels in front of him and starts to remove his boots.
"Please...hand me my padd," he asks her. "I need to go over..."
She waves her forefinger at him. "No, it can wait. Let's lie down and relax. I'll set an alarm in case we fall asleep."
He decides to let his wife win this battle.
Sometime later, a tapping on the door causes T'Mara to wake up. She stretches, then goes to the door. She cautiously opens it, revealing a young man holding clothing in his hands.
"Ma'am, for tonight." He hands her two hangers. One holds a shimmering blue evening gown, the other a jet-black tuxedo with a sky-blue dress shirt.
Eyeing them with appreciation, she says, "Thank you."
He bows and then turns to leave. By the time she reenters the room, Spock is sitting up. She glances at the wall clock. It is time to get ready.
Laying everything on the bed, she tells him, "A man brought this over."
Spock fingers his tuxedo. "More formal than I expected."
"Yes." She smiles. "Do you want to go to the shower first? If so, I need to remove the pressure bandage until you finish."
"Proceed," he says, wincing slightly from the pain as he raises his arms.
She carefully removes the bandage. He lets go a breath. "Thank you, my wife."
A bit later, when T'Mara finishes her shower, she comes out of the bathroom and finds Spock fully dressed, standing in front of the wall mirror. "You, sir, look absolutely handsome. I've always thought that black is your color." She moves over to the bed and retrieves her evening gown.
"Thank you." Spock turns around, now watching her as she slips the gown over her head. He walks over and zips up the back of the dress. She turns around. The sky-blue dress clings to her natural curves. The front overly displays her cleavage.
She studies her reflection in the wall mirror. "Let me guess who picked out this gown," she says with sarcasm.
"Who, T'Mara?"
She sighs. "Who else but Mr. Wonderful...I mean Mr. Gardner. I feel his eyes following me. Jennifer has experienced the same feeling."
He appraises his wife. He has to agreed that the dress is overly sensual. Placing a hand on each of her upper arms, he admits, "I would prefer that some things remain for my eyes only."
She smiles. "Yes, your eyes only...James." She smooths out his shiny lapels.
His expression switches to puzzlement. James? She never refers to Admiral Kirk as James.
Seeing his face, his wife giggles. "Look at you. Black tux, sky blue shirt, and black bow tie. Not James Kirk, silly. James Bond. You look like a spy."
His brow starts climbing. Then it comes to him. "Ah yes, James Bond by Ian Fleming. I read two of his books."
T'Mara 's eyes widen a bit for she did not think he would read spy novels. She makes a mental note to ask him later what he thought of the books. She also thinks when they get home, she might get him to watch the Bond movies.
"I have been feeling rather like a secret agent," he admits. "Deceit does not come easy for me, but I must succeed. Not just for our sakes, T'Mara, but for the helpless colonists trapped under this ruthless man's control." He gently fingers her hair.
She reaches up, and grasps his hand, and brings it to her lips. "My love, we are all in this together. Come, we better head over to Dr. McCoy's room."
They leave their room, and Spock knocks on the door across from theirs. Dr. McCoy and Lieutenant Commander step into the hall. The good doctor is also dressed in a jet-black tux. The only difference is that his shirt was pure white. Jennifer's gown is the same design as T'Mara's, but is also white.
McCoy interlocks his arm with Jennifer's. "Well, let's get this little charade over with. The quicker I can get this monkey suit off, the better."
It is dark outside. As they reach the street, a strange man approaches them. He appears to be about six foot five inches tall and weighs perhaps 250 pounds. Those pounds are all muscle.
The man says to them, "Hello, my name is Gary. I am going to transport you to the Inn. Follow me."
They all follow him to a long, black, air limo. He opens the door by remote. McCoy and Lopez sit on the first rear bench seat. Spock and T'Mara sit on the rear bench seat across from McCoy and Lopez. The limo lands in front of the New Barbados Inn. The doors open and all exit the vehicle. A Maitre d' guides them to the table where Simon Gardner is seated. He is dressed in a black tux with a lavender dress shirt.
