Judge Dredd

surface of the wood. It was a ritual he had practiced from the first day he had presided over the Council. The answer was always there. It was always the truth, it was always the Law, for the two were one and the same. Sometimes, the answer didn’t match his deep, personal feelings, the wisdom and insight he had gained from a lifetime of serving the Citizens of Mega-City. Still, it was the right decision, and he took great comfort in that. It was the one thing he could count on, the one thing he could trust in a dangerous and rapidly changing world.

Fargo slowly raised his head. He looked past the defendant and Hershey, past Judge McGruder and the media and the black-clad Judges. His gaze came to rest on the Cadets, the young men and women who held the future of the city in their hands. The Truth, the Law, his decision, was for them.

“Objection… sustained. I find the Prosecution’s video evidence inadmissable in this Tribunal.”

For a moment, the crowd seemed to hold its collective breath. Then the Chamber exploded in a burst of sound. Fargo’s gavel struck again and again, but no one seemed to hear. The cheers went on unabated, and the most raucous yells of all came from the Cadets.

Hershey leaned close to Dredd so he could hear her above the sound.

“Go ahead, tell me. I don’t mind.”

“Tell you what?”

“Admit it. You’re impressed.”

“Thanks. I’m impressed,” Dredd said.

“Hey. Unbound enthusiasm. I can hardly stand it, Dredd.”

Dredd looked straight ahead. “You think he’s through? You think that’s it?”

“No, I don’t think he’s through, I didn’t say that. Nevertheless—”

“Thanks, Hershey.”

“You already said that.”

“Now I’ve said it again.”

“What for?”

“In case you do something else.”

Hershey gave him a curious look. Did he mean that? Was he serious? Of course he is, she told herself, he’s Judge Dredd. Either that, or Dredd had made a joke. That, of course, was unthinkable, and she dismissed it from her mind at once.

FIFTEEN

Judge Dredd was right. The Prosecution wasn’t finished. McGruder was just getting started.

Chief Justice Fargo called a brief recess, and McGruder quickly went into a huddle with her staff. Hershey watched from the dias. She didn’t have any aids; there was no one to talk to but Dredd, and Dredd was stiff as a statue, looking straight ahead. She wondered what he was thinking. There had to be something going on in his head…

The sound of Fargo’s gavel echoed through the Chamber. The room went silent at once. McGruder stepped back up on the dias. She glanced calmly at Hershey, then faced the Judges’ table.

“Your Honor, in light of your ruling regarding evidence presented in this Tribunal, I am forced to move to technical evidence which I believe is of a most critical nature. I will need the Court’s permission to access documentation marked ‘Judge Secret’ from the Central Computer.”

Hershey felt something cold at the back of her neck. Dredd didn’t move. At the Judges’ table, Griffin leaned over to speak to Fargo. Fargo listened, then turned to Silver and Esposito. Finally, he spoke to McGruder and Hershey.

“The request is granted. You may proceed, Prosecutor.”

A slight, almost imperceptible shadow crossed McGruder’s face. Hershey caught it, and knew it for what it was at once.

She doesn’t want to do this. She doesn’t, but she can’t back away from what she’s found…

“Central, are you on-line?” McGruder said.

“On-line, Judge McGruder.”

The voice was feminine; it was a calm, reasonable, and soothing voice, that instilled both confidence and authority.

“I want you to access weapons schematics,” McGruder said. “Please describe the working of the standard Judge’s firearm, the Lawgiver Two, and especially its improvements over the earlier Lawgiver One.”

A rotating schematic of the Lawgiver, stark white on blue, appeared on the big screen at once.

“Seven years ago, the Lawgiver Model Two replaced the Model One. The difference between these models lies in two areas: The computer chip and the ammunition coding. Like the Model One, the computer chip in the Model Two recognizes the palmprint of its owner. An imposter’s hand will activate the weapon’s alarm…”

The schematic dissolved into an animated figure. The figure pressed the trigger of a Lawgiver and was promptly blown to bits in a clean, computer-generated explosion.

“… Model Two is somewhat different. It is coded to the personal DNA of the Judge using the weapon, via the skin’s contact with the grip. A failsafe security precaution…”

Hershey turned to Dredd. “Did you know about this?”

“No.”

“Neither did I. I don’t think anybody did.”

“… The DNA is obtained from my medical files and upgraded automatically every time the weapon is reloaded. Each time a round is chambered and fired, the projectile is tagged with that relevant DNA…”

No, no! Hershey could see the whole thing now, see it all coming together.

“Chief Justice,” she said suddenly, “the Defense was unaware of this information. I’m sure everybody else here is unaware of it, too.”

“Let the Prosecution finish, Judge Hershey,” Fargo said calmly. “I’ll hear from you later if you so desire.”

Hershey’s shoulders fell. McGruder nodded her thanks. “Were the bullets recovered from the bodies of Vardis and Lily Hammond so DNA-coded, Central?”

“Yes, Judge McGruder.”

“And what was the result of the computer check of the DNA coding of those bullets?”

“The DNA is a perfect match for Judge Joseph Dredd.”

“That’s a lie! This is a setup! I did not kill those people!”

Dredd dug his fists into his palms, drawing blood. The cords stood out in his neck. He stared at Chief Justice Fargo. Fargo met his eyes, hesitated, and looked away.

A terrible cry started deep in Dredd’s throat. He didn’t care about the rest of them, they could believe him or go to hell. But Fargo, if Fargo doubted him, if he thought for an instant that he had done such a thing…

He turned on Hershey, gripping her shoulders hard. “I wasn’t there. I didn’t do this.”

“I know that. I know you didn’t, Dredd.” His fingers dug into her arms but she didn’t complain. “I believe you, but I don’t know what to do for you. The DNA evidence… it’s irrefutable. He’s left us without any case at all.”

Dredd dropped his hands. “Everything he’s saying is a lie. I’m telling the truth. What kind of case is that?”

“It’s the Law,” Hershey said. “McGruder may be wrong, but the Law is right, Dredd. You, of all people, know that.”

Dredd didn’t answer. He looked at Hershey but didn’t see her. He couldn’t see anything at all.

“Your Honor, the Prosecution rests,” McGruder said.