"So have I," Picard said, nodding. "Many civilizations have briefly considered using such asteroid ships for one-way interstellar journeys, but by the time these cultures go about actually planning such ships, they either stumble across the secret of faster-than-light travel, or they become decadent and lose interest in interstellar travel altogether."

"There is at least one exception, sir," Data pointed out. "Consider the asteroid ship Yonada-"

"Thank you again, Mr. Data," Picard interrupted. "What happened, Kerajem?"

"All we know is that the colony ships were launched some months before the ultimate crisis came for Eul Ma'ak Lethantana and Ma'ak Krannag," the First Among Equals replied. "Perhaps someone in power saw the attack coming and tried to make sure that some of our people would survive. A story is told about the captain of one of the colony ships who looked back not very long after the launch, from many millions of miles away, to see Eul Ma'ak Lethantana suddenly glow with a fierce light of its own. Our homeworld is supposed to have died at that moment." Kerajem paused. "Now we know what that captain might have been seeing. In any case, the story of the death of our homeworld and how it happened was brought to the asteroid ships by a handful of survivors who had managed to escape Eul Ma'ak Lethantana in high-boost conventional ships."

"Didn't the Krann chase the asteroid ships?" Riker asked.

"We think they would have if they could," Presinget said. "Either they didn't have ships with sufficient range to pursue our people, or they couldn't find the asteroid ships to destroy them." The labor minister laughed without humor. "The ships looked like asteroids, after all. Hard to sort them out from real ones."

"How long did it take you to arrive in this star system?" Picard asked.

"The religious scrolls say only that we were in transit for 'years upon years,'" said Klerran. "We think our people were on their way here for something like two thousand years."

"My word," Troi said.

"A flight time of approximately two thousand years for an eighty-seven light-year trip, given the level of technology one would a.s.sume for the culture on Eul Ma'ak Lethantana at the time of departure, is not unreasonable," Data said.

"And you were there just a day or two ago," Klerran said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Another question, Kerajem," Picard said. "I believe you mentioned something about a theocracy having been overthrown by a revolution-a rather recent one, if I understood correctly."

Kerajem looked at his hands again. "Yes, Captain," he replied. "When our people finally arrived on Nem Ma'ak Bratuna after their long journey, they fell almost immediately into barbarism. The rigid civilization that had preserved us and our ways inside the asteroid ships could not be sustained after we made landfall. We had lived with great discipline and self-control for two millennia. That was more than long enough."

"It was a b.l.o.o.d.y, brutal time," Klerran said. "The historical records of our people before their escape from Eul Ma'ak Lethantana are sketchy to nonexistent, but the record of our life here is fairly complete. We entered a long, dark age, losing our technology along with our civilization."

"We spent centuries conquering each other, killing each other, and losing whatever it was that made us Lethanta, a united people," Rikkadar said. "Then came the monks. That was about twelve hundred years ago."

"Monks?" Troi asked, a little puzzled.

"The monks," Rikkadar said. "They were few at first, but they went about preaching peace, love, and tolerance to the warring tribes. Many of them were killed for their pains, but enough lived to spread what they called the Word of Reconciliation to most of the world. Over the course of time, things began to calm down, and real societies began to form. The monks gradually came into power because, once we had a civilization again, someone had to run it. The monks were the only people that everyone would listen to."

"They eventually formed the theocracy you mentioned," Picard observed. "What went wrong?"

"The theocracy lasted a very long time," Kerajem said, his mouth a tight line. "It wound up making slaves of us. About six centuries ago, the leadership of the monks was taken with the notion that our new world must prepare for an eventual a.s.sault by our old enemy, the Krann."

"But is that not what has happened?" Worf asked.

"This was not a rational plan, Lieutenant. This was theology gone awry, religious ritual run amok. The monks had no more idea who the Krann were, or what they could do, than we did."

"Like building tanks to fight the Devil," Riker said.

"Eh?" Kerajem was puzzled. "Well, if you say so, Commander. We 'built tanks to fight the Devil' for some five and a half centuries. The entire effort of all our people was bent toward preparing for an a.s.sault by unknown forces from no one knew where. Generations of our children were raised with the notion that they could be killed by invading Krann at any time, any place. All of our people, young and old alike, were put to work in war-related industries-and all industries were war-related, in one way or another. Six hundred years ago that meant making candles and gunpowder and digging in the mines. More recently it meant building fighter aerocraft-and the mines were still there. I was down in the mines myself, as a boy."

Kerajem held up his hands for the Enterprise party to see, spreading his fingers and the stumps of his fingers. "I've caught all of you glancing at my hands from time to time," he said. "My guess is that you don't often encounter people with these kinds of injuries."

"Kerajem," Picard said, "we apologize deeply if we have given you any offense."

