"I'm so sorry," she muttered. "You must hate me."
"Well, love, I wish you had told him about the kiss." Shalimerie ruefully rubbed her rear end. "That is only the second time I have ever been caned so harshly, and I hope it will never happen again. Still you simply made a mistake. Never for a moment do I believe you would have come to share your thoughts with me if you had given your journals away."
So at least someone didn't want to see her sent away for life. "No, you're right. Shalimerie. I didn't do any of it."
"I believe that to be true." The two women fell silent. "But how will we prove that to the Council?"
"I'm thinking it must have been Yagote," Janys ventured. "She knew where to find the journals—"
"And she had a good reason to try and get rid of you." Shalimerie brushed her hair off her face. "At least then. Now Kronitin tells me she and Lewital plan to marry."
"They'll be short one wedding guest if I've been sent to Kollent."
Shalimerie tipped the last of the water down Janys's throat, then stood up. "I will go find her and bring her before the Council. Tadewidan will ask if she was involved."
"Maybe." If Janys even got a chance to put on a case. The longer Martel stayed away, the more she feared he'd decided to end their marriage.
Her friend sadly eyed the restraints. "I am sorry, love, but I will have to leave you like this. I cannot release you from—"
"I know," Janys told her, biting her lip to keep from crying again. "Just do what you can about Yagote."
"Later—" Shalimerie's voice trailed off. "Later after all this is over," she began again more firmly. "I will help you put on my special cream. Kronitin allowed me to use it on myself, and I scarcely feel the cane strokes now."
"I'm glad." Janys closed her eyes as her friend walked away. She didn't believe even the best ointment could eliminate the pain Shalimerie suffered on her behalf, any more than she felt she had any chance to remain in Wyteen after the Council met.
Sometime later she heard more steps, then Martel stood beside her. "I talked to Dr. Alaniette. Then I fetched this." He held out her journal, then laid it down on the ground. Reaching down, he took her chin in his palm, forcing her to look up at him. "Janys, I know you are carrying a child. But is it mine?"
"Of course it is!" Fresh tears pricked her eyelids. "If you don't believe my journal, we can do genetic tests—"
"Not with our technology," he pointed out. "At least not until after birth. Until I know how Professor Rickman gained possession of your writing, I will have doubts. But for now, you are my wife, and I will protect the baby."
"Then please let me go," she begged.
"In a moment. As your husband, I intend to complete your correction. No—" he stifled her protest. "I will not touch your back, or leave the permanent marks as I planned. But Dr. Alaniette told me at this stage in the pregnancy I could safely give you two more strokes in the same area as the first three. Shalimerie received the same."
Picking her up around the waist, Martel once more bent her over. Although she tried to take them stoically, remembering how much worse it could have been, Janys still yelped as the thin wood twice more sliced into her. Mercifully after he finished, Martel immediately undid the hand restraints and helped her to her feet. He averted his eyes as she dressed.
She opened her mouth to tell him her theory about Yagote when an unwelcome figure drew near. "Master Martel," Tadewidan began. "You said you needed time before the Council met to administer your own correction. Have you completed that process?"
"Yes." Martel stepped in front of Janys, shielding her from the Elder's cold stare. "I have come to believe she may be innocent. Also I have learned she is carrying my child."
"I see." Tadewidan looked at him with sympathy. "But you know on other occasions we have sent pregnant women to Kollent."
"Only when the Council found them to be a continuing danger to others!" Martel protested. "Why not allow me to administer correction in a way that will not put the child at risk?"
"We will discuss that alternative." The other man clasped Martel's shoulder. "Just be prepared, my friend. The Council does not understand how Mistress Janys could so quickly defy our law a second time after having experienced forbinner. Some feel we have no choice. But we have not had a chance to take into account her pregnancy. Possibly that circumstance combined with true contrition on her part—"
Janys burst out, "I haven't even had a trial and you've already decided I'm guilty?"
