The BLTS Archive - Splitting Image
third in the Pairs series
by Kathryn Ramage (kramage@erols.com)

---

The second sequel to my alternate alternate-universe story, "Images in
a Broken Mirror."  When alt-O'Brien requests Sisko's help in keeping
the insane alt-Sisko from discovering the wormhole in their universe,
Bashir asks to come along to resolve some unsettled issues with his
own twin and Intendant Garak.

Setting: A few weeks after the events of the previous story,
"Crossback."

Copyright November 2002

---
/~prologue~/
---

"Elim, for the hundredth time, no!  I am _not_ growing a
mustache!"

Garak looked stunned at this outburst.  "Julian, dear, it was
only an innocent suggestion."

"An 'innocent suggestion' you've made too many times," Bashir
grumbled.  "Forget it.  You'll just have to get used to _your_
Bashir not tickling when you kiss him.  If you can't live with
that, I suggest you cross over to that other universe and take
up with the other Bashir.  The little monster's probably killed
off your counterpart by now."

"You really do despise him, don't you?" Garak asked quietly
after regarding the doctor for a long minute.  "I don't see
why.  You've had every advantage in life that he's been denied.
If anyone should be envious, it is he, not you."

"He wouldn't bother me so much," Bashir admitted, "if it weren't
for you."

"Me?"

"If I didn't know you were comparing me and him.  You kissed
him!"

"Yes, and if you must know, I'm sorry I ever told you about it.
I thought you would appreciate my honesty."

Julian _mmph'd_ sullenly in reply.  "You think about it, don't
you?"

"About what?"

"Him, and me..."

Garak was shocked. "Julian, the thought never crossed my mind!"
Although, now that the idea of enjoying twin Bashirs had been
planted in his imagination, he _would_ think about it.

The doctor was glaring at him suspiciously.

"All right," the tailor conceded.  "I promise I will never
mention Jules Bashir again."

---
/~i~/
---

Julian sat at the Replimat and ate his lunch alone.  Even
though this was the day for their usual weekly date, he
had not waited for Garak to join him.  Things had grown so
cool between them since their quarrel a few days earlier,
he wasn't certain that the tailor intended to show up.

This was their first real quarrel since they'd become lovers,
but the reasons for it had been developing for some time.
Julian knew that it was primarily his own fault. True, Garak
had spoken once too often of his mirror-universe twin, but
_he_ had over-reacted and he felt ashamed of himself for
behaving that way.  Garak was right: there was no reason for
him to be jealous.  Why should he feel threatened?  What was
Jules Bashir after all?  An ex-slave, a rebel spy, a barely
literate whore.

But that was the trouble, wasn't it?  His counterpart
in that other universe had been a brothel inmate and In-
tendant Garak's catamite; he knew just how to handle a
Cardassian male.  Lessons _he_ was still learning, that
other Bashir was well-practiced in.  Jules Bashir was
treacherous, deceitful, hard-boiled, everything that he
wasn't, but so many things that his Garak found attract-
ive.  He _was_ jealous, like it or not.  In spite of
all his advantages as a free-born Federation citizen
and a genetically enhanced human being, Julian felt
inadequate compared to his twin.  Sexually, he couldn't
compete.

"Doctor?"

Julian looked up at the oddly familiar voice.  The
subject of his thoughts was standing there, mustache
and all, on the other side of the table.

He scowled at his twin.  "Not you again.  Didn't Com-
mander Sisko tell you he didn't want any of your people
crossing over into our universe again?"

Jules nodded.  "But we had to come.  It's an emergency."

"What-?" Julian felt a chill ripple through him.  "Has
Intendant Garak escaped?"

"No, we still have him," Jules answered.  "This is something
else.  Come with me up to Operations. We need to talk to your
commander."

~!~

As they rode the lift to Ops, Jules smiled at him and said,
"So, how is your Mr. Garak?"

"He's fine," Julian answered stiffly, aware that the other
was prodding him for a reaction.

"And the two of you are getting along nicely?"

"Wonderfully.  We're very happy together."

"Does he ever talk about me?" Jules prodded again.  "About
what happened between him and me in my quarters that one
night?"

"I know what happened," Julian shot back.  "Elim told me
everything."  The instant the words were out, he knew that
he shouldn't have said them.  He had not been able to keep
the jealous note from his voice; his twin, having gotten
the reaction he'd been looking for, burst into a grin.

When they arrived at Ops, Chief O'Brien lifted one eyebrow
at the sight of Dr. Bashir with his twin, but he did not
seem unduly surprised.

"_He's_ in there," the Chief told them, and nodded in the
direction of Sisko's office.

Julian understood; the other O'Brien was here as well.

"Miles--my Miles--sent me to get you," Jules explained as
they stepped off the lift.  "I am sorry I missed your Garak.
I've been thinking a lot about him since he came to our
space station.  I was hoping I'd see him while I was here."

"Look, you-" Julian began, but Sisko had seen them through
the glass panels of the door, and was waving to summon them
in.

The commander was at his desk; the other O'Brien, seated
before him, turned as the door slid open.  "Dr. Bashir!" he
said with cheerful heartiness.  "Glad you could join us."

"Any time," Julian answered drily.  "What brings you over
to our universe?"

"Mr. O'Brien was just explaining the situation," said Sisko.
He turned to their visitor.  "You said that you were worried
about your Captain Sisko--some information Intendant Garak
had given you?"

"That's right.  Maybe Jules ought to tell you about that. It
was his interrogation of the prisoner that brought it out."

"You tortured him?" asked Julian.

"We had to find out what Garak knew," his twin responded.
"If he had any information that could hurt us or help us, we
needed to know about it.  Actually, Commander Sisko, this
didn't seem like either at the time."

"What was it?"

"Intendant Garak told me that there was a wormhole in the
Denorios Belt.  He thought that was how your people had
crossed over to our side that first time."  O'Brien glanced
from Sisko from Dr. Bashir for confirmation, but neither
reacted to this statement.  Jules continued, "_I_ didn't
think it was very important, but I mentioned it to Miles
when I made my report."

"And _I_ mentioned it to Captain Sisko," said O'Brien. "You
remember how oddly he was behaving after he looked into that
Orb he stole from the monastery."

"I remember.  It didn't seem to trouble you at the time."

"No, it didn't," O'Brien admitted.  "It got us what we
wanted."

"You mean Bajor?"

"The fight for Bajor's still going on, but it's only a matter
of time before we take it.  That wasn't what I meant--I meant
that it brought us closer to our goal of freeing all the Ter-
rans, everywhere, and taking back the Empire that was right-
fully ours.  Bajor's just the first step.  Anyway, when our
Ben Sisko heard about the wormhole, he was sure that it must
be the Celestial Temple."

"Celestial Temple?" Commander Sisko echoed as if he had never
heard the term before.

"Where the Prophets are supposed to be.  The Captain saw it
in a vision the first time he looked into that Orb, and he's
been obsessed with finding it ever since.  He'd sit for hours
staring into that thing and hoping for another vision, and
then yesterday he got his crew together and they headed off
for the Denorios Belt."

"That's all very interesting," said Julian, "but I don't see
what it's got to do with us."  Sisko gave him a stern glance
of warning.  "I mean, I don't understand why you need our help.
Do you want Commander Sisko to impersonate your captain again?"

"No," answered O'Brien, "I want you to do something about that
wormhole, to shut it up if you can."