"There is no need for that, Captain," Kerajem said kindly. "I only wanted to make the point that age was no bar to dangerous work when I was young. By the time I was twelve, I'd lost four fingers and a dozen of my friends in the mines. I swore to do all I could to end that, to make it impossible to work children to death."

"He became a subversive," Rikkadar said, smiling. "I knew him then. I was a subversive, too. The monks tried very hard to catch us at it, let me tell you."

"But they never did," Picard hazarded. "There was a revolution, you said."

"Yes, there was," Kerajem said, "and Rikkadar and I helped lead it. So did Presinget. Klerran was one of our lieutenants. The theocracy tumbled very quickly, with little loss of life-on our side."

"We killed a lot of monks," Presinget said unsympathetically. "Too bad."

"We established a free government and set about inst.i.tuting social reforms," Kerajem continued. "One of the first reforms we carried out was to end the constant, ceaseless preparations for the invasion of the Krann-an event we did not believe would ever happen." The First Among Equals paused. "That was all a little over forty years ago. Thirty-three years ago, we heard the first signals from s.p.a.ce. They were from the Krann."

"They'd found us," Klerran said in low tones. "They said they had been pursuing us for six thousand years, and they promised our complete destruction. They swore that none of us would escape this time. In response, we initiated a rapid defense buildup-not the superst.i.tious preparations against bogeymen carried on by the monks as a matter of ritual, but a carefully planned program to meet a very real threat from the actual Krann."

"Shortly after the Krann announced their presence," Kerajem said, "we found a way to disguise our broadcast signals so that they could not be studied by the Krann. We've maintained that security for a generation. We don't believe the Krann know much about us, or how we intend to resist them."

"You say that the Krann race has been on its way here for fully six thousand years?" Picard asked.

"Yes," Kerajem replied.

"It seems incredible," said Troi. "How could an entire race of people stay so angry for so long? And why?"

"It does not seem to me that your enslavement of the Krann so many millennia ago would explain this ... this jihad of theirs," Worf observed. "There is something missing from your story."

"Well, why didn't you ask the Krann on Ma'ak Krannag about it yourself?" Presinget sputtered. "I mean, you were just there, you said."

"Captain, perhaps we should now discuss our findings concerning Ma'ak Krannag with the Lethanta," Data suggested. "In my opinion, it will not adversely impact their culture."

Picard nodded. "I agree, Mr. Data," he said. "Kerajem, ministers, I must tell you that we found no Krann living on Ma'ak Krannag. They were all gone. They and their culture are dead."

Kerajem blinked. "No one was there? No one at all? Was their world destroyed like ours?"

"No," Picard replied. "Ma'ak Krannag is intact. A specially bred virus killed all the land-based higher lifeforms on the planet, including the Krann."

"This virus you speak of was used as a weapon?" Klerran asked.

"It is possible," Data answered. "Your own people may have used the virus on the Krann in retaliation for the destruction of Eul Ma'ak Lethantana. Alternatively, the Krann may have destroyed your homeworld in retaliation for a sneak attack by you on them."

"There is one other matter," Picard said, "and that is the matter that originally attracted our attention. We need to know, Kerajem, if your people are working on obtaining the secret of faster-than-light drive."

"No, Captain, we are not."

Klerran leaned forward. "Before you came here, Captain," the science minister said, "we had thought that traveling faster than light was an impossibility. Our entire physics was based on the notion that the speed of light represents an absolute limit."

Picard glanced at Troi, who nodded slightly.

"Kerajem," Picard began after a moment, "we operate under strict rules of conduct that forbid us to interfere with the affairs of others. But if you would wish it, we can initiate negotiations between you and the Krann. The Federation would be glad to act as mediator, should you both agree."

Kerajem closed his eyes for a moment. Picard did not need Deanna to tell him that the First Among Equals was relieved. "Yes, Captain," he said in a soft voice. "Please go ahead and do whatever you need to do to open talks with the Krann. The hopes and good wishes of everyone on our world go with you."

"Amen to that," Rikkadar breathed.

That was good enough for Picard. "I think we should recess these talks for now," Picard said, smiling amiably. "I suggest that our next meeting be held at Government House at a time to be announced. Mr. Worf will have someone escort you back to your quarters before you leave the ship, if you like, or you may go with him directly to the transporter room."

"Can you send me directly to my home, Captain?"

"Surely, Minister Klerran. We can send you wherever you like."

"I've got quite a story to tell my wife." Klerran glanced out the window for a moment. "Quite a story."

After they left, Troi turned to the captain. "You're worried," she said to him.

"You're right," Picard told her candidly. "After all, we did detect those warp-field traces. They were generated within this star system, and they were real enough. If it isn't the Lethanta who are developing warp drive, then it's the Krann."

"Now that's an intimidating prospect." Riker frowned. "One hundred and sixty thousand starships armed for planetary conflict suddenly take up station right on the edge of Federation s.p.a.ce. The Krann would become an instant superpower-and a potential threat."

