JMJ

Chapter Eleven

Feral Domestics

"…So, anyway… I want to apologize for any inconvenience or distress this causes you," said Quark bowing gentlemanly to the Aploos'.

He swallowed hard and hoped they didn't notice as he added, "Our best hospitality is all I can give you."

"I only pray that this is resolved and quickly for the sake of the Grand Nagus as well as for our continued correspondence as friends," said Mr. Aploos.

"Friends," Quark could not help but repeat.

"Someone doesn't want us to be friends," Mr. Aploos added, "but I'm sure I speak for those whom I represent when I say such actions do not daunt Pelipans."

Quark stared, mouth ajar until he had to stop and wonder if the Pelipans considered gaping rude like most non-Ferengi did. He clamped his mouth shut and nodded hastily.

"Maybe that's what they're expecting," Quark said behind his smile.

"What do you mean?" asked Mrs. Aploos studying him with feminine shrewdness.

"Ah!" said Quark waving a hand aside amiably, but he could see a sense of understanding in Mr. Aploos' smile.

He did not know why but it reminded him of something he used to see in Garek when there was an understanding between him and the person he was speaking with. Aploos' a little less dangerous even if a little more feral, and really just perhaps a little more alive and a lot more innocent, which perhaps made it dangerous in an entirely different sort of way. Perhaps under different circumstances he could have been much like Garek. Perhaps under different circumstances he could have been an assassin of the highest degree. Though, as things were Aploos was as honest as they came.

Too honest.

In a universe so full of dishonesty out came Aploos from such an innocent planet as Pelipa, which had not seen cruelty or strife in centuries. Not since a world-wide famine four hundred years ago, but even that had been resolved without much bitterness that lasted afterwards— not compared to other people. So maybe all around it was like a child trying to imitate a person like Garek, and doing a terrible job of it. Not that Quark did not think Aploos understood the danger and deception of the situation at hand, but he did not feel it. Not even how Quark did who had lived as a bystander to so much deception and cruelty that would have made even the most hard-hearted Ferengi DaiMon feel disgust and certainly be thankful he was a Ferengi.

True, Ferengi thrived upon deception, but so straight-forwardly-so in comparison to people like the Cardassians or the Romulans… or even certain Humans. Perhaps the Ferengi and the Pelipans were kindred spirits, after all.

"If there is any way we may be of service," said Mr. Aploos, "do not hesitate to call upon us."

"We do not have any regrets except that we have little light to shed upon this event," said Mrs. Aploos. "During the investigation, we will not hesitate to give our alibi, which I imagine will be soon."

"Yes, yes, it probably will," said Quark. "Thank you."

What if someone did not want the Aploos' to leave?

He shivered inwardly but smiled gratefully outwardly as he bade the guests goodbye— not from the planet as was the scheduled plan, but from his sight for now. They left him alone aside from the guard.

With a heavy sigh, Quark closed his eyes. He rubbed his head.

What if someone was trying to make the Pelipans look bad and not the Ferengi at all? What if since Ferengi were not known to be violent in retaliation, someone was trying to get the Pelipans to be violent for them? What if it was a way to make Ferengi fear Pelipans? What if it was a way to make the Federation lose their respect for the Pelipans?

Okay, maybe not the last one. Even considering to the join the Alliance probably already made the Federation lose any respect they had for them no matter how helpful they've been to them in the past.

He just did not want to wake up one morning and find that the Aploos' were dead or the Pelipans declaring war on someone or the Federation "helping" with something behind his back or—

"Quark!"

Quark jumped.

"Ngh!" Quark cried before spinning round on the access of his tingling spine, but panic turned instantly to relief. "Rom! Oh, am I glad to see you! You're up and about! That's terrific! Tell me what happened? Good news, I hope!"

Running up to him he clasped his hands on his brothers' shoulder ignoring Rom's obvious agitation. He grinned with full welcome from ear to ear as his brother's crooked, nervous smile made his teeth look more ragged than usual.

Leeta and Ishka were fast approaching from behind with Topl'rintia. He heard Bashir lurking somewhere back there too, though he did not catch sight of him before Rom drew his attention back.

"We need to talk," said Rom.

"What did I do now?" Quark asked, trying to tease, but Rom was not at all amused.

"Nothing, at the moment," said Ishka even less amused. "But the Grand Nagus wants to have a meeting with us."

"In private!" Rom insisted.

#

The curved armchairs and the view of the rainy city was all to make everyone more comfortable. The replicator had some brew of earthy old-fashioned Ferengi mother's tea too just to try to add to it, but everyone's mug was left to grow cold and the steam to vanish long before anyone brought more than one sip to their lips. The agitation was highly contagious and might have started a pandemic had there been anyone else in the room. Quark was drumming his fingers on the arm of his deeply-set seat as Rom took his place next to him earnestly and as jumpy as a spring-bean bug crossing the water and trying not to get eaten by a fish or a frog before reaching the other side. Leeta had been chewing her lip ravenously all the way here so that the bite marks left an imprint in her lipstick as she sat down too. Ishka was boring holes like laser-shots wherever her vision lingered too long. Even Topl'rintia sounded rather anxious despite his composed façade. The only one not tense was Bashir; though he more than made up for it by an overall droopiness about him inside and out like a sun-baked shrub.