"What makes you think I can-" Sisko began, when O'Brien cut
him off swiftly.

"You're the Emissary of the Prophets, aren't you?  Come off it,
Commander!  This concerns your universe as much as ours, so why
don't the two of you quit pretending you don't know what I'm
talking about and face the fact that if my captain finds this
Celestial Temple of his, you'll have a bigger problem on your
hands than you know how to deal with?  You don't like us jump-
ing back 'n' forth between your universe and ours using the
transporter.  How'd you like ships flying from one to the other
all the time?

"Look, I'm making an honest appeal.  We could've been sneaky
about this.  Jules and I could've beamed over and taken you
and the doctor back to Terek Nor without a word of warning.
But instead we came right up here to let you know we were on
your station.  I've explained everything to you right out--no
lies, no hidden motives.  The least you can do is play fair
with us in return.  Will you help, yes or no?"

Sisko was momentarily taken aback by this outburst; as always,
it was difficult for him to distinguish between the rebel
O'Brien and the Chief O'Brien he knew so well.  But this man
was _not_ his subordinate, and it was a mistake to think of
him as if he were.  It was a mistake to underestimate him.

From their first encounters with the alternate universe, Sisko
and his crew had tried to keep their mirror counterparts from
learning too much about their world--but, from the beginning,
little pieces of information had slipped through.  He couldn't
pretend ignorance about the wormhole's existence any longer.

"All right," he said.  "What do you want us to do?"

"Stop him," answered O'Brien.  "You know right where this
wormhole is, don't you?  You could take us to it.  We might
even be there before Captain Sisko finds it."

Sisko nodded.  "What then?"

"We'll bring him back to Terek Nor.  The revolution can't go
on without him.  Besides our people on Bajor, we've got fleets
on two fronts, fighting the Cardassians on one side and the
Klingons on the other.  Captain Sisko ought to be leading
them-"

"Miles," Jules interrupted him, "Ben Sisko's not fit to lead
anyone anymore, and you know it."

"Maybe _I_ do and you do, but the rest of the Terrans don't,"
O'Brien snapped back.  "They look up to him.  They wouldn't
have the hope to go on fighting if he wasn't there to inspire
them.  Madman or not, we still need him."

"Not everyone believes in Ben Sisko the way you think they
do," Jules answered.  "The army fighting on Bajor and the
refugees hiding out in the Sea of Wraiths might be inspired
by him, but people who know him can see he's out of his mind.
You can hear the talk around Terek Nor.  They're afraid. They
don't trust Sisko to do what right's for them anymore.  This
rebellion is going to fall apart if someone doesn't take
charge.  They'll follow the right man."

"I'm not that man!" O'Brien protested.  "I'm just a Theta
tech.  I know how to fix machines, but I'm no great leader.
What do I know about running a revolution?"

"You've been running it from the beginning!  _You_ have
always been the one who got things done.  Without you, we
would've lost this fight months ago."  Jules stepped closer
to O'Brien's chair and lay a hand on his shoulder.  "You
can do it, Miles," he said in a softer tone.  "And I'll do
whatever I can to help you."

*They're lovers,* Julian realized with surprise.  His next
thought was, *He's ambitious.*

"I won't get involved in your internal politics," Sisko told
them.  "You'll have to work that out for yourselves, whether
or not this mission of ours is a success."

"Right. We'll deal with _that_ problem when we come to it,"
O'Brien agreed.  "Let's get the captain home first."

Kira, Chief O'Brien, and Dax were talking together on the
main floor of Ops, but they fell silent when the office door
opened.

"I'm going to be off station for awhile," Sisko announced
as he came down the steps.

"You're going back to their universe with them?" asked Kira.

"There's a situation developing over there that I have to
take care of."  He headed for the transporter.  "It won't
take too long.  You're in charge while I'm gone, Major."

The major continued to look worried, but she accepted this.

"Sir," Julian spoke up.  "I'd like to go with you."

The commander turned to stare at him.  "You're sure?"

"Yes, sir."  He could not explain his reasons to Sisko, but
this was something he needed to do.

"I was hoping he could come along, Commander," O'Brien added.
"It's why I asked Jules to go get him.  You're a doctor," he
explained to Julian.  "We don't have one.  If we get hold of
Captain Sisko, I'd like you to take a look at him.  Maybe you
could do something to bring him back to his senses."

"I'm not a psychologist," Julian answered, "but I'll do what
I can.  If his mental condition is the result of a chemical
imbalance, there are treatments I can administer.  If you'll
give me a minute, I'll put together a medical kit to take
with me."

Sisko nodded, granting his request.  "Go ahead.  We'll wait
for you here."

---

Julian went down to the Infirmary, hoping that he would be
able to get in and out again without running into Garak on
the Promenade.  But, as he quickly gathered up the necessary
equipment and hypospray cartridges for his medkit, the tailor
came in.

"Ah, I'm glad to find you here, Doctor," Garak began in
an overly loud, public voice, for the benefit of the other
people around them.  "I want to apologize for missing our
lunch appointment.  I was unavoidably delayed-"  Then he
saw what Julian was doing.  "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes."  He braced himself and announced, "Commander Sisko
and I are going over to the mirror universe."

The Cardassian's eye-ridges widened at this news. "Julian-"

Before he could say another word, Bashir took the tailor by
the arm and led him into the office where they could speak
privately.  He'd been hoping to avoid an emotional scene, but
if they had to have one, the last thing he wanted was to have
it in front of his medical staff.  "I don't have time to dis-
cuss this now, Elim," he said once they were alone.  "We'll
talk about it when I get back."

"I know that you were upset by our quarrel, but isn't _this_
reaction a little extreme?"

"This has nothing to do with that," Julian insisted, but it
was a lie, and Garak caught it.

"Doesn't it?"

"It's a coincidence, nothing more.  They came, the other
O'Brien and Bashir, and asked for our help.  We couldn't
refuse."

"And is it necessary for _you_ to go?"

"They needed a doctor--but I asked to accompany Commander
Sisko before I knew that," he admitted.  "I wanted to see
Intendant Garak.  You know why."

"No, I'm afraid I don't," Garak retorted.  "I don't see any
reason for it at all.  I am concerned only for your welfare,
Julian.  Isn't it better for you to put that ugly incident
behind you and forget that it ever happened?  Why dig it up
again?  After everything _he_ has done to you-"

"But that's it exactly.  He's been between us in one way or
another right from the beginning.  Then there's _my_ twin.
Maybe I'm being unreasonable by being jealous of him, but I
_am_ and I can't help it.  If we are ever going to be free
of their influence, I have to face them and shut them out of
our lives once and for all.  It's the only way we'll be able
to go on."

Garak considered him carefully.  "Julian, I didn't think that
it needed to be said, but perhaps it does: that other Bashir
is nothing to me."

"You didn't need to say it... but thank you."  He gave the
tailor a quick kiss, and headed for the door.

"But you're going anyway."

"I'll be back soon."  Julian picked up his medkit, and turned
back to Garak, who had followed him out of the office as if he
still meant to stop him somehow.  "Please, try not to worry."
Then he went up to Ops.

"Ready, Doctor?" Sisko asked when he arrived.

"All ready, sir.  Let's go."  He stepped onto the transporter
platform beside the others, and they beamed out.

