The sound of steps outside was followed by the squeak1 of a key in the lock. "Fifteen minutes, Judge Wilson," a voice said.
"Thank you, officer." Wilson came into the cell, carrying a tray of breakfast and a copy of the Northport Gazette. He began unloading bracky weeds from his pocket while Doc attacked the breakfast.
"They tossed the book at you, Doc," he said. "You haven't got a chance, and there's nothing the villages can do. Trial's set for tomorrow at Northport, and it's in closed session. We can't get you off this time."
Doc nodded. "Thanks for coming, even if there's nothing you can do. I've been living on borrowed time for a year, anyhow, so I have no right to kick. But who's 'we'?"
"The villages. I've been part of their organization for years." The old man sighed heavily. "You might say a revolution has been going on since I can remember, though most villagers don't know it. We've just been waiting our time. Now we've stopped waiting and the rifles will be coming out—rifles made in village shops.[Pg 70] The villages are going to rebel, even if we're all dead of plague in a month."
Doc Feldman nodded and reached for the bracky. He knew that this was their way of trying to make him feel his work hadn't been for nothing, and he was grateful for Wilson's visit. "It was a good year for me. Damned good. But time's running short. I'd better brief you on the latest on the plague."
Wilson began making notes until Doc was finished. Finally he got up as steps sounded from the hall. "Anything else?"
"Just a guess. A lot of Earth germs can't live in Mars-normal flesh; maybe this can't live in Earth-normal. Tell them so long for me."
An hour later, the Lobby police took Feldman to the Northport shuttle rocket. They had some trouble on the way; a runner cut down the street, with the crowds frantically3 rushing out of his way. Terror was reaching the cities already.
Doc flashed a look at Chris. "Mob hysteria. Like flying saucers and wriggly4 tops, I suppose?" he asked, before the guard could stop him.
They locked his legs, but left his hands free in the rocket. He unfolded the paper Wilson had brought and buried his face in it. Then he swore. They were explaining the runners as a case of mob hysteria!
Northport was calmer. Apparently5 they had yet to have first-hand experience with the plague. But now nothing seemed quite real to Doc, even when they locked him into the big Northport jail. The whole ritual of the Lobbies seemed like a fantasy after the villages.[Pg 71]
It snapped back into focus, however, when they led him into the trial room of the Medical Lobby building. It was a smaller version of his trial on Earth. Fear washed in by association. The complete lack of humanity in the procedure was something from a half-remembered and horrible past.
The presiding officer asked the routine question: "Is the prisoner represented by counsel?"
"Very well. The court will accept the protective function for the prisoner. You may proceed."
I'll be judge, I'll be jury. And prosecution9 and defense10. It made for a lot less trouble. Of course, if Space Lobby had asserted interest, it would have gone to a supposedly neutral court. But as usual, Space was happy to leave it in the hands of Medical.
The tape was played as evidence. Doc frowned. The words were his, but there had been a lot of editing that subtly changed the import of his notes.
"I protest," he challenged. "It's not an accurate version."
The Lobby magistrate turned a wooden face to him. "Does the prisoner have a different version to introduce?"
"No, but—"
"The evidence is accepted. One of the prisoner's six protests will be charged against him."
Blane smiled smoothly11 and held up a small package. "We wish to introduce this drug as evidence that the prisoner is a confirmed addict12, morally irresponsible under addiction13. This is a package of so-called bracky weed, a vile14 and noxious15 substance found in his possession."[Pg 72]
"It has alkaloids no more harmful than nicotine," Feldman stated sharply.
"Do you contend that you find the taste pleasing?" Blane asked.
"It's bitter, but I've gotten used to it."
"I've tasted it," the magistrate said. "Evidence accepted. Two deductions16, one for irregularity of presentation."
Doc shrugged17 and sat back. He'd tested his rights and found what he expected. It was hard to see now how he had ever accepted such procedure. Jake must be right; they'd been in power too long, and were making the mistake of taking the velvet18 glove off the iron fist and flailing19 about for the sheer pleasure of power.
It dragged on, while he became a greater and greater monster on the record. But finally it was over, and the magistrate turned to Feldman. "You may present your defense."
"I ask complete freedom of expression," Doc said formally.
The magistrate nodded. "This is a closed court. Permission granted. The recording20 will be scrambled21."
The last bit ruined most of the purpose Doc had in mind. But it was too late to change. He could only hope that some one of the Medical men present would remember something of what he said.
"I have nothing to say for myself," he began. "It would be useless. But I had to do what I did. There's a plague outside. I've studied that plague, and I have knowledge which must be used against it...."
He sat down in three minutes. It had been useless.
