whistle.
"What is it?" Sulu whispered out of the comer of his mouth.
"Later, but I'll tell you now it is werry interesting," the ensign
whispered back.
The doors of the lift opened, and McCoy stepped onto the bridge. Seeing
that something was afoot he moved to the back of Kirrs chair, and leaned in
to listen.
Uhura stepped down from her position at the com. "Captain, with your
permission I would like to serve on the survey team with Mr. Spock and Mr.
Maslin." 1W
"It would seem logical, Captain. It is unlikely that there are large
numbers of trained musicians aboard the EtWrPrise,
43
The Tears of the Singers
and it would be best not to waste one of Lieutenant Uhura's abilities."
Kirk tugged at his lower lip, and surveyed the three people ranged before
him. "All right, permission granted, Lieutenant. Now how will you ffil the
rest of your complement?"
"I'll hold auditions for those people who feel they can add some expertise
or input to the shore party."
"You're likely to end up with four hundred and thirty people lined up on
your doorstep, and all of them armed with jew's harps, kazoos, saws and
anything else they can think of," murmured McCoy.
Maslin gave him a mirthless smile. "One taste of my auditioning techniques,
and all but the stouthearted will flee. 11
"When do you want me to audition?" Uhura asked.
"That won't be necessary," Maslin said shortly.
"I disagree. You've never heard me sing, and it wouldn't be fair if I were
accepted without having to undergo the same test as the others."
"T'he lieutenant is correct. Both of us must be included in the audition."
Maslin looked nettled at being corrected, but he agreed with a frown.
McCoy gave a chuckle. "Aren't you worried about failing the audition,
Spock?"
Spock gave McCoy a majestic took. "Such a failure on my part is hardly
likely, Doctor. In fact the odds are-"
"Oh yes," McCoy said to Maslin, interrupting Spock before he could get into
full swing. "It's a good thing you turned up here. Saves me having to track
you down. I think you better come down to sick bay where I can give you a
going over. I want to know exactly what we're dealin' with here. ),
Maslin's hands clenched tightly at his sides. "Thank you, Doctor," he said
sarcastically. "For thirteen years I have successfully kept my illness a
secret from everyone but my 44
The Tears of the Singers
doctors and Cubby. But now, between you and my manager, at least half the
galaxy knows."
"And you know something else?" McCoy retorted. "Nobody cares. Now, if
you'll come with me please.9p
"Is this one of those commands you were talking about?" Maslin asked Kirk.
"It certainly sounds like one."
"And you will learn that if you do not give Dr. McCoy a chance to practice
what limited medical skiffs he possesses he will hound you ceaselessly
until you do submit," Spock added.
Maslin gave Kirk a startled look. The captain laughed. "Don't worry. You're
just hearing part of a long-standing and ever-continuing battle. Believe
me, you're in good hands."
"T'hat is perhaps being somewhat too optimistic, Captain."
"Spock, you're just beggin' for a physical. A compkte physical," McCoy
threatened as he herded Maslin onto the turbolift.
Kirk and McCoy strolled through the corridors of the Enterprise heading
toward rec room C. The ship was three days out from Star Base 24, and
proceeding toward Thygeta at warp six.
"fbis isn't going to be easy, Jim," McCoy said. "I can see why that manager
of his was worried. We haven't even reached Thygeta, and he's already
working too hard."
"You're monitoring him?"
"I'm having him come in every day for a checkup, which is making him madder
than bell, but what can I do?"
"Nothing. After all the trouble we went through to get him we don't want to
low our star expert before we even reach the problem."
Before anything further could be said Scotty came hurrying past, his
bagpipes clutched firmly beneath his arm, and an expression of anticipation
on his round face.
4S
The Tears of the Singers
"Why, what's this, Mr. Scott? Are you going to audition for Mr. Maslin?"
"Aye, Captain," he said ploudly.
"I thought the goal was to communicate with these creatures, Jim. Let them
get a load of Scotty on those pipes, and it'll scare 'ern to death before
we have a chance to explain."
6. It's plain, Doctor, that ye have no appreciation of fine music."
"Oh, were we talking about music? I thought we were talking about
bagpipes." Scotty glared at McCoy, and marched on down the corridor.
"Well, shall we go join the fun, Doctor? I understand Maslin has opened the
auditions, and it's almost outdrawing Riley?s betting pool."
McCoy nodded, and they moved on to the recreation room. It was Kirk's
favorite, where he often played chess with Spock, enjoyed a cup of coffee
and listened to Uhura sing. He also liked it because it was close to the
bridge, and he could respond faster should an emergency arise.
The tables had been pushed back toward the walls to form a sort of stage
near the far end of the room. The large table that held Spock's
three-dimensional chess board was set horizontally across the room facing
the stage area. The chess set had been relegated to the far end of the
table, and Maslin sat at the table with p4pers scattered about him. Uhura
was seated at his side.
