“Are you a spy?” he asked.

“No. And I really don’t know what there is to spy about. The negotiating positions seem to be common knowledge. Troop withdrawals from the neutral zone. Unarmed observers on all planets in question to monitor the truce and withdrawal. Cardassian control of Dorvan V. These are the main points. What’s left are the details.” This was an accurate summation.

Hans thought for a moment. “You’re well informed.”

“I’m here to work with my father and learn. And I thought Begom was as well. Unless . . .”

“Unless what?” Hans asked.

“Unless he’s playing a dangerous game. No one pretends that a settlement with the Federation has the unanimous support of the Central Command. There are elements in the military who’d like to see these talks fail. I’m just afraid that Begom may have gotten involved with them.”

“So now you’re accusing each other.” Hans was skeptical.

“But why would he say such a thing about me?” I asked fervently. “He hasn’t been well ever since he came back from Bamarren.”

“And Bamarren is . . . ?”

“It’s our state security school. He suffered a terrible humiliation there, and I know he wants to do something that will somehow erase the shame. I’m afraid he’s involved in something that’s way over his head. He’s playing some kind of game with you, Hans, and I think he’s trying to impress someone.”

“Who?” Hans asked.

“Father,” I said, as if finally understanding. “Father always expected that Begom would be the one who’d go to the diplomatic institute and follow in his steps. When Begom went to Bamarren, Father was hurt and turned to me. Ever since, he’s been trying to prove to Father that he made the right choice, but after the fiasco at Bamarren. . . .” I nodded vigorously, kicking up dust as I paced our small clearing.

“I don’t know what he’s telling you, Hans, but if it’s anything like what he’s said about me, then be careful. He’s angry and he’s disturbed, and he’s going to say whatever he feels he needs to to redeem his pride and honor. He’s always been an adventurer, and this whole spy business–I’m certain–is just another game to him.”

Hans didn’t say anything. He looked out over his beloved rain forests receding to the distant string of volcanoes, and his face was a mask.

“What was the information you wanted from me?” I asked after a long silence. Hans grimaced as if to dispel an unpleasant thought.

“No, Alardig, I think you’ve told me what’s necessary,” he said with formal politeness.

“I hope it’s of use in helping Begom.”

“I think this is a family matter, don’t you? Begom and his father need to sort things out.”

“Ah, if only they could, Hans,” I said with a sigh.

We traced our way back down the volcano. I never saw Hans Jordt again.

I reported to Limor that evening. As I gave him every word, gesture, and detail he never took his eyes off of mine. After I had finished, I sat in silence while he made some notes on a comm chip that seemed to come out of his hand. The silence deepened as he waited for what I guessed to be a reply to his notes. There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but by now I knew that I was only going to get the information I needed to proceed–and nothing more. I had no idea as to what Maladek was up to, and I was worried about my improvisation that afternoon with Hans. Limor looked up from the comm chip.

“You will return to Cardassia tomorrow morning. Stay in your quarters until someone comes for you, and be ready to leave immediately.” Limor’s tone was flatter than usual, and I was worried even more that somehow I had botched my assignment–whatever that assignment had been. I nodded and moved to the door.

“You did well,” he said in the same flat tone. It was amazing how quickly and completely my spirits changed. “But tonight you are to leave your comm chip on, so I can hear everything in your room. Do you understand?” I wasn’t sure if I did.

“Yes, of course,” I assured him.

Limor just looked at me. “Stay on your toes, Elim. This assignment is not over.”

The first thing I did when I returned to my room was to check the eyepiece, but Maladek wasn’t in his room. I wondered if he would ever return. Had he gone over to the Federation? Had they murdered him? My imagination was attempting to fill in the missing pieces. What was this about? I packed my things to be ready in the morning, and sat in a chair fully clothed with my phaser concealed but accessible. I adjusted the comm chip so that Limor could monitor. What I was waiting for I wasn’t quite sure, but I had an idea.

*    *    *

There were all kinds of eyes staring at me. Strange blue ones that studied me like a specimen. Soft brown ones that signaled regret. Hard red eyes that looked at me with unaccountable hatred. I opened my eyes, and the red eyes were still staring at me. They belonged to Maladek, bloodshot with an inner torment I had only witnessed through the eyepiece. I realized that I had fallen asleep. How long had he been in the room?

“Maladek–what?” I started to get up, but he pushed me back. I didn’t resist, because I saw that he had a small phaser in his hand, and I was better off in the chair anyway because that’s where my phaser was.

“When I saw you at the cell meeting I knew you were nothing but trouble. Just as before.” His deadly tone sent my hand for the phaser, but I couldn’t find it.

“Maladek, I have never meant you any ill. . . .”

“From the beginning. With Charaban. You were an instrumental part of my betrayal.”

“What betrayal?” I asked. “It was the Competition, and it was my duty to fight you and try to win.”

“But you weren’t supposed to win!” he shouted, raising the hand with the phaser. I still couldn’t find mine. It must have slipped deeper into the cushions.

“Of course we were. Winning is the obligation of any Cardassian.” I didn’t know what he was talking about. He laughed with that loud, unpleasant bark.

“You’re good, aren’t you? They sent me back. They said I wasn’t stable enough to trust. They said I should work it out with my Father!” He laughed again. “If they only knew. What did you tell them?”

“Tell who?” I asked.

“Don’t play with me again!” He raised the phaser and moved toward me. I wondered if Limor was hearing this. “Twice is enough, Ten Lubak!” Another bark. “A Ten!” he said with spitting disgust. “You threw that body at us and I knew Charaban wasn’t keeping his end of the bargain.”

“What bargain?” I suddenly didn’t care about the phaser.

“You don’t know, do you?”

“No.”

“It was supposed to end in a stalemate. Neither of us would win. That way, Charaban could still assume leadership, and my placement after culmination would have been higher than an Obsidian probe.” He suddenly looked at me as if he was seeing another person.

“Why did you leave Bamarren?” he demanded.

“I was told to,” I replied.

“Why?” He couldn’t compute this. “You were one of the unit leaders. You should have advanced with the betrayer.”

I said nothing. I was not about to explain my own betrayal. Maladek began to weep.

“What did you say to them? You said something about my father.” Somehow I knew he wasn’t talking about “Oonal.”

“I told them that you were in over your head and that it was because you were trying to prove something to your father.” His eyes were suddenly furious, and he grabbed my neck with his free hand and held the phaser up to my head.

“What do you know? What do you know about anything?” he screamed in my face.

I easily grabbed the wrist of his phaser hand and disarmed him and kicked him back onto the floor. I stood up and held the phaser so he could see it. I wasn’t sure, but I thought I heard footsteps moving away from the door outside.

“What am I going to tell him? They’re sending me back. You seem to know everything that’s going on in my life. How do I tell him I’ve been disgraced again? What do I say?” The look on his face–the red eyes and contorted muscles–sent chills through me. He actually expected me to give him an answer.