Judgment at Proteus (12 page)

“That’s all right,” Bayta said, standing beside me as Minnario stopped his chair at her side. “What exactly do we need to discuss, Attorney Minnario?”

[To begin with,
Chinzro
Hchchu’s mysterious information source,] Minnario said. [Have you any idea who it might be?]

“Emikai and Dr. Aronobal are the most likely suspects,” I said. “They were both on our super-express Quadrail, which gave them opportunities to see me in action, and both were on Earth when the reports of the New Tigris incident filtered in. Either of them could have put those two pieces of data together and come to at least a suspicion, if not a conclusion.”

“Could they have obtained a private police report?” Bayta asked.

“Assuming they have a top-level contact in the Filiaelian embassy, sure,” I said. “I’m more interested in who exactly this Filly scholar is that Hchchu mentioned, and how she was conveniently on hand in that part of the galaxy to go around collecting bodies and evidence.”

[I have her name,] Minnario said, scrolling through his reader. [But I’ve done a search, and she seems to have no connection to
Chinzro
Hchchu or anyone else aboard
Kuzyatru
Station. It appears she was simply on Homshil when the report of the
santras’
deaths reached the Assembly, and as the nearest Filiaelian with governmental connections she was ordered to delay her return and travel to New Tigris.]

“So she has no actual expertise in police procedure?” I asked.

[None,] Minnario said. [And to tell you the truth, it shows. Her report’s full of oddities, curiosities, and the occasional contradiction.] He smiled lopsidedly. [Those are technical legal terms, of course.]

“Like the laying out of weapons that
Usantra
Wandek mentioned?” I asked.

[The Slisst Protocols are filled with such expressions,] Minnario said. [They came from the ancient Filiaelian mode of honor-satisfaction via combat, and retain much of the same form and language. That’s why the overseers are called guardlaws instead of judges. They don’t so much rule on the case as watch what
Chinzro
Hchchu and I do and award the verdict on the basis of the strength and validity of our arguments.]

“Like martial-arts referees awarding points,” I said, nodding. “Not so different from the way a lot of Earth courts work, actually. Can I assume the Protocols won’t degenerate at some point into actual armed combat?”

Minnario laughed, a sort of pleasant rippling-brook babble that I’d heard before only in recordings. It sounded even more cheerful in person. [Be of confidence,] he assured me. [Filiaelian society is far beyond such primitive behavior.]

“Glad to hear it,” I said. “So tell me more about the scholar’s report. Starting with how I managed to get saddled with six murders.”

[You didn’t commit all the murders?] Minnario asked. [I’m your attorney, you know—you can tell me the truth without fear of bias or betrayal.]

“The truth is that I didn’t commit
any
murders,” I told him firmly. “I may—
may
—have killed one of the Fillies in a firefight, but I’m not even sure about that.”

“Which
they
started in the pursuit of criminal activities,” Bayta added.

Minnario made a sort of hissing sound. [Incredible,] he said. [
Santra
-class Filiaelians.]

“Evil comes in all shapes and sizes these days,” I said. “And as I say, even that one killing is questionable. I was in the middle of a bunch of cops at the time and all of us were trying very hard to get to the
santras
before they got us. You’d have to do ballistic and residue tests on all our weapons to figure out who shot whom, and I’m not sure the New Tigris cops even bothered.”

[I see,] Minnario said thoughtfully. [Well, as I said, the scholar’s report is full of problems. It shouldn’t be a problem to pick at it until it falls apart.]

“I’ll hold you to that,” I said. “Was there anything else?”

[I have no other questions, no,] Minnario said, easing his chair backward. [Now that I have possible names for
Chinzro
Hchchu’s information source, I can begin backtracking and hopefully have some material on hand when he officially reveals the name.]

“So as to have your sword in the en garde position?” I suggested.

Minnario laughed again. [Indeed,] he said. [I should have known that a Human would have little trouble adapting to the legal flavor of the Slisst Protocols. Your recent history’s still so bloody.]

“Thanks,” I said dryly. “I think.”

His smile faded. [Speaking of blood, did I hear
Usantra
Wandek say that your companion’s medical condition has worsened?]

“Yes, and Bayta and I need to get back there,” I said.

