"I hope you appreciate the confidence I have in you, Odo; some of my fellow officers might feel it was bit indiscreet of me to reveal so much sensitive information to someone who is, after all, in the pay of the Federation." Dukat smiled. "But then, as I was saying before . . . you and I know each other better than that. Don't we?"
"Of course." Odo regarded the other for a moment. "I also know that you undoubtedly have your reasons for showing me these things."
Dukat gave a single nod. "Your perceptions are accurate, as usual. Something as big as this will require very competent individuals running it. Frankly, a continuing operation such as Moagitty is somewhat beyond the expertise of most Cardassians—we don't often deal with what might be termed the industries of entertainment and hospitality. And the nature of this enterprise is going to create some rather unique problems. Any time you deal with people's deepest desires and fantasies, there are going to be problems. Security problems, Odo. Am I making myself clear to you, Odo?"
He nodded. "You want me to work for you again. As chief of security for this Moagitty."
"Exactly." Gul Dukat's smile became both more sinister and ingratiating. "I know that our partner McHogue is already approaching others with whom he is familiar, and making similar offers regarding different aspects of the operation. We want the best—you should be flattered I thought of you."
"I would regard such a position of trust as an honor, sir."
Dukat peered more closely at him. "That's not really an acceptance of my offer, is it?"
He made no reply.
"I understand, Odo. As I said before, you're an intelligent creature—and you have your own interests to look after You're wise to be cautious—much of the success of this venture will depend upon our partners, General Aur and the others in the new Bajoran government. And as you know, I've never been given to placing my trust in Bajorans. They're a treacherous lot."
"Then why trust any of them now?"
"A good question." Dukat smiled. "But I don't think 'trust' is exactly the right word for my relationship with Aur. He undoubtedly derives some satisfaction from the notion of Cardassians working for the benefit of Bajor—it's a kind of revenge for him. He wants it so badly that he's willing to set aside any caution that he might otherwise have felt. But that's his problem, not mine."
Odo mulled over the other's words. "Are your plans other than what you've told General Aur?"
"Actually, no. This is one of those rare occurrences where deception is not called for. It's not me that Aur should worry about. Let's just say that he may have greatly overestimated his fellow Bajorans' willingness to engage in commerce with us. I know the collective Bajoran soul better than Aur does—and why shouldn't that be the case? I was their master for a good many years, and even I wouldn't say that I was a gentle master. The Bajoran people may not be as ready to forgive and forget as Aur would like to believe."
"But then—" Odo peered more closely at the Gul. "You're risking a great deal by having any involvement at all in this scheme that McHogue has concocted."
"Not at all." Dukat's expression showed the pleasure he felt in his own cleverness. "This is a situation in which I cannot suffer any losses. Perhaps—at least in this particular instance—I am wrong and General Aur is right. Very well; then I and my fellow Cardassians reap all the benefits of the arrangement that has been set in place. And we are in an even better position to derive even more advantages, in ways that Aur wouldn't have anticipated. But if Aur is wrong, and the Bajoran people aren't ready to do business with us . . ." Dukat's unpleasant smile appeared again. "There are other Bajorans besides Aur and his followers who have—shall we say?—expressed an interest in coming to an agreement with me. If Aur's government were to collapse, swept away by the outrage of the Bajorans, that would allow these others—who are just as reasonable but more discreet—to come to power. And then certain other of my plans might come into fruition. But—that's all in the future." Dukat gestured at the computer panel. "Right now, the city of Moagitty doesn't even exist yet. We'll have to wait and see what happens with it. It could very well turn out to be . . . quite wonderful. Don't you agree?"
Slowly, Odo nodded. "The potential is indeed great."
"Perhaps then, we should just agree to keep this discussion on hold for a little while longer. You don't have to give me an answer now." Dukat regarded him in a silence for a moment.
"I'll give your offer my deepest consideration."
"I'm sure you will." Dukat walked Odo to the door, then stopped and turned toward him. "Though there is something else that might influence your decision. As security chief for the city of Moagitty, you would naturally have complete access to the CI technology we'll be employing—and there's more to that than you're presently aware of. It can be a very powerful tool, Odo—not just something for indulging one's wildest fantasies." Dukat reached up and placed a single fingertip against Odo's brow. "There's things locked inside here. Things you might never discover any other way." He smiled and drew his finger back. "Another world. The past, perhaps."
The door opened, and Odo stepped through. He glanced over his shoulder.
"It was good to see you again, Odo." Dukat pressed the control panel. "Remember what I told you." The door slid shut, and Odo let the Cardassian guards lead him back to the docking port.
CHAPTER 12
There was news from home—her real home, the world she had been born on—but it didn't cheer her up.
Kira ordered another drink but didn't touch it, any more than she had the last couple that Quark had brought to her table. A sip, just enough to detect the sharp tang of the alcohol, making sure that the Ferengi wasn't taking the opportunity to cheat her—then she would push the slender glass away so she could better concentrate on the data padd in front of her.
"You seem to be in a wretched mood." Quark stood back with the empty tray. "You're usually so . . . bright and cheery."
She turned her head and gazed balefully at the other's pointy-toothed smile. Buying drinks that she didn't consume was a cheap enough rent to pay for the space she took up in Quark's establishment. She had been slowly going crazy sitting for shift after shift in her living quarters, by herself; nothing in her personality, she knew, was suited for quiet introspection. The stimulus of the Promenade's hustle and buzz did more to soothe her nerves than anything else could. At the same time, the last thing she wanted to do was get even slightly inebriated in a public place; she could sense—or imagine—the eyes of those surreptitiously watching her, the whispers that her absence from Commander Sisko's top-level war councils had triggered.
"Then again," said Quark thoughtfully, "nobody around here has ever actually described you as being a bundle of laughs."
"Sorry to bring the festive mood down." Kira took a sip of the drink he'd brought her, as if to demonstrate a cooperative spirit. "But I've got a lot on my mind."
"No, no; that's quite all right." It was Quark's turn to look dejected. "I'm grateful for any business at all. Look around you." With the tray tucked under one arm, a sweeping gesture of his other hand took in the entire premises. "My receipts are way down. This has been the worst spell since I first opened up this place."
Kira looked where he pointed and saw a third of the tables and booths empty; a single drinker, a hulking Denebian, stood at the bar and nursed a synthale. Quark's establishment was hardly a morgue—yet—but it was distinctly more subdued and less crowded than she had ever seen it before. When she had come in, she hadn't perceived the situation; she had thought that the relatively gloomy atmosphere was something she had brought with her, like some kind of mildly depressing radiation.