"Spock here, Captain. We need an immediate meeting---' "Mr. Spock,, are you
aware," he squinted over at the chronometer that rested on the shelf behind
his bed, "that it is four in the morning?"
"Yes, Captain, but I had news which I felt you would not wish to wait
before hearing."
"You've broken the Thygetian language," Kirk breathed, all muzziness
vanishing before the excitement of the moment.
"Correct, Captain."
"Well?" Kirk demanded after several seconds passed without further
elaboration from Spock.
"Lieutenant Commander Kali has requested that a threeway conference be
established so we may present our findings to both you and Commander Kor
simultaneously. She feels that will prevent the Federation from receiving
an unfair advantage by being the first to receive this information."
"Is it bad?" Kirk asked, feeling a cold knot settle into the pit of his
stomach.
"Let us say rather that it would grant to the possessor of this information
an awesome amount of power."
Kirk stood sileAt for several moments, digesting Spock's cryptic remark.
"Very well," he said at last, and gave a quick nod. "I agree. Have you
gotten in touch with Kor?"
"Kali is contacting him now. Is fifteen minutes sufficient to have
everything prepared?"
"We'll be ready. Kirk out."
Kirk contacted the bridge, and ordered that a three-way fink be
established. He then flung on a uniform, and raced for the bridge. His
blood was hammering in his ears, and an he could think was We did it. We
did itl Suddenly he sobered, and slowed from his half run to a walk.
Kali had insisted that both the Klingons and the Enterprise learn the
secret of Thygeta at the same time, and Spock had indicated that it was a
secret that carried the potential to be a double-edged sword. Ali of this
implied that the Singers possessed some possibly useful or dangerous power.
Perhaps
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The Tears of the Singers
both. If so, what would the Kfingons do? As a race, they weren't known for
honoring treaties and commitments when there was something to be gained.
As he rode the turbolift to the bridge, Kirk considered the two Klingon
cruisers that orbited only a few hundred kilometers from the Ente?prise.
Granted, everyone's power was down due to the harmonic that had affected
their dilithium crystals, but it was still two to one, and Kirk didn't much
like those odds.
Can Kor be trusted? He had thought so that day they had shared a bottle of
Saurian brandy. Now the stakes had gone up, and he was no longer so sure.
The main screen flickered to life, revealing Spock, Uhura, Maslin-who was
seated at the synthesizer-and Kali. Behind them a portable display board
had been erected. Its smooth white surface was covered with a series of
complicated mathematical formulae. Mashn looked ghastly, with large dark
circles like bruises about his eyes, but he seemed animated by a feverish
excitement. Occasionally he would play a quick passage on the synthesizer,
then leap up and hurry to the board where he would make some minute change
in one of the numbers.
"All right, Mr. Spock, we're ready."
"Same here," Kor's voice came over one of the speakers.
"Everyone has observed the formulae?" Spock asked.
"Yes," the two captains said in chorus.
"Very good. We have put these up for the benefit of the science teams of
all three ships. We will not, however, take the time to work through them.
A simple summary should suffice."
-Thank you, Spock," Kirk murmured gratefully under his breath.
"I will have Mr. Maslin begin, as it was his observations that gave us our
first clue."
Maslin straddled the bench, his hands tensely gripping its edges. "You all
know about my report on the fish that 179
The Tears of the Singers
suddenly appeared in the grottos when a particular passage was sung by the
cubs. I had assumed this to be an example of simple telekinesis.
galaxy.
"Tben Mr. Scott discovered the subspace harmonic, and things began to come
together. We postulated the theory that the 7kygetian song extended through
the entire spectrum from the audible into the psychic. Using the
Enterprise's scanners Mr. Spock discovered the song also vibrating in warp
space. This gave strong support to our theory, and using all the available
data the computers were able to extrapolate the musical progression of the
song in the psychic realm. T'his," he waved his hand at the tangle of
numbers on the board, "is the result of our night's work. We now know that
what the Taygetians are practicing is far from simple telekinesis. They
are, in a nutshell, able to manipulate their physical environment. "
"Fbrests where only deserts had been befo re," Mendez muttered softly from
her position at the science station.
"Precisely, Lieutenant," Spock said. "Tbere was nothing wrong with the
instruments. They were in fact presenting us with accurate readings which
we foolishly chose to ignore. If we had been less incredulous we might have
had our answer a good deal earlier."
"Let's see if I've got this straight, Spock," Kirk broke in. "Tlie
Thygetians are able to adjust their environment to suit themselves?"
"Yes, Captain. Using the power of their song they can literally make the
deserts bloom."
"And make marginal planets inhabitable?" Kirk suggested softly.
