Chapter Twenty-Four
After that, life for both Morn and North settled
down into the routine of patrol. There was the occasional disciplinary
problem on this station or that, but nothing really exciting. Life
settled into a steady routine. North discovered that his ship's Doctor
seemed to know every shady character on his patrol route.
2 As they stopped off at one particular station, the Doctor insisted
that North accompany him on one of his journeys. They came to a
modest-looking apartment building under one of the station's domes. The
Doctor rang the door and an attendant arrived, greeting him warmly.
"The girls will be overjoyed to see YOU!" he laughed. "Who's this?"
3 "My new Commander," explained the Doctor. "He's all right. I'll swear
by him."
4 "O.k., Doc," the Attendant agreed. "If you say he's o.k."
5 The Doctor led the way into a plush lobby where many beautiful women
were lounging around a small pool. They began to laugh and call
excitedly when they saw the Doctor. North was beginning to get a pretty
good idea what this place was.
6 There was a woman at a desk near the elevators that the Doctor went
over to. He kept looking back to North, as he spoke, while North merely
stood around watching the women splash in the water. He was curious as
to how they managed to keep the skimpy little garments they wore, on.
When he looked back again, the Doctor was gone, and the woman was
coming over.
7 "See anything here you like, Commander?" she asked. "If not, I could
take you up and introduce you to some of the women that work by
appointment only."
8 North turned around and looked at the woman in a way that he did when
he didn't believe what he was being told. "And just what would I be
expected to pay one