Yesterday Son Read Free Page B

refuse—”
    Kirk cut him off in mid-sentence. “It’s settled. Blackmail, Mr. Spock. I don’t go, you don’t get leave. Simple as that.”
    “This could be hazardous. ... I can’t allow you to risk ...”
    “Quit arguing. And quit trying to wrap me in cotton. Humans may not be as strong as Vulcans, but that doesn’t give you a right to tell me what I can and can’t do. After all, who’s in command here?” Kirk glanced at the chrono. “You’ve got forty-five [25] minutes to get ready. I’ll see you in two and a half weeks. Move!”
    Spock found that he’d responded to the snap of that last order automatically, and was standing in the corridor looking at a closed door. He shook his head ruefully, and hurried off to pack.

Chapter II
    Midday on Vulcan. The heat swirled around Spock as he materialized on the crest of a ridge, and he stood soaking it in for a moment, sniffing appreciatively at the thin air. Its dryness felt wonderful after the cold fog that passed for atmosphere aboard the transport freighter. Overhead, the sky flamed as 40 Eridani reached its zenith. The white sand reflected the heat back in a searing glare, and the rocks and vegetation shimmered.
    Spock skirted the low, sprawling building, heading for the visitor’s entrance on the south side of the living complex. He didn’t intend to announce his arrival, though it had been more than a year since he’d [seen] his parents. He felt a twinge of guilt, visualizing their disappointment if they discovered his visit; repressed it. Amanda would want to know the reason for his sudden arrival, and how long he was going to stay, and Sarek would expect him to tour the estates. He’d be swamped with family duties, and there would be questions. ...
    Inside, he keyed his request for an audience with T’Pau, then waited impatiently, forcing calmness over his features, curbing his body to stillness. Finally the screen beside him lighted with the characters of his first name, the one used only by family, and then only on name-days and religious holidays. He’d used it deliberately, knowing T’Pau would recognize its import, and respect his request for privacy. Directed to one of the clandestine inner passages that led to T’Pau’s sitting room, he threaded the narrow [27] darkness quickly, then silently entered the chamber. He was alone with the only person to ever turn down a seat on the Federation Council.
    She was seated on a low divan, with a rug across her knees. Her hair was still black, “except for two white streaks running through it, but her face was even more lined and withered than he remembered.
    T’Pau saluted him formally, holding out one hand in the “V” signal of greeting. The spidery old fingers trembled a bit. She’s aged, Spock thought, returning the greeting. “Live long and prosper, T’Pau.”
    “Why hast thou come in secrecy, and with no warning, Spock? Thy behavior is hardly courteous to thy parents.” She spoke with a lisping inflection, voice barely above a whisper. She had not asked him to sit down, and that was a bad sign.
    “I beg forgiveness, T’Pau. The reason for my visit is private—something I could discuss with you only. I seek your help, and your silence.” His voice was level. Sharp obsidian eyes that belied the wizened face scrutinized him, and abruptly she nodded and gestured him to a seat. Spock sat down cross-legged on the hassock.
    “I will hold thy silence. Speak.”
    “Several years ago, I went with my Captain and McCoy, whom you know, on a mission to warn the people of Sarpeidon that their planet’s sun was about to nova. We discovered that all of the inhabitants had taken refuge in the past. Through an accident, McCoy and I were transported back in time to the planet’s ice age. We were freezing to death, when a young woman appeared and led us to shelter. Her name was Zarabeth, and she had been exiled alone to the past through the actions of an enemy. She was trapped there due to a special