Hamilton was desperate. A group of Earthlings had committed a terrible crime against a power that could snuff out the whole planet with a touch of a button. Danae was merely a minor functionary in the Weegee power structure, but she was the only access he had. If he could get through to her, at least there might be a chance to influence the Weegees to be merciful.
Aurora was his best hope. He turned to her.“Aurora, you know my mind. You know I would never do anything like that. Most Earthlings are like me, not like those maniacs. Please tell Danae that. The whole planet should not be punished for the sins of a fewcriminals.”
The others looked to Aurora, who hesitated for a few seconds and then spoke. “Hamilton, it is true that while you are a killer you have ele- ments of proto-rationality that would almost certainly prevent you from committing such horrible crimes as occurred yesterday. But aside from you and few others, such as the Bergers, I have detected little evidence of potential for sanity among Earthlings. Nevertheless, you need not fear that the WGE will exterminate you without cause. What Danae said is true. The Weegees are a fair and justpeople.”
Hamilton detected a note of uncertainty in Aurora’s voice. He turned back to Danae for reassurance. “Is that right? You’re not planning to exterminate us?”
Danae looked at her fingernails. “Not without cause.”
Hamilton persisted, “But…”
Freya cut him off. “So Aurora, is it really true that the Princess of Cepheus called you by holophone last night?”
Aurora blushed. “Yes,” she said, and giggled.
“What’s so funny?” Danae asked.
“Well, Danae, she woke me in the middle of the night, and between the haziness of the image and the bleariness of my eyes, I thought she was you.”
“You’re kidding!”
“No, but I thought you were. So when she told me she was Minaphera the 245th, I told her I was Penelope theWise!”
“Oh no,” Danae gagged.
“What was the Princess wearing?” Freya asked.
“Oh she had a splendid tiara, and a magnificent blue robe, but you should have seen me. I waswearing my night shift!”
All the women laughed uproariously.
“Did she tell you when the fleet would arrive?” Danae asked.
“In about a week,” Aurora said. “They want me to transport up to their flagship and bring my specimen.”
Hamilton was thunderstruck. He was going to be taken away into outer space!
Aurora continued. “Danae, I’d really appreciate it if you came with me. You Weegees have always been good to me, but I’d feel so alone up there among all those foreigners without a friend.”
Danae smiled a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry,Aurora, but I don’t think that will be possible. It is a military expedition, after all. ButI’ll put a call through and tell someone I know aboard the flagship to be sure to take special care of our littleAurora.”
“Thanks Danae,” Aurora said.
Freya said, “But after the military action is over, there is sure to be a diplomatic reception. As part of the Universal League mission here,we’ll certainly be invited. We can all get together againthen.”
Danae nodded. “That’s right. Won’t it be great? The three of us together on an Imperial Flagship.We’ll get to watch the Princess cast sentence on the captives, and then dance the night away at a Grand Victory Ball!”
“With all those dashing young officers,who’ll all be so eager to show off for us afterthey’ve crushed theEarthlings.” Freya winked and put her arm overAurora’s shoulder.“Of course Aurora here will already have had her pick. You’ll leave a few for us, won’t you, Aurrie?”
Aurora managed a weak smile. “OK, I’ll try.”
Hamilton was terrified. I’m being kidnapped by aliens, he thought.
Four days later the news broke that the fleet would arrive the next morning.
Hamilton was more frightened than he had ever been in his life.
Earth’s peril was imminent. Danae had said the Weegees would not exterminate the planet “without cause.” Unfortunately, a group of Earthlings had conspired successfully to murder 200 billion Weegees. In most places Hamilton was acquainted with, that would suffice for “cause.”
And the fools weren’t even making any attempt to hide their guilt. Instead the openair celebrations of the Weegees’ disaster continued in every American city, with obvious government consent. Did they have any idea what kind of reaction they were setting in motion? Hamilton did. He had seen it in Danae’s eyes, in her hard, calm, and merciless expres- sion as she watched the crowd trampling crap on the face of her Empress.