Scotty was droning vigorously through "Scotland the Brave," while Kirk and
McCoy took an unobtrusive position along one wall where they could watch
the audition. Maslin kept his eyes riveted on the engineer, and his pen
unconsciously beat time on the papers before him. Uhura was watching
Maslin. Scotty concluded, and there was a swell of enthusiastic applause
from the assembled crew members. Whether the listeners liked bagpipes might
be in doubt, but they unquestionably liked Scotty, and they showed their
support with a long and loud ovation.
46
The Tears of the Sinprs
"Do you read music, Mr. Scott?" Maslin asked while Scotty beamed at his
public.
"Aye, sir. That I do."
Maslin and Uhura put their heads together, and conferred for a few brief
seconds. "Mr. Scott, if you can be spared from your duties aboard the
Enterprise I'd like to have you included in the landing party."
A slow grin split the engineer's face. "Aye, thank you, sir, and I'm sure
it can be arranged."
"My God, I've lost another one," Kirk muttered as McCoy gave him an
incredulous took.
"Why in the bell ... 11 McCoy began.
"I haven't a notion." Kirk had thought he had Maslin's tastes figured out
when the composer had accepted Spock, and had politely declined Riley's aid
after hearing the lieutenant's dubious singing abilities, but now he had
totally destroyed Kirk's careful construct by deciding to utilize Scotty
and his pipes.
Maslin reached fo
r his mug of tea as Lt. Donovan from biology began to tune
his guitar. He gripped the cup, but his hand was shaking so badly that it
slipped from his grasp. Uhura rescued the notes from the spreading tide of
tea, then gently touched Maslin's shoulder as he sat slumped in his seat,
eyes squeezed shut, and hands tightly clasped to prevent their palsied
trembling. She said something to him which he reacted to with a vehement
shake of the head. Uhura frowned in irritation, hesitated for a moment,
then said, "That will be all for today. Mr. Maslin will pick up again
tomorrow."
The crew members obediently filed out while Kirk and McCoy joined the
couple at the table.
"God damn you! I told you I was finel"
"You're not fine, and don't curse at me. I'm not one of your groupies, and
I don't have to take it."
Her exasperated tone drew a reluctant laugh from Maslin. "No, you're a
troublesome and bad-tempered woman," he said between short, painful
breaths.
47
The Tears of the Singers
"Very likely," Uhura said calmly as she helped him from his seat.
"That's it. See if you can get him to behave, Uhura. God knows I'm not
having any luck," McCoy said, perching on the comer of the table.
"The lieutenant has certain undeniable charms that you manifestly lack,
Doctor."
"Stop sounding like Spock. One is bad enough," McCoy complained.
"Yes, do slow down, Mr. Maslin," Kirk said. "We're still four days out from
Thygeta. You really can't solve anything until we arrive."
"I can perhaps get a head start by analyzing the one tape we do have of the
Thygetian song."
"You yourself said the tape is incomplete since the survey team failed to
capture the ultra -and subsonics. Drop it for now. In fact I'm ordering you
to take the remainder of the day off, and no working on that synthesizer of
yours tonight. Dr. McCoy tells me you're not resting."
"Your concern is touching, Captain," Maslin drawled sarcastically.
"Touching, hell. I'm not worried about you except insofar as it might
affect us to lose you before we reach Taygeta. What I'm really concerned
about is if you come to grief on this mission. That, together with that
protest you filed with Star Fleet Command, could make things difficult for
me."
Mashn caught the mischievous gleam in Kirk's hazel eyes. He sighed. "Why is
it that I'm constantly unable to silence you, Kirk?" He turned to Uhura.
"So, am I to go to bed now, Madam Star Fleet?"
"No," said McCoy. "You've been hunched over that contraption of yours, or
this table, for three days. Go take a walk--unwind. Then try to get some
sleep. Have Uhura give you a tour of the ship."
"A daunting prospect."
Uhura slipped her arm through his. "Oh, come on. I still
48
The Tears of the S!Wrs
have to show you why I'm never claustrophobic aboard the
Enteiprise.
Maslin suddenly smiled in capitulation. It was an expression of extreme
sweetness, and Kirk was startled at how it softened the harsh angles of
Maslin's thin face. Uhura smiled softly in response, and her fingers laced
through the composees. Maslin indicated the door, and they left the room.
"WeIll" exclaimed McCoy. "What do you make of that?"
"Trouble," Kirk said shortly, a thoughtful frown between his brows.
"So where are you taking me?" Maslin asked as they strolled down the
corridor. They were close, but not touching, yet Uhura was still aware of
his incredible magnetism. "I hope it's not your botanical garden," he
continued, "for I'll have you know that I find flowers boring."
