Justice Harry Mertz smiled in satisfaction. “Good. Now, as to the other matters, we’ll have to reconvene with the Lady Zillabar in attendance, at which time I will hear arguments from both sides. I expect to make a decision on all matters before me before we reach the Gathering.”
Considered Justice
Justice Godfrey Daniels Harry Mertz, wearing a white robe, entered the salon from the bridge. He waited until Ota announced, “Oyez, oyez. All rise before the Honorable Justice Harry Mertz, Arbiter of Thoska-Roole, and chief officer of this court.” The room rustled with movement as the various attendees shuffled to their feet.
Harry straightened his crisp new gown and grinned appreciatively at Robin and Shariba-Jen. The two had spent several feverish hours sewing an appropriate robe for Harry. Because the workings of justice required a certain amount of ritual and ceremony in order to convey the importance of the process, Harry had not simply requested the robe and certain other props—he had demanded them as necessary. He knew that he could not risk having the proceedings look haphazard or slipshod in any way. He couldn’t allow any of these matters to arrive at the Gathering incomplete.
Harry seated himself at the forward end of the ship’s brinewood salon. Glancing around, he grinned, “I’ve worked tougher rooms, but never one as pretty as this.” He tapped the bell on the makeshift desk in front of him and announced. “The session has begun. We will now consider the first case on the docket, the matter of the brothers Markham vs. the Lady Zillabar, in reference to a contract to locate and secure the personage of the TimeBinder of Thoska-Roole, in return for which, the Lady or her representatives would supply a cure for Finn Markham’s affliction, the blood-burn. Now, let’s see—” Harry shuffled through the documents on the table before him, sorting his notes for the fifteenth time, then looked up again.
Sawyer and Finn sat at a table on the right side of the room, Zillabar sat stiffly on the left. Harry nodded and glanced back to the papers in his hands. “I see that the TimeBinder of Thoska-Roole has already made a previous ruling on this case. The Lady Zillabar has contested that ruling. I shall regard this hearing, then, as an appeal for total reconsideration.” He looked to the Markhams, he looked to Zillabar. “Do all parties here recognize the authority of this court?”
Sawyer and Finn nodded. The Lady Zillabar remained dispassionate.
“Lady Zillabar?”
She glanced up slowly. “I don’t recognize your authority over me,” she said quietly.
“Unfortunately, that defense won’t work here. Aboard a starship, the Captain has ultimate authority and has delegated that authority to me to reach a just solution to certain problems that need resolution before we reach our destination. Whether you recognize the authority or not, under Regency law, I have it.” He tried to resist the impulse to grin. The Lady Zillabar had once tried to strip him of his title and whatever ceremonial authority it had carried. Now, he had all the authority and more that she had tried to deny. The situation here tickled his sense of karmic retribution. He covered with a cough, hoping to hide even the slightest sense of a smirk. He didn’t succeed.
Zillabar snorted. “I do not have appropriate representation,” she said.
“I recognize the limited skills available here. However, you have access to EDNA, the ship’s Artificial Intelligence engine, and the court will appoint either William Three-Dollar or Nyota M’bele to assist you with appropriate case-precedents and advice.”
“I will represent myself, thank you.”
“As you wish.”
“—but I want you to put it on the record. I do not believe I can get a fair hearing in this venue.”
Sitting off to one side, Captain Campbell couldn’t help smirking. “You don’t like having the situation reversed, do you?” she said to Zillabar. In the back of the salon, Gito laughed aloud and Kask rumbled good-naturedly. Lee snorted derisively.
Justice Mertz rapped his gavel lightly. “Uh-uh-uh-uh,” he said. “Captain Campbell, if you do that again, I’ll have to ask you to leave. This court will not tolerate any disrespect.”
“Yes, your honor. I apologize.” Chastened, Campbell sat back in her chair, and folded her arms across her chest.