"Yes.
"Incredible."
"But we're not finished yet, Kirk," Maslin said with a cocky smile. "We've
solved the space/time warp problem."
"What!"
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The Tears of the Sinpars
"Well, perhaps not solved it, Captain," Spock hurriedly corrected. "But we
do understand the mechanics of its creation. The phenomenon was caused by
a disruption of the harmonics in warp space brought about by the loss of
voices due to the hunters."
"So how do we get rid of it?"
Spock looked hesitant, then shook his head. "Uncertain, Captain. We have
several theories which we continue to pursue. I am confident, however, that
we will be able to resolve the problem in a relatively short space of
time."
'It better be, Spock, because time is the one thing we're running out of.
Right, Kor?" Silence answered him. "Kor?"
"Captain,- rzeela said. "We've lost contact with the Klingon flagship."
"Shields up," Kirk snapped at Sulu. "And keep a close watch on those
cruisers," he added. "Have they responded in any way to the raising of our
shields?"
"Negative, Captain. No increase in engine power, nothing to indicate
they're about to move. They're just holding position."
"Damn it, Kali, what's going on? Why did Kor break contact?"
She hesitated for a long moment, obviously troubled by his request, and
wondering if it put her in the position of possibly betraying her people.
At last she answered. "I expect he had decided it had become too dangerous
to allow the crews of
our ships to hear any more."
"Why? And dangerous to whom?"
"We are not a wealthy race, Kirk, you know that. Many of the planets of the
Empire are barren, rocky, producing little. " She hesitated again, her eyes
filled with worry. "Surely you can appreciate our dilemma."
"Meaning that the Klingons might try to . . ." He paused, searching for a
more tactful word then enslave. "Th . . . to appropriate the Thygetians for
their own purposes?"
"Not Kor," Kali said quickly. "Never Kor, but there am
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The Tears of the Singers
others ... less patient and more hotheaded than. he, who might decide to
act."
"Thank you for your honesty, Kali. I know it wasn't easy for you, but it
was essential if we're going to keep this situation under control."
"Captain, do you wish me to return to the ship?" Spock asked.
"No, stay where you are, and find a way to repair that rip. rU worry about
the Klingons."
Everyone looked abnormally grim-faced as he broke contact, and he knew his
expression wasn't much happier. They were in a devil of a position, with
power down and two Klingon battle cruisers off their flank ... and their
only hope to avoid a battle rested with a man who, Kirk was convinced,
stood in imminent danger of losing his command.
182
Chapter Eleven
They were all ranged about the conference room gazing at him with feral,
expectant expressions that filled him with a sense of dread. All these
officers, these young wolves of the Empire, had been held in check by his
authority, and the lack of a clear reason to fight. But all that had changed
now. The stakes had just become frighteningly high.
"What is it, Kor? What have the Earthers discovered?" Kandi asked from
where he straddled a chair, his arms folded on the back. His cruiser had
not been a party to the earlier discussion.
Kor hesitated, and Karsul, his eyes glittering with malice, said, "Yes,
Commander, tell them what the Earthers have discovered."
Too late Kandi realized that he had walked Kor into a vise. He threw his
friend an apologetic glance, to which Kor replied with a small shake of the
head. He then drew in a quick breath and, gripping the edge of the table,
began.
"The human, Maslin, together with the Vulcan, has suc-
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The Tears of the Singers
ceeded in translating the Thygetian song. Th put it plainly, the creatures
have the power to alter and create environments.11
Kandi gave a low whistle, and dropped his chin onto his folded arms. "A
most useful skin for people beset with less-than-perfect worlds. Not to
sound disloyal, but even our home world is no blossoming paradise."
"If we use the mind-sifter will we be able to learn the secret of the
Thygetians' power?" the chief medical officer of Klothos asked.
"T'here is no need to use the sifter," Kor replied. "The Thygetians use the
power of their song coupled with an extremely high psychic ability to
manipulate their environment. Izarning their methods will do us little
good, for as a race we show only the most rudimentary psychic ability, and
the talent is very rare." The door to the conference room slid open, and
Kali entered. Kor had ordered her back to the ship immediately upon the
conclusion of Spock and Maslin's briefing. He wasn't precisely certain why
he had called her back; maybe to provide a firsthand report of the break-
through, maybe only to provide him with the support he so desperately
needed. Her eyes met his, and he found himself soothed by her golden gaze.
He gave her a slight nod, and she slid into a chair at the back of the
room.