The Elder shrugged. "If you choose not to accept responsibility, we will give you the opportunity to rebut the accusations. But be warned we have seen convincing evidence against you."
"What evidence?" she exploded. "Sounds like you've convicted me based on a news report. You consider that justice?"
"Have you downloaded the entire story?" Janys shook her head. "You should. Although none of us has transplants, the 'Universal Chronicle' furnished us with a monitor copy. The part we found most interesting comes at the end." He looked meaningfully at Martel. "You know what I mean."
"I have the dataport here—" Martel reached into his tunic.
"Then she can review it in the meeting hall. I see no reason to delay this any longer."
Their discussion attracted several people, so Janys again felt many eyes on her as the two men escorted her across the square. What could they have found at the end of the story so compelling they believed her guilty of something she had never done?
She felt a strong sense of deja vu as they led her into the hall. Janys knew if Martel hadn't assumed custody, she would again be flanked by guards. Scanning the room, she tried to find Shalimerie, but the closest she came was Kronitin, who immediately looked away.
As they sat down, Martel put the dataport into her hands. "Forward to the end of the interview," he advised. Several of the Elders frowned as she touched it to her neck. Skipping over the Professor's animated discussion, she reached the conclusion.
"Thank you, Professor Rickman," Lianna purred. She and the Prof stood suspended in a news bubble, their transplants connecting them to the Universal Chronicle network. But what was that? A gauzy substance covered the Prof's skin and clothes. Janys's hands started shaking. They'd put him in a truth web.
Lianna continued, unaware how her interview affected a woman on trial for her life on the other side of the galaxy. "Because of the unique nature of this story, UC professional standards require us to verify its truth before broadcast. As our viewers can see, Professor Rickman, you consented to be webbed. If you are comfortable, I'll ask a few more questions…"
"Absolutely." The Prof sat back and crossed his legs as though completely unaware of the network of micro monitors measuring every aspect of his body. The reporter flicked a button, and a revolving white sphere appeared between them.
"Your name is William Rickman?"
"Yes." The sphere turned green.
"And how are you employed?"
The next few questions covered background information on Janys and how she came to be stationed on Demeter. Each time the sphere remained green, signifying no evidence of deception. The Professor sailed through questions probing the authenticity of the journals. "This is not a hoax," he proclaimed. "Ms. Livingston wrote them in her own hand based on her personal experiences on the planet. I have no reason to think they are anything other than what they purport to be".
"And how did they come into your possession?" The interviewer had the vacant look of someone accessing her net, but Janys's mind focused completely on the spinning sphere.
"She gave them to me when I went to Wyteen to investigate the circumstances of her arrest and punishment." Desperately Janys looked for a color change. Nothing. Just a green globe, damning her to hell.
Lianna's eyes brightened, as though she'd finally found something more interesting to ask. "We have learned from other sources that you and Ms. Livingston share something more than a working relationship. Would you care to comment?"
"That goes beyond
the bounds of verification!" the Professor sputtered. "I don't need to answer questions about my private life!" The green began swirling.
"Because you're happily married?" Lianna cooed.
"Yes!" he barked as a red wave washed over the lower part of the sphere, changing it to brown. Realizing his mistake, he started to tear off the web as his interrogator smiled and closed her show.
Janys removed the dataport, jolting her mind back to the meeting hall. Tadewidan and the others stared at her. "Given your reaction to the evidence you just reviewed, Mistress Janys, I believe you now understand your peril. While you reviewed it, I have had a chance to speak with my colleagues about the change in your circumstances."
"We do not wish to jeopardize the life of an innocent child, or take more from Master Martel than we must," he continued. "Therefore we will offer you this: if you will take responsibility for creating and releasing your journals and offer your body for correction, you may stay in Wyteen under house arrest for the duration of your pregnancy."
"And after the baby is born?" Martel asked.