To Zillabar, Harry said, “I recognize your objections. I promise you that this court will make every effort to see that you receive every consideration that the law demands. Conversely, if the final ruling goes against you, this court will also make every effort to see that you receive every punishment the law demands. If you wish to offer terms for a settlement before we get into the details of the case—or if the brothers Markham wish to make an offer—the court will gladly allow that.”
Harry looked to Sawyer and Finn expectantly. The brothers Markham shook their heads. “We have nothing to offer.”
The judge turned his glance to Lady Zillabar. “Do you wish to offer a settlement?”
She returned his gaze stonily. “What I wish to offer,” she said, “I don’t think you would allow.”
“Perhaps not,” Harry agreed. “Let’s get on with it then. To speed this matter, we’ll proceed with informal court rules. Please state your case.”
The Lady Zillabar stood up and said, “I have a simple case, your honor—” She inclined her head in a slight nod at the words your honor. Harry couldn’t tell if she intended the gesture with respect or sarcasm. “—I wish to halt the illegal draining of my blood.”
Her words drew a sharp reaction from the audience gathered in the rear of the salon. Lee-1169 hooted out loud. Arl-N guffawed. Kask roared. Ibaka chittered and pounded his chest. The sight of a Vampire—especially this vampire—protesting a blood-draining had a delicious irony to everyone in the chamber, most of whom had suffered sorely at her hands in the recent past.
After a moment or two of this, Harry picked up his gavel and rapped it lightly on the table. “Order, order,” he demanded. “We will have order. The court recognizes that many of you have strong feelings about this plaintiff. Nevertheless, we will not allow the rude behavior of anyone in this chamber to compromise the integrity of the proceedings. You will maintain decorum.” The room began to settle down immediately. To Lady Zillabar, Harry said, “I have some experience with the circumstances of this case. The brothers Markham agreed to provide services, which they did—”
“They reneged.”
“Only after you did. Nevertheless, they did locate and secure the personage of William Three-Dollar for you. So they fulfilled their part of the contract. You and your representatives agreed to provide an antidote or cure for the blood-burn. You reneged on your part of the contract. Do you wish to offer any explanation or mitigating circumstances?”
Lady Zillabar glared at Harry. She knew what he meant. She knew she didn’t dare risk it. She shook her head curtly.
But Harry refused to take her head-shake as an answer. “Correct me if I’ve made a mistake, but I had heard that you considered the Markham’s part in the death of Lord Drydel as a factor in your decision to not honor your part of the contract. Perhaps we should discuss that for a bit? I have several witnesses to that affair here; it might cast additional light on this matter. Although it represents a diversion from the main direction of this case, I think the circumstances of Lord Drydel’s death belong in the public record, don’t you?”
“No, I do not,” said the Lady Zillabar dispassionately. “I still carry my grief as a private affair. I do not want old wounds reopened, and I request the court’s understanding in this.” Underneath, she seethed. She couldn’t possibly allow any public acknowledgment that Lord Drydel had violated the Regency Charter at her private feeding grounds.
Harry smiled gently. “Well, yes—as you wish. Perhaps another time, then.” He glanced back at the papers before him. “So, then we may correctly assume that you never intended to honor your part of the contract at all, did you?”
Lady Zillabar didn’t reply.
“In earlier testimony, Sawyer and Finn Markham, both stated that you told them you had
deceived them about a cure for the blood-burn, that it didn’t exist. Would you like to clarify that statement now?”
She shook her head slowly.
Sawyer and Finn exchanged a confused glance. Why didn’t Lady Zillabar try to argue or explain the facts. By stipulating these points so easily, she gave her case away. Even Harry Mertz seemed puzzled. He glanced around the room, as if looking for an answer, then back to Zillabar again.
