missing a tiny winged Ardwanian, who had drifted down from the ceiling from the weight of too much nectar. The dart hit the bulls-eye, and over the crowd, Jadzia could hear Miles O'Brien shouting, "Foul!"
Miles was standing beside Julian-she hadn't seen him at first-his arms waving as he shouted and pointed at the winged Ardwanian. Julian took a step closer to Miles and shouted back.
And Jadzia sighed. Her meeting with Julian to work on a paper on Trill immune systems just got postponed until the game-and the fight-was over.
But still, she had to let him know she was there. Maybe he would want to escape.
"Julian!" she shouted over the din.
He turned, saw her, waved, and then lurched forward as Miles poked his chest, still shouting. Julian took a step backward, made a motion that looked like fluttering wings, and then called to the winged Ardwanian, who got a frightened look on her frail face, shook her head, and flew away.
Dax turned her back on the disagreement. Obviously Julian was enjoying himself. And she couldn't fault him that. He worked too hard, even though he admonished the rest of the crew not to, and he took his responsibilities-and his reputation-far too seriously. Because she had often requested that he take time off, she really couldn't be the one to drag him away from his fun.
Besides, she wanted a drink.
She shoved her way to the bar. Quark was behind it, his small hands working furiously as he piled drinks on another tray for Rom.
"You seen my nephew?" he asked Dax.
She shook her head.
"You here on business."
She shook her head again.
"Ah, a paying customer." Quark reached across the bar and shoved Morn's shoulder, dislodging the hulking barfly from his favorite stool. "Give your seat to the lady, Morn."
"I'm not a lady," Dax said, smiling.
"Close enough," Quark said. He set a coaster with the bar's logo in front of her-one of Rom's innovations that Quark had complained about until Rom explained that some customers would keep the coasters, thus advertising the bar all over the galaxy. "I've got some lovely Trill amber shot."
Dax suppressed a shudder. Curzon had gone on a two-day drunk on amber shot and the memory of that hangover was still fresh. "How about synthale?"
"Working?" Quark asked, since synthale had none of the morning-after punishment that the expensive-and real-liquors had.
"I might be," she said.
"I have Ardwanian sweet nectar." The sweet nectar was like sugar to humanoids-and it was more costly than the Trill amber shot would have been.
She nodded. "And a squadron of winged Ardwanians losing loft because of it."
Quark piled the last drink on the tray and shoved it at Rom, who staggered beneath its weight. He tottered off through the crowd. Quark grabbed the synthale and placed it in front of Jadzia.
"I expect you to drink at least five of those to make up for the cost of taking Morn's place."
"I thought he wasn't a paying customer."
"He is. He's just not regular about it. And he drinks whatever I place before him." Quark reached under the bar for more glasses.
"You're not usually this grumpy when you have a full bar, Quark."
"I can't get the drinks to them fast enough," Quark said. "The last time this happened, a group of Cordwellians smashed every chair in the place. If this goes on too much longer, I might have to make you a barmaid, Lieutenant." Then he smiled. "In fact, I have the most perfect little dress. If you help out for just an hour or two-"
"Just how little is the dress?" Dax sipped the synthale. She would have preferred the sweet nectar.
Suddenly Quark took a step backward and brought a hand up to his nose. The odor of rotted steak wafted over Dax, and she blinked back tears. Only a Caxtonian would have body odor bad enough to overpower the other stenches in the room. Caxtonians were big, hairy humanoids who made excellent pilots but knew few social skills. And bathing-something they could benefit from-was one that seemed to always be left out of the
Miles was standing beside Julian-she hadn't seen him at first-his arms waving as he shouted and pointed at the winged Ardwanian. Julian took a step closer to Miles and shouted back.
And Jadzia sighed. Her meeting with Julian to work on a paper on Trill immune systems just got postponed until the game-and the fight-was over.
But still, she had to let him know she was there. Maybe he would want to escape.
"Julian!" she shouted over the din.
He turned, saw her, waved, and then lurched forward as Miles poked his chest, still shouting. Julian took a step backward, made a motion that looked like fluttering wings, and then called to the winged Ardwanian, who got a frightened look on her frail face, shook her head, and flew away.
Dax turned her back on the disagreement. Obviously Julian was enjoying himself. And she couldn't fault him that. He worked too hard, even though he admonished the rest of the crew not to, and he took his responsibilities-and his reputation-far too seriously. Because she had often requested that he take time off, she really couldn't be the one to drag him away from his fun.
Besides, she wanted a drink.
She shoved her way to the bar. Quark was behind it, his small hands working furiously as he piled drinks on another tray for Rom.
"You seen my nephew?" he asked Dax.
She shook her head.
"You here on business."
She shook her head again.
"Ah, a paying customer." Quark reached across the bar and shoved Morn's shoulder, dislodging the hulking barfly from his favorite stool. "Give your seat to the lady, Morn."
"I'm not a lady," Dax said, smiling.
"Close enough," Quark said. He set a coaster with the bar's logo in front of her-one of Rom's innovations that Quark had complained about until Rom explained that some customers would keep the coasters, thus advertising the bar all over the galaxy. "I've got some lovely Trill amber shot."
Dax suppressed a shudder. Curzon had gone on a two-day drunk on amber shot and the memory of that hangover was still fresh. "How about synthale?"
"Working?" Quark asked, since synthale had none of the morning-after punishment that the expensive-and real-liquors had.
"I might be," she said.
"I have Ardwanian sweet nectar." The sweet nectar was like sugar to humanoids-and it was more costly than the Trill amber shot would have been.
She nodded. "And a squadron of winged Ardwanians losing loft because of it."
Quark piled the last drink on the tray and shoved it at Rom, who staggered beneath its weight. He tottered off through the crowd. Quark grabbed the synthale and placed it in front of Jadzia.
"I expect you to drink at least five of those to make up for the cost of taking Morn's place."
"I thought he wasn't a paying customer."
"He is. He's just not regular about it. And he drinks whatever I place before him." Quark reached under the bar for more glasses.
"You're not usually this grumpy when you have a full bar, Quark."
"I can't get the drinks to them fast enough," Quark said. "The last time this happened, a group of Cordwellians smashed every chair in the place. If this goes on too much longer, I might have to make you a barmaid, Lieutenant." Then he smiled. "In fact, I have the most perfect little dress. If you help out for just an hour or two-"
"Just how little is the dress?" Dax sipped the synthale. She would have preferred the sweet nectar.
Suddenly Quark took a step backward and brought a hand up to his nose. The odor of rotted steak wafted over Dax, and she blinked back tears. Only a Caxtonian would have body odor bad enough to overpower the other stenches in the room. Caxtonians were big, hairy humanoids who made excellent pilots but knew few social skills. And bathing-something they could benefit from-was one that seemed to always be left out of the
Similar Books
Embrace the Fire
Tamara Shoemaker
Broken Promises
J.K. Coi
Scrapbook of Secrets
Mollie Cox Bryan
Shatter
Michael Robotham
Further Than Passion
Cheryl Holt
Fallen Rogue
Amy Rench
The Rise of Rome: The Making of the World's Greatest Empire
Anthony Everitt
Dylan's Redemption
Jennifer Ryan
Daughters of the Nile
Stephanie Dray
At Home with Mr Darcy
Victoria Connelly