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"Sir, I know you said no interruptions -"
"I trust you have a good reason?"
"There's a Federation doctor here to see you, sir."
"Please. Send him in."
…..
"You're the talk of the town, Garak."
"I should certainly hope so. Can I offer you something to drink?"
"No thank you. You should have seen the looks on their faces when I walked in. Have you got my picture pasted up in the back room?"
"Wanted, dead or alive? I see your imagination is as active as ever."
"But you did tell them to expect me. Anyone else coming here without an appointment would have been thrown out."
"That's simply not true, Doctor."
"I have to say, I'm glad to see you returning to civilian life."
"As am I."
"It ought to be a relief. Will you go back to tailoring, do you think?"
"Oh, I haven't put too much thought into it."
"You? Not too much thought? Garak ."
"I've kept my options open."
"I've no doubt of that."
"But I have no particular desire to return to any of my former professions."
"I'm talking about actual tailoring, Garak. Needle and thread."
"So am I."
"I thought you enjoyed it."
"I did. But I'm not certain the new Cardassia has much need of a tailor."
"You're stretching the metaphor again."
"Am I?"
"You're not the kind of person who can simply be idle. I know you have plans."
"I did have a plan. I was going to travel to the southern continent and visit a friend."
"Were you?"
"I was."
"Oh - I'm terribly sorry for disrupting your itinerary."
"It's quite alright, Doctor."
"You know I've been trying to start a community garden. It's been slow going."
"Yes. I thought I might lend a hand during my visit. I have missed it. The soil in Kardasi'or is contaminated still."
"I've been looking into that, actually. There's a way to fix that by planting fungal spores to absorb the radiation."
"I know. I did see your talk."
"Oh? You never mentioned it."
"I wasn't aware that I needed to. In any case, the test program is already underway."
"That's wonderful, Garak!"
"We can visit later if you'd like, but there isn't much to see. All the same, I'm sure the team would be terribly starstruck if you did drop in and give them a pat on the back."
"Oh, I'm sure you're exaggerating."
"False modesty doesn't suit you, Doctor."
"It doesn't suit you either. Aren't we a pair?"
"I suppose we are. When did you plan on returning?"
"I have three days' leave from the hospital."
"Perhaps I might travel back with you. I'll have a look at your garden."
"It's not just my garden, Garak."
"I meant you, collectively. It would have been unambiguous in Kardasi."
"We can switch if you prefer."
"Ah! You have improved, haven't you."
"I was almost fluent the last time we spoke!"
"My dear Doctor, you really weren't."
"I did alright at the hospital. Everyone finds me very charming."
"I'm sure they do."
"It took me a while to catch on to some of the subtleties, of course. I used to think all the questions about why I wasn't married and raising a brood of children were an expression of interest, rather than genuine curiosity."
"It might be both, among some of the more open-minded."
"I suppose. In any case, they always seem baffled that I'm single. Most of my colleagues believe I must be waiting for someone."
"Are you?"
"Sorry?"
"Waiting for someone?"
"Oh! I think that would be a bit presumptuous."
"And yet."
"And yet?"
"You didn't even bother to call ahead. Make an appointment."
"I'm sorry, Garak."
"You are not ."
"Only because I know you're happy to see me."
"Presumptuous."
"But I'm right!"
"You often are - but that arrogance, Doctor."
"I thought you liked that about me."
"I do. And that should tell you quite a bit."
"Ah, Garak. I have missed you."
"I'm still Castellan until the morning, you know."
"Sorry, Castellan. I'm still surprised you didn't run for a second term."
"I trust you watched my address."
"I did. It was very nice. I don't know if I believe a word of it."
"You should. I meant it."
"Even the part about being loyal to oneself first?"
"Especially that."
"You know, I think I will take a look at that fungi project. Is it far?"
"Not at all. Walk with me, Doctor."
"You know, when I heard the news, I had a romantic notion that you wanted to leave the public eye for a reason."
"And did my address not leave you with that impression?"
"It did, actually."
"Really, Doctor. You should know better than to believe anything a politician says."
"You attributed that quote to 'a dear friend.' Present tense. Kardasi isn't ambiguous about that."
"Are you surprised?"
"That you still call me a dear friend? We've hardly spoken in the last five years."
"How would you describe me, then?"
"'The Esteemed Castellan.'"
"Very funny."
"I do think of you as a dear friend, yes. I just wasn't sure if the feeling was mutual anymore."
"The feeling is mutual, Julian."
"Ah."
"Yes."
"To be clear -"
"I think I was very clear."
"Elim."
"Yes."
"..."
"That…is hardly something a respectable Cardassian should be seen doing in public. And with an alien, no less."
"There's nobody around."
"There is always someone around."
"Are you terribly angry with me?"
"No, Julian. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into, with you."
"And I suppose that's why I waited for you."
"You needn't have."
"Oh?"
"I would have resigned the moment you came to me."
"I thought you might. That's why I didn't. I couldn't have forgiven myself for making you step away from public service before you were ready."
"And you had something to prove."
"Did I?"
"You had to build a life for yourself here. To prove to yourself, and to me, that you could . It would have been unforgivably boorish of me to interfere."
"I suppose I did. In any case, it worked. And the whole thing took considerably less time than I thought it would, really."
"Fifteen years!"
"From our first meeting. That's hardly fair."
"Isn't it? I've wanted you that long."
"Castellan, please."
"Oh - you can stick your tongue down my throat in public, but I'm not allowed to speak plainly, all of a sudden? I see how things are."
"Garak, we are in a deserted alley. I'm starting to think you're not even taking me to the fungi project at all."
"I am, if you'd be patient. I thought we would take the scenic route."
"Did you?"
"Yes, because I had a feeling you talked me out of my office because you were about to say something shamelessly sentimental, and you found it difficult to do so while looking me in the eye. It would be easier walking side by side, you thought."
"Well - it was."
"I thought we might need time to talk it through."
"I think we've talked enough."
"We're nearly halfway to the site. It would be silly to turn back now."
"I wasn't suggesting turning back."
"Doctor, control yourself."
"Oh, alright. I suppose another half an hour won't kill me, although I don't care to find out."
"Impressive, isn't it?"
"It is. And I'm glad to see how well things seem to be taking hold. I did have my doubts about how well it would take in the hardest-hit areas. The Dominion was very smart in how they carried out the contamination."
"But not as smart as you."
"Well. It's one thing to fight a war, of course. It's entirely another to devastate a society like that…"
"You can say it, Doctor. If we'd had the technology, I have no doubt we would have done the same to Bajor."
"I wasn't - I mean, that's hardly the point now , is it?"
"I suppose it depends on whom you ask."
"You really have changed, Garak."
"Or I just know how to play to my audience."
"You'd never say something like that if you didn't believe it."
"Hmm."
"Don't. Why do you always do this?"
"What is it that I'm supposedly doing now, Doctor?"
"Trying to push me away."
"I most certainly am not."
"You are! And it's not going to work."
"Well, I suppose that's very gratifying."
"Oh, this is clever. A secret entrance."
"It's just the back door, Julian. Once again, your infatuation with espionage -"
"Mmm, go on. What about my infatuation?"
"It's going to get you into a good deal of trouble, I think."
"Oh? Is that a promise?"
"I suppose it is."