Judge Walden

by Peter Murphy

  ‘Where did you study for your diploma?’

  ‘In London. I had a part-time job teaching history, to tide me over during the year.’

  ‘Did you successfully complete the course and receive your diploma?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Aubrey pauses for a moment. ‘Mr Busby, the jury may be interested to know why a man such as yourself, who’s been to Oxford and is obviously very bright, chooses to become an astrologer. What do you say about that?’

  He laughs. ‘If I had a pound for every time I’ve been asked that… I can only say that I’ve always been fascinated by astrology – and by astronomy for that matter, which is just the other side of the coin – and I couldn’t see myself teaching history for the rest of my life, which seemed to be the other option. So I thought I would at least give it a try and see what happened.’

  ‘And here you are, more than twenty years later. How has your practice gone?’

  ‘I’ve been fortunate enough to have built up a good client base over the years. I’ve been very successful. I also teach for the college myself now in London.’

  ‘You also list on your website a number of questions you can answer by the use of astrology: is that right?’

  ‘Yes, though that’s not the bulk of my work.’

  ‘Explain that to the jury, please’

  ‘Most of my clients initially come for a natal chart reading, which is based on the chart for the date, time and place of their birth. Many of them are referred to me by therapists and counsellors.’

  ‘Why would therapists send people to see you?’

  ‘Because the natal chart can provide information about the client that might take months to get through conventional talk therapy. The chart gives both therapist and client access to the real issues far more quickly, which is useful for them.’

  ‘But you also do some predictive work, with clients who come to you solely for the answer to a particular question?’

  ‘Yes. Predictive work of that kind is not so common in the West. In India, where they have a very strong predictive astrological tradition, it’s the norm; but that’s because it’s what people are interested in. Will my father recover from his illness? Will I find my missing cow? These are the kinds of practical questions they address. But in the West, less so.’

  ‘But there are predictive techniques in the West?’

  ‘Yes, indeed. The main text is a book called Christian Astrology, by a seventeenth-century astrologer, William Lilly.’

  ‘He’s an actual historical character?’

  ‘Yes, indeed. When he was in London he lived in a house on the site of what used to be Strand tube station – there’s a plaque on the wall to commemorate him. ‘

  ‘He gave his book an interesting title,’ I observe, recalling the Reverend Mrs Walden’s sermon. I see the jury smiling.

  ‘A politically astute title, your Honour,’ Busby replies. ‘By Lilly’s time, the Christian churches were losing their attachment to astrology, and you had the Puritans to deal with. Lilly was aware that not everyone would approve of him or his book, and the title offered a certain degree of protection. Actually, he led something of a charmed life.’

  ‘What makes you say that?’ I ask.

  ‘He advised both sides during the Civil War at the same time,’ he replies. ‘He gives us examples of charts he prepared for both Royalist and Commonwealth commanders – and neither side chopped off his head.’

  The jury laugh, and I sense them warming to him.

  ‘Remarkable,’ I agree, handing him back to Aubrey.

  ‘Mr Busby, how does astrology work?’

  He laughs again. ‘I only wish I knew. There are almost as many explanations as there are astrologers. Personally, I don’t subscribe to physical explanations such as magnetic or gravitational forces acting on the earth. With the exception of the Moon, the bodies we deal with are too far away to make anything like that realistic. In my personal opinion, the closest analogy is with meteorology.’

  ‘What?’ Aubrey asks. ‘Weather forecasting?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Explain, please.’

  ‘Meteorology and astrology are both based on the study of cycles,’ he begins, entering teaching mode. ‘By studying recurring patterns in atmospheric conditions, meteorologists have learned that when patterns repeat they tend to produce the same effects in terms of weather. So, for example, experience shows that when you have a trough of low pressure you’re likely to have some rain and cooler temperatures, whereas if you get a ridge of high pressure, you’re likely to have clear, sunny conditions and higher temperatures.’

  ‘What patterns and cycles does astrology work with?’

  ‘The apparent movements of the Sun, the Moon and the planets relative to the earth, and the angles they form as they move. Scientists also observe these cycles for many different purposes, of course, but astrology is a symbolic science. It goes back, in various forms and across various civilisations, for over two thousand years; and during that time, astrologers have learned to correlate those cycles to our life on earth. But the astrologer’s work is more difficult than the meteorologist’s.’

  ‘In what way?’

  ‘They don’t have to deal with human nature and conduct, which is based on free will and is notoriously unpredictable. We do.’

  ‘All right,’ Aubrey says, ‘let’s come to your consultation with Edith Hunter. What did Mrs Hunter want you to do?’

  ‘She asked me whether she would get a job she’d been approached about in Paris.’

  ‘The job with Le Chat Bien Paré?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘When someone asks you a question of that kind, what do you do?’

  ‘The first thing you do with any question is prepare a chart for the date, time and place of the question itself. If the question concerns an event and its date, time and place have been fixed, you also run a chart for the event. She didn’t know when she might get the job, so I used the chart for the time of the question. Of course, I also ran her natal chart, with progressions and her solar return for the year.’

  ‘That sounds like a lot of material.’

