SEVERAL DAYS LATER, Sisko's comm unit warned him, "Commander, it's Gul Dukat!"
Sisko got to his feet just as the Cardassian commander came through the door of his office—as usual without any kind of knock. "Gul Dukat! It's good to see you here again. Why don't you sit down."
Dukat had a thinner, sharper look to him now, and a slightly confused expression as he accepted Sisko's offer of a seat. "Things seem a little different around here this time. Everyone seems almost glad to see me. Out there in Ops. Even that Bajoran Major Kira of yours actually spoke to me without snarling."
"Mmm, well, things do change, I suppose. And speaking of change, I understand you were under arrest for a while under the Revanche government."
Dukat grinned fiercely, which gave his face a distinctly predatory look. "And they lived to regret that!"
Sisko didn't really want to hear about it, but Dukat went on, in the apparent assumption that the Starfleet commander shared his zest for revenge. "Your friend Marak was executed just before I left home! It was quite a spectacle; you should have been there to take credit. You're a tricky enemy, Sisko. I'll have to remember that. In case we find ourselves on opposite sides one day. Unlike now, of course."
"Your people aren't very forgiving, are they?"
"We can't afford to be. Marak lost his ship, he failed in his mission, he blackened our reputation before the entire Federation. He deserved to die. Which reminds me. The Revanche party may be discredited and out of office, but the Cardassian Empire still maintains the claim on the Gamma Quadrant wormhole. And this station."
"And of course you realize that as the representative of the Federation, I'm forced to deny that claim."
"Of course."
They understood each other.
"Now," said Dukat briskly, "I understand you gave asylum to a young acquaintance of mine. That—I do appreciate that. I would have given anything to see Marak's reaction when he heard."
"Asylum appeared to be justified under the circumstances." Sisko tapped his communicator. "Have Berat sent up to the commander's office, please."
To Dukat, he said, "My chief of operations speaks quite well of him as an engineer. He's even asked him to stay on here, as an officer on DS-Nine."
Dukat raised his eyebrows skeptically. "A Cardassian officer, serving under Bajorans?"
"Oh, well, it was a thought, anyway."
Berat entered the room uncertainly, but his face lit up when he saw Dukat. "Gul!"
Dukat stood, and the two Cardassians clasped each other hard around the upper arms in an emotional greeting. Sisko wondered if they were somehow related.
"Boy, your family will be glad to see you come home!"
"They're alive? Who—"
"I saw your cousins Karel and Tal in that hellhole they stuck us in. Just eight days ago, we stood together and watched Marak hang. We all thought of you then, and your father, and the rest of them. But we never expected to find you alive, and certainly not here!"
Berat sobered a moment, glanced in Sisko's direction. "I was lucky."
"Now," said Dukat, "I've got you a berth on my ship. You don't have to spend any more time in this place."
"Then …"
"What?"
"The charges. I mean, Sub Halek did die."
"Don't worry about it. We've had your rank restored, retroactively. As far as the service is concerned, Halek forfeited his life the first time he laid a hand on Glin Berat." Dukat slapped the younger Cardassian hard on the shoulder. "I'm glad to see that you made one of them pay, at least."
He glanced at Sisko. "We won't take up any more of your time here." He headed for the door.
But at the last moment, Berat turned back. "Commander? You'll say good-bye to Chief O'Brien for me?"
"I'll do that," said Sisko, somewhat surprised.
"And, um, tell him thanks for the offer? But—I'm going home. But I hope I'll see him again, someday, when I can come back."
"Oh," said Gul Dukat, grinning, "I think Commander Sisko knows that we'll be back. And soon."
Which, like it or not, Commander Sisko supposed he did.