---
~ii~
---

A minute later, they stood on an identical platform in the
Operations Center on Terek Nor.  Unlike Ops on DS9, this
room was barely staffed; only a handful of people were on
duty.

"It's a good thing you're back, O'Brien," the woman at the
communications console said as soon as they had materialized.

"You've heard from the captain?"

"Heard?  He's been sending messages every two minutes.  He
wants to talk to you, bad, and won't deal with anyone else.
I've been putting him off--I didn't think you'd want him to
know where you'd gone."

"You'd be right."  O'Brien hopped down from the platform.
"Get hold of him, tell him you found me."

"Excuse me," Julian spoke up.  "Since my patient isn't here
yet, there's someone else I'd like to see while I'm waiting.
Intendant Garak.  May I?"

O'Brien looked surprised.  "You want to?"

"Yes," he answered with more resolve than he felt.  "If he's
been tortured, he needs medical attention at least as much
as your captain does."

"I don't see why you care."

"You said it yourself: I'm a doctor.  It's my job to care
when people are hurt, no matter who they are."

"All right, if you insist," O'Brien shrugged.  "Jules'll take
you down."  He glanced in the direction of his assistant, who
gestured to guide the doctor toward the lift.

Soon after the Bashirs had gone, the communications officer
announced, "I have Captain Sisko."

"Great.  Put him through to the office.  Commander, you can
come with me, but you'd better not let 'im see that you're
here."

Sisko nodded and, once they entered the office, went to stand
behind the desk-mounted viewscreen, where he would be out of
sight during O'Brien's conversation with his captain.

"You wanted to talk to me, sir?" O'Brien began.

"Smiley," a rumbling voice came from the viewscreen.  "Where
is it?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"You do! The Orb! Where is it?"

"No idea.  I thought you had it with you."

"Someone's taken it.  This is a trick of yours, isn't it?
I know what you're up to--you think I don't?"  The other
Sisko's voice was rising furiously, overriding O'Brien's
sputtered protests.  "You want to keep me from reaching
the Prophets!  You're trying to lure me back to Terek Nor
so that you can lock me away!"

"Now, Captain, that's not true-"

"You won't stop me!  I'll find the Temple, with or without
the Orb."

Once the connection had been terminated, Commander Sisko
stepped forward.  "You don't have it, do you?"

"Now why would I lie?  If I did have it, I'd've told him so.
I would've used it to try and bring 'm back here, just as
he said."

"Who then?" Sisko looked down onto the main floor below.
"Where's Professor Bateson?  Is she with him?"

"No, she's here on the station."  O'Brien leaned across the
desk to access the control panel.  "Jackson," he spoke to
the comm officer on the main floor, "can you get Professor
Bateson up here to Operations right away?

"She's not on Terek Nor, sir," came the reply.  "She took
one of the shuttles and left about half an hour ago."

O'Brien glanced at Sisko, one eyebrow upraised.  "Looks like
you might be right, Commander."

"If she does have the Orb, what does she intend to do with
it?" Sisko wondered.  "Does _she_ have a plan to draw your
captain somewhere?  Or would she try to use it herself?"

"I wish I knew." O'Brien sighed.  "Jules was telling the
truth before: there'll be a big rift in this rebellion one
of these days--but it's not going to be between the people
who know our Ben Sisko and the ones who don't.  It'll be
between the ones who stick by him, and the one who've lost
faith."

"Which side is Professor Bateson on?"

"Right now, I think she's caught in the middle.  This hasn't
been easy for any of us, Commander, but it's been hardest
on Jen.  On the one hand, she sees what Ben Sisko's become,
same as everyone else.  On the other, that's still _her_
man, no matter what.  She could be planning to do just about
anything if she think it'll help him."

And, suddenly, Sisko knew where Jennifer Bateson had gone.

---

As they rode the lift down to the Promenade, Julian asked,
"You and O'Brien..?"

Jules grinned.  "You noticed that, did you?"

"You weren't exactly subtle about it in the Commander's
office.  When did this happen?"

"Right after the last time you were here.  I knew that Miles
wanted me, but he never dared to say so--not until I asked
your Garak to stay with me that night."  When Julian refused
to react to this jab, Jules continued, "Well, he had to say
something after _that_.  Miles and I had a good, long talk
and even then, I had to push to get him into bed."

"And you'll push him into taking Sisko's place too?"

The grin widened.  "Is that what you think I'm after, Doctor?"

"You seem to be the one with all the ambition. O'Brien doesn't
want to lead this revolution."

"He'll have to."

"With you by his side," said Julian.  "Why you don't try to
take it on yourself?"

"You think they'd follow me?"  Jules shook his head.  "Even
if I had any idea how to lead a fleet into battle, who would
listen to Intendant Garak's whore?  Forget it.  But they'll
follow Miles.  Everyone likes him.  They trust him to do
what's right.  If Sisko died tomorrow, Miles would be the
one to take his place.  He runs things already, even if he
doesn't want to admit it."

The other Bashir grew serious.  "We have to win this war
against the Alliance, Doctor.  There's no other choice. We
won't go back to being slaves--they'd kill us all off any-
way, to make an example of us.  We have a long fight ahead,
and our glorious leader is getting in the way.  Captain
Sisko never was anything but a figurehead.  Now that he's
gone completely mad, chasing after his Prophets, he's more
trouble than he's worth.  We'd be better off without him.
In the old days, the Terrans used to kill their captains
so that everyone could move up a rank.  I'm not saying we
should go that far, but we have to get rid of him before
we lose everything we've worked so hard for."

"I can't say I'm surprised by your sense of loyalty."

"I know where my loyalty lies, and it isn't with Ben Sisko.
It's always been with Miles.  He's the one that found me. He
gave me my freedom.  He showed me that I could be something
more than a whore.  Whatever I do for him, it's to repay him
for that.  I'd give him the galaxy--I'll put as much of it
in his hands as I can."

The lift stopped and they stepped out.

"Sometimes I tell Garak about me and Miles," Jules said in a
more cheerful tone as they headed toward the Security Office.
"I like to give him all the details.  It's more fun to tor-
ture him _that_ way than using the agonizer."  Once they were
in the outer office, he gestured toward the entrance to the
holding cells.  "Go on in.  I'll monitor you from here."

---

The opaque forcefield that covered the opening of the cell
directly opposite the door shimmered and became transparent as
Julian entered the central chamber.  The Intendant was inside,
curled into a compact ball beneath the bench that ran along
the back wall of the cell.  He was in the same black clothing
he'd been wearing the last time Julian had seen him, weeks
ago, although now they were much dirtier, tattered, and blood-
stained.

As Julian warily approached the cell, the prisoner stirred
and slowly lifted his head.

"Dr. Bashir," the Intendant identified him.  "How good of you
to visit.  It must be immensely gratifying for you to see
me like this."

"No," he answered, crouching down on the other side of the
barrier.  "It's not in me to enjoy seeing anyone suffering,
not even you."

"You _pity_ me?" Garak spat the word.

"Yes, I suppose so."  This came as a surprise--it was not what
he had expected when he'd asked to see the Intendant--but he
couldn't feel any kind of vengeful satisfaction at the sight
of this creature's appalling condition.  Whatever pain he had
endured at Intendant Garak's hands, it had been paid back, and
more.  "I can't forgive what you did to me, or forget it, but
I can feel sorry for you, for what it's worth."

"You are the one who put me in here."