"As soon as Dr. Alaniette certifies she may travel, Mistress Janys will be sent to Kollent." Tadewidan paused. "We are very sorry, but the Elders believe she will continue to disregard our rulings and laws. Despite our giving her a second chance, she has forfeited her right to live with us. We can delay her departure, but she must be sent away."
Janys rubbed her temples. If she 'confessed', she'd save the baby's life and buy herself a number of decedonners. But at what price? Martel might nominally remain her husband, knowing their marriage would automatically end at her banishment, but she would have admitted to being both a traitor and liar. Whatever love remained between them would perish the second she said the words, as she herself would die in Kollent. No, no matter how bad the odds might be, she had to keep trying to make them believe her.
She took a deep breath. "Certainly I take responsibility for creating the journals. But they were written with the permission and knowledge of both this Council and my husband. Why should I be corrected for doing so?"
"Because we required you to keep them secret," Tadewidan retorted. "You were not to show them to anyone."
"And I didn't. The only time I ever offered any of my journals to another person was earlier today, and then only to Martel. I did not give them to Professor Rickman, and I know nothing about their release except what I have learned today."
The Elder looked impatient. "Unfortunately Mistress Janys, we have a verified report stating otherwise. You have much more experience with truth webs and verifications than we do. Do you dispute their reliability?"
Janys bit down hard on her lip. "Not usually, but—"
"Isn't it true the ICJ routinely accepts verified reports as undisputed testimony?"
"Yes," she admitted. "But look! Put me on a web. Ask me if I gave the journals to the Prof. I don't know why he said he got them from me, but I can prove I'm telling the truth!"
Tadewidan shook his head. "You know we do not have the technology to do so. But to be fair, because we will not be able to give you that chance, I will instruct the Council to ignore the verification in weighing the credibility of the two stories…"
Whatever you do, don't think of a pink elephant… Even if they pretended to ignore the spinning green ball, she knew none of the Elders would find in her favor. "Maybe the Professor thought he told the truth," she offered. "Maybe the person who gave him the journals told him they came from me."
Tadewidan arched an eyebrow. "Do you have a candidate in mind?"
"Yes she does." From the back of the room, Shalimerie marched forward dragging a terrified Yagote. Behind them Elondelle and Lewital fought to get through the crowd. "This one could have done it. She knew about the journals, and she wanted to break up the marriage."
The Elder frowned. "Those are strong accusations, Mistress. Do you have evidence?"
"Ask her!" Shalimerie demanded, just as Kronitin grabbed her hand, forcing her to release Yagote. The girl fell sobbing into Lewital's arms.
"Yagote, do you have anything to tell us?" the Elder asked sternly. Her hair flashing wildly, she shook her head.
"Yes you do!" Shalimerie dug her nails into Yagote's arm. "You know Janys is telling the truth—"
"That will be all!" Tadewidan thundered. "Master Kronitin, if your wife does not control herself immediately and allow us to continue, I suggest you take her outside for another dose of the cane. Now—" he turned back to Janys. "Do you have anything more to say?"
"Just that no matter how it looks, I didn't do it." She wiped her eyes and looked at Martel. "And whether he believes it or not, I love my husband with all my heart."
"Thank you. If you give us a moment, we will give you our decision."
A moment was all it took. The last Elder had scarcely filed out when Tadewidan led the processional back into the room. None of them looked at her as Tadewidan resumed his place. "Mistress Janys, despite your refusal to take responsibility for your offenses, we find your body should be corrected. You will be held here briefly until we can arrange transport to Kollent where you will remain the rest of your life."
As Janys sank into her chair, Martel stood up, his hands shaking. "Elders, may I ask what will happen to the child?"
Tadewidan looked down at his hands. "Because of the conditions in Kollent, no one has ever successfully given birth. However if Mistress Janys becomes the first, we will allow the child to be sent here."
"Then when you make your arrangements for transport, make certain there is room for me," Martel told him softly. "I shall accompany my wife, and do all I can to see she and the baby survive."
"No!" Yagote shrieked as Elondelle sagged against Zellin. Immediately the crowd noise rose.
