JMJ

Chapter Twenty-Three

Valley of Fear

"Thank you for having me, Ilgaina. Gladly, I admit defeat," Brunt said. "There is no profit to be gained in fighting for a lost cause. Besides, a true collaborative effort between Ferengi and Keeoopii will ensure the best technology against the known universe for both traditional profit and the eminence and equality desired by the New Coursers."

"Even if you should try to betray us with what you hear in this room, you will not be able to," said Ilgaina bluntly.

"'Listen to secrets, but never repeat them,'" an old Ferengi could not help but utter.

"Rules of Acquisition Number 135," remarked another.

"I understand completely," said Brunt, his face more teeth than anything.

"But the only ones who truly won't be happy are the Hidden Profiters," said another.

The other Ferengi, or Keeoopii, were still speaking quietly to one another. There was even a game of Tongo going on.

Pel went to see if she could join in, so that she did not look conspicuous. As a Ferengi it would not matter where she was in the room to hear the conversation between Brunt and his companion.

Traymak followed Pel, but just before they reached the table, the woman with the yellow and white jeweled earlaces, did not continue the conversation with Brunt but turned suddenly and addressed the congregation.

"Brunt is now going to begin our hand," she declared.

Brunt bowed like a true worm who understood both ends of the relationship between master and minion.

Even though he was being controlled by a Keeoopii, Pel felt nothing but revulsion for him. She may have never spoke with him in person, but she knew full well about him, and now she disliked him even more to see him in-person. She did not even feel pity for him for his predicament. In fact, she very well felt he deserved to be enslaved in such a manner and probably chose it of his own free will, anyway. If anyone was capable of being a Ferengi traitor it was Brunt. It was not from idly lips that she had heard how he had tried to take over the Alliance once and he had even tricked an emotionally distraught Quark to do it. Not that Quark had been justified in his part of the situation purposely breaking up Zek and Ishka when he knew nothing about the matter, but it proved that Brunt had already been a Keeoopii at heart, drawn to weakness and emotional disturbances like a krokatwa after blood. He cared for no Cause and respected no person wither authority or the wisdom of a sage, and nothing was beneath him.

However, she knew she could not blame this betrayal on him entirely. She felt him not quite conniving enough for that anyway, but it was obvious by his position that this situation had nothing to do with him. He was more like an exterminator who had been brought in to get rid of infestation of water hornets.

"Yes," said Brunt easily taking center stage. "Thank you."

He exchanged glances with Pel briefly, and she realized how darkly she had been glaring at him. Quickly she shook her head away.

"I, ahem!" Brunt cleared his throat and brushed his coattails aside neatly. "I normally don't like turning anyone into a martyr. It seems in my experience to make things turn against you in the end, but making oneself into a martyr is the worst thing a person can do for him or herself if one does not take the extra precautions, which I understand was the last mistake of Gloobram, who is the catalyst of the… er, situation with our scapegoat, as I understand it."

"But the First Clerk has left."

"He's better off gone than here," chided Brunt. "By the time he returns I'm sure the state of the planet will be enough to even deny his craft entry, and it will be better for him to watch from afar than be killed below before everything's even begun."

"Martyrdom may be dangerous, but in the experiences of the Keeoopii," sniffed the woman, "vengeance is even more so."

"Some may argue there is not even a difference," said a Clarusian; his nametag professed him as Pr. Soochisp of Benthicwise University, which was considered by some the greatest institution for the intelligentsia of the Alliance beneath in the deepest undercurrents of Shosls Ocean on Clarus.

"I'm sure you recall, unless you've yet adhered to the now changed law about a female not being allowed to recite the Rules of Acquisition, how the Ferengi feel about vengeance," said Brunt groveling all the more.

"All females know the Rules of Acquisition, Brunt," said Ilgaina with fluttering eyelids as she straightened her form; her ears were as large as Brunt's so tiny for a male's. "Otherwise how are we expected to teach sons like you to know them enough to break them?"

There was a round of unpleasant laughter hollowly through the room. It almost would have been an amusing joke if he had not been said with such coldness.

But is this an easing of the Keeoopii's hosts? Though Pel. Or the Keeoopii further mocking their slaves?

Pel felt ill.