"You have to take some of the responsibility for that yourself,"
said Julian.  "_I_ didn't tell you to take my counterpart into
your bed.  I certainly didn't ask you come to my universe to
drag me back here and hold me hostage.  I advised against it,
if you remember.  If the rebels captured you, it's your own
fault."

The Cardassian stared at him for a moment.  "Agreed," he said
wearily, and lay his head on his folded arms.

At the sound of footsteps, Julian turned to find that his twin
had come into the room behind him.

"Are you finished, Doctor?"

"Not yet.  I want to examine him.  Is there a sickbay on this
station?"

"No."

"Then come here and help me."

Jules came forward to punch in the code on the cell's control
panel, and the forcefield dropped.  Julian went in and touched
the curled figure cautiously.  The Cardassian did not resist,
but let himself be pulled out from beneath the bench.  He lay
on his side on the cell floor while the doctor searched the
filthy, blood-encrusted surface of his tunic for some way to
unfasten it.

After some tentative preliminary tugs at the unyielding clasps,
Julian glanced up at his twin, who stood guard at the mouth
of the cell.  "Aren't you going to help?"

"I am helping.  I'm keeping an eye on him in case he tries to
grab you."

"He seems pretty harmless to me."

"Don't be so sure," Jules responded grimly.  "He's pulled
tricks on us before.  He'll do whatever he can to escape if
you let your guard down and give him a chance.  Don't ever
forget that."  To the Cardassian, he added, "And don't _you_
forget what I'll do if you make the wrong move, Garak."  He
lay one hand on the agonizer on his belt to emphasize the
threat, but the Intendant did not respond.

"I need to get this off of him so I can have a look at his
injuries," the doctor said.  "Do you have something we can
cut it open with?"

"I'll see."  With a look of warning at Garak, Jules returned
to the office.

Once he had gone, Intendant Garak opened his eyes.  Julian
recoiled, expecting the Cardassian to make a threatening move,
but the Intendant only hissed, "If you do indeed pity me,
Bashir, then perhaps I can request something of you--an act
of mercy?"

"What is it?"

"Kill me."

"I- I couldn't do that."  It was more than a matter of medical
ethics; he had not been able to kill the Intendant before, when
he had had much more reason, and he would not be able to now.
Besides, he was not entirely certain that this wasn't a trick.
He hadn't forgotten Jules' warning.  "I thought you were to be
executed?"

"My execution has been delayed indefinitely.  Your counterpart
and O'Brien find it... amusing to keep me alive, as long as I
have some use to them."

Jules returned, carrying a small knife.  The Cardassian flinched
at the sight of it.

"I'll take that, thank you."  Julian snatched the knife from
his twin's hand and, with a few, quick strokes, slit the tunic
down the front and lay it open.  The necrotic stench of un-
treated wounds rose from the bared skin; Julian kept his lips
pressed tightly together and held his breath while he assessed
the extent of the damage.

He had assembled his medkit primarily to treat Captain Sisko,
but he had also brought along standard equipment for routine
first-aid.  Using a dermal regenerator, he did what he could
to alleviate his patient's injuries, but he was sickened and
angry as he worked.

It wasn't that he had never seen such cruelty before.  After
witnessing the aftermath of the Bajoran Occupation, he knew
what Cardassians were capable of, and he'd been exposed to
the chillingly calculated brutality of the Dominion.  From
his history, he couldn't deny that humans could be equally
vicious, but why must it be these particular humans?  Even
O'Brien, who seemed more decent than the others--if he had
not participated in the torture of this prisoner, he had at
least authorized it.  As they moved farther away from the
time of their own slavery, they were becoming more cruel
themselves.

"_You_ did this to him," he accused his twin.

"It's no more than he did to a hundred Terran slaves," Jules
responded.  "At least, _I_ had a reason for it.  He used to
hurt people for fun."

"No reason you could have would be good enough to excuse
this treatment--and I'll bet you had some 'fun' too, didn't
you?"

"What if I did?  He had his fun with me, and with you too,
Doctor.  All the time I was serving as his whore, I looked
forward to the day when I could get back at him for the way
he treated me.  Can you honestly say you wouldn't do the
same thing if you had the chance?"

"No, I wouldn't."

"Wouldn't you really?  Not even if I give you a chance right
now?  There's no one here to see... just you, and me, and him.
Who's to know what goes on in this cell?"  Jules leaned closer
to him.  "I'll hold him down for you if you want me to."

"All I want you to do is to get away from me!" Julian snapped,
as shocked and repulsed by the suggestion as he was by the
creature who had made it.

The other Bashir laughed.  "I guess we're not so much alike
after all."

"Thank goodness for _that_!"

As his smirking twin retreated, the doctor turned his atten-
tion to his patient.  "Here," he said, and slid a sedative
cartridge into the hypospray.  "I'm going to give you a
little of this.  It will help you to rest."

"Can't you give me more than 'a little'?" the Cardassian mur-
mured.  "Then I might not wake up at all."

"I'm sorry.  I can't do that."

"Ah," the Intendant closed his eyes.  "I knew you were lying.
You do have a vengeful side after all."

---

Sisko was waiting for him on the Promenade when he left the
Security office a few minutes later.  "Are you all right,
Doctor?"

"Fine, sir."  Apparently, Sisko had perceived some part of
his motives after all.  "I wish everyone would stop worry-
ing about me.  I'm not _that_ fragile.  It won't kill me to
see Intendant Garak, especially not now."  He glanced back
at Security, where Jules had remained with his prisoner.

"How is he?"

"He's in very bad shape.  They've mistreated him horribly.
My counterpart has taken more than enough revenge on In-
tendant Garak for the both of us.  Of the two of them, he
frightens me more."  He knew that the commander would under-
stand; that other, mad Sisko must be a disturbing mirror
image to face, even more than his own increasingly vicious
twin.  "Did you manage to contact their- ah- captain?" he
asked.

"Yes, and I'm going down to Bajor."

"Is that where he's gone?"

Sisko shook his head.  "It's Professor Bateson.  She's taken
the Orb, and I think I know where.  O'Brien's giving me a
shuttle and pilot to find her.  I'd like you to come along."

"Commander," Julian lowered his voice; this was the first
opportunity they had to talk privately.  "Even if Captain
Sisko finds the wormhole, he won't cross over into _our_
universe."

"Yes, I know."

"Then why did you agree to come here?"

"O'Brien was right: this does concern us, but not the way he
meant it.  We are responsible for this situation.  We started
the Terran revolution."

Julian's eyes grew enormous.  "It's my fault," he said.  "Mine,
and Major Kira's.  It would never have happened if we hadn't
stumbled into their world.  If I hadn't made friends with this
Miles O'Brien.  If Kira hadn't told their Sisko about you."

"You can't take it all on yourself, Julian," Sisko reassured
him.  "It's my fault too.  We got involved in their war, even
helped them to win key battles.  That's _my_ doing.  I was
sympathetic to the Terran cause.  I saw them simply as slaves
fighting for their freedom--maybe I just wanted to see them
that way.  Since then, I've been forced to realize that these
people don't want to create a society like our Federation for
themselves.  They want to restore an Empire as brutal and
barbaric as the one they've overthrown.  Tell me, have you
considered what will happen if their Ben Sisko does find the
wormhole?

"I assume he'll end up in this galaxy's Gamma Quadrant," the
doctor answered.

