SYMBOLS

CHAPTER 31

The chapel, with its tall spire, was centrally located within the city and seemed to be one of only a few places where the wealthy and impoverished came together. Another place was the unusually designed building next to it, which overflowed with Anawin children of all ages.

"That was going to be my school," Tayna said with a hint of sadness. She pointed to the large hexagonal shaped building not far from the chapel. "Lani said I could start school if I passed the branding ceremony. I guess I won't be going now."

Paris walked over for a closer look. He peered through one of the windows. The classroom was full of redheaded children, all sitting in silence, listening to the monotone voice of a purple robed priest at the front of the room.

"It doesn't look like you're missing much," Tom said tousling Tayna's hair. "Personally, I don't remember my school days ever being so subdued." He followed the remark with a roguish grin.

"Me neither," Janeway said, stepping away from the window, her own eyes sparkling with memories of the occasional bout of adolescent mischief.

"In fact, looking back, I was part of a pretty rowdy bunch," Tom said. "We probably sent a few teachers into early retirement."

"Perhaps, if you'd had a weapon pointed at your head, you might not have been so keen to play the class clown," Janeway said a bit more seriously and pointed to the two armed guards positioned at the front of the classroom.

***

My advice is, unless you're prepared to make a trade, just don't touch anything," Harry said to the others, as they regrouped beside the sandstone wall near the spire. B'Elanna agreed while Harry went on to describe his experiences with the shell necklace and the dead youth.

"Priests seem to hold a lot of power," Janeway said, after Harry finished speaking and B'Elanna began to recount the events she'd experienced in the marketplace. Then Chakotay joined in and outlined his experiences as a guard, linking his recall of the events with B'Elanna and Harry's tales.

"Well, we've had an interesting hour, too," Paris said. "After deflecting about a hundred questions, I think we've finally got our story straight."

"Something that might have happened a lot sooner if Mr. Paris wasn't so willing to embellish," Janeway remarked.

"We decided Tayna definitely has her mother's eyes and her father's wavy red hair." Tom swept his hand over the top of his head. "But I really think we need to come to consensus about whether we're going to have another baby, Captain." Tom was obviously enjoying himself and wore a wicked grin.

Janeway rolled her eyes.

"It sounds like you've been having a lot more fun than we have," Harry said.

"Contrary to what I saw when I first gazed at the Anawin City, we've actually found the Anawin people to be very friendly," Janeway said. "They've been kind, helpful and genuinely interested in what we've had to say. Of course, that could change rather dramatically if they knew we were intruders. But it's a shame they don't have more freedom here."

"You think the Anawin people need more freedom. Try being a guard," Chakotay said with antipathy.

Janeway noticed that Chakotay hadn't laughed at Paris' words, unlike everyone else. That was unusual. She wondered whether his early experiences in the Anawin City had somehow knocked all the feeling out of him.

"Guards exist solely for the purpose of maiming and murdering under the direction of the High Councilor and at the discretion of the clergy," Chakotay continued. "But you're right. It's the ordinary people I feel for most. Their lives are inconsequential and so temporary. No wonder Kylani risked her life to join the Dimar. If I lived here, I would've joined them too." Chakotay looked somber. The long-buried, angry Maquis Captain was definitely resurfacing.

"Did you find out anything else?" Janeway asked.

"There's no easy way to say this," Chakotay said.

"Go on," Janeway encouraged.

"Zeron knows we're here. He knows Tayna is with us. He's put his troops on alert for intruders with the order to shoot on sight."

Janeway looked at Chakotay. His words hadn't been at all subtle. She lifted a handful of Tayna's red curls and checked whether the frankness of her first officer had made the little girl fearful. But Tayna simply grinned up at her and Janeway was thankful the comment seemed to have passed over the child.

"I'm not really surprised," she said. "High Councilor Zeron's an intelligent man, predisposed to his role as leader of these people."

Janeway knew Zeron was a powerful leader and that his tracking devices were exceptional. She'd seen first hand that he was prideful, vengeful and unafraid. It was a disconcerting combination of qualities that swayed Zeron's actions and bolstered his omnipotent image. Zeron had conducted a scan of Voyager, which would have told him Tayna was still alive. He would find that unacceptable. Janeway also knew she had blatantly disregarded his warning to stay away from the planet. Now Zeron would be after her blood too and he would never relent until he found them both.