Dragon and Judge

CHAPTER 12

"Today we begin a new group of judgments," Thonsifi said as Jack settled into his Seat of Justice. "These will involve injuries caused by one of the Many against another."

"I see," Jack said, hiding a grimace. Just when he'd gotten used to sorting out land and water disputes, too. "Let's have the first case."

Thonsifi motioned and two Golvins from the usual group of onlookers stepped forward. "Eight-Seven-Two Among Many and Five-Six-One-Naught Among Many," she identified them. "Two and one half seasons ago Eisetw struck Fisionna's right arm and severely injured it. Fisionna claims it was deliberate. Eisetw claims it was an accident."

Jack gestured to Fisionna. "Let me see it."

The Golvin lifted his arm. "Move it around," Jack instructed. "Show me how it was damaged."

"It was harmed here," Fisionna said, pointing to the forearm.

"Move it around," Jack repeated.

The other did so. As far as Jack could tell, it had the full range of motion he'd seen in other Golvins. "It looks all right to me," he said.

"But it was injured," Fisionna said. "I deserve compensation for the pain. And my work suffered, as well."

"How long were you unable to work?" Jack asked.

Fisionna gave Thonsifi a sideways glance. "I was never completely unable to work," he hedged. "But it was difficult and most painful."

"For how long?"

Another sideways glance. "Over a month."

But not even close to two months, Jack suspected, or the Golvin would have fudged the number that direction. It was a game Jack knew well, having often played it himself against Uncle Virgil. "All right, then, let's try this," he suggested. "Who else witnessed the incident?"

Fisionna was starting to look like he was regretting having given up part of his morning for this. "No one," he admitted.

Jack shifted his attention to Eisetw. "And you claim it was an accident?"

"The shovel was muddy and slipped from my hand," Eisetw said. "And I offered to help with his work while he needed it."

"I am a craftsman," Fisionna said stiffly. "A worker of wooden goods. A mere farmer does not have the skill to truly assist me."

"Nevertheless, he did offer," Jack said. "More importantly, there were no witnesses and appears to be no permanent damage. I am therefore dismissing the case and the charges."

Fisionna threw a look at Eisetw, then another at Thonsifi, then looked back at Jack. Jack waited a moment, but if the other had been planning to complain about the verdict he'd apparently thought better of it. "The case is dismissed," Jack said again. "You may both return to your work."

The two Golvins bowed their heads in brief salute, then turned and headed off across the Great Hall. "Next?" Jack asked.

Thonsifi gestured two more Golvins forward, one of them walking with a definite limp. Unlike the last case, this one was apparently fresh. "Six-Seven-Nine Among Many and Two-Naught-One-Two Among Many," she said. "One month ago Twnaontw struck Siseni with a weeding tool and caused serious damage to his right leg."

"He was on my land—" Twnaontw began.

"Silence," Thonsifi snapped.

"You'll get your turn to speak," Jack promised. "Any witnesses this time?"

"There were two," Thonsifi said, motioning two more Golvins forward. "Four-Four-Three Among Many is an upright," she added, pointing to one of them.

Jack waved the latter forward another few steps. "Tell me what happened," he invited.

"Siseni was indeed on Twnaontw's land," Fofoth said. "He was speaking to Twnaontw."

"About what?"

"I was too far away to hear the words," Fofoth said. "But I could hear that both voices were becoming angry."

"Then what happened?"

"Twnaontw ordered Siseni from his land," Fofoth said. "I could tell that from his hand movements. Siseni stepped into the irrigation channel and continued talking. Twnaontw moved to the edge of his land closest to Siseni and said something. Siseni said something else, and that was when Twnaontw struck him."

"Thank you." Jack motioned him back and gestured to Twnaontw. "What was the argument about?"

"He was talking about my sister," the other said, his eyes darkening with the memory. "He was being highly insulting."

Jack looked at Siseni. "Were you?"

Siseni drew himself up to his full height. "I spoke truth," he said in a lofty tone. "One should not be attacked merely for speaking truth."