She forced herself not to look at Traymak. Though she had heard him laugh right on cue with the others, she could not tell the state of it. Then she shivered as she realized that she had been the only one not to laugh aside from the grinning skull of Brunt himself. At least his full attention was still on Ilgaina. Through his false joviality it looked like he wanted to strangle her or kiss her… or both, and there was nothing good-humored about the sentiment. He sounded even grosser, though she quickly stopped herself from listening to him too hard. It was a tight and sickening crunching going on inside him that told her there was indeed a conflict and it certainly was host against master.

But quickly Pel thought of something else.

Gloobram. That was the name of Sharlezeed's brother.

"Enrage the peasants against the former sub-nagus of the Highlands," shrugged Brunt. "No one is easier to rile than the people of Lagoran, and who will be blamed? Well, the Hidden Profiters, of course. Gloobram is a Hidden Profiter sympathizer, after all, despite his petty qualms again Poolsha'Bai at the moment. Quark giving him profits against Poolsha'Bai for their 'cause', is reason enough to throw everyone against them all. It's all quite the simple and brilliant scheme, if you don't mind my saying, and the First Clerk being in on it makes it so much the better. Make an enemy that the people can agree upon and who better than the foe of the Old Coursers and the New Courses. The Hidden Profiters believe they are on a separate current from the rest of the universe. Those who find themselves above their fellows as they bow before their maker. 'Never trust a god-fearing people.' It may not be a Rule of Acquisition, but the truth of the Clarusian maxim is never more prevalent than now."

"Well said," said the Clarusian Pr. Soochisp.

"And if it comes to civil war, again, it will be blamed the more on those Hidden Profiters, who could not stay hidden when the invitation was sweet enough," said Brunt. "They should have stayed hidden if they'd known what was good for them. We allowed them to rummage at our feet with their 'hidden profit' for thousands of years, and do they feel grateful to the system that protected them? No, they feel grateful to their maker."

"So it was all along not the plans of the First Clerk to uncover them?" asked another non-Ferengi.

"The Keldar family is easy to manipulate," shrugged Brunt, "and Quark, especially, is as trusting as a baby."

"No, it has nothing to do with the Keldars," said Ilgaina, and she sneered directly at Pel.

Pel jumped despite herself, and then sneered quickly as vilely as she could back as her mind raced quickly to understand.

"Yes," said Pel firmly. "It was my idea."

"Your idea?" sniffed Traymak.

"I proposed it to the Hidden Profiters," said Pel; even as she spoke it, she tried to think how the idea could have been imparted to her from these people; or had they simply siphoned her idea rather than made it up? "It was my idea to go before the Grand Nagus to speak of the Hidden Profiters as a means of balance between the old and the new with something we already had that possessed the qualities that would help Ferenginar earn its place among the stars."

"And so it has," remarked Ilgaina listening intently to Pel.

Pel forced herself not to squirm.

"So you were one of the merged all along?" asked Brunt also studying her with care.

"Not then, Brunt," said Pel not withholding how she spat his name, "but the influence of the Keeoopii is stronger than simply merging with other minds physically. The Keeoopii technological advancements are a wonder of the universe the likes of which will surely take on the Borg in time."

Brunt gave a gracious but insincere bow with wrists held together in respect.

"And you still insist upon using the traditions of the Old Course when you are a supporter of the new?" asked Pel innocently cocking her head.

Again there was a round of laughter.

Hollow.

Horrid.

Like the laughter of the undead.

It could not altogether be considered a sound of delight. It was guttural and cold and dry and made her cringe as much as the scraping of a dry branch against the walls of a Pelipan home in the dry season in the middle of the night, but even still she smiled darkly at Brunt, and Brunt smiled darkly back.

"Shall I throw my hands above my head in honor of the almighty goddess Pel who not only brought the Hidden Profiters to light but invited the reputation of the Pelipans down with them?" demanded Brunt still smiling.

Really, Pel was beginning to not like the attention drawn to her. She could not help the feeling that Brunt was testing her. Though, she did not see how making him perform an action that was seen as degradingly rude on Ferenginar as throwing one's hands above one's head like a lunatic would proven anything. He seemed more fixated on her than Ilgaina was, but then she supposed she might have been the one who started it glaring at him as she had been doing. She had better finish it then if she could take on his goading as any challenge put in front of her.