"Or somewhere else?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if he tries to reproduce the circumstances that brought
you and Kira here that first time?  He might succeed, or he
might cross over into another universe entirely.  They could
have access to a hundred alternate realities.  You know that
O'Brien has been looking to us not just for assistance, but
for technology and weapons to help them win their war. What's
to stop them from raiding other civilizations for resources
once they can get to them?"

"They'd do it," Julian agreed.  "But, sir, if that's their
plan, why does O'Brien want you to close up the wormhole?"

"I don't believe it is their plan yet.  O'Brien hasn't
realized the possibilities."

The doctor nodded, understanding.  "Right now, he seems to
think that the wormhole only connects his universe to ours.
That's what Intendant Garak thought, and what Jules would
have told O'Brien."

"O'Brien knows we are monitoring our side, and we'll stop
his people if they try to go through.  He thinks that's the
only way he can go.  Once he learns otherwise...  Well, we
can't give him that chance.  They can't be allowed to get
out of _this_ universe.  If the wormhole is a gateway to
other worlds, then we have to close it, once and for all.
To do that, we need that Orb."

"To contact the Prophets?"

"I'll have to do that too.  But first, I need to draw the
other Ben Sisko out."

---
~iii~
---

The monastery at Himura, when Sisko had last seen it, had been
an occupied holy place, secluded on its mountain top and not
yet touched by the rebel forces fighting in the valley below.
When he and Bashir beamed down, they found it abandoned.  The
main building was a burnt-out shell, its golden dome blackened
and fallen in.  The garden walls had been breached in several
places, and the trees in the carefully tended orchard were
charred by disruptor blasts. There was no sign of the Bajoran
clerics who had lived there.

Bashir took out his tricorder.  "I'm picking up one lifesign,"
he reported.  "Human, sir.  In there."  He waved the instrument
in the direction of a small outbuilding in the corner of the
garden; its doors had been destroyed, but it was otherwise
intact.

Sisko nodded.  "The temple."  Just as he had expected.  "Keep
watch," he told the doctor, and headed for it.

The temple's interior was dark except for a pale golden glow
emanating from the far end of the room, providing just enough
light to show the person who was seated on the floor before
the altar, arms upraised in the traditional Bajoran attitude
of prayer.  The Orb cabinet had been placed on top of the
altar; its doors were wide open and, within, the Orb sat
glimmering.

"Jennifer."

At the sound of his voice, the woman whirled.  "Ben-"  She
stopped.  "It's you."

"You don't seem surprised to see me," Sisko said as he came
up the nave toward her.

"In our universe?" she answered, climbing to her feet.  "No.
I knew that Miles was going to ask for your help.  Here?
Yes, I am.  How did you know where to find me?"

"When I heard that the Orb had been taken, I guessed that you
would bring it to the temple."

"I wanted to put it back where it belonged."  She turned to
the cabinet on the altar and shut the doors.  "_This_ is where
it began.  You were here--you remember what happened when my
Ben first looked into the Orb.  He should never have done it.
He meddled in something he didn't understand, and he's paid
for it with his sanity.  I was brought up under this religion,
Commander.  Say what you like about Bajoran beliefs, but the
Prophets are _not_ superstition."

"I know that," he told her.  "I've met them."

"Then you know what I'm talking about.  Whatever the Prophets
really are, aliens or gods, they have powers that are so far
beyond us..."  She sighed.  "Maybe it was foolish of me, but I
hoped that if I returned this Orb to its rightful place, made
amends, then they would forgive Ben for his act of desecration."

"And it hasn't worked?"

Bateson shook her head.  "I've been sitting here for an hour,
gazing into the Orb.  It's shown me visions--my past, me and
Ben meeting here in the orchard when we were children.  If
_that's_ an answer, then I don't know what it means."  Her
eyes flickered back to Sisko.  "Does Ben know that I have it?"

"No, he thinks O'Brien stole the Orb.  He says he'll go on
searching for his Celestial Temple without it."

"If he finds it, that will only make matters worse."

That she saw the wormhole as no more than a threat to her
lover's sanity was encouraging.  Sisko had hoped he would
be able to enlist her aid.  If, as O'Brien had suggested,
the best approach was to put things in terms of what would
help Captain Sisko, then that was what he would do.

He wanted her as an ally.  If he had to have further deal-
ings with these people, he would prefer to deal with her.
Perhaps it was a romantic delusion on his part, or perhaps
he had not given up hope that the Terrans might develop
something like the Federation one day, but he believed that
if anyone could take them in the right direction, she could.
Someone had to take Captain Sisko's place at the head of
the rebellion; why not Professor Bateson?  Of all the rebel
leaders, she was the one with an education, the one who had
no personal vendetta against the Alliance.  She was the
one most likely to see the benefits of a peaceful society.
Through her, the Terrans might do more than replace one
barbaric Empire with another.

"Then you agree that the best course is to keep him away
from the Denorios Belt?" he asked.

"Yes, of course."  She considered him.  "What did you have
in mind?"

"You have the right idea--the Orb is the key--but I want to
put it to another use.  Summon him instead of the Prophets."
Sisko explained his plan: "Jennifer, I'd like to try to draw
him back to the station.  I've brought Dr. Bashir with me-"
he turned to look out of the broken doorway; the young man
was patrolling the ruined garden beyond, his phaser at ready.
"Maybe we can help him."

"He won't be pleased to see you again," said Bateson, with
dry understatement.  "Not after what happened the last time
you were here.  You know he considers you a rival- That is,
he believes you stand between him and the Prophets," she
added quickly.  Both were well aware that Captain Sisko was
also jealous of the connection that had formed between the
two of them.

"Yes, but maybe I can use that," he answered, trying to focus
on the matter at hand and not allow the situation to become
awkward.  "Your Ben Sisko thinks that he can find the Temple
and contact the Prophets without the Orb, but will he let me
get in touch with them?  I don't think so.  If I tell him that
that's what I intend to do, it just might be enough to bring
him back to the station to put a stop to it."

"It might work," she agreed.

"Then I can count on your help?  You'll let me take the Orb
to Terek Nor?"

"If you can get Ben back to the station, I may be able to
convince him to accept treatment from your doctor.  He won't
like it.  He might even see my helping you as a betrayal."
She glanced at him, then quickly looked away.  "But it has to
be done.  He needs medical attention..."  Her eyes flickered
to him again, more speculatively this time.  "You talk about
helping my Ben, Commander, but that's not why you came here,
is it?"

"No," Sisko admitted.  "We have our own reasons for keeping
your Captain from finding the Celestial Temple.  But I do
want to help.  Saving his sanity serves the best interests
of _my_ universe as well as yours."  Bashir warily approached
the door to peer inside; he looked relieved to find Sisko and
the professor together, both unharmed.  "What about it?"

Jennifer nodded slowly.  "All right," she said at last. "Take
the Orb.  I'll do what you want."

---

Sisko contacted the shuttle, and he and Bashir beamed up
with the Orb.  They were headed back to Terek Nor when Julian
looked out of one of the windows at the rear of the shuttle
and asked, "Where's Professor Bateson's ship?  I thought she
was following us."

The commander joined him at the window.  Bateson had her own
shuttle to return to the station; he had seen it fly up from
the planet's atmosphere to join them when they had left Bajor,
but there was no sign of it now.