"And why is that?"
"I get so many after every performance."
"Jaded cynic," she said. "No, I'm not taking you to the gardens, but to my
solitary place. We all use it for that. It's a place to rest and find
yourself, and we never infringe on anyone who's already there."
"Sounds intriguing."
They took the turbolift to deck five, level seven, where Uhura led them
through a door and onto the observation deck. Wide ports, that could be
shielded during battle, gave a giant panorama of the stars. Here the star
field did not appear to be moving. It was as if the Enterprise had stopped
her swift journey between the worlds, and hung suspended in the
COSMOS.
Uhura stepped to one port, and rested the palms of her hands on the clear
plexisteel, absorbing the grandeur of a billion suns. Moments passed, and
she realized that Maslin had not joined her at the port. She turned back to
face him, and found him trembling uncontrollably in the center of the room.
49
The Tears of the Singers
"Guy?" she said questioningly, taking a few steps toward him.
"Too much," he finally forced between stiff lips. "How do you live so close
to death?" he asked in an anguished whisper. His eyes stared unfocused at
the stars, and even in the dim fight of the observation deck Uhura could
see that he had lost all color in his face. His question made no sense to
her, but she could see that he was in great distress. She crossed swiftly
to him, and without thinking wrapped her arms about his slender body.
He gave a moan of relief, and buried his face against her. Gently she
stroked his hair, enjoying the silky touch of the strands against her
fingers. Slowly the trembling subsided, and he stood quietly in thecircle
of her arms. He raised his head, and they gazed seriously into one
another's eyes.
"I need ... to know ... life," he said disjointedly and, lifting his hand
he cupped her cheek with it, and pressed his lips on hers.
She had fantasized about this moment, wondering if it would ever come, and
how she would react if it did. Now it had arrived, finding her unprepared
and off-guard. All of her careful objections to this man-his lifestyle, his
many women, his dislike of her work-fled from her mind beneath the heady
touch of his lips.
The embrace was long, and Uhura was shaken at the power of her reaction.
She had had her lovers, but none had ever affected her so deeply with only
a kiss.
Maslin released her, and took one step toward the port. The faint fight in
the room heightened the gauntness of his face and deepened the shadows
beneath his eyes. He stared, fascinated, at the star field, and the look on
his face was that of a man who has heard a distant call that lay far beyond
the senses of mortal men.
Uhura felt fear, followed by a sense of furious denial at what she read in
his face. She caught him by the shoulders, and jerked him around to face
her.
so
The Tears of the Singers
"What do you want?" she asked in a low voice, her hands digging into his
shoulders.
"To know I'm stiff living."
"Then I'll give you that, but damn it, don't you dard slip passively into
that long night. I'll take no lost causes, no unresisting martyrs."
He smiled for the first time since they had entered the observation deck,
and he lost some of that fey quality that had so frightened her.
"All rig
ht. No great sacrifices, I promise. And now I want YOU, Uhura."
She drew in a steadying breath. "Then you can have me." His hand was warm
on her waist as they left the deck.
51
Chapter Four
"Captain's Log, Star Date 3127. 1 We are within minutes of attaining the
Thygeta system. I have placed the ship on standby alert in case we should
find enemy vessels already present in the system. I hope my fears will prove
to be groundless, and that we will be able to accomplish this mission
without the added burden of dealing with the Klingons.*9
Kirk snapped off the recorder and leaned forward, intently watching the
main screen. There was a brief moment of disorientation as they shifted
from warp to sublight speed, and the stars seemed to rearrange themselves
on the screen. The Thygetian system lay before them. They swept past a
large gas giant. Several smaller planets loomed into view and faded behind
them as they continued to move deeper into the system.
Suddenly they observed the phenomenon. It lay like an opalescent curtain
between the ship and the sun. Uhura gave
52
The Tears of the Singers
a gasp of wonder, and Sulu whistled tonelessly between his teeth. Kirk had
to admit that it was an awe-inspiring sight. Brilliant colors danced and
shimmered against the utter blackness of space, cutting off all view of the
stars beyond. Arching tendrils from the sun's corona reached out and joined
with the fulgent aurora, striking golden fire from the edge of the
phenomenon. Its beauty was awesome, as was its deadliness, for Kirk could
see that where the flares touched the space/time vortex there was a writhing
maelstorm, and the flares vanished.
ney made a slow pass by the edges of the eddying veil so Spock could take
readings. Then Kirk leaned back in his chair, and said, "Take us on to
Thygeta, Mr. Sulu. I think I've seen all I want to of this beast, and I
certainly don't want to get any closer."
"Aye, sir."
The planet approached quickly, seeming to swell and blossom in the forward
screen. Tbree small moons came chasing each other around the bulge of the