Blane arose, with a smile still plastered on his face. "We, of course, recognize the existence of a new contagion22, but I believe we have established that this is one[Pg 73] disseminated23 by the prisoner himself, and probably not directly contagious24. There have been many cases of fanatics25 ready to destroy humanity to eliminate those they hate. Now, surely, the prisoner has himself left no question of his attitude. He asserts he has knowledge and skill greater than the entire Medical Research staff. He has attempted to intimidate26 us by threats. He is clearly psychopathic, and dangerously so. The prosecution rests."
The guards took Doc into the anteroom, where he was supposed to hear nothing that went on. But their curiosity was stronger than their discretion27, and the door remained a trifle ajar.
The magistrate began the discussion. "The case seems firm enough. It's fortunate Dr. Ryan acted so quickly, with some of the people getting nervous. Perhaps it might be wise to publicize our verdict."
"My thought exactly," Blane agreed. "If we show Feldman is responsible and that Medical is eliminating the source of the infection, it may have a stabilizing28 effect."
"Let's hope so. The sentence will have to be death, of course. We can't let such a rebellious29 psychopath live. But this needs something more, it seems. You've prepared a recommendation, I suppose."
"There was the case of Albrecht Delier," Blane suggested. "Something like that should have good publicity30 impact."
It struck Doc that they sounded as if they believed themselves—as the witch-burners had believed in witches. He was sweating when the guards led him before the bench.
The magistrate rolled a pen slowly across his fingers as his eyes raked Feldman. "Pariah Daniel Feldman, you[Pg 74] have been found guilty on all counts. Furthermore, your guilt31 must be shared by that entire section of Mars known as the villages. Therefore the entire section shall be banned and forbidden any and all services of the Medical Lobby for a period of one year."
"Sir Magistrate!" One of the members of Southport Hospital staff was on his feet. "Sir Magistrate, we can't cut them off completely."
"We must, Dr. Harkness. I appreciate the fine humanitarian32 tradition of our Lobby which lies behind your protest, but at such a time as this the good of the body politic33 requires drastic measures. Why not see me after court, and we can discuss it then?"
He turned back to Feldman, and his face was severe.
"The same education which has produced such fine young men as Dr. Harkness was wasted on you and perverted34 to endanger the whole race. No punishment can equal your crimes, but there is one previously35 invoked36 for a particularly horrible case, and it seems fitting that you should be the fourth so sentenced.
"Daniel Feldman, you are sentenced to be taken in to space beyond planetary limits, together with all material used by you in the furtherance of your criminal acts. There you shall be placed into a spacesuit containing sufficient oxygen for one hour of life, and no more. You and your contaminated possessions shall then be released into space, to drift there through all eternity37 as a warning to other men.
"This sentence shall be executed at the earliest possible moment, and Dr. Christina Ryan is hereby commissioned to observe such execution. And may God have mercy on your soul!"[Pg 75]
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1
squeak
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| n.吱吱声，逃脱；v.（发出）吱吱叫，侥幸通过；（俚）告密 | |
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2
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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4
wriggly
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| adj.蠕动的，回避的；蜿蜒 | |
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5
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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prosecutor
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| n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人 | |
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7
pariah
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| n.被社会抛弃者 | |
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8
magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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prosecution
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| n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营 | |
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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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addict
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| v.使沉溺；使上瘾；n.沉溺于不良嗜好的人 | |
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addiction
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| n.上瘾入迷，嗜好 | |
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vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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15
noxious
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| adj.有害的，有毒的；使道德败坏的，讨厌的 | |
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16
deductions
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| 扣除( deduction的名词复数 )； 结论； 扣除的量； 推演 | |
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17
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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18
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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19
flailing
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| v.鞭打( flail的现在分词 )；用连枷脱粒；（臂或腿）无法控制地乱动；扫雷坦克 | |
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20
recording
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| n.录音，记录 | |
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21
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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22
contagion
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| n.(通过接触的疾病)传染；蔓延 | |
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23
disseminated
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| 散布，传播( disseminate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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contagious
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| adj.传染性的，有感染力的 | |
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25
fanatics
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| 狂热者，入迷者( fanatic的名词复数 ) | |
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26
intimidate
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| vt.恐吓，威胁 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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28
stabilizing
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| n.稳定化处理[退火]v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的现在分词 ) | |
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29
rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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30
publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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31
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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32
humanitarian
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| n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者 | |
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33
politic
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| adj.有智虑的；精明的；v.从政 | |
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34
perverted
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| adj.不正当的v.滥用( pervert的过去式和过去分词 )；腐蚀；败坏；使堕落 | |
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35
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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invoked
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| v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求 | |
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eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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