Bells Through the Leaves, chapter 4
"Look at that! It's incredible, Spock."
Supported by the railing, Nyota leaned as close to the forcefield as possible and peered at the luminous golden article in the middle of the case. Her utter enchantment reminded him of the pure joy Saavik displayed whenever she discovered something new. Although he always welcomed the opportunity to study an object of antiquity such as the Mask of Tutankhamen, he decided that he was much more interested in Nyota's reaction. He turned to study her instead.
She moved over to make room for a little boy who was trying to squeeze closer. Bending slightly in his direction, she said, "Do you know who that mask was made for?"
His eyes big, the child looked up at her and shook his head.
"It was made for a king who lived in Egypt many, many years ago. He was a very famous king, and everyone loved him. His name was King Tutankhamen, but that's a big name so most people just call him King Tut."
Although it was obvious she had the boy's attention, he just continued to stare at her without saying anything. She glanced up at Spock before turning back.
"Would you mind telling me how old you are?"
"Eight," the boy mumbled.
"Eight! You won't believe how old King Tut was when he became king. He was only nine years old."
"Whoa." The boy looked at the case.
"You have fun here at the museum." She smiled at the man who stood on the other side of the boy, then faced Spock. "Are you ready to move on?"
"Yes."
As they strolled away from the exhibit, Nyota chuckled. "Did you see the look on that little boy's face? It makes me wish that we had Saavik with us."
"I must admit that I had the same thought. She would find the contents of this museum intriguing. If we ever bring her to an institution of this type, however, we must allow ourselves at least a full day to explore."
"Are you kidding? We could spend a week here with Saavik and she wouldn't run out of questions. It would be fun, though. Maybe we can do something like this the next time we're with her."
"She would enjoy that. Are you hungry?"
"Yes, very."
"What would you like to eat?"
They walked slowly across the lobby. "Anything but pub food, since that's probably what we'll eat tonight. By the way, are you positive that you're willing to let me drag you along on that pub tour? It's not exactly your kind of thing."
"I am positive. You will enjoy it, and I am certain that I will find the observation of local customs fascinating. You did not have the opportunity to dine at a Chinese restaurant with your parents. Would you like to find one now?"
"Sure. That sounds good."
They wove their way through a group of schoolchildren entering the museum and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Spock was pleased to see that the rain had ceased while they were inside, but the clouds still hung ominously overhead and the air was heavy with a damp coolness. They had to choose their path carefully to avoid puddles and small piles of wet, colorful leaves.
He pulled his jacket higher onto his shoulders and sealed it. "The wind is rather cutting when it blows between the large buildings."
"Yes, it is. I hope you brought plenty of warm clothes."
"I did."
"Good." She pushed her hands into her pockets as they stepped down from the curb. "Next time we visit Saavik, do you think that we can find a decent museum?"
"The answer to that question will depend on your definition of 'decent.' It is my understanding that there are two relatively large museums on Gamma Cygnus. One contains a number of artifacts that belonged to the colony's founding families. The other, an agricultural science museum, is dedicated to the digestive and reproductive systems of the various species of livestock the colonists introduced to the planet."
She grimaced. "Personally, I'd enjoy the historical museum, but I would bet good money that's not the one Saavik would choose."
"And I would not wager against you if you did."
She laughed and leaned just close enough to brush against his arm as they approached Soho Square. Gazing through the trees at the large statue in the middle of the square, she said, "Who is that?"
"According to the information on your padd, it is a depiction of King Charles the Second."
"This is a nice little park. I would imagine that these benches are full on sunny days." She took a deep breath. "Here I am making plans for a visit with Saavik, but I have no idea when we might be able to get together again. Do you?"
"I cannot predict, Nyota. So far, we have been fortunate in our ability to schedule leave at the same time. The Enterprise is preparing to return to patrol in Sector Three, however, and I fear that the increased activity among the Klingons will make it difficult for me to leave the ship for quite some time."
"I know." She was quiet as they stepped over a puddle and crossed the street. "When the Lexington was there, we detected an increase in coded communications. I'm afraid you might find your hands full when you return to patrol."
"If you and I are vigilant, perhaps an opportunity to see one another will present itself."
She grinned suddenly. He could detect a note of wistfulness in her eyes, but she did not allow it to carry through to her voice. "What's this about 'waiting for an opportunity to present itself'? Surely a couple of resourceful people like us can create our own opportunities. We'll figure out a way."
"I have always maintained that you are one of the most resourceful people I know."
"You bet."
Still smiling, she held his eyes for a moment longer before looking ahead. They had just crossed another street and come upon a row of elegantly restored old buildings, all fronted with large glass windows through which an eclectic collection of dusty, leather-bound volumes could be seen.
"Oh, Spock! Look at these bookstores. Can we explore a couple of them before we eat?"
"Of course."
He pushed open the first ornamental, heavy door they encountered, and ushered her into the building ahead of him.
...
"Excuse me. Pardon me."
Murmuring politely, Milele squeezed through the crowd and worked her way toward the tall, dark figure standing by the bar. She wasn't too sure that anyone could hear her, though. Between the piano, the singing, and the voices that were trying to compete with the piano and the singing, the din was deafening. If Spock had been able to hear her from the kitchen yesterday, she could only imagine what this was like for him.
