Badge of Infamy

by Lester Del Rey

  VI

  Research

  There had been a council the night following the death of Harriet Lynn.Somehow the word had spread through the villages and the chiefs hadassembled in Jake's village. But they had brought no solution, and inthe long run had been forced to accept Doc's decision.

  "I'm not going to retire and hide," he'd told them, surprised at his owndecision, but grimly determined. "You need me and I need you. I'll moveevery day in hopes the Lobby police won't find me, but I won't quit."

  Now he was packing the things he most needed and getting ready to move.The small bottles in which he was trying to grow his cultures would needwarmth. He shoved them into an inner pocket, and began surveying whatmust be left.

  He was heading for his tractor when another battered machine drove up.It had a girl of about fourteen, with tears streaming down her face. Sheheld out a pleading hand, and her voice was scared. "It's--it's mama!"

  "Where?"

  "Leibnitz."

  Leibnitz was near enough. Doc started his tractor, motioning for thegirl to lead the way. The little dwelling she led him to was at the edgeof the village, looking more poverty-stricken than most.

  Chris Ryan, and three of the Medical Lobby police were inside, waiting.The girl's mother was tied to the bed, with a collection of medicalinstruments laid out, but apparently the threat had been enough. Noactual injury had been inflicted. Probably none had been intendedseriously.

  "I knew you'd answer that kind of call," Chris said coldly.

  He grinned sickly. They'd wasted no time. "I hear it's more than you'lldo, Chris. Congratulations! My patient died. You're lucky."

  "She was certainly dead when my men took her picture. The print showsthe death grimace clearly."

  "Pretty. Frame it and keep it to comfort you when you feel lonely," hesnapped.

  She struck him across the mouth with the handle of her gun. Then shetwisted out through the door quickly, heading for the tractor that hadbeen camouflaged to look like those used by the villagers. The threepolice led him behind her.

  A shout went up, and people began to rush onto the village street. Butthey were too late. By the time they reached Southport, Doc could see atrail of battered tractors behind, but there was nothing more the peoplecould do. Chris had her evidence and her prisoner.

  * * * * *

  Judge Ben Wilson might have been Jake's brother. He was older andgrayer, but the same expression lay on his face. He must have been thefamily black sheep, since his father had been president of Space Lobby.Instead of inheriting the position, Wilson had remained on Mars, safelyout of the family's way.

  He dropped the paper he was reading to frown at Chris. "This thefellow?"

  She began formal charges, but he cut them off. "Your lawyer already hadall that drawn up. I've been expecting you, Doctor. Doctor! Hnnf! You'ddo a lot better home somewhere raising a flock of babies. Well, youngfellow--so you're Feldman. Okay, your trial comes up day after tomorrow.Be a shame to lock you in Southport jail, a man of your importance.We'll just keep you here in the pending-trial room. It's a lot morecomfortable."

  Chris had been boiling slowly, and now she seemed to blow her safetyvalve. "Judge Wilson, your methods are your own business in localaffairs. But this involves Earth Medical Lobby. I demand--"

  "Tch, _tch_!" The judge stared at her reprovingly. "Young woman, youdon't demand anything. This is Mars. If Space Lobby can stand me, Iguess our friends over at Medical will have to. Or should I hold trialright now and find Feldman innocent for lack of evidence?"

  "You wouldn't!" Chris cried. Then her face sobered suddenly. "Iapologize. Medical is pleased to leave things in your hands, of course."

  Wilson smiled. "Court's closed for today. Doc, I'll show you your cell.It's right next to my study, so I'm heading there anyhow."

  He began shucking his robe while Chris went out with the police, hervoice sharp and continual.

  The cell was both reasonably escape-proof and comfortable, Doc saw, andhe tried to thank the judge.

  But the old man waved it aside. "Forget it. I just like to see thatlittle termagant taken down. But don't count on my being soft. Mymethods may be a bit unusual--I always did like the courtroom scenes inthe old books by that fellow Smith--but Space Lobby never had anyreason to reverse my decisions. Anything you need?"

  "Sure," Doc told him, grinning in spite of his bitterness. "A goodbiology lab and an electron microscope."