  ‘As with weather forecasting, the number of indications is important. We look for pieces of evidence pointing to, or away from a particular conclusion. The more evidence you accumulate, the more confidence you have in your conclusion.’

  Aubrey nods. ‘It sounds like a lot of work, though. I’m asking because the prosecution have placed some emphasis on the fact you charged Mrs Hunter two hundred and fifty pounds. What amount of work is involved in answering a question like this?’

  ‘First, I have to prepare the charts. Actually, the computer does that for me these days, so it doesn’t take long. But I still have to study them, and that does take time. I go to Lilly or one of the more modern authors to remind myself of the rules for questions about getting a job. Then I apply the rules to the charts and see what I’ve got. We’re talking about at least two or three hours of preparation, and then I’m going to spend an hour or so with the client, going through it with her. So I don’t think my fee is unreasonable. I reduce it sometimes if the client can’t afford it, but I’ve never had any complaints about it.’

  ‘Mr Busby, when you talk about the “rules” for a certain kind of question, what do you mean?’

  ‘Predictive astrology follows well-established rules. Certain combinations of planets and houses, and the aspects – angles – between the planets lead you to certain conclusions. You can get the rules from Lilly, but his language can be difficult for modern readers, so there are more contemporary authors too.’

  ‘Is the kind of question Mrs Hunter asked a complicated one?’

  He smiles. ‘Actually, no. “Will the client get the job?” is one of the easier ones; the rules are pretty straightforward. You still need to sit down with the client to
find out the exact circumstances – the chart won’t help much unless you understand what’s going on in her life – but the rules themselves aren’t difficult. The tricky questions are: “I’ve lost my cat, or my diamond broach, or what have you: where is it, and will I get it back?” Those can be horribly complicated.’

  ‘Mr Busby, Mrs Hunter told the jury that you had, in effect, predicted that she would certainly get the job in Paris, that there was no doubt about it. Did you say anything like that?’

  ‘No. I did not. You can never answer a question with certainty, any more than the weather forecaster can guarantee the weather. You give your best forecast based on the evidence, but once in a while it doesn’t work out as you predict.’

  ‘You might have a ridge of high pressure, but you can still get the occasional thunderstorm?’

  ‘Exactly.’

  ‘Can astrologers simply get it wrong?’

  ‘Of course. Like anyone else we can make mistakes.’

  ‘How could that happen?’

  ‘You can misread the charts or the rules. But more often, it’s a case of trying too hard to satisfy the client. You want to give the client an answer, but sometimes the evidence isn’t there, or it isn’t all pointing one way. Of course, its best just to say so, but there’s a temptation to give the client some answer, even if it’s not really supported by the evidence. Then, once in a while, the client may have given you bad information, or you’ve made a mistake inputting the details into the computer, so you’re working with an incorrect chart.’

  ‘What happened in Mrs Hunter’s case?’

  ‘I gave Mrs Hunter a totally correct opinion based on what she told me. The evidence in the charts was very strong. I had four concurring pieces of evidence.’

  ‘Without going into detail, did this have to do with Jupiter and the tenth house?’

  ‘It did. Mrs Hunter remembered that correctly. Jupiter in the tenth house is very favourable to a new job, particularly one abroad, and she was having a Jupiter return at the time. Actually, there were four separate indicators across the various charts I was looking at, which was more than enough for the conclusion I reached.’

  ‘You found your ridge of high pressure and you predicted some sunshine?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘So why didn’t she get the job?’

  He shrugs. ‘There could be many reasons. Certain things happened after I’d given my prediction that could have altered the course of events. That happens sometimes. Circumstances change, and unless you look at a chart for the changed circumstances your prediction may be overtaken by events. In this case, there was the interview. I didn’t know the details of the interview and I didn’t have a chart for it. But the way she behaved, treating it as a formality, as you put it to her, and all the rest of it…’

  ‘That may have changed things?’

  ‘It may have. I can’t say. That’s not astrology, that’s about human behaviour. But I stand by the forecast I gave her.’

  ‘Thank you, Mr Busby,’ Aubrey concludes. ‘Wait there, please.’

  It’s feeling like a long morning, and by common consent we leave cross-examination until two o’clock. And so to lunch, an oasis of calm in a desert of chaos.

  Legless and I are the first two to arrive.

  ‘I’m glad to get you alone for a moment, Charlie,’ he says. ‘I thought I’d better let you know. I’ve had a problem with one of my jurors, a woman. I’ve had to discharge her. I don’t think she’s very happy about it.’

  I feel a slight chill on the back of my neck.

  ‘Not Deidre Streeter, by any chance?’ I ask.

  He looks at me in surprise. ‘Yes, as a matter of fact. How did you know?’

  ‘You’re not the first one,’ I reply. ‘Does she disapprove of pub brawls?’

  ‘She sent me a note just before lunch. I’ve brought it with me.’ He hands it to me.

  ‘Judge, drunkards and brawlers shall not by any means enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the Word of the Lord, and no human court can stand against the Word of the Lord.’