But in a way his own plight was even more hopeless. The Earthlings would at least all die together. But he was about to be taken away from the only world he knew, to be the lonely and pitiful laboratory specimen of a race of galactic superbeings.
Aurora had called him her lab specimen, yes. But at least while under her control he had been living on Earth, where most things were still familiar and where there were plenty of other native-born Americans around. But now he was about to become a helpless freak in a bizarre world completely defined by a race of people who were so superior they made even the Minervans seem insignificant.
Aurora was a powerful telepath who had spent a year growing up as a Weegee Navy brat. Her nation was a Weegee ally and her best friend was a Weegee minor functionary.But it didn’t take telepathic abilities for Hamilton to see that she was scared shitless at the prospect of being taken aboard a Weegee ship, to be the sole representative of her people among these titans. What then should Hamilton feel? He was a mental deaf mute, and a member of a tribe of savages who had committed the most horrible crimes imaginable against his new captors. To the Weegees he would be utterly beneath contempt.
Hamilton’s character was not one inclined towards considering suicide. Yet it was plain to see that, as soon as he was transported aboard the Weegee ship, his life would be effectively over.
Yet he still had one night on Earth left to him. One night in which he would still have the capacity to do something meaningful. He decided to visit the Bergers. Maybe he could help out in their field hospital. It might not be much, but at least it was something. For a few final hours he could feel like a man.
He was right about the hospital providing an opportunity to do something useful. Even as he approached, he saw a group of Kennewickians bringing in about two dozen dismembered children on stretchers.
Hamilton was quick to lend a hand. He didn’t bother to ask what had happened. The bloody stumps terminating the right arms of the wounded children made that all too obvious.
There weren’t enough beds or cots available, but Melissa Berger had thrown down mats of straw and covered them with blankets to create a line of make-do mattresses.
“Here, put them here,” the doctor’s wife urged.
As the volunteers laid the children down, Dr. Berger moved quickly among the wounded, checking their tourniquets and applying antibiotics.
The children were screaming in agony.
“Do you have any painkillers?” Hamilton asked Melissa.
The doctor’s wife, who was attempting to cradle and comfort one hysterical little girl, looked bleak.“No. We ran out of morphine last week, and the last of the aspirin went yesterday. At the rate things are going, we’ll be out of antibiotics in three days, and then...” She shook her head. There were tears in her eyes.
“Why can’t you get more? I thought the Minervans were still allow- ing medical relief shipments.”
“They are. But the US government and the major Christian charities have all stopped sending any. Ican’t understand it. They bewail our plight endlessly on TV,but they won’t do a thing to help. It’s like they want us to suffer, just forshow.”
Hamilton nodded, but said nothing.
Just then a bugle rang out. Hamilton could not recognize the call, as it was not one of the standard military tunes. Melissa looked dismayed. “Oh, no,” she said. “ Not now
.”
“What is it?” Hamilton asked.
“It’s the call to prayer. Under the new law, all loyal Americans must face Washington five times a day and pray to Jesus to destroy the Minervans and the WesternGalactic Empire.” She cast a worried look at her husband.“Howard has already gotten into trouble for refusing to stop treating new patients during prayer time. If the Faith Police should come bynow...”
At that moment, Susan Peterson, the Kennewickian nurse, dashed into the tent. “They’re coming!” she said breathlessly, and fell to her knees.
“Quick, kneel!” Melissa said, and pulled Hamilton down with her. The two then copied Susan, pressing their hands together in an attitudeof prayer. But Doctor Berger just kept on working.
Then a tall husky man in minister’s clothing and three other thugs wearing large crosses entered the hospital tent.
The minister took in the scene with a glance. “Dr. Howard Berger,” hesaid. “I am Reverend Captain Witherspoon, commander of the 4th Kennewickian District Faith Police. You are in violation of the Faith Preservation Act. You will come with us immediately.”
Melissa scrambled to her feet. “No. You can’t just take him!”
The Reverend Captain Witherspoon looked at the doctor’s wife.“I’m sorry, Mrs. Berger, but your husband was warned. He chose to ignore the law of the land, and must now pay theprice.”
