"But," Kirk began, then speech became impossible. There was a moment of
gut-wrenching nausea, and then he found himself floating above his
collapsed body. He watched with detached interest while McCoy raced from
his side, to Spock's, and then to Uhura and Maslin. He wanted to call out
to the doctor, to tell him that all was well, but even though he -formed
the words and heard himself speaking McCoy took no notice.
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"Come. We will go now," the matriarch ordered, and Kirk found himself
traveling through space. Even though he knew intellectually that his fraff,
physical body was not being exposed to the deadly cold and airlessness of
space, he still found himself cringing in on himself.
"Fascinating," Spock's voice came from the glowing entity on his right.
"Some form of astral projection. But obviously limited in range," the
Vulcan added when they all came to rest some distance out from Taygeta.
Kirk found that he could see very clearly and to a much greater distance
than his human eyes would have permitted. He could see the Enterprise
orbiting the planet in close formation with Kor's flagship, and he felt his
chest squeezed tight with emotion as he gazed on her perfect fines. Beyond
the two ships he could see the second Klmgon ship looking like a toy as it
hung before the phenomenon. The phenomenon itself shimmered and glowed with
iridescent fires as it hung like a prismatic curtain across the fabric of
space. The Taygetian sun was only a faint yellow glow behind the shifting
colors of the space/tirne rip. Even though Mashn's and Uhura's physical
bodies were slumped unconscious over the synthesizer there was still music
swelling and ebbing all about Kirk. He realized that he must be "hearing"
the music that was in their minds, and he found it more beautiful than any
earthlyrinusic he had ever heard.
"So," the matriarch said quietly, and her thoughts fell bleak and hopeless
upon Kirk's mind. "I behold our doom. 9f
"But it doesn't have to be!" the captain insisted. "It is your doom, in the
sense that you created it, but you can also stop it. Just stop the song!"
He could sense the indecision in the elder Thygetian, and he cast about
desperately for some other argument, some plea that would reach and
convince her.
Suddenly a group of cubs came flying past like a bevy of
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glittering comets. If they were awkward and ungainly on land here in the
dark sea of space their astral bodies darted and spun with the grace of
dancers. They whirled about him and his companions, playing at intricate
games of tag while the distant stars formed a glittering backdrop for their
antics.
Like children of any world, Kirk thought. But what childrenI They can have
the stars as their playground. Or can they? Once adulthood is reached such
games are put aside in favor of their duty--a duty that is pointless and
wastes their potential.
And it was then that he knew what to do.
"Lady, if not for yourselves then for the sake of the children. Stop this
song before it destroys you all. For generations your children have only
been able to look forward to a life of endless toil and drudgery, and a
toil to no purpose. Trust us and we can give you the stars. As members of
the Federation the resources and learning of a thousand worlds will be
available to your people, and your great powers can be used for the benefit
of hundreds of races. Lady, I beg you, don't deny your children a future!"
The music which had been maintaining a quiet counterpoint to his words
suddenly rose in a joyful crescendo. It mirrored Kirk's sincerity and
desperate hope, and it seemed that a hundred orchestras overlaid by one
lone voice wrote a tone poem of a future so beautiful that only the most
callous of creatures could have ignored its vision.
There was again a moment of nausea and dislocation, and then Kirk found
himself rising shakily to his feet. Sand cascaded from his parka, and he
brushed the last clinging particles from his pants.
"Jim! Jim! Are you all right? What happened?" McCoy gripped him by the
shoulders, and there was a babble of confused voices all about him. Then
the matriarch emitted a 243
The Tears of the Singers
long piercing cry that went wailing up and down the tonal scale, and the
song ceased. Silence fell over the silver-andcrystal world of the Singers.
Fbr the first time in three thousand years there was quiet. The only
sounds were the hiss and boom of the waves on the beach, the sigh of the
wind through the rock cliffs and the sound of a woman crying.
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Chapter Fifteen
Kirk set McCoy aside, and moved to Uhura. She had slid off of the
synthesizer bench, and was now sitting in the sand with Maslin cradled in
her arms. The composer's face was a pale waxy white, and the air rattled in
his throat with each breath he drew.
McCoy came barreling past Kirk, and ran his tricorder over Maslin's prone
body. He then looked up at Kirk, and gave a small shake of his head.
"Can you do anything for him?" the captain asked quietly.
"Make him comfortable, maybe try a few tricks, but it's doubtful," McCoy
replied in the same low tone. "Let me get him back to the ship."
4'No." The single word was very weak, and followed by a paroxysm of
coughing, but it still held a vestige of Mashn's old command. The composer
drew back his lips in a travesty of a smile, and looked up at Kirk. "No,"
he said again. 6.1111is seems a very good place for a musician to die."