He turned when he realized that she stood next to him. "Would you care for another beverage?" he asked loudly over the noise.
"Yes, please. I think I'll try some bitter this time."
Glancing over her head in the direction of the piano, he said, "I will assume that Nyota is not yet ready for another drink."
"Probably not, although I can guarantee that she'll want one pretty soon. Whether she actually needs it or not is another question."
Raising an eyebrow, he met her eyes and nodded. When the bartender set a bottle of spring water and a glass in front of him, he leaned across the bar and ordered her drink. Within moments, he accepted the foaming, overflowing glass, and as he handed it to her he pointed toward a relatively uncongested area by the wall. She led the way, trying very hard to put one foot in front of the other without spilling any of her beer. She'd had more than just a couple of these, and maneuvering was a little trickier than she had expected.
Finally, they reached their destination. Placing her glass on the small shelf that ran the distance of the wall, she took a deep breath. "Whew! This is much better. Not so hot and crowded. It's a little quieter, too."
"I agree."
They sipped their drinks and watched the group gathered around the piano. Nyota and Yusufu, right in the middle of the revelers, were standing with their arms around each other and singing at the top of their lungs. Milele couldn't make out all of the words, but she heard just enough to know that it was not meant for polite company.
"It does not surprise me that Nyota would participate in such an impromptu performance," said Spock, "but I did not expect it from Yusufu."
Milele chuckled. "He loves to sing as much as Nyota does, so he usually gives in pretty easily when she tries to persuade him to join her. They have a lot of fun together."
"They have done this before?"
"Many times. Back at the University of Kenya when Yusufu and I had just begun to date, Nyota came up for a weekend and they hit it off so well I was a little afraid he would decide he liked her better. We went out to one of the local night spots, and I hardly saw either of them all evening long. I shouldn't have worried, though. The big difference between them is that while Nyota's ready to have fun at the drop of a hat, Yusufu is basically a homebody. If he gets too wild, he'll be embarrassed tomorrow." Peering at Spock over the rim of her glass, she thought of the discussion they'd had when they left the house earlier this evening. "By the way, do you see now why it's called a pub crawl instead of a pub walk?"
"Yes. I was able to determine that some time ago. Am I correct in assuming that the designation is primarily intended to be humorous? While there are several patrons here who likely will be unable to walk home later, none of them are on the tour with us."
"You've got it. So what do you think about this? It's no fun being the only sober person among a group of drunks, or at least that's what I'm told." She smiled so that he'd know she was kidding about that last bit. "Are you enjoying yourself at all?"
"I am finding this experience most intriguing. The atmosphere here is quite different than that of other establishments I have frequented in the past. Granted, I do not have an extensive sampling upon which to base such a conclusion, but I would venture to say that the British pubs are unique. The names alone are worthy of further study. This pub, for example—'The Phoenix and Firken'—is most oddly named, but I have asked several people and no one seems to know from where the moniker came. The cuisine is unusual as well: 'bangers and mash,' for example, and 'toad in the hole.'"
"I promise you we don't really eat toads here in England."
He looked like he was almost smiling as he opened his mouth to retort, but a sudden drop in the noise level diverted their attention. Looking up, they saw the piano player leave his seat, and Nyota waved at them before meandering in their direction. Milele couldn't help but notice that Spock straightened as her sister came near. What a devoted man. Really, she just wanted to hug him. Thank heavens she wasn't drunk enough to actually do it.
"Hi! How's it going?" Nyota's eyes were bright.
"Everything's great." Milele made room for her. "Where'd Yusufu go?"
"He's getting us drinks." She looked up at Spock. "Are you doing all right?"
He gazed down at her, his expression soft. "Yes. And you?"
"I'm having a great time. Everyone's so nice, and I haven't sung some of those songs for years!" Swaying slightly, she grasped Spock's arm and leaned closer. Her enunciation was very careful. "Thank you for coming along with me on this. You're such a good sport."
"Being here is not a hardship. Even if it were, however, I would not begrudge it because you are enjoying yourself so tremendously."
Beginning to wonder if she should find someplace else to go, Milele saw with relief that Yusufu was approaching with two glasses full of a rich, dark liquid.
"Here you go, Nyota."
"Thank you, Yusufu. I'm so thirsty I can hardly stand it." She took a large drink, then held it out toward Spock. "Do you want to try it?"
Accepting the glass, he lifted it to his nose and sniffed cautiously. "What is it?"
"Guinness. Go ahead, take a sip."
"No, thank you. I am certain that the taste would not be any more appealing than the odor."
A loud voice rang out over the hubbub. "Everyone with the pub tour, it's time to go to 'The Lamb and Flag.' Take a few minutes to finish your drink, and we'll meet outside."
Retrieving her drink from Spock, Nyota said unnecessarily, "That's us!"
Milele made a face as Yusufu and Nyota downed their Guinness. Personally, she thought that the stuff was vile, and she laughed when she saw a reflection of her own distaste in Spock's expression.
They all placed their glasses on the shelf and walked toward the door.
End chapter 4