Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series)
The House of Quark (1994)
Armin Shimerman: Quark
Photos
Quotes
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Quark : I am Quark, son of Keldar, and I have come to answer the challenge of D'Ghor, son of... whatever.
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Quark : I should've gone into insurance - better hours, more money, less scruples.
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Quark : There's an old Ferengi saying about discretion being the better part of valor.
Grilka : Then what they say about the Ferengi is true. You're all lying, thieving cowards, who have no sense of loyalty or honor!
Quark : "Sticks and stones."
Grilka : I thought you were different. I thought you had something in here. But all you have in there is a piece of latinum - and it's a pretty small piece at that.
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[Quark is facing a fight to the death with D'Ghor]
Quark : Go ahead - kill me! That is why I'm here, isn't it, to be killed? Well, here I am, so go ahead and do it. You all want me to pick up that sword and fight him, don't you? But I don't have a chance, and you know it. You only want me to put up a fight so that your precious honor will be satisfied. Well, I'm not gonna make it so easy for you.
[he kneels down]
Quark : Having me fight D'Ghor is nothing more than an execution. So, if that's what you want, that's what you'll get - an execution. No honor, no glory. And when you tell your children and your grandchildren the glorious story of how you rose to power and took Grilka's house from her, I hope you remember to tell them how you heroically killed an unarmed Ferengi half your size.
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[a crowd has gathered in front of Quark's bar]
Quark : Look at them: they're consumed with morbid fascination. They can't wait to get in here. They all want to know what happened. Was it a bar fight? What started it? And most of all, who killed the Klingon...?
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Quark : You see the way they look at me now? I'm not just some venal Ferengi trying to take their money. I'm Quark, slayer of Klingons!
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Quark : [D'Ghor has cornered Quark to interrogate him about his "brother"'s death] I wish you had been there. You would have been proud of your brother. He fought a brave and valiant battle right up to the end. It was an honor to kill him.
D'Ghor : I'm sure it was. Remember that when you tell your customers about the death of Kozak.
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Grilka : [Waking up in what had been the House of D'Ghor, but, is now namelss, Quark's just had the situation explained to him by Tumek, as Griilka enters the room, wearing a fur-trimmed robe, and holding a matching one; for Quark] Put this on.
Quark : Why?
Grilka : Because of you do not, I will kill you.
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Grilka : You've given me back my House and my family name. How can I repay you?
Quark : I would like a divorce please, no offense.
Grilka : None taken. I can give it to you right away.
[Grilka slaps Quark's jaw in a backhand fashion. Quark falls to the floor]
Grilka : [snarls] N'Gos tlhogh cha!
[translation - "Our Marriage is done!"]
Grilka : [Grilka spits at Quark. Quark flicks some of the spittle off his hand as he clutches his jaw gingerly. Grilka bends down and smiles at him]
Grilka : [calmly] You're a free man.
Quark : [defensively] A little warning would have been nice...
[Grilka gives Quark a passionate kiss. She looks at him with gratefulness and respect]
Grilka : Q'apla, Quark... son of Keldar.
Quark : [smiles admiringly] Q'apla to you too.
[Grilka leaves. Rom, who has been standing nearby watching, stares at Quark speechless and amazed. Quark watches Grilka go and continues to smile admiringly as he massages his jaw]
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[Quark is looking over the financial records of Kozak and D'Ghor, with Grilka by his side]
Quark : Very clever... Very clever, indeed... D'Ghor has manipulated your family's holdings, devalued the lands you hold... and he is the principal creditor on Kozak's outstanding gambling debts. It's no accident that your family is getting weaker and D'Ghor's family is getting stronger, he has been systematically attacking your family's assets for over five years now.
Grilka : [outraged] You mean D'Ghor has been scheming and plotting like a...
Quark : [finishing her thought] ... Like a Ferengi.
Grilka : [reeling with indignation] There is no honor in what he has done! If he wanted to challenge MY house, he would have made a declaration - met our forces in battle!
Quark : And risk destroying the very thing he wanted most... your lands and property.