“All right,” he said. “You leave me no choice, but to rule against you. You made a contract with the Markhams; they kept their part of it, therefore you must keep your part of it. That no antidote exists does not mitigate the debt. You may not use that as an excuse for non-payment. Because you allowed the Markhams to believe that an antidote existed, you committed a fraud, and this court must take steps to repair the damages wrought by your deception. Let me note here that the Markhams discovered on their own the possibility of a treatment or cure for the blood-burn which would require your physical cooperation. Because you represented yourself as the source of a cure, this court finds that you must make yourself available for Finn Markham’s continued blood-cleansing treatments.” He tapped his gavel and added, “Ruling for the defendants. Lady Zillabar’s blood now belongs to Sawyer and Finn Markham for the purposes of Finn Markham’s continued treatment for as long as necessary to obtain a permanent state of good health for Finn Markham.”
“I expected nothing less from you,” said Lady Zillabar.
“Madame Zillabar,” Harry said, “I believe you have not yet seen the whole picture. Sawyer and Finn Markham now have a vested interest in keeping you alive. It has not escaped my attention that some of the other passengers and crew members aboard this vessel heartily wish you dead. You now have two very dedicated bodyguards who will not allow that to happen. Here or anywhere else.”
“You’ll forgive me if I don’t find much consolation in that news, your honor.” She remained standing at her table. “I would now like to appeal your ruling on the grounds that it represents a cruel and unjust punishment.”
Harry laid down his gavel and stared at her. “All right,” he said. “Let’s hear it.”
“I have no choice but to recognize the authority of this court. Reluctantly, and under protest, I have done so. Reluctantly, and under protest, I must also accept the court’s ruling. You consider it justice that the Markhams use my body to extract a cure that I allegedly promised. Fair enough. At least as far as it goes—”
“As far as it goes—?”
“Does the court also demand that the Markhams extract this punishment at the expense of my good health?”
“Dr. M’bele has assured me that he has every concern for your welfare—”
“Your honor, with all due respect—I believe that I know much more about Phaestor physiology than a backwoods juju-man. The fact remains that the present course of this treatment threatens my life.”
“I don’t see how—”
“Then I’ll explain it in terms that even you can understand. This treatment drains my strength, without replenishing it. Dr. M’bele and the Markhams have denied me access to an appropriate diet for my metabolism.”
Justice Reconsidered
“I beg your pardon?” Harry Mertz stared across the salon of the starship, wondering exactly what kind of legal quagmire he had just stepped into.
Lady Zillabar explained calmly, “Your ruling allows them to systematically starve me to death. Without my regular diet, I will not gradually weaken and die. I request that you expand your ruling to mandate that the Markhams must guarantee my continued good health.”
“Hm,” said Justice Mertz. “Would you please give me the punch line on this? What exactly do you want the court to do?”
“Thank you.” The Lady nodded. “I wish the return of my property, for one.” She turned and pointed directly at Ibaka, the dog-child, sitting contentedly in the hands of Kask, the Dragon. “That pup belongs to me. While I do not have it here, I do have a bill of sale to prove that I purchased him and his litter-mates on Burihatin-14. The Dragon who holds him witnessed the purchase. Furthermore, that same Dragon served as an attendant for the pups during transit and delivery, so he can confirm my claim to ownership.”
At these words, Ibaka began whimpering and squirming in Kask’s hands. The Dragon began rumbling deep in his throat.
The Lady ignored them both. “I see that the pup has gained quite a bit of weight since I last saw him. He would sustain me for many days, certainly until we reached the Gathering, at which time, I feel confident that I can find many other sources of appropriate nourishment. In the meantime, since you have already established the precedent that you will take one person’s blood to guarantee another’s welfare, then I demand the return of my property so that I may use its blood to guarantee my welfare.”
“Oy vey,” said Harry quietly. He put his head in his hands and asked himself why he had ever allowed himself to accept this particular honor. Wearily, he picked up the gavel and began banging on the desktop. “Order, order,” he demanded. The uproar in the salon did not subside. “Order! Goddammit! I’ll have order in this court or you’ll all take a one-way trip out the nearest airlock!”
At the back of the chamber, Kask rose to his feet, holding the dog-child close to his chest. “By the great god Ghu, you will not have this child!” he roared. “I swear on my honor as a Moktar Dragon that no harm will come to this dog-boy.”