"What is all this talk of leaming the Thygetian ability?" Thmboli, a young
lieutenant who was an adn-drer and adherent of Karsul's, demanded as he
flung himself out of his chair and began to pace the room. "Are we old
women that we must negotiate and parley, and beg for crumbs from the
Earthers? We are Kfingons! We take what we want! Let us take these
Thygetians. They will soon learn to bend to our bidding."
"Stupid fool," Kali said, rising from her chair. "And how will you 'bend'
the Thygetians to your bidding?" she asked scornfully. "I have been on the
planet, studied the creatures. Nothing we can do would affect them. They
are totally oblivious to everything but their song. You will kill them all
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trying to make them obey, and all we will be left with is an empty world,
and a mountain 6f rotting corpses."
"The I.Aeutenant Commander's point is well made, I think," Kor said softly.
Tamboli began to bluster, then Karsul rose smoothly from his chair, and
placed a restraining hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Peace, friend,
and it seems you were right, at least partially. Most of us may not have
degenerated into women, but it seems we are led by them. Keep to your
place, girl," he said with an arrogant look to Kah. "We will tell you when
your services are required-and for what."
Kandi threw a nervous glance at Kor, fearful of how his commander would
react to this slur against his bride, but Kor remained quiet and impassive.
Karsul rose from his chair and, swaggering forward, seated himself on the
edge of the table. In this way he blocked Kor from the view of most of the
room, and effectively usurped his position.
"AD this talk of reforming worlds is well enough, but it is untimely. IMe
real value of this gift that has been thrown into our laps is its power as
a weapon. Time enough to make the deserts bloom when we have swept the
humans and their allies from the galaxy. We have the power to devastate a
world, but it requires ships and men and bombs. How much simpler to have
the Tkygetians sweep a world clean of all life. A few such demonstrations
of our power, and the Federation would be begging for mercy."
"You haven't been listening," Kah said, obviously undeterred by his earlier
rebuke. "We can't even communicate with the Thygetians, much less control
them."
"But the humans have a man who will ultimately be able to communicate with
the creatures," Karsul replied with a thin smile. "We must attack the
Enterprise, destroy her, and take this Maslin. After a little 'persuasion'
I am certain he will be more than willing to help us enslave the
Taygetians. "
"No!" Kali cried, advancing into the center of the room.
The Tears of the Singers
"They must riot be harmed. They are magic, they are beauty. To use them
would be wrong, it would be a blot on the honor of our race that could never
be expunged." She looked beseechingly around the circle of stunned and angry
ces. "Why? Why must we always kill? Is there no other way for us?lt
"Traitor!" Karsul shouted, advancing on her with an upraised hand. "You're
no Klingon, you're a puling Earther. You shame the uniform you wear."
She faced him defiantly, but her eyes were filled with fear as she watched
his hand descending toward her upturned face. It never connected. Kor
caught Karsul by the forearm, and threw him over his shoulder
into a comer
of the room. Spitting blood and teeth from his injured mouth, the young
officer tried to rise. Kor moved languidly to him and, placing his boot in
the middle of Karsul's chest, held him in place.
"So you want to attack and destroy the Enterprise, do you? You young fool,
this is Kirk we're talking about. Not some useless desk pilot who just
happens to have a ship. This man is a legend in his own time. He and his
crew have faced and conquered dangers that have defeated even I mperial
cruisers. And you puppies, " he spat out the word as if it tasted bad,
64you puppies think you can take this man? I'm afraid you have much to
learn of command," he stated quietly. No one contradicted him as he glanced
quickly about the assembled officers. "Therefore, when and how we take on
the Enterprise will be decided by me." Once more he slowly surveyed the
room, watching his officers' eyes slide nervously away from his. A
humorless smile curved his Ups. "I'm so glad we all agree," he said dryly,
and held out his hand to Kah. There wasn't a sound as he led her from the
room.
"Fbr once in your life would you please not argue with me!" Kor shouted
down into his bride's face. She stayed stubbornly on the steps of the
shuttle, clinging to the edges of the door with both hands.
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The Tears of the Singers
"I am going with you to the Enterprise. I will not stay here alone.,,
"I don't want you to stay here. I want you to go back to Taygeta."
"No. That is no better. I have been away from you enough in the past few
days. I am going to stay with you now."
"Gods give me patience," he moaned, lifting clenched fists into the air.
"Kali, why do you think I am flying a shuttle to the Enterprise rather than
using the transporter or taking a pilot?"
"You think they are going to make their move," she said, her throat
suddenly very dry.
"Yes, and it would be far too easy to scatter my molecules across the
galaxy and claim an accident, or place an assassin in the pilot's seat to
kill me between here and the Enterprise. Now do you see why I need you on
Thygeta to keep an eye on Quarag and the others? 1"he last thing I need is