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The Tears of the Singers
"Guy, no," Uhura whispered, and her face was a mask of agony-
Kirk suddenly became aware of the curiously watching security team that had
accompanied him down from the Enterprise. "Tbomas," he snapped to their
leader. "Take your team, and track down those last Klingon mutineers.
"Aye, sir."
"You go with them," Kor said suddenly to his own guards, and waved them
away.
"Don't cry, my heart," Guy was saying to Uhura when Kirk returned his
attention to the couple. "Life is very rarely as we wish it to be."
"If only you hadn't come," Uhura cried, and her words were like a whip to
Kirk's already sensitive nerves. He braced himself for Maslin's reply.
"And if I hadn't come I would never have known you." He took one of her
hands, and lifted it weakly to his lips. ..Also,9t he paused, and for an
instant an expression of almost transported joy crossed his face. "I wrote
my greatest piece here. This time my music really did speak to the
heavens."
"Oh, Guy----" The whistle of a communicator cut through her words.
"Kirk here."
"Scotty, Captain. Just wanted to report that the phenomenon has vanished,
as well as the subspace harmonic that was wreckin' the difithium crystals."
"Very good, Mr. Scott. Secure the ship, and wait for my c
ca. 19
"Aye, sir."
"So, Kirk, we did it," Maslin gasped painfully.
"I would say rather that you did it."
said with a touch of his old raillery. "Come, come, Kirk, don't ruin my
image of you."
ne captain dropped down on one knee next to the dying
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composer. "You ruined my image of you," he said, taking one of Maslin's
limp hands. "And I want you to know that I'm sorry. I never intended it to
end this way---'
"Please, Kirk, don't become maudlin," he said with an impatient gesture.
He cast the captain an ironic look. "Besides, it is true, what you once
said Some things are worth more than our own selfish little fives. I
wouldn't have wanted to miss the Taygetians." The cub who had been Guy's
constant companion seemed to sense that something was. happening for he
suddenly flopped forward, and placed his head beneath Guy's hand.
The composer's lashes fluttered down onto his cheeks, and McCoy once more
stepped forward. "Come on, Jim, let me take him back to the ship."
"No." This time it was Uhura who s poke. "Honor his wishes. If he must die
at least let it be here."
"That's it, Madam Star Fleet, you tell them," Guy rasped out, and managed
once more to open his eyes. He studied her face, and slowly smiled. "Did
I ever tell you how much I love
you?19
"Not enough times," Uhura said with a catch in her voice.
Kali suddenly spread open her arms, and shooed the circle of watchers away
the way a housewife would herd a flock of recalcitrant chickens.
"That's our Kali, ever sensitive," Guy murmured faintly, and Uhura saw that
his green eyes were beginning to wander unfocusedly.
"Guy, don't leave me."
"I won't. We've ... learned that much ... haven't we? I'll ... be close ...
always," he murmured disjointedly. "Best I go. Otherwise ... you might not
become a ... captain. Show them all how it's done, love ......
Uhura gently closed his eyes, and then from all around her the cubs began
a sorrowful, minor-key lament. The small cub who had lain with his head
beneath Guy's hand suddenly lifted his head and, looking directly at Uhura,
shed a single
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The, Tears of the Singers
sparkling blue tear. Reaching out she caught it on the palm of her hand, but
instead of spattering in salty rivulets it lay smooth and cool on her skin.
And now the tears came. Hot and violent they ran down her face as she sat
bowed over the body of her love.
"So this is it then," Kor said as be, Kali, Kirk and Spock walked through
the corridors of the Enterprise toward the transporter room. "Once more we
are denied our warriors' duel."
"Now don't blame me for that," Kirk said, holding up a restraining hand.
"As I see it you're the one who opted not to fight, but rather to work
together."
.'And we did pretty well, didn't we?," Kor asked with a grm.
"Yes, I think we did. So, what do you do now?"
"Go home and face the music-please forgive the pun."
"Will it be bad?" -
"I hope not. After all, Kali and I will have several weeks in which to
concoct a story that will make it appear that we emerged victorious while
you slunk away with your tail between your legs.,
Kirk raised a hand and covered his eyes. "Oh my reputation, my poor
battered reputation," he moaned.
"Your damn reputation doesn't need any halher inflation," Kor stated
bluntly. "You're already a damn living legend." Kirk looked sheepish. "And
furthermore, I once again have to leave the field to you."
"Fortunes of war."
"But this time it wasn't a war. Think about it, Kirk, this time we stopped
fighting ourselves; it didn't take the Organians to stop us."