"She must have put up her cloak," the pilot answered their
queries.  "It used to be standard procedure for flying to
and from Bajor, before we knocked out their defense net. I
can pick up her signal..."  He turned to the sensor display
on his instrument panel, but after a brief scan, the young
man began to look confused.  "I've found her," he reported,
"but she's not behind us anymore."

"Where is she going?"

"From her projected course, it looks like she's headed for
one of the outer moons, or maybe the Denorios Belt."

"Damn!"  Sisko thumped his fist against the bulkhead,
furious at his own stupidity.  He'd been a fool to trust
her!  When was he going to get it through his head that
she was _not_ his Jennifer?  "We have to go after her."

"Mr. O'Brien said I was to take you to Bajor and back,"
said the pilot.

"O'Brien wanted me to locate your captain and bring him
back to Terek Nor," Sisko answered.  "Don't you think our
best chance of finding him right now would be in follow-
ing her and seeing where she goes?"  He had no doubt that
she was headed toward Captain Sisko's ship.  Had she known
where he was all along?  Did she intend to warn him?

"Um... yes, sir."

"Then let's go."

The pilot altered their course, and they were off at full
impulse.

Sisko came up into the cockpit to stand behind the pilot's
chair; he gazed intensely out of the forward window even
though there was nothing to see.  They were near the edge
of the Denorios Belt, when the shuttle slowed.  "She's
stopping, sir," the pilot reported as he swung the shuttle
around in a half-circle, intercepting their invisible
target.

"Are we within range?" Sisko asked.  From their coordinates,
he knew that they were close to the location of DS9, and to
the wormhole.   "Can you hail her?"

"Hailing...  She's responding."

Professor Bateson's image appeared on the small viewscreen
on the control panel.  "Commander Sisko," she spoke urgently,
"go back to the space station right now."

"What do you think you're doing?" Sisko asked back.

"I had a message from Ben.  He says he's found it."

"You could have said something instead of flying off like
that without warning."

"I didn't want you to follow me out here.  I had to come
alone.  If he suspects a trap- Commander, _please_-"  She
stopped suddenly and turned her attention to her own in-
strument panel.  The connection terminated.

Sisko's pilot reported, "I'm picking up a second signal.
There's another ship approaching."

The ship decloaked directly before them; larger than both
shuttles, the arcing wings of its warp nacelles curved
over them.

"It's Captain Sisko," the pilot identified the ship, but
Ben recognized it.  He had captained it once.

"Hail him."

"They're hailing us, Commander."

Captain Sisko's face appeared on the viewscreen.  At the
sight of the commander, he drew back with an angry hiss.
"_You_! Did _she_ lead you here?"  He thumped his fists on
the either side of his own screen.  "There's no one I can
trust!  Smiley betrays me, and now Jennifer!  Did they ask
you to come so you could take my place?"

"I came on my own, Captain," Sisko replied.  "I'm not here
to take your place.  I have the Orb."  He gestured for
Bashir to come forward and hold it up so that the captain
could see he was telling the truth.  "If you want it, you
have to come to me."

The other Sisko began to laugh.  "The Orb doesn't matter.
I don't need it anymore!  I've found the Celestial Temple.
We've detected a neutrino disturbance--it's _here_, isn't
it?  We're right on top of it.  The doors to the Temple
have only to open and let me in!  Use the Orb if you want
to.  I'll reach the Prophets before you do.  _They_ know
the truth!"  He turned to his own pilot.  "Have you
located the source of the disturbance, Mr. Whelan?"

"Yes- ah- sir."

"Then what are you waiting for?  Go to it!"  And, when
Whelan hesitated:  "_Go_, damn you!"

The connection broke off, and the captain's ship turned
and headed away at impulse.  They had not gone more than
two hundred kilometers before the wormhole spun open
before them.  The ship went in.

"Professor Bateson is hailing us."

"Tell her we're going in after them, and to stay here
until we come back."

"_We're_ going in?" the pilot looked up at him, open-
mouthed and incredulous.

"We have to bring them back.  Don't be afraid."  Sisko
gave the young man a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"I'll take the helm if you want me to."

"No, I can do it."  The pilot was still somewhat nervous,
but he conveyed Sisko's message, and took the shuttle in.

Sisko had flown through the wormhole in his own universe
dozens of times, and this journey was no different.  They
raced through a tunnel of light, no longer flying under
their own volition.  The pilot sat with his hands rigid
on the control panel, as if he were afraid to touch any-
thing and cause the shuttle to stray from its course.

Julian inched closer to Sisko and wondered softly,
"Where do you think we'll come out, sir?"

"If we're lucky," Ben murmured in reply, "we won't."

Then, just as he had hoped, the pilot announced, "Ah-
Commander? The shuttle is slowing down... 500 kph...
200..  We've stopped."  Nothing was visible beyond the
windows except for a thick, white mist.  The pilot
checked his instrument panel.  "We've landed on some-
thing," he reported.  "I couldn't tell you _where_ we
are, but the sensors show that there's a breathable
atmosphere outside.  The captain's ship is sitting
about 700 meters away.  They aren't moving either."

Sisko went to the hatch.  "Wait here," he told both the
pilot and doctor.  "I'm going to talk to the Prophets."
He opened the hatch and went out.

---
~iv~
---

He stepped into a void.  Bright, white light surrounded
him and the only sound he heard was his own heartbeat
thundering in his ears.  He had been here before.

A shape emerged, dark and humanoid, its limbs and features
blurred by the blinding glare.  As it approached, he began
to see it more clearly.  Another Sisko... his twin?  No.
His twin would never wear so complacent an expression.
This was one of the Prophets.

"It is the Sisko."

They recognized him.  "Are you the same aliens that live
in the wormhole in my universe?" he asked.

The question seemed to puzzle.  "There is only one."

Only one _what_? Sisko wondered. Wormhole? Set of Prophets?
Universe?  "You're saying that this is the same place, no
matter which universe we're in, but there are different
ways to enter it?"

"There is only one," the Prophet repeated, as if this were
answer enough.

A hand touched his shoulder and, as he turned his head,
his breath caught at the sight of the person who now stood
at his side.  Jennifer.  Not Professor Bateson, but _his_
Jennifer.  They were no longer in the white void, but in
their old quarters on the Saratoga.  Nine-year-old Jake
was seated on the sofa, regarding him solemnly.

"Why are you here?" Jennifer asked.

"I've come to ask a favor."

"Favor?" Jake echoed.  "What is this?"

"It is something I would like you to do," Sisko explained.
"A request.  If there are many gateways to this place, is
it possible to close one?  Can you do that?"

The door to the room slid open, and Kai Opaka came in.
"There are many gateways," she told him.  "We have attempted
to contact lifeforms in all places."

"Have you found any others like yourselves?"

"No, we have found none."  She sounded very sad about it.

"We have found others like you," said Jennifer.

Another shift, and he stood in a long, dimly lit corridor
on DS9.  Kira stood before him--a Kira who wore a tight-
fitted black leather bodysuit.  Her hands were on her hips
and there was an outraged look on her face.

"What about the other one?" she demanded.

"Other one..." She must mean his twin.  "Where is he?"

In reply, she turned and strode briskly down the corridor.
He followed her around the curve until they came to another
Benjamin Sisko, no Prophet this time, who sat on the floor
in a doorway with his knees drawn up to his chest and his
hands over his ears.  His eyes were wide, staring into
space, and he did not react to the sight of either one of
them.  Perhaps he did not see them at all.

