CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL
Chapter 03
Lieutenant Worf had been informed that Special Emissary Tyr-Aurell was positive she would be adapting to ship's time without any trouble; he therefore made his appearance in the corridor outside her quarters at 09.45 the next morning. Neither was he disappointed: the „Enter" in response to his activating the door alarm came promptly and briskly. The door slid open to reveal a room lighted in soft amber. Tyr-Aurell was standing by a small table, by all appearances rearranging a bowl of flowers.
"Lieutenant Worf, I am delighted to see you. Are you going to escort me to the mission briefing?"
"At your convenience, Emissary," Worf replied politely as the door slid shut behind him. He took one more step into the room and froze. "What – "
"Lieutenant?"
"What is that sound?" asked Worf, looking round in alarm. A moment later he started back, aghast. Without warning a faint, shrill screeching rose from the floor, very close to where his boots had been a second earlier. He looked down, his eyes widening in incredulous disgust. "That – thing..."
Tyr-Aurell bent down quickly, picked up the silvery ball of fur, and settled it in the crook of her arm. It gave one last disapproving squawk and then fell silent.
"Lieutenant," she said earnestly, „I apologize for the discomfort my pet caused you. I'll make sure you won't be bothered by it again. Believe me, this encounter was quite unintended."
"I..." Worf was still striving for composure. "I beg your pardon – I was merely surprised." He ventured a look at the tribble, which was just beginning to purr softly again, and managed not to shudder. "Your pet does not bother me, Emissary."
"Well," she replied with a twinkle he couldn't quite interpret, "I am glad to hear you say so. But at the moment it's certainly not wanted" – and to his immense relief she deposited the creature on a chair a few steps away, and picked up a padd from the table in front of the sofa instead. "I believe we are due at the mission briefing in about eight minutes. Perhaps you could tell me a little of what your research has turned up on the way."
"I would be honored," replied Worf, and followed her out of the room with carefully measured steps. The captain never mentioned this... thing, he thought. Perhaps Picard didn't know about Klingons and tribbles? A moment later he dismissed the thought. In fact the captain knew quite a lot about Klingons in general, and one Klingon in particular – more, occasionally, than Worf liked to consider. He trusts me to handle it, he concluded with a surge of pride. So, naturally, he would.
The captain, Riker and Data were already present when Worf and Tyr-Aurell entered the conference lounge. She gave them a friendly smile, flashing her tiny fangs. "Captain. Commander."
"Let me introduce Lieutenant Commander Data, Emissary," Picard said. "Data, the Lady Mallien Lyet'Eltaun Anthura Mal'Tyr-Aurell."
"I have heard so much about you, Commander," said Tyr-Aurell. "I am delighted to be making your acquaintance."
"Thank you, Emissary," replied Data. "I find it intriguing that you have chosen to adopt an informal version of your name. Does this reflect a possible change of attitude towards matters of protocol on Ruylan II?"
"In my case, it only reflects the demands of practical diplomacy," Tyr-Aurell said serenely. Then Geordi La Forge and Doctor Beverly Crusher entered, and Picard went through the introductions once again. Finally the captain called the meeting to order. Tyr-Aurell settled gracefully into the chair on the captain's right with a rustle of mauve silk.
"Lady Tyr-Aurell has studied the circumstances we can expect to find on Yalnrag on the basis of the available facts – such as they are," explained Picard. "Emissary, please."
"My pleasure, Captain." Tyr-Aurell tapped a key in the conference table in front of her, and a faintly lavender-tinted planet covered largely by oceans appeared on the monitor. Picard swiveled his chair round as everybody else craned their necks.
"This is Yalnrag. As you can see the planet has only two continents and a number of archipelagoes. There has been a single planetary government for almost thirty years now, and the political situation is stable. That is to say, there is no immediate danger of a split." There was a hint of a purr creeping into Tyr-Aurell's voice, implying a certain amount of amusement. The image faded, and as one everybody turned back towards the table. "However, the government's recent overtures towards the Federation have re-fueled a debate that has been going on for decades." A brief pause. "I would like to show you a picture of a ngahyak now, but I cannot. No outsider knows what they look like, Yalnragians venturing abroad do not provide descriptions, let alone images, and no recordings have been allowed outside of Yalnrag. The animals play an important role in the faith of a number of religious groupings. Unfortunately they are migratory, requiring large areas of open countryside, and this has become somewhat more scarce in recent years – although from the statistics Yalnrag has supplied about its population and industrialization the loss doesn't appear to be dramatic. Still, with the recent renewal of religious fervor in parts of the population, the government is faced with a dilemma." Tyr-Aurell tilted her head, as if viewing the problem from a different angle. "You must understand that it is an immense honor to be allowed to study these animals. No outsider has ever been granted permission to do so. I don't believe the government would have objected, but there are the sensibilities of others to be considered. Please, be suitably impressed." The purr was back in her voice, even though her face remained perfectly straight.
"We will keep it in mind," promised Picard. "Are we to understand that the government of Yalnrag doesn't share the concern about the ngahyak to quite that degree? Admiral Blackwell strongly hinted that that might be the case."
"Frankly, Captain, I am under the impression that they would be happy to be allowed to forget all about the problem – one way or another. Ngahyak worship is common in certain rural areas and among a number of sects. The country people are usually quite moderate in their demands – they simply want the animals and their habitat protected, which would conveniently keep the ngahyak away from fields and gardens as well. The sects are the real problem. They are very diverse, ranging from small groups seeking spiritual guidance to organizations devoted to a kind of holy war. There is even an assassins' sect."