"Welcome," he greets them. "You all look splendid." His eyes appraise both T'Mara and Jennifer. "Sit, ladies."
Spock pulls out a chair for T'Mara. McCoy does the same for Jennifer. A waiter goes by and pours a gold liquid into each goblet.
Mr. Gardner stands. "A toast."
They all stand.
"To new friends. May their stay be a pleasant one. May our friendship reach beyond this colony."
"Hear, Hear," all say as they clink their goblets. All then sit, and the Enterprise crewmembers pretend to sip the alcoholic beverage. A hologram menu appears in front of each person. A few minutes later, their orders are placed. They engage in casual conversation until their meals arrive. Jennifer Lopez surreptitiously sneaks samples of the food and drink into her napkin, then excuses herself.
Mr. Gardner looks at Spock. "So, you don't trust me?"
Spock brow goes upwards. "I am not sure what you are referring to."
Simon leans to one side. He has his elbow on the arm of the chair. "You sent your medic to examine the meal. Really, why would drug your food?"
Spock keeps his expression stoic. "Simon, I did not make any request of my medic."
"Okay...maybe just my imagination." Simon briefly smiles. They continue their conversation.
Jennifer smiles as she returns from the restroom. When she sits down, she begins to eat, and her shipmates follow suit.
Spock has observed that the gold liquor is not typical alcohol. It might be as strong as Romulan Ale. He also notices that the waiter continues attempting to refill their goblets. He assumes that Mr. Gardner wants them all inebriated, hoping one might leak out the real reason for their visit to Jarus.
Spock finishes his meal. "Mr. Gardner, excuse me. I need to contact my ship. I am overdue in checking in with my Commander."
"Certainly, Captain." Mr. Gardner waves his hand towards the door.
Spock rises, then proceeds outside. He flips his communicator open. He is successful in reaching Commander Uhura.
"Is all well, Captain?"
"Yes, Commander. We are in the midst of being...I believe the phrase is 'wined and dined' by our host. Any updates from the security team?"
"Yes, sir...a very brief update. I will send the coded message to your padd. Captain, I am concerned because their message was overdue and seemed to be interrupted."
"Alright Uhura, duly noted. Contact me immediately if the team fails to report in."
"Aye, sir...Spock, be careful. I just have a gut feeling that Mr. Gardner is a dangerous man. If he was to discover your real intent...who knows what he will do." Her voice indicates how worried she has become.
"Nyota, I understand your concerns. Just remember – do not, under any condition, come after us. If you lose contact with us, call Star Fleet Command. If you feel the need, beam down another security team, but only as last resort. It is not worth risking more lives. Do make myself clear?"
"Aye, Captain...understood. Enjoy the rest of your evening. Uhura out."
He places his communicator in his inside pocket. He reenters the fine establishment. Music is playing, and he sees McCoy and Lopez taking a turn on the dance floor. He sits back down on his chair.
"Spock you're not much of a drinker, are you?" Simon tries to egg Spock to react.
"I prefer to keep my mind clear." Spock replies.
"Or is it just that you can't handle it? I heard Vulcans can't tolerate alcohol," Simon snidely comments.
"You have received incorrect information. Vulcans have a high tolerance for human alcohol. As I stated tonight, I prefer to keep my mind clear."
"Punk!" Simon retorts under his breath.
Spock ignores the irrational remark. With a slow song playing, he glances over at his wife. "T'Mara, would you care to have this dance with me?" He stands in anticipation.
"Yes, my sweet." She stands, then takes his hand. He leads her to the dance floor.
Lopez and McCoy have returned to the table. Her eyes grow wide with amazement. "Geez, I didn't know the captain could dance."
McCoy chuckles. "There are many things you probably are not aware that Captain Spock is capable of."
