Part 6 (1/2)

The watchman took them through an entrance hall lit by hissing pressure lamps and casually guarded by a few liveried men with truncheons. He threw open the door of a medium-sized, well-lit room with a score of people in it, looked in, and uttered a despairing groan.

A personage on a chair that looked like a throne said sharply, ”Are those the star-travelers? Well, don't just stand there. Bring them in!”

”Yes, your honor, Judge Krarl,” said the watchman unhappily.

”Ifs the wrong judge!'”Alen hissed at the trader. ”This one gives out jail sentences!”

”Do what you can,” said blackboard grimly.

The watchman guided them to the personage in the chair and indicated a couple of low stools, bowed to the chair and retired to stand at the back of the room.

”Your honor,” sa*id Alen, ”I am Journeyman-Herald Alen, Herald for the trading voyage-”

”Speak when you're spoken to,” said the judge sharply. ”Sir, with the usual insolence of wealth you have chosen to keep us waiting. I do not take this personally; it might have happened to Judge Treel, who-to your evident dismay-I am replacing because of a sudden illness, or to any other member of the bench. But as an insult to our justice, we cannot overlook it. Sir, consider yourself reprimanded. Take your seats. Watchman, bring in the Cephean.”

”Sit down,” Alen murmured to the trader. ”This is going to be bad.”

A watchman brought in Chief Elwon, bleary-eyed, tousled and sporting a few bruises. He gave Alen and the trader a shamefaced grin as his guard sat him on a stool beside them. The trader glared back.

Judge Krarl mumbled perfunctorily: ”Letbattlebejoined among the several parties in this dispute let no manquestionourim-partial awarding of the victory speak now if you yield instead to our judgment. Well? Speak up, you watchmen!”

The watchman who had brought the Herald and the trader started and said from the back of the room: ”lyieldinsteadto yourhonorsjudgment.”

Three other watchmen and a battered citizen, the wineshop

keeper, mumbled in turn: ”lyieldinsteadtoyourhonorsjudg-ment.”

”Herald, speak for the accused,” snapped the judge.

Well, thought Alen, I can try. ”Your Honor,” he said, ”Chief Elwon's master does not yield to your honor's judgment. He is ready to battle the other parties in the dispute or their masters.”

”What insolence is this?” screamed the judge, leaping from his throne. ”The barbarous customs of other worlds do not prevail in this court! Who spoke of battle-?” He shut his mouth with a snap, evidently abruptly realizing that he had spoken of battle, in an archaic phrase that harked back to the origins of justice on the planet. The judge sat down again and told Alen, more calmly: ”You have mistaken a mere formality. The offer was not made in earnest.” Obviously, he didn't like the sound of that himself, but he proceeded, ”Now say 'lyieldinsteadtoyourhonorsjudgment', and we can get on with it. For your information, trial by combat has not been practiced for many generations on our enlightened planet.”

Alen said politely: ”Your Honor, I am a stranger to many of the ways of Lyra, but our excellent College and Order of Heralds instructed me well in the underlying principles of your law. I recall that one of your most revered legal maxims declares: ”The highest crime against man is murder; the highest crime against man's society is breach of promise.' ”

Purpling, the judge snarled: ”Are you presuming to bandy law with me, you slippery-tongued foreigner? Are you presuming to accuse me of the high crime of breaking my promise? For your information, a promise consists of an offer to do, or refrain from doing, a thing in return for a consideration. There must be the five elements of promiser, promisee, offer, substance, and consideration.”

”If you will forgive a foreigner,” said Alen, suddenly feeling the ground again under his feet, ”I maintain that you offered the parties in the dispute your services in awarding the

victory.”

”An empty argument,” snorted the judge. ”Just as an offer with substance from somebody to n.o.body for a consideration is no promise, or an offer without substance from somebody to somebody for a consideration is no promise, so my offer was no promise, for there was no consideration involved.”

”Your honor, must the consideration be from the ] to the promiser?”

”Of course not. A third party may provide the tion.”

”Then I respectfully maintain that your offer was * since a third party, the government, provided you considerations of salary and position in return for you < your=”” services=”” to=”” the=””>

”Watchmen, clear the room of disinterested peraoBc.” the judge hoa.r.s.ely. While it was being done, Alen swiftly I in the trader and Chief Elwon. Blackbeard grinned at Ike mention of a five-against-one battle royal, and the engjaeer looked alarmed.”