Code Duello

“Twenty feet?” the major said, still blankly. “And he is five and a half feet tall? A university professor? Could he even pick up such a weapon?”

The doctor’s eyes were wide. “I wouldn’t think so,” he said.

“But…”

The doctor spread his hands. “Academician Udine began laughing. Professor Porsena began laughing. Dr. Luna was fractured, I believe is the old idiom. Shortly, we were all, uh, in stitches. It eventually came out very nicely.”

The maggiore shook his head as though in utter disbelief and turned back to Jerry. “What did you mean, now you ?”

“Huh?”

“You said, when Dr. Horsten mentioned being challenged, Now you .”

“Oh. Zorro Juarez, that cowboy from Vaca… Whatever the name of the place is. He’s scheduled to meet the chief customs inspector, Grossi, tomorrow morning at the Parco Duello, wherever that is. The doctor and I are his seconds.”

The maggiore said, “No, he’s not.”

“Yes, he is,” Jerry said. “We arranged it, the doctor and I.”

The maggiore said, “The Code Duello, on the planet Firenze, applies to signori only. Criminal elements are not eligible to meet on the field of honor. That, of course, includes all subversives such as Engelists.”

Helen, who had been following all, wide-eyed, as though understanding only about half of what the adults were saying, said shrilly, “What’s that got to do with my Uncle Zorro? Me and Gertrude’s gonna marry Uncle Zorro.”

They ignored her, but nevertheless, the question was answered.

The maggiore said, “Zorro Juarez has been arrested as a suspected Engelist. As such, he is not eligible to the honor of being called out under the Code Duello.

“You mean he’s not allowed to duel tomorrow morning?” Jerry demanded.

“That is correct.”

“But what did my Uncle Zorro do?” Helen wailed.

“Yes, what did he do?” Dorn Horsten said.

The major said, “He went into the public library and attempted to secure books on the Engelists.”

The otherworldlings stared at him.

The maggiore elaborated patiently: “He conducted himself ridiculously. How he expected to elude the Anti- Firenze Activities officers I couldn’t say. He went into the main branch of the city library and asked for books, pamphlets, tapes, or whatever might be available on the Engelist movement.”

Jerry said, not quite understanding, “Well, what did they give him?”

“Give him! The librarian he consulted immediately phoned the Bureau of Security and the Anti-Firenze Activities Ministry. He was arrested within moments.”

The three looked at him.

“See here. Suppose someone wanted to find out about the Engelists. How would he go about it?” Horsten said.

The maggiore’s eyes narrowed. “Why would he want to find out about the Engelists?”

The scientist shrugged. “How would I know? Perhaps he wishes to write a book about them.”

“There are already sufficient exposes on the underground traitors, written by competent authorities on the subject.”

“Well, why didn’t this librarian give them to Citizen Juarez? He obviously was simply curious.”

“He didn’t want the volumes available. He claimed he wished to consult original sources. He wanted books written by the Engelists themselves!” The maggiore was being patient.

They held another moment of silence.

It was Horsten who took up the ball again. “You mean there is no manner in which a, well, student of the subject can simply go to the public library and take out books about the Engelists, written by Engelists, rather than by their critics?”

It was the major’s turn to be bewildered. “Do you think His Zelenza’s government is insane?”

Jerry said, “Look. How can anybody combat these subversives if they don’t even know what they stand for?”

“We know what they stand for,” the maggiore said indignantly.

“What?” Helen said. She was seated on the floor, her hatbox full of toys before her.

Dr. Horsten stepped in quickly. “Out of the mouth of babes, eh?” He chuckled. “But, actually, I have the same question. What do they stand for?”

“Forcible overthrow of the legitimate government and the imposition of a dictatorship!”

“Well, yes, we already gathered that. But how do they expect to go about all this? How do they attempt to appeal to the people? How do they operate?”

The maggiore said, “You seem strangely interested in the Engelists for strangers.”

Dorn covered. “Well, it’s partly pure curiosity, since we’re hearing so much about them. And partly in view of the fact that our companion, poor Zorro, has been arrested as one. All of which seems ridiculous to me. He’s never even been on Firenze before. He knows nobody here. Has no interest in your politico-economic system.”

The maggiore thought about it. Finally, he said, “Well, here’s an example, although I am actually committing an indiscretion.” From an inner pocket he drew forth a four page leaflet, printed on cheap paper and, by the looks of it, on some primitive equipment. He handed it over hesitantly to the scientist.

Dorn Horsten scowled down.

“Florentines Ariser he read. “Overthrow the Tyranny of Representative Govemment!

“Come again on that one?” Jerry said.

Horsten ignored him and read on. ” Establish the People’s Democratic Dictatorship!

“It wouldn’t really be democratic,” the maggiore injected. “All they want is to seize power for themselves.”

“Fellow citizens of Firenze, adopt the following program . One. Infiltrate the army and police forces and kill your officers. Two. Boycott the elections. Three. Destroy the machines directed at …”

The scientist stopped, flabbergasted. He said to Maggiore Verona, “Where in the world did you get this?”

“It’s one of their propaganda leaflets.”

“Obviously. But… well, do you mean they pass these out indiscriminately on the streets?”

“When we can’t catch them, they do.”

Horsten shook his massive head. “These people could use some lessons,” he muttered. He went back to the propaganda leaflet, still registering disbelief. He shook his head in despair and, putting the pamphlet aside, turned to the Florentine.

“See here. We hardly know Citizen Juarez. However, as fellow strangers to Firenze and former shipmates on the Half Moon, I, at least, feel some duty toward him, to the extent that I feel bound to see he is adequately legally represented.”

“Legally represented?” Verona said, puzzled. “But he’s accused of being an Engelist.”

Jerry poured another dollop of drink in his glass. He still stood at the room’s bar. “Something missed me there. From what you said, all he’s accused of is trying to get some books on Engelism. I might’ve done that myself, if I’d thought about it.”

The maggiore said, “I would not advise it, Signore Rhodes. Perhaps it is true that your mother owns half the Catalina-Avalon planet complex, however, you are a long way from there, and here on Firenze we are very conscious of the subversives who wish to destroy our whole way of life.”

Horsten said, “To get back to Zorro’s legal representative. Ordinarily, undoubtedly he would have appealed to the United Planets Embassy, since it seems unlikely that Vacamundo would be represented diplomatically here. However, since the U.P. Embassy has been discontinued…”