Star Trek: The Next Generation - 020 - Q-In-Law by Peter David Page A
Authors: Peter David
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whereabouts and activities at all times." "And what else, Captain?" asked Deanna urgently.
"That's all for now." "But, Captain!" Deanna began in protest. "My mother--to was "Is a grown woman, Counselor," Picard replied, sounding more testy than he would have liked. "And Q is a grown... whatever. Do you have any reason to believe that Q is exerting an undue influence on her?" "He doesn't have to," admitted Deanna.
"No, he does not," Picard said firmly.
"The bottom line is, Q has promised to behave with restraint. And your mother is free to do as she pleases, within reason." "And who determines what is "within reason"?" asked Deanna.
"I do," said Picard.
Chapter Ten
Lwaxana walked next to Q, eyeing him thoughtfully and appraisingly. Other crew members went past and when they saw who was walking down the Enterprise corridor, made sure to give them a wide berth.
"Tell me about yourself," said Lwaxana Troi.
"Are you certain you can handle the truth?" asked Q.
"I can handle anything," she said with conviction.
"Very well. Picard was correct when he said I'm not an admiral. I am, in fact, a god." "Oh, really?" she said with amusement.
"Yes. I am a member of an entity known as the Q Continuum. I can do anything." "Anything?" "Anything." She eyed him speculatively. "Can you bend your knees backwards?" "I beg your pardon?" "Can you bend your knees backwards? You know.
Like that Earth bird called a flamingo." Q flexed his legs and found that they bent only forward. "Not in this body, no. I'd have to change form." "So you can't do any-thing." He sighed. "I can do anything except bend my knees backwards like a flamingo in this form." "Can you bend your entire body backwards?" She gave a partial demonstration. "So that your head touches the backs of your feet?" Q stared at her. "Why would I want to do that?" "You said you could do anything." "I'm a god, not a contortionist!" said Q in exasperation.
"But what is a god," put forward Lwaxana, "except a moral and ethical contortionist. Claiming that a universe of confusion and chaos actually fits together into some sort of divine plan." "That is not a god's job. That's what philosophers do. They try and determine what that divine plan is." "But you know?" said Lwaxana. "You know what the secret of the universe is?" "Of course." "And what is it?" He regarded her thoughtfully. "You really wish to know?" "Of course." He glanced around, right and left, as if concerned that someone was listening in. Then he stopped his walking, drew her close and said, in a low voice, "Th." There was a brief flash and then something appeared in his hand.
She stared at it and took it slowly from him.
She studied it. She turned it over with meticulous care.
"A nectarine?" she asked.
He nodded. "Don't spread it around.
Especially don't tell Jean-Luc. He and his kind would kill for this sort of knowledge." "But... it's a nectarine." "Yes." "The secret of the universe is a nectarine?" "Sublime, isn't it. I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand." Lwaxana's lips thinned and she said in sharp tones, "Someone like me?" "Someone who is not a god," he told her airily.
She drew herself up. "I will have you know," she said archly, "that I am as close to godlike as you will encounter on this ship. Possibly in this galaxy." "Is that a fact?" "Yes," she said, and to his utter shock, she pushed past him. "Excuse me." "You touched me," he said incredulously. "No one dares touch me!" She took a step towards him, looking him up and down. "I am Lwaxana Troi, daughter of the fifth house. I... am not.
no one." She tossed the nectarine at him. He caught it effortlessly and watched Lwaxana stalk off.
And he smiled.
Unpleasantly.
And then his communicator beeped.
He looked down at it in surprise.
Certainly he had created it to be
"That's all for now." "But, Captain!" Deanna began in protest. "My mother--to was "Is a grown woman, Counselor," Picard replied, sounding more testy than he would have liked. "And Q is a grown... whatever. Do you have any reason to believe that Q is exerting an undue influence on her?" "He doesn't have to," admitted Deanna.
"No, he does not," Picard said firmly.
"The bottom line is, Q has promised to behave with restraint. And your mother is free to do as she pleases, within reason." "And who determines what is "within reason"?" asked Deanna.
"I do," said Picard.
Chapter Ten
Lwaxana walked next to Q, eyeing him thoughtfully and appraisingly. Other crew members went past and when they saw who was walking down the Enterprise corridor, made sure to give them a wide berth.
"Tell me about yourself," said Lwaxana Troi.
"Are you certain you can handle the truth?" asked Q.
"I can handle anything," she said with conviction.
"Very well. Picard was correct when he said I'm not an admiral. I am, in fact, a god." "Oh, really?" she said with amusement.
"Yes. I am a member of an entity known as the Q Continuum. I can do anything." "Anything?" "Anything." She eyed him speculatively. "Can you bend your knees backwards?" "I beg your pardon?" "Can you bend your knees backwards? You know.
Like that Earth bird called a flamingo." Q flexed his legs and found that they bent only forward. "Not in this body, no. I'd have to change form." "So you can't do any-thing." He sighed. "I can do anything except bend my knees backwards like a flamingo in this form." "Can you bend your entire body backwards?" She gave a partial demonstration. "So that your head touches the backs of your feet?" Q stared at her. "Why would I want to do that?" "You said you could do anything." "I'm a god, not a contortionist!" said Q in exasperation.
"But what is a god," put forward Lwaxana, "except a moral and ethical contortionist. Claiming that a universe of confusion and chaos actually fits together into some sort of divine plan." "That is not a god's job. That's what philosophers do. They try and determine what that divine plan is." "But you know?" said Lwaxana. "You know what the secret of the universe is?" "Of course." "And what is it?" He regarded her thoughtfully. "You really wish to know?" "Of course." He glanced around, right and left, as if concerned that someone was listening in. Then he stopped his walking, drew her close and said, in a low voice, "Th." There was a brief flash and then something appeared in his hand.
She stared at it and took it slowly from him.
She studied it. She turned it over with meticulous care.
"A nectarine?" she asked.
He nodded. "Don't spread it around.
Especially don't tell Jean-Luc. He and his kind would kill for this sort of knowledge." "But... it's a nectarine." "Yes." "The secret of the universe is a nectarine?" "Sublime, isn't it. I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand." Lwaxana's lips thinned and she said in sharp tones, "Someone like me?" "Someone who is not a god," he told her airily.
She drew herself up. "I will have you know," she said archly, "that I am as close to godlike as you will encounter on this ship. Possibly in this galaxy." "Is that a fact?" "Yes," she said, and to his utter shock, she pushed past him. "Excuse me." "You touched me," he said incredulously. "No one dares touch me!" She took a step towards him, looking him up and down. "I am Lwaxana Troi, daughter of the fifth house. I... am not.
no one." She tossed the nectarine at him. He caught it effortlessly and watched Lwaxana stalk off.
And he smiled.
Unpleasantly.
And then his communicator beeped.
He looked down at it in surprise.
Certainly he had created it to be
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