"First!" said Rom, sounding important. "I want to know if we've made contact with Krax."

Quark made a face. "We're working on that. We've got a hold of Meegs, apparently, but the investigator says that we may have a lead on someone else sneaking around last night in an unauthorized area in the sublevels of the Tower. No one can identify him, but it was apparently a Ferengi."

"That figures," said Rom unhappily.

Quark ignored him.

"What was it that you wanted to speak about, though, Rom?" Ishka pressed.

"Well!" said Rom shuffling uneasily as though the cushion beneath him was filled with rocks instead of plush, "I'm not going to be able to be Nagus for a while, according to my doctor's orders. I'm… uh, going to have to stay at the Nagal Residence until we find a permanent cure for me."

"Oh," said Quark not withholding his disappointment. "No clue yet at all as to what actually happened to you?"

He made a quick glance at Bashir. Bashir looked steadily back as answer, and Quark sighed heavily.

"But you seem alright now…" Quark pressed.

"It's only temporary," reiterated Bashir as he explained in full detail the process that had Rom up for the time being. "We do have some working theories, though, but as for the situation at hand, I do think that not keeping the Nagus up to date at the Residence will do more harm than good to his nerves, so while he's there you two should probably stay in contact."

"But I won't be able to relax there at all," said Rom gloomily. "You sure there's no word from Krax?"

"Look, I can check," said Quark rolling his eyes, "but they'd let us all know. They only thing I've got news about is Starfleet nagging me about looking into secret files and pushing their way into this investigation, and I've hardly had time to deal with the Aploos'. Then on top of that there's people asking me about how to deal with Arka so close to this… interference, we'll call it, and I'm thinking that: yes, we're going to expose what happened, but reacting to an interference with an interference will cause more harm than good according to my diagnosis as First Clerk—"

Rom glowered. "You mean interrupting the profit-flow of the biggest sale of the year?"

"Yes?" shrugged Quark eyeing his brother with care.

"In this particular case, Rom," said Ishka gravely, "I think your brother is right. Stopping the course of events will only make more chaos for a criminal to work with and not help us find him… or her, and besides that, yes, halting this important Arka profit-flow would be a detriment to the businesses of the whole Alliance."

Quark nodded suspiciously.

"They don't call it the wash-rains for nothing," said Ishka. "It's a renewal more important than spring."

"For profit!" snapped Rom.

"Yes, for profit," said Ishka and Quark so almost in unison and perfectly matched in tone that Quark felt a slight chill.

He cleared his throat as Ishka looked back at him as though she felt the same, and Leeta tensed more than ever. Bashir was joining her, but they were both looking at Rom who was looking from Ishka to Quark and back again rather unstably.

"Sorry I brought it up…" Quark muttered.

"Arka Days," said Rom. "When so many people work overtime instead of being with their families."

"They're paid overtime," Quark could not help but say, but his annoyed tone was more because he knew that even mothers were working overtime leaving children at home to wait all day for their parents since they didn't have school on that day and they weren't allowed to help their parents' at work anymore, but he did not dare bring that up in front of Ishka.

Maybe it would be fairer if they all went home, but of course they were all split up instead, which was so true to the New Course way of making individuals separate gears from their family whole to free them from family tyranny.

Ishka glared at him as though she could read his mind anyway.

"This can't be what you wanted to talk to Quark about," Leeta reminded Rom, trying to calm him down now grabbing his hand.

"But the whole planet is falling apart and everyone just cares about money," Rom complained.

"Don't exaggerate," muttered Ishka. "The whole planet is not falling apart just because of this one thing, and money is how one makes a living."

"If we just joined the Federation we'd get help!"

"Rom," said Leeta.

"It's not like I don't want what's best, but I don't understand," said Rom.

"Understand what?" demanded Quark; then he sighed. "Look, you're sick. You're tired. You're scared. Maybe you should just go to the Nagal Residence now, right Doctor?"

"Ferengi are so stubborn," said Rom.

"Well, then good thing you are one," remarked Quark back with a sniff. "You fit right in, and if I had a sliver for every time you—"

"Ferengi turn everything into profit."

"Rom," said Leeta again sterner this time, and she looked anxiously from Quark to Ishka as her insides fluttered.

"They're so loud and obnoxious!"

"Rom!" Ishka squawked.

"They're such liars that they lie to themselves about what kindness and freedom are, wanting to fight over the smallest sliver like rats over garbage! Betting over death!"

"Rom," said Bashir darkly.

"We worship the stuff like it's our own blood. Why? Cuz it's the same color!"

"Are you infected or what?" groaned Quark.

"According to you, I've been infected since I stopped being a stooge!"

"Rom, that's not fair," said Leeta. "We made up about that."

Rom stood up as though he had not heard her in the least. "I hate—I hate being a backwards, insufferable, under-evolved— Oh!" He stomped his foot angrily. "FERENGI!"

Silence— except for Rom's boisterous huffing and puffing like a steam-powered engine overheating.

