Klingons. He had little hope that their reluctant partners would contribute
anything meaningful to the research, and he suspected that they might
become hostile and obstructive if they thought the humans were about to
make a major discovery. He decided to warn the security guards to maintain
their vigilance, and not to be lulled by the peace and serenity of this
world. Rising, he moved off to talk with the three men.
Uhura fltted the receiver onto the large stationary tricorder that would
keep a constant record of seismic and climatic conditions, and reached for
the sonic connector. Her hand groped futilely across the packing box, and
she realized the tool must have rolled into the sand while she worked.
Muttering a bit beneath her breath she began to paw through the sand while
still trying to keep a grip on the receiver.
There was a sudden and insistent pressure against her left thigh. Startled,
she jerked around to look over her shoulder.
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The Tears of the Singers
The receiver tumbled to the ground, and she found herself eye to eye with
one of the 1hygetian youngsters. The connector was delicately gripped in its
mouth. The picture presented was a fairly ludicrous one! the small,
screwdriverlike tool protruding from the cub's smiling mouth, the proud and
eager expression in its blue eyes. Uhura chuckled, and sank back on her
heels in the sand.
"Why, thank you," she said cordially, removing the connector from the
creature's mouth. "Are you trying to help?. "
The Thygetian hummed and tweeted, its little, roundskulled head bobbing
with enthusiasm.
"You probably have no more idea of what I'm saying than I have about your
remarks. I hope we can change that soon."
The cub chirped, then nosed the tricorder.
"Curious about this thing, are you? Well, this is a tricorder," Uhura
explained as she recovered the receiver, and attached it to the body of the
device. "It's a much larger one than we usually use, but it also has a much
greater range. It's going to constantly monitor the environmental
conditions of your world so we can get a better idea of how you developed.
Now, what do you think of that?"
The cub seemed uninterested in the evolutionary implications of its own
development, but very interested in the phaser which rested on Uhura's hip.
The creature reached out with its mobile mouth and tried to slip the weapon
from her belt.
"Hey, none of that now. You could get hurt playing with this." She shook
the phaser under the cub's nose admonishingly.
The Thygetian responded with a long burst of agitated song, and began
flopping happily around the woman. Uhura was forcibly reminded of her
little sisters, and how they had often tried to entice her into a game of
tag on the grass in front of their parents' home.
Laughing, she tapped the Thygetian on the head. Its fur was exceptionally
soft and silky beneath her fingers, Then, bound-
The Tears of the Singers
ing up, she began to back hastily away from the creature. The Thygetian
seemed to grasp the rules of the game almost immediately for it followed
after Uhura, and managed to whirl about and lay part of its back flippers
across her boot with a resounding thwack. It then raced away with Uhura
pursuing. IMey continued the game for several more minutes, then the
Thygetian plunged into the ocean, and lay floating on its back while gazing
impudently at Uhura, who stood balked on the shore.
"If I weren't in uniform, and if that water weren't arctic in temperature,
I'd come in after you," she called, shaking her fist at the singer who
reposed among the whitecaps. She shook her head, gave a laugh and started
back toward camp. It was decidedly warmer than when they had arrived, and
Uhura opened her parka, allowing the breeze to cool her. Suddenly her
friend was back, flopping along at her side with the water sheeting from
its silver white pelt.
Hours later the singer was still with her, pressed up against her leg as
she tuned Spock's lyrette.
"I'm going to get jealous if your little buddy doesn't make room for me,"
Guy called. He was smiling, but there was a hint of grayness in his face,
and he moved slowly and stiffly. She forced back her immediate impulse to
ask if he were all right, knowing it would only aggravate him.
"You don't have to worry, he's just, a baby."
"He, is it? Earlier he was an it. "
She stroked along the Thygetian's spine, causing him to shiver with
pleasure. "He gives off a very de finite male feeling."
"How so?" Maslin asked, dropping to the ground on the other side of her
stool.
"Because he's spoiled and demanding, of course," she teased, ruffling his
black hair.
"Ah lass, now how can you be so hard on the entire sex just because of this
one bad example?" Scotty called, pointing at Maslin as he entered the
circle formed by their shelters. He
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The Tears of the Singers
grinned at Maslin, who glared at him in mock anger. "What ye need is a
little time with a fine and gentle man who'll treat you with respect."
"Why, Mr. Scott," Uhura crooned. "I never knew you were interesfid."
"And I never knew if you'd spare me a glance2,
"She won't," Guy interjected. "She prefers a man who can speak Basic
without hoking it up with an outdated ethnic accent. 11
"Hoo hoo," Uhura murmured, glancing from one man to the other. "Things are
getting rough now."