  I assure Legless that he has done the right thing in discharging her. But predictably, a message from Sir Jeremy Bagnall is waiting for me when I return to chambers after lunch. He’s received another complaint of religious discrimination, and would I kindly consult Judge Dunblane and include our response to it in my report?

  * * *

  Tuesday afternoon

  ‘So, Mr Busby,’ Susan begins, with an unexpected touch of venom, ‘what’s your prediction for the jury’s verdict? What’s in the brown envelope you gave to the court?’

  Aubrey is on his feet in a flash.

  ‘Your Honour, that’s entirely improper, as my learned friend well knows.’

  ‘I don’t see why,’ Susan persists. ‘Presumably he prepared a chart of some kind, and applied Mr Lilly’s rules to arrive at his prediction. He’s put his working methods before the jury – actually, he’s relying on them as part of his defence. The jury should know what conclusion he’s reached.’

  ‘As I explained at the time,’ Aubrey replies, ‘Mr Busby presented the envelope to the court to make a point, namely: that the professional way to present a forecast is to keep it sealed until after the event, unlike those who seek publicity by publishing their findings in the Standard before the jury even retires. His prediction is as irrelevant as theirs, as your Honour explained to the jury this morning.’

  I nod. ‘I’m against you, Miss Worthington. Let’s move on, shall we?’

  ‘Yes, your Honour.’

  I’m sure she’s not too displeased with the result. She must have known I wasn’t going to allow her to peek inside the envelope, but she’s woken everyone up after lunch, and perhaps even thrown the defendant – and Aubrey – to some extent.

  ‘As a matter of interest, Mr Busby, does Mr Lilly give any rules for forecasting the outcome of trials?’

  ‘Yes, he does.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes. The law and the court procedures have changed since Lilly’s time, obviously, so you have to be careful, but with a little adaptation you can make the rules work very well.’

  ‘Have you ever been asked to predict the outcome of court cases?’

  ‘Yes, many times.’

  ‘Really? With what degree of success?’

  ‘With a great deal of success.’

  ‘So we could do it all without the court, could we, Mr Busby – without any need for His Honour, without any need for the jury? All we need to decide a case is a couple of charts?’

  ‘Your Honour…’ Aubrey is on his feet again.

  ‘That’s enough, Miss Worthington,’ I say. ‘Please move on.’

  ‘Yes, your Honour.’

  But the witness turns to me. ‘Your Honour, if I may explain: yes, we can forecast results, but without access to the people involved in the case, relying solely on charts would be a very dangerous thing to do; and we would give up all the transparency of a public trial. I could never agree to that.’

  I nod. ‘Neither could I, Mr Busby,’ I agree.

  I look at Susan. Something about this case is getting to her. She’s always a rather combative cross-examiner, but she’s not usually given to this kind of personal animus. It occurs to me that perhaps, despite finding it obvious that astrology is bogus, she can’t actually find a knock-out punch. In that case, a couple of well-chosen barbs followed by sitting down contemptuously might be the way to go. But if that’s the plan, the barbs weren’t well chosen, and may even have backfired. The jury seem less than impressed thus far.

  ‘Do you intend your clients to act on the forecasts you provide for them, Mr Busby?’

  ‘I’m not sure what you mean by “intend” them to act. If a client consults me and pays me two hundred and fifty pounds, I tend to assume that the question she’s
asked is important to her. So I would expect her to take account of my answer, but I wouldn’t expect her to ignore whatever else is going on in her life. She knows her own situation better than I do.’

  ‘Your learned counsel criticised Mrs Hunter for letting Girl’s Best Friend know about her interest in moving to Paris, and for taking a flat in Paris, didn’t he, Mr Busby? Does that criticism reflect your views?’

  I see Aubrey rise halfway to his feet to object, but the witness takes the chance away from him.

  ‘Yes, it does,’ he replies.

  ‘So you think she acted stupidly?’

  He takes a deep breath. ‘I wouldn’t want to use that word about Mrs Hunter. I don’t think she’s a stupid woman. But doing those things before she’d even had an interview? I just don’t get it.’

  ‘It’s tempting fate, is it, Mr Busby? But of course, you’d know all about fate, wouldn’t you?’

  This time Aubrey makes it to his feet.

  ‘Your Honour, this isn’t cross-examination, it’s badgering the witness…’

  I’m about to agree with him, when –

  ‘No, I’d like to answer that, your Honour,’ Busby intervenes. ‘I don’t deal in “fate”, Miss Worthington. My clients have free will, just as we all do.’

  ‘There’s no room for “fate” in astrology, then?’ I ask him myself.

  ‘There are things we can’t change,’ he replies. ‘For example, in this life I was born a man and I will never have the experience of being a cat. So you could say I’m fated to live the life I have, and not a cat’s life. But within the lives we are given, we take decisions of our own free will. So when I supply a forecast for a client, I’m not saying she has to act in a particular way. I’m just giving her information. What she does with that information is up to her.’

  ‘What about when you forecast that someone is going to die?’ Susan asks suddenly. ‘Do they have free will about that?’

  There is a silence for some time, and it feels as if the oxygen has been sucked out of the courtroom.

  Then Aubrey says, ‘Your Honour, really, this is too much. He hasn’t…’