[Do you wish me to escort you?] Minnario offered. [But no—you can surely travel to her side faster by yourselves.]

“Probably,” I said. “But if you’d feel better traveling together…?”

[No, no, I’ll be fine.] He looked ruefully down at his chair. [Someday, Mr. Compton, I’ll be free of this chair.]

“Absolutely,” I assured him. Though if he figuratively bloodied Proteus’s assistant director by beating him in this ridiculous trial by verbal combat, it might be a long time before anyone aboard the station found the time to treat him.

Firmly, I shook the thought away. Surely Hchchu wouldn’t be that petty. Even if he was, I could only deal with one crisis at a time. “Then we’ll see you later,” I said, sliding off the stone bench and taking Bayta’s arm. “Oh, and this time will you do me a favor and leave your comm on?”

[I will,] he promised. [My regards to your friend.]

The green directories worked exactly the way Minnario had described. I used them four times on the trip back to Terese’s medical dome, the last three times just to double-check my memory, and I felt a flush of warmth in my cheeks each time I did so. I really
should
have picked up on that on my own.

We arrived at the door to Terese’s building to find Emikai waiting for us. “How is she?” I asked.

“I am not certain,” he said, beckoning. “Come and see.”

Dr. Aronobal was waiting in Terese’s room. So, to my mild surprise, was
Usantra
Wandek, dressed now in his doctor’s tans instead of his guardlaw outfit. “Mr. Compton,” he greeted me gravely. “It’s good of you to come.”

“Nice to see you again, too,” I said, shifting my attention to the bed. At first glance Terese didn’t seem to have changed much since our last meeting, though she was hooked up to more wires and monitors than she had been before.

But on my second look I noticed her sunken cheeks, the dark circles around her eyes, and her slightly sallow skin. “Hello, Terese,” I said. “How are you feeling?”

“Crowded,” she said, a little of the old fire coming back into her eyes and voice as she looked pointedly around at all of us.

“I don’t doubt it,” I said. “Shall I ask
Logra
Emikai to throw all of us out?”

She snorted. “I can ask him myself if I want to.”

“Yes, I’m sure you can,” I said, catching Bayta’s eye and nodding fractionally toward Terese. “Actually, I have a few questions for Dr. Aronobal, so I can at least get two of us out of your way. And I think
Logra
Emikai and
Usantra
Wandek have a matter or two of their own to discuss.” I looked at Emikai. “For one thing, I’m concerned about the security arrangements at my trial.”

For once, someone actually picked up on one of my cues. “As am I,” Emikai said. “If I may have a moment of your time,
Usantra
Wandek?”

“What security arrangements are these?” Wandek asked, his blaze mottling a bit with obvious confusion.

“Oh, come now,” I said reproachfully. “I’m a Human aboard a Filiaelian space station accused of murdering six other Filiaelians. Of course I’m going to need security.” I gestured down to Doug and Ty. “Preferably something with a bit more of my own welfare in mind than
Chinzro
Hchchu’s watchdogs.”

Wandek was still looking unconvinced, but he nevertheless nodded. {There’s a small conference room down the hallway,} he told Emikai. {We can go there.}

The two of them left the room. “Dr. Aronobal?” I invited, gesturing toward the doorway. “Perhaps outside would be best—I could use the fresh air.”

Aronobal hesitated, then looked at Terese. “I will return shortly,” she said. “Call for an attendant if you need anything.”

The dome was, as usual, reasonably deserted when Aronobal and I emerged from Terese’s building. There were a handful of Fillies moving around, most of them walking from one building to another, but that was about it. As far as the mainstream of Proteus traffic flow was concerned, this dome definitely wasn’t in it. “Please make this quick,” Aronobal said. “I have a patient to treat.”

“I appreciate your devotion,” I said. “I wanted to ask about the status of Terese’s unborn baby.”

“Ms. German is aware of our concern for him,” Aronobal said, a little reproachfully. “We could have spoken of this in her presence.”

“Maybe yes, maybe no,” I said, feeling a frown creasing my forehead as I took another look around the dome. I’d brought Aronobal out here purely to give Bayta a little privacy in which to quiz Terese about the attack she’d suffered back on Earth. But now that we were here, something was tingling at the back of my neck.