Maslin grinned up at Scott, whose twinkling eyes belied the frown that
creased his forehead. "AD right, you Ssasenach, I'll concede this round to
you, but I wam you, I won't forget."
"I'm sure of that. You people have the most amazing capacity for nursing a
grudge. You've been stealing that damn coronation stone for the past six
hundred years."
Scotty gave a modest little cough, and clasped his hands behind his back.
"Aye, and the last time was a mere twenty-eight years ago."
"And you were in on it too," Uhura said with a laugh. "Scotty, I'm ashamed
of you."
"It was for the honor of Scotland, lass."
"I wasn't aware that the Scots had any," Maslin said sotto voce.
"I heard that."
"Now don't get started again," Uhura said at the same moment.
The rest of the landing party began trickling into camp. They were treated
to the same spectacular sunset that had painted the sky and struck
prismatic colors from the cliffs the day before. Chou and Donovan prepared
the evening meal while the remainder of the party sat chatting around a
campfire. Spock sat somewhat removed from the humans, dictating into a
recorder. The fire was really unnecessary. The 101
The Tears of the Singers
party was well supplied with thermal lanterns and a food processor, but it
added to the sense of warmth and closeness to have the fire flickering in
the center of the camp. Spock had raised an eyebrow at the illogic of this
form of heat generation, but he had not demurred when several of the landing
party had taken an hour from their
duties to gather driftwood. He had
learned, after repeated and sometimes not very successful attempts, not to
try and impose his rigid notions of duty and logic on the humans.
After dinner the group sat in a drowsy 'circle staring somnolently at the
leaping flames. Maslin lay with his head pillowed in Uhura's lap, and her
slender fingers ruffled through his hair, straighteming and smoothing the
dark strands. The young Singer, with a fine show of fickleness, had
transferred his affections to Guy, and now lay draped across the composer's
legs.
Guy opened one eye and, reaching up, captured Uhura's hand and brought it
gently to his lips. She smiled down at him and, bending forward, pressed a
quick kiss onto his forehead. Aboard ship such an open display of emotion
would have been unthinkable, but here on the surface of this silver-lit
world Uhura felt less inhibited. The other members of the landing party had
tacitly accepted the deepening relationship between her and the composer,
and she felt less shy about displaying the affection she felt for this
small, intense man.
Spock, who had reclaimed his lyrette from Uhura, struck a soft chord that
hung vibrating in the air. His long fingers played over the strings, and
Uhura lifted her head, recognizing the introduction to "Beyond Antares,"
the song she had written in a moment of loneliness.
Her voice rose, warm and rich in the darkness, and the other people about
the fire stirred and stretched, listening appreciatively.
Spock, with the sensitivity of a natural telepath, became increasingly
certain that they were under observation. His fingers continued to move
smoothly and swiftly across the 102
The Tears of the Sinsers
strings, but he raised his head, and peered intently out into the darkness.
His Vulcan sight enabled him to discern the shadowy figure hovering
hesitantly near an outthrust spur of Cliff.
Keeping his voice low he said, "Mr. Ragsdale, there is an intruder about
thirty yards to our right near the base of the cliff. Maintain a casual
attitude, but please apprehend the individual. "
"Yes, sir. " The heavyset security guard rose, stretched and headed toward
one of the shelters, yawning as he went.
Uhura had her back to the intruder so she couldn't turn and look. She felt
as if a target had been drawn in the middle of her back, and her shoulders
tensed as she sat waiting for the bum of a disruptor. She wondered why the
Klingons would send only one person or if there were more lurking in the
rocks. As Ragsdale vanished into the darkness she suddenly realized who had
to be standing and watching the camp.
"Mr. Spock," she said quietly. "I think it may be the young Klingon woman.
When Guy and I discovered her yesterday we invited her to come to our camp.
If she becomes frightened it could upset our truce with the Klingons."
Spock glanced in the direction where Ragsdale had disappeared. "I rather
fear that it is too late to recall Mr. Ragsdale. We shall have to wait upon
developments," he concluded with a wry twist to his mouth.
"I have a better idea," Guy said, pushing himself to a sitting position.
"Why don't we just ask her to join us before your gorilla has a chance to
jump on her?"
Uhura cocked an eyebrow at Spock. "It is logical."
Spock looked faintly miffed, perhaps that Mashn had found the simpler
solution, but he nodded. "Very well, can to her, Lieutenant. She is at
least acquainted with you."
Uhura rose, and looked in the direction of Spock's gaze. She could see
nothing in the darkness, but if the Vulcan said there was a person standing
in the shadows of the cliff it was certain there was someone there."
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"Kali?" she called. "Why don't you come and join us?"
Fbr several moments there was no response, then Uhum became aware of the
Klingon as she seemed to coalesce like a figure conjured from wizard's
smoke.