She continues to watch Spock and T'Mara dance. "My gosh, he's good too."
As Spock and T'Mara dance, she peers into his deep brown eyes. "You seem deep in thought. Did you receive disturbing news from Uhura?"
He pulls her close as they dance. "Troubling, perhaps. Uhura has a strong feeling that our security specialists are under suspicion. She sent a coded message to my padd. Until I analyze it, I cannot form an opinion. At one time, I dismissed intuition as illogical. But I now note it as valid" He sees worry rise in his wife's face. "T'Mara…" His fingers stroke the side of her face. "Don't concern yourself over this. It may not be anything. Let us enjoy this moment."
The song ends, and Spock escorts his wife to the table. Jennifer puts down her goblet. "Captain Spock, you are an accomplished dancer."
He bows his head slightly. "Thank you, Lieutenant Commander."
"Please…call me Jennifer," she remarks.
"As you wish."
Mr. Gardner snickers at the interaction. Spock has observed that Mr. Gardner consumed many ounces of the golden liquor. Simon's true feelings for him are beginning to become evident, for more derogatory remarks emerge from Simon's mouth. Spock admits to himself that he is becoming weary of Simon's off-color remarks that lean to being obscene.
The band begins to play another slow song. Jennifer looks at Spock. She blushes, then curses herself. Jennifer you are not a cadet with a crush on your instructor. She finally speaks. "Uh...Captain Spock, would you have this dance with me?"
Spock glances over to his wife. T'Mara smiles and then nods.
"Of course...uh…Jennifer." He stands as she stands.
McCoy speaks quietly to Spock. "Remember, you are a married man."
"Doctor, I am well aware of my marital status."
Then Simon adds his two cents with a loud obnoxious voice. "Hey Spock, remember to keep your Vulcan eyes on her face and not on her breasts. I caught you looking!"
Spock disregards the comment, then guides her to the dance floor. They step into the dance without missing a beat. He has one hand lightly around her hand and the other barely on her waist. His eyes focus on her face. "Jennifer, I never..."
"Shh...Spock, it is okay, I know. Don't mind that arrogant ass."
His brow goes partway upward. "Indeed...I need to request something of you."
Her blue eyes study him. "Yes, Captain?"
"I noticed that you consumed two glasses of the alcohol. I am requesting that you drink no more, for I believe that Mr. Gardner wants to get us inebriated."
"Oh, Captain, I am sorry. I have been on edge since we beamed down. I just...I just wanted to relax. Yes, I will consume no more alcoholic drinks." Then she laughs softly.
He looks at her as they continue their dance. "What do you find amusing?"
"He's the one who is drunk, and acting like a fool."
The song ends and they stop dancing. Spock nods. "Yes."
They walk back to the table. Both sit down. Spock observes a devilish look on Simon's face. He also notices that he has moved his chair closer to T'Mara.
Simon leans toward her. "Ah...is your husband's...hm, how shall I say this in mixed company? Does he satisfy you in bed.?" He laughs an intoxicated laugh as he eyes both of them.
Spock almost chokes on his water.
T'Mara eyes widen. "What?!"
"Do you want me to spell it out?" Simon chuckles.
T'Mara's eyes flash with anger. "No! I get your meaning." At first, she wasn't going to answer, but she changes her mind. "Let me say that is none of your business."
Looking at Spock, he asks, "Hmph, really? Well, let me turn the table. Tell me, Captain...do you find T'Mara's curvy body satisfying? Or do you desire Jennifer?"
Spock's eyes turn to hot embers. He stands up so fast his chair nearly falls over. He clenches his hands into fists. "Come, my wife. It is time that we all leave."
"What's the matter, Spock? Can't take it? Answer my questions, or are you a coward?" Simon shouts out, trying to goad him.
Spock dismisses the obnoxious man and heads outside.
McCoy rises, but briefly stops to glare at Simon. "Be glad he didn't slug you, or I'd be mending your broken jaw."
