Judgment at Proteus

{Have you anything else to add?} Wandek asked.

Grimacing, I stood up again. “Despite your precautions, the six Filiaelians were Modhran walkers,” I said. “If they were clean when they left Proteus, they must have become infected somewhere on their way to New Tigris.”

{Where was it done?} Wandek countered. {How was it done? Such a statement requires proof, and that burden rests upon you.}

“I know,” I said. Minnario had been right: an interesting defense, but obviously not a very good one. “That’s why I’m formally requesting full records of the Filiaelians’ itineraries, from the time they left Proteus Station until their arrival on New Tigris. I’d also request a one-week recess to give me time to analyze the data.”

{Impossible,} Wandek said. {Such an itinerary doesn’t exist, except perhaps in the records of the Spiders and the Quadrail.}

“Then let me query the Spiders,” I offered. “I could laser a message to the Tube—”

{Request denied,} Wandek cut me off. {This is a clear and outrageous attempt to delay these proceedings. Such tactics will not be tolerated.}

{A moment, Usantra Wandek,} Hchchu spoke up. {I, for one, am curious about Mr. Compton’s claims.}

{When the combat has been decided, you’ll be free to indulge that curiosity,} Wandek said acidly. {Until then, the proceedings will continue on their proper schedule.}

Hchchu looked at me. {In that case, I hereby request a one-week recess.}

Even from my distance I could see the sudden mottling of Wandek’s blaze. {You request a delay?} he demanded.

{Yes,} Hchchu said. {I wish to send a request to the Spiders for the itinerary Mr. Compton has requested.}

{On his behalf?} Wandek said, sounding both astonished and outraged.

{On my behalf,} Hchchu corrected. {I’m the prosecutor in this trial. I have the right to sheathe one weapon while I examine the possible use of another.}

Again, Wandek looked down the table at his fellow guardlaws. But if he was looking for support on this one, he wasn’t getting it. {Very well,} he said stiffly. {But I remind you that all four of us have other duties aboard this station. If during your delay we’re called to other activities and cannot resume our duties here, the Slisst Protocols require the trial to be ended and the Human given his freedom.}

{I’m aware of the law,} Hchchu assured him. {I’m willing to take that risk.}

For another moment Wandek locked eyes with him. Then, with a snort, he turned to me. {The combat is ended for one week, or until such time as Chinzro Hchchu is prepared to resume,} he announced formally. {The defendant is free to return to other activities.} He paused. {Or rather, to return to the investigation of Tech Yleli’s murder as you have been ordered by Assistant Director Chinzro Hchchu,} he added, with a last glare toward Hchchu.

Stuffing his reader back into its pouch, he left his seat and strode past me out the door. His three fellow guardlaws were right behind him.

I looked across at Hchchu. He was again looking at me, a twitch of his hand indicating that I was to stay put. I gave him a small nod in reply, then turned half around in my seat and gestured in turn to Bayta.

She was already headed across the room toward me, Emikai at her side, her face taut with a whole mix of emotions. “What are you doing, Frank?” she demanded. “Why did you tell them about the Modhri?”

“Why shouldn’t the Fillies get in on the fun?” I countered. “They’re under the same threat as the rest of us, and all the fancy testing in the galaxy won’t change that.” I gestured around us. “Besides, the more paranoid eyes there are watching everyone’s every move, the harder it’ll be for the Shonkla-raa to take another crack at us. So. Next thing on the agenda—”

I broke off as Bayta’s eyes shifted warningly to something past my shoulder, and I turned again as Hchchu walked up to us. “If you would, Mr. Compton,” he said, “I would like to see you for a few moments in my office.”

“Isn’t that slightly improper?” I asked. “You being the prosecutor and me being the defendant and all?”

“It won’t be a problem,” Hchchu assured me. “If you come with me, I believe I can provide you with the itinerary you asked for.”

I felt my eyes narrow. “That was fast,” I said. “You have an instant pipeline to the Spiders I don’t know about?”

Hchchu’s eyes flicked to Bayta and Emikai. “I would prefer to discuss it in private,” he said.

I was about to tell him his preferences weren’t a high priority for me when I took a good look into his eyes.

He was frightened. More than frightened, in fact. He was terrified.

And anything that terrified the assistant director of the Fillies’ showcase space center was something I’d damn well better look into. “Bayta, why don’t you and Logra Emikai head back,” I said casually. “I’ll get the itinerary from Chinzro Hchchu and rejoin you.”

“What about our other friend?” Bayta asked. “He’s going to want to see us.”

“There’ll be plenty of time for that later,” I said. I could hardly tell her I’d moved our prisoner to Terese’s room, not with Hchchu standing right there. “Go ahead—I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

[I’d like to go with you, if I may,] Minnario spoke up.

“I would prefer to speak with Mr. Compton in private,” Hchchu repeated, his voice making it clear that that was an order.

[I’m his attorney and advocate,] Minnario said, his voice making it clear that he didn’t care. [Besides, as Mr. Compton has already pointed out, you and he are on opposite sides of the arena. The presence of a third person will be as much for your protection as for his.]

Hchchu sighed. “Very well,” he said reluctantly. “Follow me.”

He turned and strode off toward a door on the side of the courtroom. I gave Bayta an encouraging smile and followed.

The door led into a corridor that was similar to all the others I’d traveled through on Proteus, yet at the same time was subtly different. The unobtrusive color scheme was more vibrant, and the patterns of grooves and sculpted florets that decorated the upper walls and ceiling were more elaborate than I’d seen elsewhere. Officers’ country, I decided, the place where Proteus’s senior staff worked and played.

We’d made two turns into an even more elaborate hallway when I suddenly realized that, once again, Ty had deserted me, leaving Doug trotting alone at my side.

Did that mean Bayta going off the rails again? Or was it just a precaution?

Either way, I needed to do something quick before Hchchu noticed I was a watchdog shy of my quota and sent some patroller to bring Ty back. “You definitely have a nice part of the station here,” I commented, picking up my pace a bit.

“This is the main administrative center for Kuzyatru Station,” Hchchu explained, picking up his own pace to keep up with me.

Which was exactly what I’d hoped he would do. Now, with Doug and Minnario both trailing behind us out of Hchchu’s view, he hopefully wouldn’t notice Ty’s absence until it was too late to be worth the effort of getting him back. “How many administrators and staff are there?” I asked.

“Too many administrators; not nearly enough staff,” he said, with the first touch of humor I could remember ever hearing from him. “My office is down here.”

He turned into a short hallway guarded by yet another of the ubiquitous receptionists and receptionist desks that Proteus Station never seemed to run out of. At the far end of the corridor he pushed open the door—a real, hinged, hardwood door, not one of the sterile sliding types—and gestured me inside.

I got three steps before the sheer grandeur of the place brought me to an abrupt halt.

It wasn’t the office per se. The place was nice enough, and certainly roomy enough, but the large central desk and display cases and curved plant stands along the walls and scattered around the floor were of only simple design.

It was the view through the floor-to-ceiling window across from the door that had grabbed my full attention. Against a brilliant blue sky I could see the tops of a cluster of slender, impossibly green trees, surrounded by a ring