"Assassins' sect?" echoed Beverly Crusher.
"That is what their name translates as, Doctor. The group was supposed to have been disbanded two generations ago, but in recent years there have been several assassination attempts, two of them successful, and the sect has taken responsibility for both of those. The government of Yalnrag is quite embarrassed by these incidents. In fact I doubt they would have mentioned the sect to us if it hadn't been for the danger it has proven to pose."
The captain stole a glance at Worf at that. The Klingon was nodding slowly to himself.
"So what, exactly, are we supposed to do there?" asked Crusher.
"We are to evaluate the situation, study the ngahyak, and make suggestions as to how the problem could be solved. If possible mediate a compromise between the government and those parts of the population who refuse to support the government in its attempts to join the Federation as long as the ngahyak question is unresolved."
"But you said the political situation is stable," Riker put in.
"It is. The government could simply overrule the objections of a few small groups. But the ngahyak do play a role in ancient beliefs, and although Yalnrag is a secular society these days its rulers are reluctant to resort to such methods."
"Well, it's an attitude I can sympathize with," said Doctor Crusher.
Tyr-Aurell inclined her head. "As I understand it the ruling council hopes that if the Federation is seen to take the fears and convictions of the populace seriously, and contribute to a workable solution, we will be that much closer to an agreement."
"What do the more radical sects want?" asked Riker.
"Some want people to turn back to a simpler and purer way of life, worshipping the ngahyak the way their forefathers did. I should add that ngahyak worship has never been the only or even the most important aspect of ancient Yalnrag faith, but it does seem to have become a focal point recently. It is certainly an aspect that is easily exploited, given the current problems with the animals."
"And what exactly is it the assassins' sect wants?" That was Worf's voice asking. Picard caught a brief amused glance from Riker, and kept his own expression carefully neutral. Tyr-Aurell, however, gave a quick appreciative smile.
"Power, I suspect, Lieutenant. Ostensibly, they are concerned about the purity of Yalnrag politics, especially concerning matters of faith. Both victims were politicians of a progressive turn of mind who welcomed contact with outsiders. Minor politicians – quite possibly because the more obvious targets were beyond the sect's reach."
"It is conceivable, then, that you will be in danger once you set foot on the planet," said Worf.
"Just conceivable," she admitted lightly. Worf's eyes narrowed slightly.
"And will you be conducting all the negotiations, Emissary?"
"That was certainly what was planned. In the light of recent events I believe your experience in similar matters may be called upon as well, Captain," she added. Picard saw Worf's eyes widening at that, and changed the subject with a skill born of years of practice.
"I don't think there will be any problems with that. Emissary, you have made the situation admirably clear, but there is one thing I'd be quite interested to know more about. What exactly is the role those animals play in traditional Yalnrag faith?"
"According to the available documents they are considered to be the guardians of the country, and to serve as intermediaries between mortals and the gods. Their migrations are their way of watching over all of Yalnrag. Strictly speaking the two continents are in fact just one as they are linked by a land bridge in the polar region. There are ngahyak populations in both continents. Apparently they were once supposed to cross the pole and go from continent to continent in order to fulfil their purpose. Harming a ngahyak, or even just hindering it, is considered a very bad omen. Attempts at studying them have been deemed close to insult until fairly recently."
"I suppose that may have contributed to the problem as much as anything else," Crusher put in.
"It has, Doctor. I will be conducting my studies with the assistance of local scientists. It will be a historic event." Tyr-Aurell smiled. „In fact," she said, „I'm looking forward to it."
"Is there anything else?" asked the captain.
"Yes, sir," said Worf. "Under the circumstances I would suggest assigning a security detail to the emissary."
"That may not be advisable," replied Tyr-Aurell. "We are being granted a privilege, Lieutenant. The more people we have down there, the more likely it is there will be some incident."
"I understand," said Worf, curtly, and the captain nodded.
"Then that will be all for the moment. We'll reconvene as and when new information becomes available."
It didn't escape Picard that Worf walked past him with a long look and a slight frown. I'll hear from him, he thought. Riker hadn't even bothered getting to his feet; he had merely swiveled his chair so he faced the captain. When the door had swished shut behind the last of the senior officers the captain said: "Well, Number One? What do you make of it?"
"Sounds fairly straighforward, actually. I hope the sight of those animals is worth all the mystery."
"According to Admiral Blackwell rumor describes them as looking like a cross between a gnu and a large rabbit. Bluish", added the captain.
Riker tilted his head, considering it. "Different," he said at last before lapsing into another silence. "Bit hard to visualize, actually. Captain, I wasn't going to mention it just now, but if there is any chance that you'll be going down to the surface you'll need to be inoculated. Doctor Crusher says some of that planet's diseases could make a real mess of a human system. She'll give Tyr-Aurell an appointment too."
"I see. You know, Will, I'm considering a formal dinner for her. It seems to be the appropriate thing to do, and she could meet the exobiology staff. And perhaps someone from Cultural Sociology."
"Great," said Riker with unfeigned enthusiasm. "Ito'll just love her. Wasmuth, too. If you'd like me to I'll get to it straight away."
Picard smiled a little at his eagerness. "Make it so, Number One."
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