Bashir put his hand over his face with a sigh. Quark himself did not move a muscle, save in shifting eyes as he stared at Bashir for a few seconds and back at his brother.

So the truth comes out, doesn't it? That was what Quark would have said with the greatest disgust and sarcasm back in the old days. A year ago and anytime before that Quark would not have been able to stop his tongue, but there was nothing to say now. It would not have helped then anymore than it would now, only now Quark considered himself wise enough to admit it. He just stared at Rom with dark knowing just as his mother stared in hurt disgust.

One did not have to look at Leeta to know that she had been expecting this, though. This was no out of the blue comment or something only brought on from illness. It was not a physical illness at all but an illness of the heart, and Quark, as soon as Leeta woke from her spell and embraced her husband, could only close his eyes with a sigh through his nose and turn his head away as he leaned back in his chair in dry defeat. Leeta meanwhile went on imploring.

A rumble of distant thunder from outside added to the effect and certainly displayed the rumbling of Quark's own heart that he held back like Toby the Targ on a bad day on Q'onoS they didn't write to the kids about. Too bad someone else was already digging up a pile of dirt to burry himself in.

"Rom," said Ishka quietly breaking through Leeta in-vain pleading with the stubborn Ferengi.

"I'm sorry, Moogee," said Rom now wringing his hands.

"Yes, I see that you are," said Ishka. "And that's the problem. I know you're not well, and I know things have been troubling you as Grand Nagus too. Leeta's already told me."

No thanks to you making him Grand Nagus in the first place so that you could manipulate him to your will instead of taking the position yourself. Quark might have stopped himself from that in the old days just as much as the new days, and even now he regretted thinking it, but he was tired, and scared and feeling a little sick himself at this point.

He almost reached for his cold mother's tea, but he simply swung his hand back on his wrist and dropped his chin into his hand instead. What he really wanted now was a stiff drink. Something real and intoxicating… Why not root beer? He chuckled to himself.

"I don't see what's so funny," said Ishka.

Aside from a shake of his head, Quark didn't answer, but even had he wanted to, he would have had to have been quick as Rom went on pretty quickly.

"Everyone's being so barbaric and so— oh, upset about everything. Even people who understand what we were trying to do and are on our side are being so mean about it. Maybe I'm impatient, but the people of Earth all work together so harmoniously and—"

"What?" broke in Quark now, shaking his head more firmly this time, and he stood up from his chair too.

"Quark, don't—!" Ishka warned dangerously, but Quark didn't listen to her.

"Seriously, Rom," Quark said. "You think that if someone went to Earth right now and changed their whole system upside down even if it was for their own good that everyone would just be happy with it?"

"Oh! We don't have time for this," growled Ishka.

Rubbing his wrists Rom said, "Well…no, but… that's not really what I meant, I just—"

"Then what did you mean? I'm sure that everyone down the hall from here would love to hear some more about how the Grand Nagus feels about his own—"

"Quark!" snapped Bashir, the last one on his feet now.

Without warning, he pulled Quark back by the shoulder.

Quark stumbled a little, but made no real fight about it as he steadied himself and straightened his coat.

"And stay quiet," huffed Ishka crossing her arms staunchly.

"See!" whined Rom. "Even my own family can't get along for five minutes without—"

"How about you see me in my office for a moment," said Bashir, "I'll give you my professional diagnosis."

"But Dr. Bashir, I didn't mean it like that, okay?" said Rom. "I'm just frustrated and—and—"

"No, I think he's right," said Leeta. "We're not going to get anywhere bombarding you like this. If Julian has something to say to you, we should let him."

Rocking his head from side to side, Rom sighed, "Okay."

Quark rolled his eyes again. He took over for Leeta, taking his mother's hand gently.

"Moogee…" he said.

"Oh!" huffed Ishka, but she allowed herself regally to be led out.

Once in the corridor however, she pulled her hand roughly away, yet as she looked up at Quark there was a sorrow he had not seen in them for a very long time. Her dark brown eyes as deep with it as a pair of harrowing pools with the power she did everything. Even her own cardiac replacement was acting as living flesh within her chest with it in a way that Quark had never heard or least not that he had paid attention to before.

"Moogee?" he asked.

"You have a job to do, Quark," she said very gently, but even her gentleness was the power of a great unrelenting ocean wave crashing over the side of the ship of the river of life. "You're tired too, and you have enough on your plate."

She took up his hand again and patted it in her important way as though he was still only a little boy.

She wasn't okay.

Quark wasn't sure if it was what Rom had said or if it had only brought something else to the surface. It was strange that out of all the people Quark knew, he felt that his mother at times was one of the most difficult people to read out of anyone in the universe.

He nodded gravely. "Okay."

She felt his concern, and he conveyed this knowledge silently back, but they parted without another word.

As he turned away he heard his mother now speaking to Leeta almost as if speaking with a daughter, though it was only to tell her that she had important duties at the moment too.

Despite himself, Quark felt a suspicion that she was up to something. He thought about interfering even as he walked on without looking back. Whatever she planned it was not as if there was anything he could do about it, though. Interfering would only make her resolve stronger. He sighed and shook his head, picking up the pace away and trying not to think about it.