Chapter 8:  Dinner with the Devil

 

Julian nearly ran into the doors of the security office when they failed to open for him. For a moment, he feared that perhaps Chief Newstreak or one of her staff had managed to activate program Federation 47 again. He peered in through the semi-transparent door. Vena was reading something on a PADD. She smirked when he knocked on the door. Without looking up from the PADD, she keyed something into the computer console in front of her and the door swished open. Julian hesitated a moment. Vena beckoned him with two pale fingers, still not looking up. The doors closed behind Julian the moment he entered.

“Good afternoon, Doctor.” Her voice was rather cold. “What is the reason for your visit?”

Julian coughed, suddenly rather nervous in the apparently locked room. “I wanted to ask you out to dinner.”

“Oh?”

Julian held out a small, thin box. Vena glanced up, eyeing the box curiously and then looking up at Julian. “It’s a peace offering.” Vena said nothing, merely staring at him unblinkingly. Julian coughed again. “I was hoping that my friendship with Garak wouldn’t jeopardize ours.”

“Friendship, Doctor?” Vena said, arching an eyebrow. Julian nodded slowly. “You don’t have very good choice in friends.” She grinned slightly. “You’re still the only Starfleet officer who is…nice to me.”

“I’m not spying on you or anything,” Julian said quickly. “I mean, if I was, wouldn’t I have told them about that code you used to deactivate the self-destruct?”

Vena laughed. “No, if you were spying, you wouldn’t. Not if you wanted to gain my trust.” Julian shifted his weight nervously. “But spy or not, you’re a good friend.”

Julian smiled, holding out the box to her again. Vena reached out tentatively and took it. She picked up a Romulan version of a tricorder and scanned it, causing Julian to chuckle at her distrusting nature. Vena glanced up at him. “You can never be too careful,” she commented. She opened the box and slowly lifted out the thin chain with a pendant. “What is this?”

“A necklace.”

“No, this.” She looked closely at the small, silver pendant. “What is it?”

“A dragon.” Vena shook her head. “It’s a mythical creature,” Julian explained.

“An Earth legend?” Julian nodded as Vena clasped the necklace around her neck. “It’s lovely. Thank you.” She gazed down at the pendant, turning it over in her hand a few times, her eyes glazed over as though she was seeing something else. “It’s beautiful,” she said quietly.

“So…dinner?” Julian prompted, wondering why his gift was so distracting to her.

“All right,” Vena said quietly, still staring at the necklace.

“Are you…are you all right?”

“Hmm?” She looked up at him. “Oh, yes, of course, I am,” she said with a smile that was surprisingly sincere. “The Jolan?”

“Actually, I was hoping for something more private.”

Vena arched an eyebrow. “Doctor…” she began warningly.

“No, no, don’t get the wrong idea, I really do mean just dinner. I’ll make it.”

The side of Vena’s mouth pulled into a smile. “You can cook?”

“Well, don’t be so surprised,” Julian said, pretending to be offended.

“Look, I really appreciate the thought, Doctor—.”

“Julian,” he interrupted.

Vena sighed. “Fine, Julian.”

“See, we’re friends again,” he said with a grin.

Julian winced at first, fearing that the look Vena was giving him meant that she was annoyed at him, but then she smiled and shook her head. “I suppose we are.”

---

“You’re what?” Garak exclaimed in surprise.

Julian sighed and continued to walk to his quarters. “I said that I am making dinner for Vena tonight, so please don’t—.”

“Doctor, forgive me for being blunt, but are you out of your mind?”

Julian halted in his tracks and turned towards his mysterious friend. “Out of my mind? I’m having dinner with a friend, as you and I have done on many occasions.”

“Yes, but I am not Vena.”

“Obviously not,” Julian said with a small smile as he quickly glanced over his friend.

Garak sighed as Julian shook his head and began walking towards his quarters again. “That is not what I meant.”

Julian was becoming rather annoyed with Garak as the Cardassian followed him into his quarters. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you were jealous.” Julian silently cursed Garak’s unreadable gaze. “But since I am quite certain that you are not, would you mind telling me what is wrong with having dinner with a friend?” And although Julian did not express it, he was concerned with the unwonted intensity of Garak’s reaction.