"Yes," Picard said, nodding, "We are going to have to talk with those people as soon as possible-not only to try to avert their attack on the Lethanta, but quite possibly to protect the Federation as well." He handed the Lethantan cube to Data. "It seems you've got a great deal of reading to do, Mr. Data," he said. "Please get through these religious scrolls as quickly as you can. I'll expect your precis by twenty-one hundred hours."

"Certainly, Captain."

"Excellent," Picard said, nodding. "Thank you for your good work today, everyone. Dismissed."

Chapter Eight.

TEN-FORWARD WAS EMPTY when Picard entered-empty, of course, except for her. She was polishing a gla.s.s that didn't need it, killing time. As usual, everything was neat as a pin, waiting for him.

"Uncanny," the captain said, standing at the entrance and shaking his head. "How did you know?"

"How did I know what?" Guinan asked, putting down the gla.s.s she was polishing and picking up another. She was smiling a sly, close-lipped smile that told him quite clearly that she already knew.

Picard said it anyway. "How do you know to be here, waiting for me, whenever I feel a real need to talk?"

"It's a gift," she said, shrugging. "You find it uncanny?"

"I find it utterly necessary and most convenient." He took a seat and accepted the drink proffered by Guinan. "Ah," he said, holding it to the light and studying the contents. "Just what I was in the mood for."

Guinan kept her eyes on the gla.s.s she was polishing. "Uncanny, isn't it?"

Picard saluted her with the gla.s.s. "Thank you for getting up in the middle of the night," he said, and sipped.

"Who says I wasn't up already," she said, smiling. "Well, I figure we've got about ten minutes to ourselves before someone decides to come in here. What's bothering you, Jean-Luc?"

"We're to leave orbit later this morning to make rendezvous with the craft we have identified as the flagship of the Krann fleet."

"'Have identified'?" Guinan asked, taking a third gla.s.s from the rack. "That implies you haven't talked to them yet."

"No. They haven't responded to our hails."

Guinan looked up. "And you're going to go talk to them anyway?"

"Yes. I must."

She nodded and turned her attention back to the gla.s.s. "What's kept you up tonight, Jean-Luc?"

"Data supplied me with a report on the religious writings of the Lethanta, the inhabitants of the planet below. I've been going over it."

"And?"

"And they're about what I expected," the captain replied. "The writings represent the usual mixture of historical record and basic moral principles that one usually finds in the ancient literature of humanoid cultures, but at least the writings are internally consistent. I was gratified that they bore out what the Lethanta leadership had told me about their past."

"The writings may have been lies themselves when they were written, you know."

"I know that, but they do tell me that the present-day Lethanta are being as honest as they know how to be. The writings record that the Lethanta enslaved the Krann, that there was a revolt, and that the Lethanta eventually had to flee. There is also an account of their long voyage to this star system. Not incidentally, the enslavement and exploitation of the Krann is described repeatedly by the Lethanta themselves in the writings as a great evil."

"I see." Guinan kept on polishing the gla.s.s.

"I think the Lethanta are sincere about wanting to open meaningful talks with the Krann," Picard said.

Guinan said nothing. She picked up a fourth gla.s.s and began polishing it.

"You're going to wear that thing out," Picard finally said.

Guinan looked Picard in the eye. "I think I could wear this gla.s.s out with this rag before you could get the Krann to see sense."

"Ah. So you've heard of these people?"

"Traveler's tales," she replied, shrugging again. "Legends. You know. Things get pa.s.sed around."

"What have you heard?"

"Nothing I'd base policy on, Jean-Luc. Rumors. Word is that they're nomads, of course. They go from place to place, and they take a very, very long time to do it, which makes everybody happy. Some say they're looking for somebody. Oh, and you don't want them dropping in on you."

"Why is that?" Picard asked.

"If they come calling, they'll stay a long time, and they'll pick you clean before they go." She thought for a moment. "I recall a friend of a friend who knew somebody who'd talked to a trader who'd been through a system visited by the Krann not too long after they'd gone."

"And?"

"He didn't stay there very long," Guinan said. "There wasn't anything for him there. I mean anything. They'd been cleaned out." She put down the gla.s.s she'd been working on, dropped the bar rag behind the counter, and gave Picard her full attention. "That's what I hear, anyway," she finished. "Never met the folks living on those ships myself, and I don't know anyone who has. All I've got is a feeling, a bad one."

Picard pressed her. "But what do you think?"

"What do I think? I think anybody who's mad enough to go on a six-thousand-year-long joyride to find the people who once did them dirt is sociopathic in the extreme, and I think they are likely to behave poorly in any number of ways. Avoid them, Jean-Luc, or be prepared for the consequences." She indicated his empty gla.s.s. "Want another?"