By this time Hamilton was also on his feet. “What’s the penalty?”
The ministercaptain was disdainful. “There can be no greater crime than sacrilege. The penalty is death.”
Hamilton was outraged. Dr. Berger was the noblest man he had ever met, and these thugs were going to kill him. The former Ranger thought he might be able to take out the four goons, enabling the doctor and his family to escape, but where would they be able to go afterwards? And what would happen to the hospital after they ran? No, resisting arrest by force wouldn’t work. He decided upon another tactic.
“You can’t just kill a man without a trial,” Hamilton said.
“Oh, you needn’t worry about that,” the minister-captain scoffed. “He’ll have a fair trial in City Court before we execute him.”
“When?” Hamilton demanded.
“Why tonight, of course, immediately after prayers.” Witherspoon smiled. “Justice delayed is justice denied. Come on, it’s time to go.”
As two of the thugs kept their eyes on Hamilton, the third grabbed Dr. Berger and pulled him bodily from the child he was tending. Melissa took a step forward as if to interfere, but the minister blocked her path.
“Take care of the children,” the doctor gasped as he was hauled from the tent. Then he, the minister, and the three thugs were all gone.
Hamilton turned to the two women, whowere both in tears. “We’ve got to move fast. Susan, take Charlie and Joe and all the other hospital volunteers, and have them go through the camp and turn out the parents of every child Dr. Berger has saved. Tell them to come down to City Court right away. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”
Chapter 12
City Court was packed. A tall man wearing a police uniform emblazoned with a large cross stood up and addressed the crowd.
“Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye! All rise for our most holy Judge, Reverend AaronVardt.”
A distinguished looking man with silver hair entered the room and took a raised seat upon a dais. He wore a minister’s collar with a finely tailored suit. A large golden cross adorned his neck, and there were gold or jeweled rings on every finger. While not truly fat, it was clear that, unlike most Kennewickians, Minister Vardt was eating well.
Vardt motioned with his hand, and the bailiff spoke. “You may all be seated.”
Everyone sat down.
Judge Vardtsmiled. “I’m delighted to see that such a large crowd of faithful citizens has turned out tonight to witness the punishment of an unbeliever.” He turned to the guard. “Well bailiff, let’s not keep the folks waiting. Bring in the prisoner.”
The bailiff walked to a side door to the left of the dais and opened it. A few seconds later, two guards entered, followed by Dr. Berger, and then more guards. Berger wore a hideous orange prison jumpsuit and had his arms shackled behind his back. The guards manipulated him to a position in front of and beneath the judge, and forced him to his knees.
Vardt looked down on Berger.“Dr. Howard Berger,” the Minister intoned. “You have been observed to have committed aggravated violation of the Faith Preservation Act. Do you have any last words before this court passessentence?”
Dr.Berger looked up at the Minister with defiance. “I certainly do. This is not a legal court. You’re not a judge, Vardt. I demand a real trial with a real judge. This is City Court. Old Judge Stone should be sitting on that bench, not you. Where is Judge Stone?”
Berger struggled to his feet and faced the crowd. “Where’s Judge Stone? Where is Mayor Wagner? What has happened to them?”
One of the guards grabbed Berger and shoved him back to his knees, simultaneously choking off his words with a powerful grip around the doctor’s throat. An angry murmur rippled through the crowd.
The judge banged his gavel. “Silence! Order in the court! Since the prisoner has nothing to say in his defense, the court will now pass sentence...”
It was now or never. Hamilton stood up. “Wait! Youcan’t pass sen- tence. What Dr. Berger said is true. You’re not a judge. Under US law, no one can be sentenced to death without a fair trial with a real judge and a jury of his peers.”
For several seconds, dead silence filled the room. Then Minister Vardt said icily, “Excuse me, but aren’t you the traitor who foiled our attack on the pagan festival June 6th? Apparently birds of a feather flock together.”
Hamilton locked eyes on the Minister. “You have no right to call me a traitor. I’ve risked my life fighting the Minervans in direct combat. Have you?”