"I say that all should do so under the necessary merge of the Keeoo-rengi," she said standing boldly and confidently looking directly into those beady little eyes of Brunt's, harboring a soul that reflected all irony, despair, and sardonyx.

The squeeze of his sneering glee wrung through his body more painfully than fear or anger. It frightened Pel, she was not afraid to admit, but he obeyed her implicitly waving his hands above his head without holding back— with no dignity whatsoever— as he bowed before her in false homage at the same time.

Pel remained unmoved with a blank Ferengi stare, nothing more; though, she supposed her sound displayed her disgust.

"This is no way to encourage unity between Ferengi and Keeoopii," remarked the old Ferengi calmly with hands folded gently over his paunch where he was seated leisurely in a chair.

His chin was sharp and his lazy eyes indicated his sharply keen ears were ever-listening.

Pel bowed slightly in consent, and Brunt withdrew snidely before returning to an upright position with arms thrust behind his back.

"Begin your unveiling, then, Brunt, and we will back you more than your little information fibbers you're currently in the employ of," the old Ferengi said. "We'll ensure your position."

"I'm well aware of what you will and will not ensure," said Brunt.

At last Pel decided what she felt most radiating from this sinister crew. Cowardliness. She had already learned that Keeoopii were cowardly, and although some argued that Ferengi were also cowards, she knew from experience rather than bias that Ferengi rarely were as cowardly as they appeared even if cautious. These Keeoopii certainly chose their subjects well, however, as she felt sure most people in the universe saw Ferengi as they were behaving and sounding to her right now. These were the traitorous negative stereotypes of her people: loathsome, spineless gree-worms sniveling in the shadows for dark purposes and to rile the universe for some unforeseen profit, instead of hard workers who usually minded their own business quite well and preferred it that way as Pel had always known the true members of her race to be. Ferengi were, more often interested only in their own matters far more than people gave them credit, willing to fight for that right as well as she, but if the first Keeoopii plot had not been revealed, the outsiders however would not see much difference for a long time, however aside from the Keeoopii's tendency towards biting with Ferengi teeth.

"How Starfleet fits into this is not what I entirely understand and what they will and will not ensure," said Brunt.

"That is not for us to know. We all work together for the same purpose, but some things still are only offered on a need-to-know basis for security reasons," Ilgaina explained.

"Even you?" asked Brunt.

Ilgaina smiled graciously again. "I am of no higher position than you are. We are equal. We are one and the same."

"Except for those that are above equality," Brunt remarked.

Ilgaina's graciously grew colder still, but as Pel looked at her she could hear the rattling anger writhing within like a poisoned snake on Pelipa.

Brunt's sneer faded, and his cowardliness truly showed in his eyes and in his quivering chest. There was conflict again. Pel was not sure if it was his own or a conflict with his controller. She was certain enough, however that the controller had not meant for Brunt to say what he had, and that that dry comment had been Brunt's alone.

Ilgaina said nothing to him. Nor did anyone else until Traymak said in almost a hiss, "All is for the necessity of the whole."

"Isn't that just the way of the future," said Brunt trying to smooth the conversation.

This was why Traymak had brought her, though wasn't it? To witness the initiation of Brunt? Not because of Brunt, of course, but because Traymak knew that Brunt was new and important, and so things would be said. Pel however, could not help but feel as though she was overstaying her welcome, and she hoped they would all be allowed to leave soon. Besides, another part of her felt that there was something of a show going on. Whether it was for Pel or Brunt or someone else, she was not sure, but something was definitely staged about all this. It made her feel even more trapped. Was it too much to hope that the stage manager was still Traymak and only Traymak and that Traymak was on her side?

"And the future's now," shrugged Ilgaina. "Brunt, begin it. The city is weakened by the loss of pyrocyte and the confusion of the continued political conflicts, which I thank everyone here for encouraging… so…"

"It's very easy to make new ideas fight the old," remarked the old Ferengi. "You and I both know that so well, don't we Brunt."

"As a fellow ex-liquidator, my better half tells me…" said Brunt, "But I see that you're dismissing me."

Brunt withdrew after one last groveling bow, and someone opened the door to the steps. Pel could not help but feel that there was one last look meant for her.

But everyone was now allowed to leave. She was not sure if she was going to get a chance to speak with Traymak, but she knew it would not be now. Quickly and smoothly she took to the steps, passed Brunt coolly by, and made casually for the causeways beyond.