"So, maybe we are all becoming wiser," Kali said.
"Unfortunately we are only two ships," Spock said dampeningly. "Your Empire
and our Federation are still standing eye to eye and toe to toe on. many
fronts.
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The lbars of dw MnSm
"Don't be negative, Spock," she said, making a face at the Vulcan. "I am
not saying we have solved all the problems, but we have at least
demonstrated that it can happen.
"Speaking of problems," Kor said with a hesitant clearing of his throat.
"Once you get the three Thygetian ambassadors back to the ftderation, and
formal relations are established, I don't suppose we could borrow a few of
them to improve some of our problem worlds?"
"You head the trade delegation to Earth, and I'll be there to assure that
it works out."
"AD right. It is a deal." They had reached the transporter room, and the
foursome paused at the base of the platform for their final leave-taking.
"I won't say good-bye, but rather farewell, for I think we will be meeting
again," Kor said, gripping Kirk by the upper arms.
"I hope so, Commander. And about the matter of the Thygetians, you get the
changes made so that there can be trade between our people, and IT see to
it that you get what YOU want.'
"Your hand on it?"
"MY hand on it."
"You realize what you are asking me to do, don't you, Kirk," Kor said as
they shook. You are asking me to take over the halls of power, and redirect
our Empire."
"Commander, if there's any man who can do it, I think it's you. I would say
that you're well on your way to being a living legend too."
"Captain, please," Kali said, placing her hands in the middle of Kor's back
, and pushing lurn toward the platform. "He is already vain enough. Please
don't add to it."
I'Ah, but my darling, I will always have you there to deflate my ego, so
all will be well."
"As if I have ever tried to diminish you!" Kali gasped angrily. "Why
you---' she began, but Kor picked her up in his arms, and pressed a firm
kiss on her lips to silence her.
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The Tears of the Singers.
"And that is how you handle women," he said with a wink to Kirk as he
deposited his wife on one of the transporter disks. "And now, farewell
until the next time."
"Good-bye, Commander," Kirk said, liffing one hand.
"You better hope you're still alive by then," Kali said threateningly to
her husband as the transporter took them.
"A highly volatile people," Spock remarked when the platform was clear.
'Yes, Mr. Spock, but I like them."
"I have also never understood human taste," the Vulcan added dryly as he
and the captain walked out of the transporter room.
"I suppose it's a case of like to like."
"Undoubtedly."
They walked in silence to the turbolift, and Kirk called for the bridge.
"Weft, we have quite, a load of passengers for the trip back, what with the
Thygetians and the hunters."
"Yes, but it is unfortunate that we could not return with our original
passenger."
"Yes," Kirk agreed, and fell into a thoughtful silence as he considered the
simple burial ceremony that he had conducted for Maslin on the shores of
that silver sea. "But no man ever had such a requiem mass sung for him."
"Yes, he would have enjoyedit."
/>
Kirk stood silent for several more moments then abruptly asked, "Do you
think Uhura is going to be all right?"
"Given my lack of understanding of human emotions, Captain, I am perhaps
not the best person to ask. Dr. McCoy considers himself a delver into the
secrets of men's souls. You might better direct your question to him."
Kirk grunted a reply as the doors of the turbo lift whoosed open. The
bridge was humming with quiet activity, and the captain stood for a moment
at the top of the steps reveling in the familiar sights and sounds. All of
his number-one bridge crew was in place, Sulu at the helm, Scotty at the
engineering console, Uhura on communications and Spock moving
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The Tears of the SR*m
smoothly to his place at science. It felt good to have them all back, and
Kirk realized that he had missed the comfort of their familiar presences. He
hoped there would never
be an occasion when he would be left isolated aboard his ship. Senft into his
command chair, he half turned so he could study Uhura's face. In the days
since Maslin's death she had been very quiet, frighteningly quiet, and her
usually serene and gentle expression had been replaced with an mdecipherable
mask.
she reached up to adjust the monitor in her ear, and the motion set
something at her breast to swinging. Kirk looked closer, and saw that she
was wearing a crystal tear. It spun and sparkled like frozen blue fire on
the end of its chain. Kirk shivered slightly, and wondered how she could
wear the thing. He would have thought the memories it roused would have
been too painful.
He continued to stare mesmerized at the jewel. How strange, he thought,
that something so small could have been at the heart of their entire
mission.
,,From out of the greed of men," he murmured to himself.
"I beg your pardon, sir?" Uhura asked, swinging around in her seat.
-just thinking aloud, Lieutenant."
She regarded him thoughtfully for several moments, then said, "I wear it as
a reminder, sir."
Kirk started a bit, and wondered if her continuing close contact with the
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