Kali moved cautiously into the fire's light. She knew she was probably
exceeding Kor's instructions, but she had to confess that she was curious
about the humans.
They were all staring at her now, their faces white and blank in the
darkness. All but Uhura, whose skin was even darker than a Klingon's. They
seemed strange and alien in the cold darkness of this new world, and all
the stories she had heard of human cruelty and treachery came back to haunt
her. Her fingers twitched spasmodically near the buff of her disruptor. if
any of the humans had moved she would have used it, but they sat quietly at
their ease as she approached. She resented their relaxation, for it pointed
up her own tension.
But why shouldn't they be relaxed, she thought resentfully. I am on their
territory, and I am one against many.
As she stepped fully into the firelight her eyes flicked quickly about the
circle of humans. Everyone except their captain, and a security guard, were
present. She had assumed Kirk would return to his ship. She wondered at the
guard's absence.
A tall, slim man with dark hair and gentle blue eyes leaned forward, and
lifted a pot from the edge of the fire. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"
He wore the badge of security. His companion, a heavyset blond, frowned at
his friend's cordiality.
So, Kali thought, perhaps they are not all so certain about worlang with
the hatefid Klingons.
"That is a human beverage?"
"Yes," the Vulcan replied. "The humans find it pleasant, but it contains
large amounts of caffeine which I find objectionable. We Vulcans have no
need of such artificial stimulants."
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The Tears of the Singers
"So that's why they're such a lot of cold fish," Scotty said, as he delved
about in his pack, and withdrew a small flask. "I myself like a bit of
stimulant in my stimulant," he added as he deepened his burr, and splashed
a liberal dollop of an amber liquid into his cup of coffee.
Puzzled, Kali glanced from one man to the other. Uhura rose, and touched
her lightly on the elbow, indicating a vacant stool.
"I don't blame you for being confused. You're listening to another
installment of a long and ongoing battle about human versus Vulcan customs.
It's usually our ship's doctor who carries the standard for humanity, but
in his absence Mr. Scott is standing in. Please, won't you sit down?"
Kali settled gingerly onto the stool. The dark-haired guard handed her a
cup of coffee. She sniffed at it suspiciously, took a sip, then nodded.
"It's good."
"There, you see, Mr. Spock, another race with some taste and sense," Scotty
chortled.
Ragsdale came looming up out of the darkness, shaking his head like a
frustrated St. Bernard. "I searched an over those rocks, Mr. Spock," he
called as he lumbered into the circle of light, "and I couldn't find a
thing."
"'Me intruder has in fact been located," Spock said.
"And is in fact a guest," Maslin added quickly, and Kali relaxed back onto
her stool. Apparently the humans were not contemplating impri
soning her.
She took another sip of the coffee to cover her nervousness. All
conversation had ceased, and the Earthers stared uneasily into the fire or
off into the night sky. Their obvious ne rvousness helped banish hers, and
she turned to Uhura.
"I heard you singing. It was very nice."
"Thank you. It's something I enjoy doing."
61wiff you do it again?"
"Yes, if you would like."
"Let me get my violin, and we'll give the lady a real taste of human
music," Guy said, and pelted off toward his tent. He
The Tears of the Singers
was back in a moment, and he quickly tuned to Spock's lyrette. The two
humans and the Vulcan conferred briefly, then began a simple but haunting
song. It was obvious they were improvising, for no two verses were the same,
but it an blended together in a harmonious whole.
Kali wrapped her hands around the mug, enjoying the way it warmed her
chilled fingers, and began to relax. The intonations were very different
from Klingon music, but she found it pleasant to listen to, and it made her
think of that night months ago when she and Kor had gone to a wine garden
on Klinzhai, and sung and danced until the three moons had set. Thinking of
Kor made her once more aware of her loneliness, and she wondered how things
were going aboard ship. Worries about Karsul, the phenomenon, her
separation from her husband, began to chase each other through her head,
and she lost track of what was happening around her.
"Kali?" someone asked questioningly, and her head snapped up.
"Guess that's a comment on our abilities," Maslin said wryly. "We put our
listener to sleep."
"I wasn't sleeping," she said hurriedly. "Only thinking."
"You seem worried," the dark-haired guard who had given her the coffee
said. "Is there anything we can do?" Kali eyed him suspiciously but he
seemed sincere, and another of her cherished notions about humans went down
in ruins.
"I do not mean to pry," Scott said. "But it had occurred to me that your
presence here might cause trouble for you. You're not likely to walk into
a hornet's nest when you go back to camp, are you?"
She smiled faintly, and adjusted the golden sash of her rank where it cut
Star Trek - TOS - The Tears Of The Singers Page 11