The dome was wrong. Something about this place was simply
wrong
.

“What do you mean, maybe yes, maybe no?” Aronobal asked.

That was a good question. With my mind preoccupied with the vague new riddle that was suddenly nagging at me, I grabbed at the first thought that came to mind. “I mean you might not want her around,” I said, “when you tell me the baby’s going to die.”

I expected that to spark some kind of reaction. I didn’t expect Aronobal to grab my upper arms and pull me toward her until my face was bare centimeters from her nose blaze. “Who told you he was going to die?” she demanded.

“No one,” I protested, leaning as far away from her as I could. Beside me Doug gave a low warning growl, no doubt assuming that I was the aggressor.

“He must live,” Aronobal insisted. Abruptly, she seemed to realize what she was doing and hastily released her grip. “My apologies,” she said stiffly as she took a step back. “Do you have new information on the child’s welfare?”

“No, that’s why I asked
you
about him,” I said. “But I apologize in turn for my comment. It’s what Humans call hyperbole, the deliberate stretching of a situation to its worst possible conclusion in order to make a point. Let me rephrase: there may be things about the child’s condition you wouldn’t want to say in Ms. German’s presence.”

“If that was what you meant, that was what you should have said,” Aronobal said severely. “And my answer is that there has been no such worsening of the child’s condition.”

“And Ms. German herself?”

Aronobal hesitated. “We do not understand what is happening to her,” she admitted. “But her health index is definitely deteriorating.”

“Could whatever you’re doing to the baby be affecting her?”

“We are
doing
nothing to the baby,” Aronobal said. “We are simply taking fluid and tissue samples and studying his brainwave and metabolic patterns. No genetic work is being performed.”

“Maybe not, but tests themselves can sometimes adversely affect people,” I pointed out. “And you can’t have much experience with treating Humans here.”

The words were barely out of my mouth when I suddenly realized what it was that had been nagging at me.

I looked around the dome again, at the charming EuroUnion Alpine village the Fillies had created. Only this time, I looked at it all with new eyes.

And with new understanding.

Damn
them, anyway.

“You forget our consultation work with Pellorian Medical Systems,” Aronobal reminded me. “We have had enough experience with Humans to know what cannot and must not be done.”

“I hope so,” I said, my voice sounding distant in my ears. “I wonder if I could get a full update on Ms. German’s condition, her treatment, and any prognosis you might have.”

Aronobal snorted gently. “Could you read such a document?”

“The computer in my quarters can translate it for me,” I said. “I swore an oath to
Asantra
Muzzfor—”

“Yes, yes, I remember,” Aronobal interrupted. Apparently, she was as tired of hearing Muzzfor’s name as I was of invoking it. “I will have the appropriate documents sent to you.”

“And similar documents concerning the treatment of Ms. German’s unborn child, too, if you would,” I said. “But I’ve taken up enough of your time. When you get back to Ms. German’s room, will you ask Bayta to join me out here?”

Aronobal gave me an odd look, and I had the feeling that she was surprised by the brevity of the conversation. Apparently, she’d been expecting something longer and more drawn-out. But she merely nodded. “I will,” she said, and went back inside.

I stepped around the corner of the building and sat down with my back to the wall, massaging my calves as if the morning’s travel had left me with tired muscles. As I did so, I once again looked casually around the dome, watching the meager flow of Fillies back and forth. This time, I paid special attention to which buildings seemed to be the centers of attention.

“Frank?” Bayta’s voice came from somewhere near the door.

“Over here,” I called.

Bayta appeared around the corner. Once again, Ty seemed to have inexplicably stayed with her instead of coming outside with Doug and me. “You get anything?” I asked her.

“You didn’t give me much time,” she countered, a little crossly. “Was Dr. Aronobal that anxious to get back?”

“I was that anxious to get rid of her,” I said. “First things first. Come sit down and tell me what you found out from Terese about her attack.”

Bayta frowned, but obediently walked over and sat down beside me. “It happened outside her apartment building as she was coming home from a late party,” she said. “She never saw—”

“Do you have a nail file with you?” I interrupted. “Or anything you can cut or poke with?”