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Divide and rule, most skillfully done. A murder charge, that was good; a man
had been killed so the charge was certainly in order. And he had resisted
arrest just to make her job easier, just as she had undoubtedly assumed he
would. She had out-thought him and she had won. She was out there drawing the
web tight around him, while he sat in the
agree on a sentence of guilty. Semenov, one of the oldest Heads, would sit on
the bench.
There was a chance.
"You have a visitor," the guard said, his voice rasping from the speaker just
below the window. He moved aside and Alzbeta stood in his place.
Happy as he was to see her it was torture to press his hands to the cold
plasteel surface, to see her fingers a close centimeter beyond his, yet to be
unable to touch them.
"I asked to see you," she said. "I thought they would say no, but there was no
trouble."
"Of course. No lynch parties this time. She learns by her mistakes. This time
by the book, by the rule of law and order. Visitors allowed, why of course.
Final verdict, guilty, of course.
"There has to be a chance. You will fight?"
"Don't I always?" He forced himself to smile, for her sake, and was answered
by the slightest smile in return. "There is really no case. You witnessed the
attack, were struck yourself, the other Proctors will have to agree with that
under oath. They had all the clubs, I
fought back when you were struck down. Ritterspach's death was accidental --
they'll have to admit that. I'll defend myself, but there is one thing you can
do to help me."
"Anything!"
"Get me a copy of the legal tapes that I can play on the TV here. I want to
bone up on the niceties of the Book of the Law. Build a strong case.
"I'll bring them as soon as I can. They said I could bring you food; I'll cook
something special. And another thing," she looked sideways out of the corners
of her eyes, then lowered her voice. "You have friends. They want to help you.
If you were out of here..."
They talked more but there was little to say. The ache of being close to her
without touching her was becoming unbearable and he was relieved when the
guard told her it was time to go.
His second visitor was Ryzo Santos. The communications officer was undoubtedly
well aware that their talk would be listened to and kept their conversation on
neutral grounds.
"Alzbeta tells me you are enjoying your rest, Jan."
"I have little choice, do I?"
"Make the most of the quiet, you'll be back in action soon enough. I brought
that copy of the Book of the Law that you asked about. I guess the guard will
give it to you.
"My thanks. I'll want to study it closely."
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"Very closely, if I were you." Ryzo's scowl deepened. "There have been some
meetings of Family Heads. Only rumors of course, but there was an announcement
this morning, and the rumors are true. Ivan Semenov is no longer Read of his
family."
"They can't do that!"
"They can, and they did. You'll find the process described in your copy of the
Book of the
Law. He broke the law when he officiated at Alzbeta's marriage without The
Hradil's permission. Poor Semenov is stripped of all rank and title. He's
working as a cook's helper."
"The marriage is still valid, isn't it?" Jan asked worriedly.
"Absolutely. Nothing can touch that. A marriage bond is a marriage bond and
completely unbreakable as you know. But, the judges have been chosen for the
trial
you will have to get off."
"I wish I shared your enthusiasm."
"You will as soon as you have eaten some of the chicken and dumpling stew
Alzbeta sent with the tape. That is if the jailers leave you any of it after
it is searched for weapons.
All according to law. No doubts about it. Then why was he so worried? There
were less than seven days left to the trial and Jan busied himself with a
study of the Book of the Law which, admittedly, he had never looked at very
closely before. It proved to be a simplified version of Earth Commonwealth
law. A great deal had been pruned away -- there was certainly no need to go
into the details of illegal counterfeiting on a world without money. Or space
barratry. But ironclad additions had been written into it that gave the Family
Heads the power of absolute rule. What little bits of personal freedom had
been in the original were totally missing here.
On the day of the trial Jan shaved carefully, then pulled on the clean clothes
that had been brought for him. He carefully pinned on his badge of rank. He
was Maintenance Captain and he wanted everyone to remember it. When the guards
came he was ready to go, almost eager. But he drew back when they produced the
wristcuffs.
"No need for those," he said. "I'm not going to attempt to escape."
"Orders," the Proctor said, Scheer, the same one Jan had felled with the club.
He stood out of range with his gun raised. There was no point in resisting.
Jan shrugged and held out his arms.
changeless twilight sky. A platform had been erected with seats for judges and
defendant. A
speaker system had been hooked up so that everyone could hear. There was a
carnival feeling in the air, some free entertainment so they could all forget
their troubles. And the ships that never came.
Jan climbed the flight of steps and sat down in the box, then examined the
judges. The
Hradil, of course. Her presence there had been as assured as the law of
gravity. And Chun
Taekeng, Senior Elder, his place guaranteed as well. An unexpected face, old
Krelshev. Of course -- he would have taken over as Elder when Semenov was
unseated. A man of no intelligence and lesser nerve. A tool like the other two
sitting next to him. The Hradil was the only one that counted today. She was
leaning toward them, instructing them no doubt, then straightened up and
turned to face Jan. The wrinkled face cold as ever, the eyes unemotional icy
pits. But she smiled when she looked at him, ever so slightly, but undoubtedly
there, though vanished in an instant. A victory smile; she was so sure of
herself. Jan forced himself not to react, to sit in stony and expressionless
silence. Any emotion he displayed during this trial could only do him harm.
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But he still wondered what she was smiling at. It was not long before he found
out.
"Silence, silence in the court," The Hradil called out, and her amplified
voice spread down the Central Way, bouncing from the buildings on each side.
She said it just once and the response was instant. This was a most serious
moment.
defending himself from an unprovoked attack. Self-defense is not a crime.
Therefore it was deduced that the death was accidental, and charges of murder
have been dropped. Proctor
Scheer has been admonished for his enthusiasm."
What did it mean? The crowd was just as much at a loss as Jan was and a murmur
swept through the watchers, silenced when The Hradil lifted her hand. Jan did
not like it. All he knew was that with the charges dismissed he was still
cuffed. And that oaf Scheer had the nerve to be grinning at him. Admonished
and now smiling? More was going on here than was apparent and Jan was
determined to strike first. He stood and leaned close to the microphone.
"I am pleased that the truth has come out. Therefore please free my wrists--"
"Prisoner will be seated," The Hradil said. The two Proctors slammed Jan back
into the chair. It was not over yet.
"Far graver charges have been leveled against the prisoner. He is charged with
inciting to riot, with disloyalty, with disloyal actions, with disloyal
propaganda, and with the most serious of all. Treason.
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