  "Umm. How about a good optical mike and some stains? Just got them in onthe last shipment. Figure they were meant for you anyhow, since JakeMullens asked me to order them."

  He went out and came back with the box almost at once. He snorted atDoc's incredulous thanks and moved off, his bedroom slippers slappingagainst the hard floor.

  Doc stared after him. If he were a friend of Jake, willing to inventsome excuse to get a microscope here ... but it didn't matter. Friend orfoe, his death sentence would be equally fatal. And there were otherthings to be thought of now. The little microscope was an excellent one,though only a monocular.

  Doc's hands trembled as he drew his cultures out and began making up aslide. The sun offered the best source of light near the window, and headjusted the instrument. Something began to come into view, but toofaintly to be really visible.

  He remembered the stains, trying to recall his biology courses. More byluck than skill, his fourth try gave him results.

  Under two thousand powers, he could just see details. There were dozensof cells in his impure culture, but only one seemed unfamiliar. It was along, worm-like thing, sharpened at both ends, with the three separatenuclei that were typical of Martian life forms. Nearby were a host oflittle rodlike squiggles just too small to see clearly.

  Martian life! No Martian bug had ever proved harmful to men. Yet thiswas no mutated cell or virus from Earth; it was a new disease,completely different from all others. It was one where all Earth'scenturies of experience with bacteria would be valueless--the firstMartian disease. Unless this was simply some accidental contamination ofhis culture, not common to the other samples. He worked on until thelight was too faint before putting the microscope aside.

  By the time the trial commenced, however, he was sure of the cause ofthe disease. It _was_ Martian. Crude as his cultures were, they hadproved that.

  The little courtroom was filled, mostly from the villages. Lou wasthere, along with others he had come to know. Then the sight of Jakecaught Doc's eyes. The darned fool had no business there; he could gettoo closely mixed into the whole mess.

  "Court's in session," Wilson announced. "Doc, you represented bycounsel?"

  Jake's voice answered. "Your Honor, I represent the defendant. I thinkyou'll find my credentials in order."

  Chris started to protest, but Wilson grinned. "Never lost your standingin spite of that little fracas thirty years ago, so far as I know. Butthe police thought you were a witness when you came walking in. Figuredyou were giving up."

  "I never said so," Jake answered.

  Chris was squirming angrily, but the florid man acting as counsel forMedical Lobby shook his head, bending over to whisper in her ear. Hestraightened. "No objection to counsel for the defense. We recognize hiscredentials."

  "You're a fool, Matthews," the judge told him. "Jake was smarter thanhalf the rest of Legal Lobby before he went native. Still can tie yourtail to a can. Okay, let's start things. I'm too old to dawdle."

  Doc lost track of most of what happened. This was totally unlikeanything on Earth, though it might have been in keeping with the generalcasualness of the villages. Maybe the ritualistic routine of the Lobbieswas driving those who could resist to the opposite extreme.

  Chris was the final witness. Matthews drew comment of Feldman's formercrime from her, and Jake made no protest, though Wilson seemed to expectone. Then she began sewing his shroud. There wasn't a fact that managedto emerge without slanting, though technically correct. Jake satquietly, smiling faintly, and making no protests.
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  He got up lazily to cross-examine Chris. "Dr. Ryan, when Daniel Feldmanwas examined by the Captain of the _Navaho_ after arriving at Marsstation, did you identify him then as having been Dr. Daniel Feldman?"

  She glanced at Matthews, who seemed puzzled but unconcerned. "That'scorrect," she admitted. "But--"

  "And you later saw him delivered to the surface of Mars. Is that alsocorrect?" When she assented, Jake hesitated. Then he frowned. "What didyou do then? Did you report him or send anyone to look after him oranything like that?"

  "Certainly not," she answered. "He was no--"

  "You did absolutely nothing about him after you identified him and sawhim delivered here? You're quite sure of that?"

  "I did nothing."

  Jake stood quietly for a moment, then shrugged. "No more questions."

  Matthews finished things in a plea for the salvation of all humanityfrom the danger of such men as Daniel Feldman. He was looking smug, aswas Chris.

  Wilson turned to Jake. "Has the defense anything to say?"