“Doctor,” said Garak in a slightly condescending tone. “Alone? Here? With her? There are reasons for Starfleet wanting me to keep an eye on her, you know. Couldn’t you two at least eat at the Jolan?”

“Garak, I don’t have any information the Romulans could want. Besides, she’s not a Romulan spy.”

“Are you sure of that?” Julian did not have a chance to answer as Garak continued, “She could kill you without much effort, especially with no one around. She could quite possibly take over your mind with a mind-meld, except perhaps your genetically enhanced brain could resist that.”

“First off, you’re being ridiculously paranoid, and secondly, why on earth would Vena want to kill me, and thirdly—a mind-meld? She’s Romulan, not—!” Julian stopped before finishing his thought, his mouth still open as he stared, wide-eyed, at Garak. “Is she?” Not allowing Garak to respond, Julian began pacing about his quarters. “Of course! She looks Vulcan; that was one of my first thoughts when I saw her! She dislikes the Romulan government—it isn’t very Vulcan-like, is it? And that would explain why she chose to stay here in the first place. Vulcans are probably not very welcome in the Empire, not since the war with the Federation anyway…”

“I’m sorry, Doctor, but your conclusion is rather inaccurate. And now, assuming that you are still going to go through with this dinner, I shall have to leave you to your cooking.”

“Garak!”

“Yes, Doctor?”

Julian sighed heavily. “Garak, you are insufferable! What are you trying to tell me? So she isn’t Vulcan?”

“Not completely,” Garak said after a moment, nodding politely. “And now, before your human phrase ‘speak of the devil’ becomes true and Vena shows up at your door, I will take my leave.”

Never before had Julian eyed a door so suspiciously as when a chime announced that there was indeed someone at the door. “Come in.”

Garak glanced bewilderedly from Vena to Julian and then covered his unease with a smile. “Good day, Doctor.”

Vena glared at Garak, who motioned for her to enter the room before he left. She stepped in, her eyes searching suspiciously around her before focusing again on Garak as he left. She then turned to Julian, who tried to smile as casually as possible.

“You’re early!”

“I was passing by and thought I heard a certain man’s voice. I was curious about the conversation.” Vena took a step closer to Julian, who grew uncomfortable under her harsh gaze. “It seems that you and he were discussing me…and for some reason comparing me to a devil.”

“No, no,” Julian said quickly. “Don’t misunderstand that. Garak was just using the human phrase, it’s referring to the idea that whenever you’re talking about someone, they will appear.”

Vena arched an eyebrow as she thought for a moment. “Coincidences.”

“Yes, but the phrase does seem to hold true sometimes. Like right now when you appeared at the door…” Julian muttered.

Vena smiled. “So, what are you cooking, and do you need any help?”

It was not long before the two were slicing up some vegetables, many of which Vena found strange, seeing as they were earth foods. Julian was pleasantly surprised by how cheerful Vena was being as they worked. He had been expecting her to be angry with him for talking to Garak or something. The Cardassian’s words were still ringing in his ears, and Julian was now intensely curious about Vena’s heritage, but knew better than to ask. He was also watching the knife she was using very carefully. Just in case.

It was not until they were eating their meal that Vena asked, “And what were you two saying about me?

Julian choked on his salad. Leave it to Vena to let him feel so “safe” before an “attack.” Garak was right about her, in a way. “Nothing, really.”

“Really?” Vena said nonchalantly.

“Really. I was just…well, I was thinking that you may, perhaps…” Julian swallowed hard as Vena arched her eyebrow again. “That perhaps you were part Vulcan.”

Vena nodded silently and continued eating, leaving Julian in suspense until she continued, “And you saw fit to discuss this possibility with Garak?”

“We were just talking.”

“And do you often ‘just talk’ about me to that man?”

“I-I don’t—.”

“You could always just ask me these things, you know. At least I won’t lie to you.”

Julian sighed and shook his head with a sad smile. Vena eyed him inquisitively. “How do I know that?” Julian asked.

“Because instead of an elaborate web of lies, if I don’t want you to know, I just won’t tell you,” she said before taking a sip of wine. “Hmm. Not bad. Very weak, but the flavor is quite lovely…”

“And how do I know you aren’t lying to me?” Julian said with a grin, knowing full well that he had managed to make another enigmatic friend who was more like Garak than he would ever dare tell her.

“You don’t,” Vena said with a smile.

“I thought not.”