Free Stargate SG-1: Trial by Fire: SG1-1 by Sabine C. Bauer Page A

she insisted and gave a
conspiratorial wink that contradicted the shyness. "My girlfriends
are watching. They said I would not have the courage to ask."
    Across the street hovered three other girls, giggling and
blushing.
    Daniel chuckled. "A dare, eh?"
    "Do not be angry, please." It was her turn to blush. "You and
your friends are the talk of the town. Is it true that you came through
the Chappa'ai?"
    "Yes." He took the amphora, had a token sip of wine, and handed
it back. The threesome across the street hid their faces in a shivering
flurry of veils. "What do you know about the Chappa'ai?"
    "What everybody knows. It is the Gate of Paradise, the entrance
to Lord Meleq's realm."
    "Does the Lord Meleq ever come here?"
    "Not to the city!" She laughed. "Sometimes, when he is pleased
with us, he visits the temple. He has not visited in a long time."
    "Yeah, I heard about that." Daniel's arm described a generous
circle, encompassing her, her friends, and the streetful of revelers.
"So why are you celebrating?"
    "Because the Lord Meleq's servants have entered the temple
at last, and he will be pleased with us again. Also, we have a new
High Priest."
    "The king is dead, long live the king, huh?"
    The girl's forehead creased in bafflement, but she still smiled.
"Excuse me?"
    "Never mind. It's just... it's something we say."
    "Oh."
    A homespun band had formed a little further down the street. A
couple of drums, three string instruments that looked like bouzoukis
and a singer with laudable enthusiasm and a foghorn voice. To top
it, he was either tone-deaf or too drunk to stay on key. The local
party animals didn't mind much. Throwing arms over each others'
shoulders, they linked into a stumbling line of dancers. Hava Nagila
gone pear-shaped. The line proceeded on the Conga principle, picking up passengers as it went along. Somebody reached for the
girl, snatched her robe. She grabbed Daniel's hand.

    "Join us! It is fun!"
    He freed himself and jumped back a step, smiling. "Thanks. I'd
rather watch."
    For a second her eyes clouded in disappointment, then she was
swept away. As the line staggered past, a scuffle erupted near its
end. In fact, it looked more like a wrestling match than a dance,
steps hopelessly mixed up and shouts rising over the bawl of the
singer. Suddenly the line broke and spat out a hulky man who
landed flat on his face. Sam Carter stepped over him, dodged
groping hands, and skipped from reach. When she saw Daniel, she
waved and came loping up the steps, torn between amusement and
irritation.
    He laughed. "Natives getting frisky?"
    "You have no idea! I was trying to get out of it without causing a
diplomatic incident. What on earth are they on, anyway?"
    "A prototype of Cabernet Sauvignon, by the taste of it."
    "Daniel?"
    "I only had one sip. Courtesy of an admirer."
    "Yeah. Right." The Conga line was wobbling into a U-tum at
the end of the street, and Sam made for the door. "Let's go inside
before they come back."
    "Speaking of diplomatic incidents, what happened to Jack?"
    "The Colonel... uh... went for a stroll."
    She disappeared inside looking decidedly shifty, which
suggested that the itinerary for Jack's nocturnal sightseeing tour
included the temple.
    "A stroll, huh?" he called after her. "With the Professor?"
    Sam's head popped back through the door like some toy on a
spring. "What did you say?"
    "Where's Kelly?"
    "Not funny, Daniel."
    "I'm not kidding. Where is she?"
    "Kelly was with you."
    "We got separated. I figured she'd joined you and Jack." Which
was about as lame as it got. Daniel suppressed an urge to cringe. He should have known. "You think she "

    A frightening leap in noise levels announced The Return of
the Conga, and Sam pulled him into the courtyard and closed the
door.
    "Do I think she suckered you and went straight up to the temple?
As a matter of fact, yes."
    "What do you want to do?"
    "Remind Colonel O'Neill to harm her severely in case he finds
her,