Free Encounter at Farpoint by David Gerrold Page A

for life and had a cheerful, forthcoming personality. Riker had had a few talks with him about starship technology on the trip out. Wesley asked thoughtful questions, and Riker had discovered the boy
listened
to the answers.

    “Hello, Wesley. Enjoying your stay at Farpoint Station?”

    “Yes,
sir
.”

    Riker realized that Beverly had acknowledged his presence and was waiting for him to proceed. “I saw you and thought I’d join your stroll. If I may.” He smiled charmingly.

    Beverly seemed dubious—and uncharmed. “We were planning to do some shopping.”

    Riker persisted. “I’ve been meaning to visit the mall myself. If I’m welcome?”

    “Of course.” She began to move to the glass doors that let into the covered airy mall. Riker strode beside her, with Wesley trailing a little to the rear, studying the two adults.

    The mall followed the same theme as the foyer—sun and air, pleasant vegetation and colorful, fragrant blossoms. It was dotted with attractive shops and brightly decorated booths which dispensed food, beverages, and merchandise of all kinds. The Bandi merchants were all attentive and almost too polite to the Starfleet personnel who were buying their wares. Beverly scanned the immediate shops and booths, weighing her interest in them and ignoring Riker.

    “Mom’s not really unfriendly, sir. She’s just shy around men she doesn’t know,” Wesley said guilelessly.

    Beverly snapped around to him, her cheeks flaming. “Wesley!”

    “An excellent policy,” Riker said. “I feel the same way about ladies I’ve just met.” He looked at Beverly with an amused smile, and she was forced to smile back.

    “Doctor Crusher . . .” Riker began. “Although we’re not officially part of the
Enterprise
yet, I thought there might be something useful we could do while we wait.”

    Beverly glanced at him, one eyebrow rising in a question. “Useful? How, Commander?”

    “Investigating some things I’ve noticed here.” Beverly moved away from him, toward a table in front of a shop dealing in exotic materials and fabrics. The bolts of cloth were lined up on the table, several standing on end to drape the fabric for best effect. Riker trailed after the doctor and waited while she glanced over the merchandise. “Captain Picard will be inspecting this station for Starfleet. Every scrap of information we can provide him will make his job easier.”

    “Mmmm.” Beverly seemed more interested in the cloth. Quickly, Riker detailed the things he had personally noticed—the paintings, the mysterious appearance of the additional bowl of fruit with his requested apple. Beverly listened and appraisingly fingered a fold of tangerine-colored material.

    “Don’t you see how questionable these incidents are?” Riker concluded.

    “I’m afraid I don’t. What really happened? The Bandi came in and changed the decor in your rooms—at your request. A bowl of fruit that you hadn’t noticed—”

    “I’m sure it wasn’t there.”

    “A bowl that you hadn’t noticed,” Beverly went on firmly, “contained a piece of fruit you wanted. I really don’t believe Captain Picard will find that significant.” She picked up a bolt of maroon material and flared one end of it out to look at it in the light. “This would look lovely with a gold pattern in it,” she said to the waiting shopkeeper. The Bandi nodded and began to look further at the bolts of fabric he had on the table. Wesley watched the man with close interest as his mother turned to look directly at Riker. “I’m sure, Commander, there are reasons for a young first officer to want to demonstrate his efficiency, his astuteness, and his energy to his new captain.”

    “Now just a minute—”

    “But my duty and interests lie
outside
the command structure.” Beverly interrupted herself as she saw Riker staring past her at something that had caught his eye. The bolt of cloth that had been plain maroon before now had an intricate silver