"He is _not_ the Sisko," Kira said.  "He is of your kind...
but he is not the same.  His presence disturbs us."

"He does not belong here."  This came from the Sisko-Pro-
phet, who now stood over the Captain.  Like the one who
wore Kira's form, he sounded indignant, as if they held
him responsible for his twin's presence and wanted to know
what he intended to do about it.  "He cannot stay."

"He must be destroyed."

"He must be removed."

It seemed to be a point of debate between them.  Sisko in-
tervened.  "I can take him away with me," he offered, "but
I want you to do something for me in return."

"A favor," Jennifer said as she stepped out of the darkness
at the other end of the corridor to join them.

"Yes, a favor.  Close the way that we leave through behind
us.  Will you do that?"

"The other will not return?" asked Kira.

"No.  Once the gateway is shut, he will never be able to
come here again."

"But _you_ will return," said Jennifer.

Ben wasn't certain if this was a question, a command, or
a condition of their bargain.  Considering the Prophets'
non-linear perspective of time, it might be a simple
statement of fact.  "Yes," he answered.  "I will come
back."

Kai Opaka was at his shoulder.  "Then the gateway will be
terminated," she agreed.  Without another word, they all
vanished, and the corridor with them.  He stood in a thick,
white mist, with Captain Sisko lying at his feet.

"Captain?"

No response.  Ben wondered if the other Sisko was aware of
anything at this point.  Had he even heard the conversation
that had just been conducted over his head?

"Come on."  He took his twin by the arm and urged him up.
The other rose compliantly and they began to walk. Suddenly,
the shuttle loomed directly before them--one more step
would have brought them up against the hull.  Sisko tapped
on the hatch; Julian opened it and helped him bring the
captain inside.

"Can you contact the other ship?" Ben asked the pilot as
he climbed in.

"Yes, sir."

"Tell them that we have Captain Sisko here, that he's alive,
but in a state of shock."  Dr. Bashir had led the captain to
a seat at the back of the shuttle and was already performing
a cursory examination.  "Tell them to follow us--we'll lead
them out."

---

Captain Sisko sat unmoving during the trip back to Terok
Nor, his eyes still wide and fixed on nothing.  He did
not see the mouth of the wormhole collapse in upon itself
once the two ships had exited; in a flash of light, it
was gone.  The Orb, sitting forgotten in its cabinet on
the floor, flared for an instant at the same time, then
became a dead, grey lump.

Back at the station, Professor Bateson met them at the
airlock.  She had already been informed of the captain's
condition, and looked anxious at the first sight of her
catatonic lover; she grew more frightened at his silence
as she helped Bashir take him to the quarters they shared.
By the time they had conveyed him into the bedroom, she
was pleading for Ben to speak to her, look at her, _do_
something to show that he knew she was there.  Captain
Sisko remained unresponsive.  She grabbed him by the
shoulders and began to shake him vigorously when Bashir
put a stop to it.

Commander Sisko escorted her from the bedroom to get her
out of the doctor's way.  They sat in the living area
while Bashir conducted his examination.

"What happened to him?" Bateson demanded.  "What did he
see in there?"

"I don't know."  He remembered that, when he and Dax had
first discovered the wormhole, she had not seen the same
scene he had: while she had looked over a lush garden on
a sunny day, he had stood on a barren, rocky landscape.
"It's like looking into an Orb," he explained.  "The ex-
perience is different for everyone.  The Prophets appear
as people you know, in places you've been.  Your Ben
would not have seen them in the same way that I did."

"What did _you_ see?"

"My wife, my son, an old friend... others.  I spoke to
them, convinced them to close the wormhole."

"Too late for Ben," she lamented.  "I _knew_ he shouldn't
have sought the Temple!  This quest of his could only end
in disaster.  I tried to stop him--we all did--but no one
could make him listen.  He was so certain that _he_ was
the chosen Emissary of our people, the one who would lead
the Terrans to freedom, and he had only to reach the Pro-
phets to prove it."

Sisko hesitated, then said, "The Prophets did tell me one
thing you ought to know: they rejected him.  They said he
was not 'the Sisko,' and they wanted him to go away."

Calmer now, but voice still tremulous with emotion, she
asked, "Do you think they told him that?"

"I think they did.  The Prophets are not known for their
tact."

Professor Bateson received this information with more
composure than he had expected her to.  She sat for a
minute, hands clenched in front of her mouth with the
knuckles pressed to her lips.  Then, "Yes."  She nodded.
"That would devastate him, to hear the truth so bluntly
from his gods.  It would be enough to send my Ben over
the edge."  She glanced up at Sisko.  "So, you are the
true Emissary after all."

"It looks like it."  He was still processing the dis-
quieting implications of _that_ himself.  Why him?  Why
had the Prophets accepted him, but rejected his twin so
vehemently?  Was it because the other was insane, or was
there something about _him_ in particular that interested
them?  For all he knew, it might simply be that, out of
all the millions of Benjamin Siskos that must exist in
a multitude of parallel universes, he was the first one
to contact them.

O'Brien and Jules Bashir joined them while they were
waiting for news.  Finally, Julian finished examining
his patient and emerged from the bedroom.

"How is he?" Jennifer asked immediately.  "Will he be
all right?"

Dr. Bashir shook his head.  "I'm sorry," he told her.
"There isn't much I can do."  He met the commander's
eyes and explained to the group at large: "Physically,
he's hasn't been injured.  It's his mind.  From what
you've told us, he wasn't in a very stable mental
state in the first place and, whatever happened to
him in the wormhole, it was too much for him to cope
with.  He's off in his own world now."

"He's gone, then?" asked O'Brien.

"He may snap out of it in time, but I can't promise that
that will happen.  I don't want to give you false hopes.
Even in the best Federation psychiatric facilities, the
most they can do for a patient in this condition is keep
him comfortable and try to break through the barriers
his mind has set up to protect itself.  That's all I
can recommend for you."  Julian turned back to Jennifer.
"You'll have to see that he's bathed, fed, cared for as
if he were an infant.  He won't do anything for himself.
Take him for walks so that his muscles don't atrophy.
Talk to him--let him hear familiar voices.  The more
contact he has with the real world, the better."

"Will he ever be the same?" she asked.  "I mean, as he
was before all of this began?"

"It's possible, but even if he does come out of this,
he may never be the same as he was."

"So what do we do?" O'Brien had begun to pace restlessly
during the doctor's report.  "We can't put the fighting
on hold until he gets better... if he ever does at all."

"You'll just have to take charge," said Jules.  He was
trying not to look triumphant.

"I suppose it's got to be done."  Miles sat down with a
resigned huff.  "But I feel like I'm betraying him.  How
can I take Ben Sisko's place?  This was _his_ rebellion.
_His_ visions inspired us.   How do I even know if any-
one'll follow me?"

"They will.  Who else is there?  If nothing else, they'll
follow you because you give them the best chance they have
of winning this rebellion.  That's the important thing,
isn't it?  _I'm_ supposed to be the stupid one, but I can
see that.  None of us, not even Captain Ben Sisko, is so
important to the cause that we can't go on without him.
Sorry, Jen, but it's true."

"Jules, shut up.  This isn't the time for that."

