ACT THREE

FADE IN

5 INT. DS9 - RO’S QUARTERS

Ro RIPS off a piece of Candlewood’s challah bread and DUNKS it into the last of Evik’s stew, lovingly swishing it around. Then she pops it in her mouth and swoons. 

RO
Nath - this stew was so good.

EVIK
Consider it payment in full for
the hasperat. 

Candlewood has eaten a ton and is looking rather stuffed. He sits back and pats his stomach with a satisfied sigh. 

CANDLEWOOD
I gotta say, I’m learning there
are a lot of good cooks on this
station tonight. I couldn’t eat
another thing. I’m stuffed.
(beat)
Any more of those seaweed
thingies? 

Matthias smiles indulgently and passes him the last of her Centauri frond cakes. Candlewood takes it and gives it a hearty munch. 

CANDLEWOOD
Mmm... food. I love food. Don’t
you just love food? I do. Food
is the best.

TENMEI
The amount you’ve been packing
away tonight, you’d better be
careful you don’t lose that
svelte figure for Hetik. 

CANDLEWOOD
Yeah yeah, I’ll do a few extra laps
of the pool tomorrow. Anyway, he
loves me for my mind. 

Evik is sat next to the now returned Cenn, who is also finishing off his stew, if rather more delicately.

EVIK
Did you enjoy the stew, Desca? 

CENN
Actually, I really did. I’m not
just saying that - it’s delicious. 

EVIK
Good, I’m glad. Everything okay?
You haven’t spoken much tonight. 

CENN
Yeah, just... feels a bit strange.
I’m not used to socialising with
this many people. My pastimes
tend to be rather solitary pursuits.

EVIK
Such as what?

CENN
I like to read. I’ve been trying
to broaden my perspective, read
things from different cultures
around the Federation. As much
as I love the Prophecies, reading
them over and over again gets
a little redundant after a while. 

Ro nods with her mouth full, impressed that Cenn is going to that effort. But Quark scoffs through his clams... 

QUARK
Well, that makes a change. You’d
been on this station three months
before you even set foot in my
bar. Too many aliens, you said. 

CENN
Look, I came from a small village
in Jo’kala, only left the planet’s
surface three times before I came
here. It took me a while to get
used to the change, that’s all.

QUARK
Everybody comes to Quark’s
sooner or later. 

RO
You have a magnetic pull.

NOG
Or maybe it’s just the bar is at
the literal centre of the station
and is pretty much unavoidable.

QUARK
You make it sound like that wasn’t
deliberate. Look at how many other
businesses have come and gone
on the Promenade over the years.
Who is the only one that has lasted
through two decades and multiple
governments? Me, that’s who. 

EVIK
Because you had the foresight to
set up shop in the biggest, most
central location on the station. 

QUARK
Exactly. The investment was huge,
and people told me it would never
work, but I knew in my lobes it
would pay off in the long run. 
(re clams)
These were really good. 

Prynn smiles, proud that she has made a convert. By now, everyone’s plates are empty.

RO
Has everyone had enough? 

BASHIR
Definitely. 

NOG
Did you try the snail steak? 

BASHIR
It looked like jelly with veins.
Besides, vegetarian, remember?

NOG
Well somebody had some - I
didn’t eat the whole thing. 

EVIK
That was me. I’m already familiar
with human and Bajoran food,
obviously. Seems in the spirit of
the evening that I should try
Ferengi food as well. 

QUARK
And? 

EVIK
It was... ah... interesting.
Perhaps it’s an acquired taste.

Low chuckles around the room. 

RO
(standing)
Shall we retire to the living room
for dessert? Desca brought a home-
made jumja soufflé. Leave your
plates for now. 

Most slowly manoeuvre themselves up from table, carrying their drinks over to the couches and sitting area. 

But Cenn hovers as Ro brings the soufflé to the table and begins portioning it out. Ro notices him watching her... 

RO
What? Am I not doing it right? 

CENN
Oh no, I’m just... nothing. 

Unsure what’s going on there, Ro just carries some bowls across to the others sitting down. Cenn carries more. 

CANDLEWOOD
Ooh, yummy! 

TENMEI
What happened to you not eating
another thing? 

CANDLEWOOD
That doesn’t count for dessert!
There’s always room for dessert.
What kind of inhuman monster
do you think I am? 

Ro perches on an arm next to Quark, and everyone begins tucking into their soufflé. Evik takes a mouthful. 

EVIK
(wide eyes)
Woo, that’s sweet. 

TENMEI
But is it sweet enough to get the
taste of snail out of your mouth? 

EVIK
Not necessary, Prynn. There isn’t
a thing here tonight I haven’t
enjoyed eating. The soufflé is
wonderful, and the snail steak
was a new and fascinating
experience if nothing else. 

CANDLEWOOD
Hey, you can’t change your answer
now. You already said the hasperat
was “the best you ever tasted”.
Not much of a confession, that,
by the way. 

EVIK
Don’t underestimate a compliment
to the hasperat, John. Every region
of Bajor has its own variation. To
honour someone else’s regional
recipe over your own is nothing
to take lightly. 

CANDLEWOOD
I do admire how you do that. 

EVIK
Do what?

CANDLEWOOD
Be everyone’s best friend. 

EVIK
There’s no special trick to it, John.
It’s only a matter of being open
to experience, and accepting it
when it comes.

CANDLEWOOD
But you do it so well! I can barely
say hello without starting an
interstellar incident, and here
you are giving compliments to
the hasperat and being nice
about snail steak like it’s the
easiest thing in the galaxy. 
(sigh)
Okay, Candlewood confession
time, I guess - I want to be
like you when I grow up. 

EVIK
Well that’s a lovely compliment,
John. I’d be honoured to think
I was a role model. But I don’t
think you give yourself enough
credit. There’s room in this
universe for all kinds of people.
You should work on being the best
version of you, not a copy of me.

TENMEI
The ultimate version of John
Candlewood. Wow. I can’t even
imagine what that would be like. 

CANDLEWOOD
Hush, you. 

People chuckle again at the playful banter. But not Cenn - he is looking down into his bowl at his own soufflé, eating only in tiny nibbles. 

Ro sees this from her perch next to Quark, so she quietly gets up and takes a spare seat right next to Cenn. He looks up and smiles a little at her arrival, and she sees that his eyes are wet again. He is just holding back tears. 

RO
(quiet, intimate)
Desca... what’s wrong? 

CENN
Nothing, I’m fine. Are you enjoying
the soufflé? 

RO
It’s amazing. But this is the second
time I’ve seen you in tears tonight.
What is it? 

MATTHIAS
Laren... 

Ro looks across to Counsellor Matthias, who gives her a subtle shake of the head. Leave it be, don’t push him. But Ro feels a responsibility. 

RO
Desca, I’m sorry but something’s
obviously wrong. You’re my first
officer... you’re my friend. If
there’s anything I can do to
help... I want to.
(no response)
Whatever it is, you can say it.
You’re among friends here. 

Cenn looks up, looks around at the room. They are all aware of the strange turn the evening has taken, but avert their eyes, not wanting to pry. Cenn smiles sadly. 

CENN
It’s the soufflé. 

RO
What about it? 

CENN
I told you I made it back home
in Jo’kala... but I didn’t tell you
who I made it for. 

RO
(not sure where 
this is going)
I assumed your family. Your
parents... 

CENN
Family, yes. But not my parents. 
(beat, deep 
breath)
I made it for my wife and
daughter... before they died. 

Off everyone’s stunned reactions to that... 

FADE OUT

END OF ACT THREE