Vardt seemed at a loss for words, but the bailiff intervened. “Your question is ridiculous. Minister Vardt is much too important to risk in combat.”
“Oh, yeah,” Hamilton sneered, “but he still needs to answer what I said. The doctor deserves a fair trial, and the lot of you are breaking the law by not giving him one.”
The Minister became enraged.“Enough!” he shouted, and bangedhis gavel.“The prisoner has committed crimes against the faith. Civil statutes and procedures do not apply. Therefore, in accord with the authority vested in me by God, Jesus, and the Holy Bible, I sentence the unbeliever Howard Berger to death bystoning.”
Susan Peterson stood up. “But you can’t do that, your honor. Dr. Berger is the only physician left in Kennewick. Without him all the injured children will die.”
The judge frowned. “If it is the will of Jesus that the children should die, then they must die. They are all martyrs, and if not for the sacrilegious interference of the prisoner, would be enjoying eternal happiness in paradisealready.”
Mary Ellen Thomas, the mother of one of the maimed children stood up. “But I don’t want my little girl to be a dead martyr. I want her tolive. Dr. Berger is keeping her alive.”
“At great peril to her immortal soul!” the Minister rebutted.
Mary Ellen tried to plead, “But...”
Vardt cut her off.“Silence, woman. Stop your infernal whining. You have nothing to complain about. When your daughter finally achieves martyrdom, you will get a handsome compensation payment from the US government, minus, of course, a small commission deducted by our church to cover our expenses in indoctrinatingher.”
This last comment provoked rage from Hamilton.“So, you’re the one who has been brainwashing the children and then sending them to be butchered!”
The judge looked at Hamilton curiously. “Of course. What’s your point?”
Hamilton was stunned. “But, but… they’re children!”
Vardt smiled,“and therefore make the purest of martyrs. Does not the Bible say,‘and the children shall lead them?’ It is through the blood of our child martyrs th
at Holy Kennewick shall be redeemed. AndI’m proud to say that today we graduated another class of blessed martyrs who shall go forth tomorrow to achieve eternal salvation through holy sacrifice. Their inspiring actions will glorify Jesus, enrich their parents, provide our church with much needed commissions, and possibly kill a few Minervanstoo.”
The judge’s words provoked angry murmurs from many of the par- ents seated around Hamilton, but cheers of approval from the guards and members of the choir, who were also present in the Court in large numbers.
Hamilton faced the crowd. “You’re cheering? Don’t you see how crazy this is? Your children are being maimed and killed, and all it is accomplishing is convincing the Minervans that we are insane subhumans who need tobe crushed.”
“We are not concerned with the opinions of pagans,” the judge said.
Hamilton shook his head. “You should be concerned, when they’re the ones with the superior firepower.”
A tall man, a member of the choir stood up. “What would you have us do,soldier boy, give up the fight?”
“No,” Hamilton said,“but we have to fight back using tactics that can win. The Minervans have us outgunned. So we can’t use violence.”
“There is no other way,” Vardt said.
“Yes there is!” Susan Peterson stood up on her chair. “We can use passive resistance, like Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi.”
“That’s right,” Hamilton said. “We need to use the leverage we have. The Minervans need us to do all kinds of scut jobs in their greenhouses and fish farms. If we threaten to stop work, they’ll have to negotiate.”
“Yeah,” said Charlie, the truck-driving hospital volunteer. “We should do like we used to in the Teamsters. Organize and strike. Strike for ourrights!”
For a second time, Doctor Berger broke free of his guard. He ran a few feet and then turned and faced the audience. “Charlie’s right!” he shouted. “Let’s stop this mindless bloodshed and do something effective. Let’s act like civilized people, and win ourselves equal rights with a general strike. No more bloodshed, GeneralStrike!” He started to chant,“No more bloodshed, General Strike! No more bloodshed, GeneralStrike!”
The Holy Land: Fanatical Earthling planet assassins are spreading chaos through the galaxy. Is there any nice way to stop them? Page 11