  "A few things, Your Honor." Jake stood up, suddenly looking certain andpleased. "We are happy to admit everything factual the Lobby hadtestified. Daniel Feldman performed a surgical operation on Harriet Lynnin the village of Einstein. But when has it been illegal for a member ofthe Medical profession to perform an operation, even with small chanceof success, within an accepted area for such operation? There has beenno evidence adduced that any crime or act of even unethical conduct wascommitted."

  That brought Chris and Matthews to their feet. Wilson was relaxed again,looking as if he'd swallowed a whole cage of canaries. He banged hisgavel down.

  Jake picked up two ragged and dog-eared volumes from his table. "Case ofHarding vs. Southport, 2043, establishes that a Lobby is responsible forany member on Mars. It is also responsible for informing the authoritiesof any criminal conduct on the part of its members or any former memberknown to it. Failure to report shall be considered an admission that theLobby recognizes the member as one in good standing and acceptsresponsibility for that member's conduct.

  "At the time Daniel Feldman arrived, Dr. Christina Ryan was the highestappointed representative of Medical Lobby in Southport, with fullauthority. She identified Feldman as having been a doctor, withoutstipulating any change in status. She made no further report to anyauthority concerning Daniel Feldman's presence here. It seems obviousthat Medical Lobby at Southport thereby accepted Daniel Feldman as adoctor in good standing for whose conduct the Lobby accepted fullresponsibility."

  Wilson studied the book Jake held out, and nodded. "Seems prettyclear-cut to me," he agreed, passing the book on to Matthews. "There'sstill the charge that Dr. Feldman operated outside a hospital."

  "No reason he shouldn't," Jake said. He handed over the other volume."This is the charter for Medical Lobby on Mars. Medical Lobby agrees toperform all necessary surgical and medical services for the planet,though at the signing of this charter there was no hospital on Mars.Necessarily, Medical Lobby agreed to perform surgery outside of anyhospital, then. But to make it plainer, there's a later paragraph--page181--that defines each hospital zone as extending not less than threenor more than one hundred miles. Einstein is about one hundred and tenmiles from the nearest hospital at Southport, so Einstein comes underthe original charter provisions. Dr. Feldman was forced by charterprovisions to protect the good name of his Lobby by undertaking anynecessary surgery in Einstein."

  He waited until Matthews had scanned that book, then took it back andbegan packing a big bag. Doc saw that his possessions and the microscopewere already in the bag. The old man paid no attention to the argumentsof Matthews before the bench.

  Abruptly Wilson pounded his gavel. "This court finds that Dr. DanielFeldman is qualified to practice all the arts and skills of the medicalprofession on Mars and that he acted ethically in the performance of hisduties in the case of the deceased Harriet Lynn," he ruled. "The costsof the case shall be billed to Medical Lobby of Southport."

  He took off his robe and moved rapidly toward his private quarters.Court was closed.

  Doc got up shakily, not daring to believe fully what he had heard. Hestarted toward Jake, trying to avoid bumping into Chris. But she wouldnot be avoided. She stood in front of him, screaming accusations andthreats that reminded him of the only fight they'd ever had during theirbrief marriage.

  When she ran down, he finally met her eyes. "You're a helluva doctor,"he told her harshly. "You spend all your time fighting me when there's aplague out there that may be worse than any disease we've ever known.Take a look at what lies under the black specks on your corpses. You'llfind the first Martian disease. And maybe if you begin working on thatnow, you can learn to be a real doctor in time to do something about it.But I doubt it."

  She fell back from him then. "Research! You've been doing unauthorizedresearch!"

  "Prove it," he suggested. "But you'd be a lot smarter to try someyourself, and to hell with your precious rules."

  He followed Jake out to the tractor.

  Surprisingly, the old man was sweating now. He shook his head at Doc'slook, and his grin was uncertain.

  "Matthews is an incompetent," he said. "They could have had you, Doc.That charter is so sloppy a man can prove anything by it, and building ahospital here did bring in Earth rules. Wilson went out on a limb inletting you go. But I guess we got away with it. Let's get out of here."

  Doc climbed into the tractor more soberly. They had escaped this time.But there would be another time, and he was pretty sure that would beChris' round. He had no intention of giving up his research.