"No, he's right."  Jennifer had been sitting, stunned at
Bashir's news, but now she shook off her stupor and rose
from her chair.  "We _have_ to go on.  That's what Ben
would have wanted.  Don't you see?  It's not as if you're
taking his place, Miles--you're carrying on with his
visions to see that they are fulfilled.  If Ben were in
his right mind, he would want that too."  She crossed
the room to stand by him.  "That's what we'll tell the
others.  We won't let them forget him.  They'll remember,
and they'll fight on in his name, until the Alliance is
destroyed."

It was not the outcome that Commander Sisko would have
preferred, but he hoped that her influence over O'Brien
would be greater than Jules's and eventually make a
difference in the direction of the Terran society.  In
any case, it was out of his hands.  "It looks like you
have a lot to deal with," he told them.  "If Dr. Bashir
and I are no longer needed here, we'll get out of your
way."

Julian joined him and they were ready to head out the
door, when O'Brien said, "Actually, there is one last
thing.  Intendant Garak's been asking to see the doctor
again.  I didn't want to bother you while you were tend-
ing to our captain, Doctor, but would you mind having
another look at him before you go?"

"No, I don't mind," said Julian.  "I'll see him."

Jennifer remained to watch over her lover, and the rest of
the party went to the Promenade.  O'Brien announced that
he could use a drink, and Sisko accompanied him into the
Ferengi bar while the doctor went to the Security Office;
the guard on duty admitted Julian to the holding cells.

The Intendant lay curled on his cell floor, his back to
the entrance.

"How are you feeling?" Julian asked as he approached.

"Improved, Doctor, due to your ministrations.  I am, how-
ever, still in some pain."  He rolled onto his back and
turned his head toward the doctor.  "I wonder if you could
give me another injection?"

It seemed a harmless enough request.  "All right."  After
glancing back at the guard, who remained at the office
door, and receiving a nod in confirmation, Julian punched
in the security code he had seen Jules use earlier.  The
forcefield came down, and he stepped over the threshold
into the cell.

He crouched over his supine patient while he looked through
his medkit, then administered a small dose of painkiller.
The Intendant shut his eyes and began to breathe more easily.
"I can leave this hypospray with you," Bashir offered.

"Will it be enough to put me out of my misery?"

"No.  I told you I couldn't do that.  But you'll be able to
relieve the pain whenever it becomes too much to endure."

"That's very kind of you, but they won't allow me to have
it."  He opened his eyes.  "Don't you understand, Bashir?
They _want_ me to suffer.  It's the reason they keep me
alive.  I have no more information for them, but they want
me to go on paying--not only for my own crimes against the
Terrans, but for everything the Alliance ever did to them.
I'm the only one they have to punish."

"I'm sorry," Julian said sincerely.  "I wish there was
something else I could do to help."

"There is."

A hand shot out and grabbed his ankle.  As he tumbled off-
balance, the Cardassian came up, moving with astonishing
speed like a striking snake; the next thing Julian knew, he
was flat on the floor and Intendant Garak had plucked his
phaser from its holster to shoot the startled guard.  The
phaser had been set on stun, and the guard crumpled in the
doorway.

"I'm afraid I exaggerated," said the Intendant.  "There is
some pain, but I am feeling _much_ better, thanks to you.
I do not intend to sit here and wait to be tortured again.
This is my one opportunity, and I am going to take ad-
vantage of it.  Come along, Bashir."  He yanked Julian to
his feet.  "I'm taking you with me."

"Don't be a fool, Garak!"  Julian continued to struggle
against his captor as he was dragged through the Security
office.  "You can't get away with this.  Do you really
think they'll let you waltz out of here because you have
a hostage?"

"No," the Intendant answered, "I don't expect to get away."

Julian realized then what Intendant Garak meant to do, and
he began to fight all the harder.

There was a commotion as soon as they stepped out onto
Promenade.  People had heard the phaser blast and had
already come out to see what had happened.  The station
guards were running to take strategic positions on both
the upper and lower levels around the entrance to the
Security office, and O'Brien and Sisko were shouting.

"Let go of him, Garak!"

"Stop this now.  Put the phaser down and surrender,
before it's too late."

"It is too late for anything else!" Garak responded, and
placed the phaser to his hostage's head.

There was a sudden burst of light and Julian felt a mild
electrical jolt.  As he fell free of the Intendant's grasp,
his first, confused thought was that Garak had shot him,
but the Cardassian was staggering too.  Out of the corner
of his eye, he saw Sisko, his phaser raised and aimed at
them; the commander must have shot them both using the
lowest stun setting, just enough to make Garak release
him.

He hit the carpet, dazed and disoriented, but he had not
lost consciousness.  Behind him, the Intendant was still
on his feet.  In another moment, the Cardassian had shaken
off the effects of the stun and was reaching down for him.

Julian heard Sisko shout again, "No! Hold your fire!" and
there was a second blast.  The Intendant was thrown back-
wards as the disruptor beam struck him; his mouth was
open, his arms flung wide.  A reddish glow spread rapidly
from the center of his chest, engulfing him; for a second
or two, it outlined the shape of a man.  The flare was so
close above him that Julian felt scorched by the intense
heat and he put up one hand to protect his face.  When he
looked again, Intendant Garak was gone.

He stayed where he had fallen until Sisko came and gently
took his arm.

"Are you all right?" the commander asked as he helped him
up.

"I'm fine, sir.  I'm not hurt."  Still dazed, he leaned
on Sisko as he climbed to his feet.

Jules approached them, still holding his disruptor.

"Was _that_ necessary?" Sisko demanded.

"Garak was too dangerous to bargain with," Jules answered.
"Once he had a chance to escape, he wasn't going to give
up again without a fight.  He wouldn't have let your
doctor go, no matter what."

Julian picked up his phaser, dropped when Garak had first
been shot.  "It was what he wanted," he said as he re-
holstered the weapon.  "A swift execution."

Sisko looked surprised for a moment, then nodded, under-
standing.

He could almost be glad for Intendant Garak, if he wasn't
certain that the Cardassian had meant to see _him_ killed
as well.  As it was, Julian merely felt numb and tired.
"Please, sir," he requested, "can we go home now?"

---
~epilogue~
---

Once they had been beamed back to DS9, Julian went straight
to his quarters.  Garak was seated on the sofa, waiting for
him to return.

"Intendant Garak is dead," Julian told him, and went into
the bedroom to flop face-down on the bed.  When he lifted
his head, he found that the tailor had come to the doorway.

"You-?"

"No, not me.  The other Bashir did it.  _Someone_ had to.
The Intendant made certain of that."  He wanted to tell
Garak what had happened, but he could go no farther.  His
voice had grown thicker as he spoke and, at this point,
he choked up.

Garak came into the room and sat down on the mattress
beside him; Julian sat up to wrap one arm around his
shoulders and, to his own surprise, he began to cry. The
tailor simply held him close and waited until the out-
burst had passed.

"That was silly of me," Julian said after a minute.  "I
don't even know why I did it.  Why should I be sorry
that the Intendant's gone?

No, he realized, it wasn't sorrow.  What he felt was
relief. A nightmare that had haunted him for months had
finally been put to rest.  Even if he had further con-
tact with that other universe, it would not hold terrors
for him any longer.

"It's not so strange," Garak said soothingly.  "After
all, you've had a very difficult day."

Julian had to laugh.  "You could certainly call it _that_!
But it's over now, Elim."  He wiped away the tears with
the back of one hand, and settled into his lover's arms.
"It's really, finally over."

---

End -- Pairs series