Harry looked to Zillabar annoyed. She smiled sweetly at him and reseated herself to wait for order to return to the courtroom. Lee-1169 stood screaming incoherently at Zillabar. Sawyer and Finn had begun shouting arguments at Harry; they turned to Three-Dollar and repeated their words. Nyota wept and wailed in Azra’s lap. She resisted all attempts by M’bele to pick her up and comfort her. She beat at his chest. Even the normally placid Ota had taken on a menacing air.
Finally, Harry turned to Captain Campbell. “Would you do something, please?”
Captain Campbell motioned to Shariba-Jen; the robot raised its voice to a level several decibels above the threshold of pain and shouted, “EVERYBODY SHUT UP.”
It worked. They shut and stayed shut. Astonished at the depth and range of Shariba-Jen’s voice.
“Thank you,” Jen said.
“Thank you,” Harry repeated. “Everybody calm down. Just because the Lady makes a demand does not mean that the court has to grant it.” He looked unhappy, but he continued. “On the surface, yes, it does appear that the previous ruling sets a nasty precedent. However, this court finds that ruling specific to the nature of Finn’s disability and does not have relevance to Madame Zillabar’s current claim.
“Yes,” he acknowledged. “the situations do have a certain similarity, but let us not let the similarity blind us to alternative possibilities. While no alternate source of treatment exists for Finn Markham’s condition, I think that we can certainly find several excellent alternate sources of appropriate nourishment for Madame Zillabar. As Madame Zillabar has traveled aboard The Lady MacBeth before, it seems likely that Captain Campbell retains more than a passing familiarity with the Lady’s needs.”
To the Phaestor queen, he said, “Without ruling directly on the preexistent claim of ownership, this court cannot allow you to advance your claim to the dog-child’s blood. For one thing, the child may have witnessed several serious violations of the Regency charter which we may wish to investigate later. For another, your claim to his blood does not give you the right to kill him to collect. Therefore, I must dismiss this petition as invalid. Additionally, I will leave open the possibility for Ibaka to bring a claim against you and the Regency for involuntary slavery.”
“Hmpf,” said Zillabar. “I care little for the feelings of prey. Food does not get to have opinions.”
“Yes,” said Harry. “We all know your opinion about the opinions of others. However, you have raised an interesting issue that this court feels compelled to examine—the question of the dog-child’s ownership. If you wish, we
can settle this now. On the other hand, if Madame Zillabar prefers to wait and raise this issue again at the Gathering, I feel certain that we can reach a resolution there.”
Justice Mertz looked directly at Zillabar. “Once again, however—and at the risk of upsetting you—let me inform you that should you bring any such claim to bear at the Gathering, the courts will also demand evidence about the fate of Ibaka’s siblings. I will insist on that myself. This will of course involve reopening the question of Lord Drydel’s activities at the time of his death, so at this point, if you wish to avoid that unpleasantness, I recommend that you reconsider your claim to the person of Ibaka.”
“Other than the fact that you have just legalized the theft of my property,” Zillabar retorted, “I have little interest in the dog-child.” But she nodded in resignation. “All right. I relinquish my claim to it. But I wish to go on record that your actions here confirm what I already suspected—that I cannot expect fairness from this court.”
“On the contrary, Madame, this court has strained itself mightily to treat you with every courtesy and consideration possible.”
“Yes, and in the meantime, I die of hunger. You have the gall to call that consideration? I cannot eat the manufactured food on this ship. It tastes foul to me. I need blood. Real blood. Warm and hot. Human blood preferably, but bioform blood will do nicely too.”
Harry looked to M’bele, who nodded. So did Three-Dollar, and even little Nyota.
At this, Sawyer Markham stood. “Your honor—this affects your previous ruling. If the Lady doesn’t feed, she won’t have the strength to save my brother. She has to have food—”
From the back of the room, Kask roared again. Lee started screaming at Sawyer, “Now you take her side?! Now we see how long a Markham’s commitment lasts—”
A Covenant of Justice Page 25