[Grilka calms down as she realizes that Quark is right]
Grilka : [sits next to Quark; indicating the screen and information PADDs containing the financial fraud evidence] Can you prove *any* of this?
[Quark nods]
Grilka : You can show the council exactly what D'Ghor has done?
Quark : It's all right here. All I need to do is to talk them through it.
Grilka : [grateful and relieved] Thank you, Quark. You may have saved my family.
Quark : [smiles puckishly] Well... It is the House of Quark, after all.
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[Quark has just been informed by Rom that the drunk Klingon, Kozak, is out of money for another drink of blood wine and is asking for credit]
Quark : [to Rom] I'll handle this... Watch and learn!
[Quark approaches the Klingon. He bangs a cup on the Klingon's table to get his attention]
Quark : [loudly and with authority] My Name is Quark!
[Kozak drunkenly looks up and growls animalistically at him. Quark's confidence drains away]
Quark : [nervously] Uh... I would like to discuss...
[Quark smiles and shrugs]
Quark : ...arranging a line of credit.
[laughs nervously]
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Grilka : [Grilka is mad at Quark for speaking to the Klingon Council, at the risk of getting attacked by D'Ghor] I told you not to say anything!
Quark : I was *trying* to avoid a lot of unnecessary bloodshed... like my own.
Grilka : Just *do* as I say and there *won't be* any bloodshed.
Quark : Fine! What's next?
[Grilka blinks. It becomes clear that she doesn't know what to do next, but obviously doesn't want to admit it. She slowly paces to one part of the room, thinking deeply. Quark proceeds to rapidly pepper her with questions]
Quark : What do we do now? How do we strengthen the position of your house? How do we keep D'Ghor from carrying out his threats? What's the plan?
Grilka : [defensively] I'm thinking!
Quark : You don't have a plan, do you? You're just making this up as you go along.
Grilka : I've managed to get us this far!
Quark : But you have no idea where to go from here.
[pause; Quark cocks his head and looks at Grilka. He gets a brainstorm]
Quark : Can I make a suggestion? Let's try having a more equal partnership, shall we?
Grilka : [looks at him] What do you want?
Quark : [calm, yet direct; looking at her straight in the eyes] Just tell me what is going on.
Grilka : Kozak squandered much of our family's wealth, incurred several large gambling debts and made unwise investments. As a result, the house has been weakened severely in power and in influence. Much of the debt is owed to D'Ghor, who is ready to take advantage of our weakness. If he can gain title of our lands and property, his family will become a very powerful influence in the Empire. He may even earn a seat on the Council.
Quark : Would it be possible for me to see all the financial records of your house, and I mean *all* of them. D'Ghor's too, if you don't mind. Maybe I can find a way out of this mess.
Grilka : [indignant] That is NOT how we do things around here. WE are Klingons! We do not *dirty* ourselves with *filthy ledgers* looking for some financial trick!
Quark : [very serious] Look, we've been doing things your way since this started, and now you've run out of ideas. So maybe we should try doing things my way for a change... It certainly can't hurt to let me look at some "filthy ledgers".
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[Quark has been accosted and pinned to the bulkhead by the throat by an irate D'Ghor, who has just told him he is Kozak's brother]
D'Ghor : [spouting with Klingon fury] My brother killed by a miserable Ferengi! I would never have believed it possible!
Quark : [whimpering fearfully] I can explain.
D'Ghor : You'd better! I want to know *exactly* how Kozak died. And if I don't like what I hear.
Quark : [quickly and fearfully] Believe me! You'll like it! He was in my bar. I asked him to pay his tab, he refused. I-I was willing to let it go at that, but then he pulled his knife and came at me and... the truth of the matter is, he was so inebriated that he just fell...
D'Ghor : [vicious] I HOPE YOU ARE NOT GOING TO TELL ME THAT HE DIED IN AN ACCIDENT!
Quark : [worried] You do?
D'Ghor : Yes! Because there's no honor in such a death. And if Kozak died in disgrace, then that disgrace will be passed along to the rest of his family.