"Silence!" Tadewidan barked. "Master Martel. I am not sure you understand the situation. Only the child would be permitted to leave. Whatever the circumstances, we do not allow adults to return from Kollent. If you go, it will also be for life."
"Then I try to make it as long as possible," Martel said with dignity. ."Will the Council grant me that right?"
The group murmured, then Tadewidan rapped on the table. "It will be a great loss to our community, but you may go with your wife."
"Wait!" To Janys's shock, Yagote stumbled forward. "I need to say something!"
"We gave you a chance to speak a few minutes ago," Tadewidan reminded her. "You said you had nothing to tell us. Now we have made our ruling."
"But Mistress Janys told the truth! I gave the journals to the Professor!" she wailed. "I take responsibility and offer my body for correction!"
"We will discuss this in private!" Once again the Elders vanished. Lewistal started towards Yagote, then stopped. Finally he made his way to her and put an arm around her shoulders as she cried.
This time the Elders stayed away for a long while. "What could they be talking about?" Janys asked Martel. "When are they going to come back here and reverse my sentence?"
"Just give them time. I am certain everything will work out." Gently he squeezed her hand.
Finally the door opened, and Tadewidan reappeared. Scarcely had they resumed their places when he began talking to Yagote. "Young woman, we have considered your statement carefully. We believe as a loving sister, you would do anything to prevent Master Martel from spending the rest of his days in Kollent. Had you spoken to us before your brother made his extraordinary announcement, we would take it as true, but under the circumstances —"
He looked around the courtroom. "Master Zellin and Mistress Elondelle. Would you please come forward?" The white-faced couple brushed by Janys.
"What we are going to ask you do may run contrary to your feelings, because I am sure you are proud of your daughter for trying to save your son and his family. But—" he glared at Yagote. "We cannot have people lying to the Council, no matter what the reason. Therefore she needs to be taken home and punished."
Tadewidan looked at Elondelle, "Mistress, we want you to wash her m
outh out thoroughly with soap. Do you promise to do so?" Slowly the woman nodded. "And Master Zellin, you will need to wear out your arm on her behind."
"But I told you the truth!" Yagote sobbed. "Why do you not believe me?"
"You should be glad we did not accept your story," the Elder reprimanded her. "Otherwise you would be getting much worse than a mouth washing and spanking. We have now concluded this matter."
He motioned to the two guards. "Master Martel may have until the transport ship leaves for Kollent to reconsider his decision. Therefore we will allow him to remain free so that he may say goodbye to his family before they leave to carry out their assigned tasks. However Mistress Janys must be bound."
Two lengths of rope appeared. Holding her down in her chair, one guard tied her wrists behind her while the other wrapped her ankles securely. Janys had hoped to have a chance for a final word with Shalimerie, but Tadewidan ordered the room cleared.
Martel stood silently by her. "We will have time to talk on the transport. Right now I must—"
"I know," she said dully. At least she wouldn't have to face them herself. "Ask—ask your mother if she would be willing to bring up her grandchild." She tried not to think about the future where she and Martel would struggle to live long enough for her to put the baby into Elondelle's hands.
"There is something else I wish to do," he told her hesitantly. "I know my sister. My mother and father always had to force her to take responsibility for anything she did. The Council may not have believed her, but I know she would never volunteer for correction unless she deserved it."
"So you believe Shalimerie and I are right?"
"Yes," he said quietly. "What she did was terrible, but she did come forward at the end. I am going to tell her I forgive her. I can only hope someday she forgives herself."
As soon as he left she gave in. During the hearing she'd forgotten about the caning, but now the ropes pressed her painfully into the chair. Still she'd rather have a hundred more strokes than be put on the transport. How could things turn out so terribly?
She looked up dully at the feet at the door. Could it already be time to leave? Martel had only had a few minutes with his family. But if so, why would the entire Council be filing through the door?
Captive Discipline (Demetrian Brides Book 1) Page 23