SYMBOLS

CHAPTER 42

Harry walked as fast as the crowd would let him. He scoured the scenery, trying hard to recall the exact place he'd left the others the night before. Everything looked different in daylight. At night, the streets had been less crowded. Now they were flooded with people, many of whom were shouting and shoving and elbowing each other as they tried to squeeze past. Collectively, the people masked all the landmarks he could remember.

Tuvok followed close behind him. Harry tried to push some Anawin civilians aside, but they were like a herd of sheep following each other, and the effort was useless.

"Ensign Kim, are you familiar with this section of the city?" Tuvok asked.

"I was last night, but everything looks different now." Harry had hoped his disorientation was a little better hidden.

He stared at the far-away guard tower, then looked at the tall, gray building beside him; there was a plaque on the building, however he couldn't read the inscription. He remembered seeing the building before, but he wasn't sure if it was the previous night, or while he was exploring the city another time. Briefly, he shut his eyes to reclaim his bearings. Even as a child, he'd found that shutting his eyes was the best way to clear his mind. This time, it also served to block out the sea of Anawin faces that surrounded him. But the effort was useless. He couldn't orientate himself and the crowd was too noisy for him to think, also closing his eyes left him vulnerable to the buffetings of everyone who tried to push past him.

Harry stared at the sun, knowing time was running out. Searching for the spire on the sandstone chapel, he spotted it in the distance, then he grasped a handful of Tuvok's robe and began to push his way toward the center of the city.

Harry was on the verge of losing all hope. He had been unable to locate the rest of the away team and he was worried about B'Elanna. His body was soaked with sweat from dragging his heavy purple robe around, and he had a headache that felt like it was crushing his skull. He'd found little joy in the Anawin way of life.

Feeling a heavy hand touch his shoulder, Harry spun around hard and threw off the hand, his face glowing red with anger. It was simply the last straw; now was not a good time for him to confront another pauper willing to bargain for his life. With a snarl, he gritted his teeth as he turned to face a rather surprised Tom Paris.

"I take it you haven't had a good day?" Paris said.

"You could say that," Harry replied more sedate.

"It's good to see you. And you too, Tuvok." Paris acknowledged the purple robed Vulcan.

"Where's the Captain?" Harry asked.

Tom pointed to the captain and commander who were keeping watch on the opposite street corner, with Tayna standing beside them.

"Where's B'Elanna? Isn't she with you?" Tom searched behind Tuvok for a third purple robed priest.

Harry watched Tom stand on tiptoe and continue to scour the street for another purple robe.

"Something happened," Harry started to explain. "I have to talk to the captain."

"You have to talk to me!" Tom turned Harry around to face him. "I can take it, whatever it is. Just tell me what's going on!" Tom was adamant so Harry obliged him with a shortened version of how B'Elanna had come to be captured outside the priory.

"Tell the captain I'm going back to the priory to look for B'Elanna," Tom said. He had adopted an unrelenting look of determination. It was a look Harry knew all too well. But Tom managed only two steps before the captain and commander blocked his path.

"You're not going anywhere," Janeway said, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

"I have to find B'Elanna," Tom insisted. "I can't just leave her here."