
small quick-talking Yentis from Alamenta II, even one Cardassian youth, taking his own personal sight
seeing trip through the galaxy and not finding much that could compare to his home planet.
And there were three Kendos from Laertes. Two of them were small, determined-looking men, dressed
in baggy clothing of lavender and black that seemed the national colors of their home planet. The third,
who had signed the ship's register for all three of them as "Anatol Alleuvial and friends," was somewhat
taller than the others, with light eyes and curiy blond hair, and wearing rich clothing of many colors,
though lavender and black predominated. He seemed to be the leader and spokesman for all of them.
The others deferred to him constantly. They stayed pretty much by themselves and seemed preoccupied,
not at all like typical pleasure-seekers.
There was also one Ferengi aboard, a priest in the long blue-and-yellow striped robes of his office. That
was unusual; Ferengi didn't travel much, and no one had ever seen a Ferengi priest before.
CHAPTER 7
"What game would you like to play?" Quark asked. Bashir shrugged, "It's all the same to me." Quark had
decided to personally guide Bashir through his first evening's play, acting as his croupier, cashier,
information service, and whatever else was required. Being all things to a person-that was one of Quark's
best talents. It was also the'essence of Kraggnish, the Ferengi art of getting your enemy to think you are
his friend and dying to do him a favor, though actually you're only dying to see his'latinum in your
pockets. Bashir wasn't really Quark's enemy; he was almost fond of the doctor. But it was good to
practice the art of Kraggnish whenever possible, just in case an opportunity came to use it.
Quark had had the gambling room redecorated recently, putting up Aneurian mood-paintings on all the
walls. These were holographic illustrations of "nonrepresentational objects, which'morphed through a
sequence of changes, accompanied by an almost undetectable low-tone musical accompaniment. The
combination of the two techniques was reliably said to promote feelings of well-being and confidence in
all creatures with Type Bl nervous systems. This in cluded all humanoids, though it by no means in cluded
all 'sentient creatures. For some species, like the Vagrii of Solotex V, the Aneurian mood-paintings were
disturbing in the extreme, and such species had to beshielded from them with Aneurian cloak baffles,
which Quark provided at a nominal fee.
"You're going to have to pick one," Quark said.
"Oh, I don't know," Bashir said. "I've seen some of your patrons play a game with different colored balls
that swing through the air. What's that one?"
"That's Andralor," Quark said. "I'll show you how it works." The area where Andralor was played was
decorated witbaltemating zebra patterns and flash squares of green, blue, and yellow. Coming up to the
game position. Quark indicated a playing slot left open. Bashir stepped into it, closed the half-gate as he
was directed, and put his chips into orderly stacks in front of him. With Quark's help, he lined up the
ornate ivory bet holder on the brag line. Lights flashed. "It's waiting for your initial bet," said Quark.
"How much shall I wager?" Bashir asked.
Quark shrugged. "Since I represent the house, I am your opponent. Therefore I cannot advise you on the
size of bets. Whatever you please." Julian shrugged and picked up a stack of chips at random and put
them on the brag line. A sigh went up from the several other players. A withered old woman gotten up
like a countess in a Busby Berkeley musical muttered, "So much? And the game's high sequence just
beginning?" The large, soft man beside her, a Lunarian from his pallor, said, "Do you think he knows