Read Online The Mist by Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch - Free Book Online Page A

you? We were"
    "Major," I said, "you have exactly thirty seconds before an attack on the station. Go to red alert. The first sign of the attack will be dizziness; then a hundred or so armed troops will beam into the station even though the shields are up. If you can't hold Ops, disable anything you can, especially shields and weapons. Do you understand?"
    "Aye, sir," Kira said. She had already started to turn away, to issue orders, as the screen went blank.
    "Dax," I said. "Move us two hundred meters closer to the station and hold that position."
    Silence filled the bridge of the Defiant as I sat and stared at the screen.
    "Captain," Nog said, breaking the silence. "The Klingons are insistent, sir."

    " 'The Klingons are insistent,' " Sotugh mocked. "Of course we were insistent. You appeared out of nowhere, in a position that we had just flown through."
    "Shhh," the Quilli said.
    Sotugh turned. Half the patrons ducked again. "Don't shush me, you pointed pipsqueak."
    "You are interrupting the story," the Quilli said. Its bristles slowly rose.
    Sisko wondered if he should duck. That small alien seemed to make most of the patrons nervous.
    "I am part of the story," Sotugh said. "I want to make sure Sisko gets it right." He leaned over his chair and waved at Arthur, the kid behind the bar. "Where is my heart of targ?"
    Arthur looked at Cap, who rose from the back bar, holding a blue bottle. "I don't recall you ordering any," Cap said.
    "Of course I ordered some," Sotugh said. "When Sisko ordered his neshos."
    "Nachos," Sisko said quietly.
    "The story!" the Quilli shouted.
    "Did you know," the Trill said, crossing his arms and smiling, "that stories are the most important form of commerce on the Quilli homeworld?"
    "Are you saying I'm trying to steal this one for a profit?" the Quilli snapped. Its bristles were shivering.
    "Of course not," the Trill said. "I was merely explaining your insistence. Humans can be sloppy storytellers, especially when they're drinking. Sometimes they begin a story and never finish it. Sometimes they start in the middle and insist on an audience. Sometimes they tell a story that's too long for everyone to follow. With humans you never know what you might get."
    "And sometimes they are filled with their own importance," Sotugh said.
    "Are you saying," Sisko asked, slightly offended, "that I am a sloppy storyteller?"
    "You do allow a lot of interruptions," the Trill said.
    "If he were a better storyteller, there would be no interruptions," Sotugh said.
    "You comprise the bulk of my interruptions," Sisko said.
    "See? I am here to make certain of your accuracy," Sotugh said. "And obviously you are not accurate enough."
    "He is a fine storyteller," the Quilli said. "In fact, he is an excellent storyteller and the story is entertaining me. I object to the interruptions. I want them to stop."
    "I don't think that's possible," the Trill said, "given the mixture of customers here." He smiled as he glanced around the table. "But then you should know that. How many stories do you leave here with, anyway?"
    The Quilli whirled so fast that Sisko almost didn't see the movement. One bristle stuck out double the length of the others.
    "Any more insults, Trill," the Quilli said, "and you will lose an eye. Is that clear?"
    The Trill held up his hands. He did not stop smiling. "No harm meant."
    The bristle slipped back into place. "None taken," the Quilli said. It turned back to its position. "Captain, I believe you had just gotten a message from the Klingons."
    Sisko cleared his throat. "Yes," he said. "Right." He smiled impishly at his audience. "I had Dax put the Klingons on screen. Captain Sotugh appeared. He looked younger then"
    "Didn't we all?" Sotugh mumbled.
    " and quite dashing in his uniform."
    "Enough of the flattery, Sisko," Sotugh said. "Go on with the story before the warthog decides to blind us all."
    Sisko's grin grew. "You'll let me tell this part?"
    "I am waiting for my heart of targ," Sotugh said.
    "I