Tears of Time

“You wouldn't sell me, would you?” Julian asked, looking up at Garak for reassurance.

“You would be a present,” Garak said, his voice deepening and becoming affected, nearly detached.

“Garak.” Julian touched his friend's arm. He had only heard that tone when Garak was unwell.

Garak's back was stiff as he pulled the doctor along, scheming. It all depended on what the Minister of Justice decided to do now.

“What's wrong?” Julian tried to put a hand on Garak's shoulder.

Garak pulled away, placing two fingers to his forehead, and squeezing his eyes shut. He turned his face down.

“I'm your friend. You can tell me what's wrong, and I'll try to fix it.”

“You know too much,” Garak said, jerking the leash more firmly as he tapped a communication badge and called for transport.

Letting Julian go was impossible, unless he would be gone. Even though his information seemed harmless...he might know more damning things.

They rematerialized outside the country house.

“Garak...I could not leave that little girl...I'm not sorry for that. But I am sorry that I upset you.” Julian moved a hand forward when he saw the fabric of Garak's shirt had a bump under it.

“Get inside,” Garak said. His hand wrapped around the side of Julian's throat, and his eyes were glowing in the late evening light. He jerked Julian up the stairs, and into the house.

“Sir.” Julian said as Garak released some of the pressure from his neck.

“Better,” Garak said, shoving the other man onto a couch. “You are so thick headed. You are an infuriating pet.”

Garak reached back for his phaser.

“Looking for this?” Julian asked, holding the gold and maroon ridge-barreled weapon pointed at Garak.

“You are a better liar and pickpocket than I gave you credit for, Doctor,” Garak said, watching the brown eyes of the other man.

“I had the best teacher. Why don't you sit down?” Julian suggested, twisting the barrel of the weapon to indicate the other couch. "I've tried to be reasonable. I don't want to upset you, but Garak, you have to listen to me. Apparently I need to speak more loudly. Cardassian hearing is not as keen as human."

Garak smiled disarmingly and took a seat.

“Doctor, that weapon is not functional.”

“Then why did you do as I said? Why carry a weapon that is non-functioning? Now, to business...”

“Business? So you do want to go to the little girl,” Garak eyed the steely blue color of the inside of the barrel. He leaned back, splaying his palms up to his sides.

“Yes, my burning desire is to be a slave to a little girl's whims, to forever be saddled as her riding hound...”

“Sarcasm is an antagonizer of my twitchy finger.”

“And electric shocks stimulate my trigger-happy hand.”

Garak slid his arms up to rest on the back of the couch.

“It seems we are at an impasse, Doctor.” Garak turned his hands out innocently where they rested, showing he had no weapon.

“No, we are on a hill, and I believe that I have the high ground.” Julian shifted back comfortably. “Now, if you are done with your typical attempts at redirection...we can have a rational discussion.”





Garak sat still. Federation doctors took an oath not to harm people. No matter what he had done, it would not warrant the doctor breaking that oath. Garak did not blink. He was unarmed. The good doctor would not shoot to kill.

“I have no desire to belong to a little girl, especially not that little girl. I am my own person, and I am a doctor. I took an oath to help people, murderous, multifarious, or mendacious. I don't care what they've done. I will help them if they need it and I possibly can...” Julian trailed off, watching Garak.

“Have I ever given you reason not to trust me?” Garak straightened his back a little, teasing his fingers along the sofa.

“Dozens of times.” Julian said, leaning forward. He was finally getting through that thick Cardassian skull guarded by all the beautiful bone decorations. “But that does not mean that I would abandon you.”

“I'm sure that even you noticed that she viewed you as being as marvelous as yamok sauce in sem'hal stew.” Garak dipped his hands behind the sofa. "And, Doctor, playing at being dangerous hardly suits you. I doubt you would hurt me."

“Forgive me, but you're such a talkative man, aren't you?” Julian asked, with an ironic smile and tilt of his head. “Especially when I have the phaser.”

Garak arched his back a little, sliding his hands out along the back of the sofa. He kept his blue eyes locked with the doctor's brown.

“No one can engage in a good conversation as well as a Cardassian. It is a deeply rooted character trait of the species.”

Garak closed his hand around what it sought and sat quietly for a moment.

“Shall we dispense with the pleasantries and get right to my point?”

Garak was quiet, keeping his face neutral as his hand fiddled behind the sofa.

“I want you to get me access to the Orb of Time, so I can return to the future.”

Garak whipped the phaser around, falling to the left as Julian pulled the trigger. A bright golden yellow beam struck the back of the sofa where Garak's chest had been, singeing the fabric. Garak squeezed his own trigger, shooting an identical yellow beam that struck Julian in the chest.

Julian slumped against the side of the sofa, stunned.

“And I want my sofa reupholstered,” Garak said, standing up and taking the phaser from Julian. “I, however, am accustomed to disappointment.”