[viciously]
D'Ghor : So, if if you were the cause of such an *accident* that will dishonor my entire family, then I AM GOING TO KILL YOU AND *STUFF* YOUR MISERABLE CORPSE OUT THE NEAREST AIRLOCK!
Quark : [weak with fear; looking like he is going to faint at the thought] I see.
D'Ghor : [calmly, yet still angry in his tone] On the other hand... if he died as a warrior in personal combat, then there would be no dishonor for him or his family.
Quark : [warily] So what you're saying is... if I killed him in personal combat, that's... good?
D'Ghor : [snaps] Of course it is not good! He was my brother! But it would be honorable, and an honorable death requires no vengeance. Your life would be spared.
Quark : [a little bit of his bravado comes in] I wish you had been there. You would have been proud of your brother. He fought a brave and valiant battle... right up to the end. It was an honor to kill him.
D'Ghor : I'm sure it was. Remember that when you tell your customers about the death of Kozak.
Quark : You can count on it.
D'Ghor : [D'Ghor slowly releases Quark. He barks out a Klingon farewell] Qapla'!
Quark : [Quark mumbles nervously. D'Ghor leaves. Quark looks thoroughly shaken]
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Quark : [Quark is counting his latinum, when a shadowed, cloaked figure enters] Who's there? We're closed.
Grilka : Are you Quark?
Quark : [gets up from his bar stool] That depends on who's asking.
Grilka : [Grilka emerges from the shadows and takes off the hood of her cloak, revealing her striking, regal features] My name is Grilka. Kozak was my husband.
Quark : Oh... well, er, come in. Can I get you a drink or something to eat?
Grilka : I've been told that you are the one who killed my husband.
Quark : I didn't want to. I had no choice.
Grilka : Was it an honorable death?
Quark : *Absolutely*! He died like a warrior!
[pause]
Quark : I'm very sorry this happened. Is there anything I can do?
Grilka : Actually there is.
[Grilka suddenly throws off her cloak and pulls out a knife]
Grilka : [fierce] Defend Yourself!
[In a panic, Quark jumps over the bar as he tries to get away from Grilka's attack, sending bars of latinum flying as he flops to the floor. Sound of glass breaking. Grilka stops and looks down in the area behind the bar, where Quark is curled up on the floor, holding a dining tray as a shield]
Grilka : [smiling contemptuously] So this is the man who killed my husband... In personal combat?
Quark : [fearful] What's this all about? Who are you?
Grilka : I've already told you. I'm Kozak's widow. But first things first, Quark. I want to know how my husband died and I want *the truth*!
Quark : [slowly gets up; nervously] Alright.
[Quark gestures to Grilka to put away her knife, which she does]
Quark : He was drunk, and he did try to attack me... . but he... tripped and fell on his own knife.
Grilka : So you lied to the station security officer, to your customers and to D'Ghor. You must be quite a liar.
Quark : [smiles and shrugs] It's a gift!
Grilka : I think it's time you put your gift to work... for me!
[Grilka hyposprays Quark, knocking him unconscious]
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Odo : [Odo is investigating the death of the drunk Klingon Kozak] Alright Quark, start from the beginning.
Rom : [very quickly; having been told by Quark to lie] My brother fought a desperate hand-to-hand battle with the Klingon, and was forced to kill it in self-defense!
Odo : [narrowing his eyes on Quark; incredulous] *You*... killed him?
Quark : [to Odo, and the crowd of bystanders waiting outside] I had no choice. He was abusive, vulgar - a typical drunken Klingon. All that was fine until it was time to pay his bill. He refused. I insisted. We began to argue. He pushed me! *I* pushed back! I was about to call for security to throw him out of my bar, until suddenly he pulls a knife on me!
[crowd gasps]
Quark : [continuing with his "story"] I avoided the first thrust. He came at me again... I hit him, with a left jab. There was furious exchange of blows. The next thing I knew, his knife was at my throat! So... I twisted it out of his grasp... and plunged it into his chest!
[Crowd gasps in astonishment. Quark breathes heavily, as if reliving the "event" disturbs him]
Quark : I will never forget the look on his face as his life drained away... I rather not talk about this anymore.
[Quark walks away]
