Star Trek; Deep Space Nine
Blood Island
Chapter 6
The door to Sisko's office in OPS slid open, and then Odo and Quark entered. Sisko sat behind his desk, holding his baseball. He studied it again, and then placed it back on its stand. He looked up to Odo and Quark who each stood before his desk.
"Please," Sisko said, "sit down."
Odo and Quark sat down. And before Sisko could utter another word, Quark did instead.
"Commander Sisko," Quark said, "if this has anything to do with that illegal shipment of Divarian Frog legs, I already told the constable on the way here that I will take any profits earned from the Frog Legs out of my idiot brother's paycheck and use the monies to fund a new orphanage on Bajor."
Sisko looked to Odo.
Odo smirked, and looked at Quark. "The first I heard of that shipment of Frog Legs was on the way here to Ops, Quark." Odo said with his usual gruffness.
The Feringi bar owner realized that he had just volunteered too much information to Sisko and Odo. "Um, could you forget that last statement of mine? It was not taken under oath." Quark asked softly.
Sisko was pleased that Quark had made the error. It was another bargaining chip to use, and right now, Sisko needed all of them.
"I will consider," Sisko said to Quark, "looking the other way, provided you assist me in another matter."
A gleam returned to Quark's eyes. "You mean, I scratch your back and you scratch mine?" Quark asked coyly.
"You could say that," Sisko agreed. "The Constable has informed me that Gul'Dukat left behind a sizable amount of credit at your bar."
Quark nodded. "Yes he did Commander," Quark acknowledged, "and, no, you cannot confiscate those funds. The Cardassians may have abandoned the station, but any of them who did so, who still owed me a bar tab for example, is still expected to pay. Likewise, any credit they still have is legally theirs. Gul'Dukat has assured me that he will make sure his men pay, and I agreed to honor their credit."
Sisko nodded. "I have no problem with that arrangement," Sisko said to Quark. "The Cardassians, for the most part, are allowed aboard DS9, within reason." Sisko said. "And if they want to frequent your bar, I cannot stop them."
"Then why bring up Dukat's credit at all?" Quark asked, getting straight to the point.
Sisko cut to the point as well. "I want to know all there is about this virus that has inflicted so many Bajorans."
Quark smiled, "Commander, we both know why," Quark said with a smile, "The will of the Prophets. Listen to me; if a planet of crazy people want to let a bunch of their own crazy people die because they think it is some sort of punishment, well then who are we to interfere? The way I look at it is this; there will be a lot less crazy people than before."
"Well," Sisko said to Quark, "I suppose one could see it that way, but I don't. Now," Sisko continued, "Odo's contacts on Cardassia have told him that it was Dukat who commissioned the science work to create the virus, and then he ordered its use on the population years ago when it was apparent the Occupation was nearing end. I doubt we will ever prove that Dukat gave that order, but what I want is the name of the scientist who created this virus."
"I don't know the name." Quark said defiantly.
"You don't," Odo said to Quark, "but Dukat does."
Quark finally saw where the conversation was heading. "You two want me to hold those funds, those quite sizable funds of Dukat's, until he gives you the name. Now why would I do such a thing like that?"
Odo leered at Quark, "There is the matter of the Divarian Frog legs. If I recall, it is a felony on Divaria to even deal in the selling of Frog Legs. Bajor does have an extradition agreement with the Divarians. If they were to find out you stonewalled Sisko's request to help deal with this virus, they would probably give you to them without even a hearing. I might add? The penalty for the buying and selling of Divarian Frog legs is life in prison without parole, and hard labor."
Quark looked worried, but pressed on. "The evidence is all circumstantial, Constable. You would never be able to prove it in court."
Odo's stare became even colder. "Try me."
Quark thought for a moment. Then he looked to Sisko. "I'll see what I can do," Quark said to Sisko. "But I have your assurances this matter about the Frog Legs will be dropped."
Sisko nodded. Quark gave them both one last look, and then headed out of the office. The door closed behind him as he left.
Odo looked to Sisko. "Commander, what if Quark hadn't blurted out the Divarian Frog Leg shipment in the first place?"
Just as Odo asked the question, the wormhole opened up, and then two ships dived into the swirling light show.
"Sometimes," Sisko said to Odo, as well as to the wormhole light show, "it all seems as if there is some kind of plan to the order of the universe."
"I see," Odo said with a watchful eye on the closing wormhole. He stood up and left Sisko alone in the office.
CONTINUED