Only now did she begin to tremble.

The whole thing had not been right. Everything about it had been staged. It had to have been. She felt inside her pockets. She even checked inside her boots. She went to an extrication station and checked herself from head to foot with her own scanners. She was clean of parasites and bugs as far as she knew, but she could not relax entirely.

#

"I'll take care of her," said Traymak to Ilgaina. "It should be done quickly. Brunt was making her suspicious."

Ilgaina glanced at Traymak darkly a moment, but even before she turned to Brunt turning from the steps he had been in no hurry to climb, he regained his groveling stance as he rushed back down towards them. He made a sweeping bow and interrupted.

"Then allow me to remedy this and deal with her myself," said Brunt.

Both Ilgaina and Traymak glared at Brunt. Some of the others who had not yet left either watched with care and anticipation, but Brunt stared at Traymak with deep anticipation.

"I'll go with," said Pr. Soochisp.

"Traymak will be able to come to her easier than any of you," Ilgaina retorted.

"Who said I was going to give her a chance to worry?" asked Brunt.

Traymak stiffened.

"My friend Voil here can vouch for that," Brunt added without noticing.

"Retired liquidator," sniffed Voil, the old Ferengi still sitting in his chair and idly taking some beetle-snuff.

"I have experience in such things, and I beg to be given the chance to redeem myself for my folly," said Brunt. "I did not heed my… better half well enough."

"Then you should learn to let go and allow the merge to quell any disturbances," said Ilgaina calmly.

"Do I have your leave then?" asked Brunt.

Ilgaina paused and looked disgruntled at Traymak.

"You have the leave of us all," snorted Voil.

The others left in the room solemnly agreed.

"We could go together, just in case," pressed Brunt. "And our Clarusian companion. Pel isn't trustworthy. I believe she would rather die than be part of a complete and compassionate blending of our peoples which will only dispel disputes which hurt the Alliance."

"Softly spoken," said Ilgaina.

"And genuinely spoken. I don't have the habit of keeping on good terms with Nausicaans for nothing," said Brunt, "and they won't need a reason to break into a hotel room and deliver the goods told to them. For the right price they'll do anything without question more than a Ferengi, especially when it's violent. The only thing that will make the price steeper is if they don't get to wreck anything, but then no one will be able to point the finger at us."

"If she cannot be merged, she deserves nothing less than the Dance," said Ilgaina, "for getting so close."

"True, being killed by Nausicaans will not leave us with the knowledge of what she may have told others already about what she's discovered before running into Traymak or even as we speak," agreed the Clarusian professor.

"I've already taken care of that," said Brunt dangerously. "My friends are upstairs in the lounge waiting for my command."

"You prepared for this already without the knowledge of the whole?" asked Voil.

"As soon as I heard about this Pel situation," said Brunt, "I had a feeling that it wasn't going to end well with merging."

He was looking at Traymak, who flinched just a little on the inside no matter how placidly he returned the look outwardly.

"Did you really want the pleasure of doing it yourself?" mocked Brunt. "Or is there some sense of sympathy I hear? Not good business for either someone so highly regarded in the marauder circles nor for a Keeoopii. Is your baser self having second thoughts too? That was the mistake last year, wasn't it?"

Traymak stepped towards him, although no taller than Brunt, his presence was far more commanding, far more seasoned, and far more dangerous. Involuntarily Brunt stepped back.

"Are you going to prove more of a nuisance than what's useful to us?" asked Traymak. "You may think you're experienced, Brunt, but your merger knows full well who and what I am, and how badly I can make things for you should your meddling with the plan you just so recently praised. A wild card in a crew is never a good thing in my experience as a DaiMon or as dealing out marauders in the name of the Nagus and this wisdom is fully endorsed by my better half as well as the whole."

"Let him be," said Ilgaina.

Traymak withdrew his power from over the sniveling worm that was Brunt, and he sneered; Brunt merely sneered back, though not nearly as robustly.

"He's right. She would not be trustworthy," said Voil. "In this case, his thinking ahead will save us trouble. She must be gotten out of the way, and she is a friend of the Human doctor's. It will be as much a warning to him as anything else, not to delude too many Ferengi to his side."

"And you, Traymak," added Ilgaina, "should clean up the mess when they're done with her."

Traymak nodded professionally.