"I agree," Jack said. On the other hand, he'd seen enough fights among Uncle Virgil's old associates to know that tone and attitude could turn what was technically a truthful statement into something with lots of very sharp edges. "Why didn't you leave Twnaontw's land when he ordered you to?"

"I did leave," Siseni countered.

"To stand in his irrigation channel."

"The channel is not his," Siseni said stiffly. "None of this is relevant."

"You will not speak that way—" Thonsifi began.

And broke off, her head tilted to the side, her face turned toward the far end of the Great Hall.

"What is it?" Jack said, following her gaze. Across the way, fifteen or twenty Golvins were converging on the pillar containing Jack's apartment. Converging very rapidly.

And each of the Golvins was carrying a compact bow with a small quiver of arrows slung over his vest.

"What is it?" Jack demanded again, his heart suddenly pounding. Had someone spotted Draycos? "What's going on?"

"I will find out," Thonsifi said. She said something in the Golvin language to one of Jack's guards. He nodded and headed across the Great Hall at a fast trot. "Sefiseni will find out."

She gestured to Siseni and Twnaontw. "In the meantime . . .?"

"Of course," Jack said, forcing his mind back to the case as he watched the unfolding drama out of the corner of his eye. The running Golvins had reached the base of the pillar now, and five of them handed their weapons to others and began climbing the stone. "We clearly and definitely have a willful act here—"

And then, to his relief, the climbing Golvins passed his apartment without a second glance and kept going.

Whatever was happening, it apparently didn't involve Draycos.

"—a willful act which resulted in clear injury," he went on, bringing his full attention back to the Golvins standing in front of him. "However, I also find there to have been a certain amount of provocation in the incident. I therefore rule that Twnaontw will assist Siseni in his work until Siseni's leg is sufficiently healed for him to resume his duties by himself."

"This is outrageous," Siseni protested. "He has deliberately injured me. I deserve something more lasting than merely a few months of assistance."

"You mean like some of his land?" Jack suggested mildly.

Siseni brought his chin up. "Exactly."

"Which currently borders yours, I presume?"

Siseni glared at Twnaontw. "And the leaves from which fall onto my land."

"Sorry, but that's not the case at hand," Jack told him. So at its root the whole thing had been little more than an attempted land grab disguised as a cry for justice. Siseni had probably engineered the whole incident, in fact, attack and all. "Land disputes will be taken up at another time, if you'd care to file a complaint. In the meantime, I rule that for every hour you work your land, Twnaontw will work for a quarter hour."

Siseni's mouth dropped open. "A mere quarter hour?" he all but yelped. "That is an insult! I am a level Six of the Many—"

"In that case, perhaps we should make it a sixth of an hour instead of a quarter hour," Jack cut him off. "Or perhaps even less."

Siseni's facial wrinkles were working overtime as his emotions surged like a spring flood. Jack waited patiently, and after a long moment the wrinkles faded away. "I will accept the judgment," he muttered.

"Good," Jack said. "You may both return to your work."

Drawing himself up, clearly trying to gather together as much dignity as he could, Siseni turned and stalked away, his limp rather ruining the effect. Twnaontw bowed his head briefly to Jack, then followed.

"A question, Jupa Jack," Thonsifi said quietly from beside him. "You say Twnaontw will assist until Siseni's leg is sufficiently healed. How will we know when that will be?"

"Was Siseni at the dinner party a few days ago that honored my arrival?" Jack asked her.

"He was."

"When did he leave?"

Thonsifi's lips worked with thought. "I believe at the thirteenth hour."

Barely an hour after the party had begun, and a full three hours before it finally closed down. "His leg was probably hurting him," Jack said.

"Yes, now that I think, I remember him saying exactly that," Thonsifi confirmed.

"I presume you have other dinners and festivals and such on a regular basis?"

"At least once a month," Thonsifi said. "More often if there are special events."

"Good," Jack said. "Then you keep an eye on him. The first time he lasts at least three hours into one of these festivals, that's when his leg is sufficiently healed."

For a moment Thonsifi looked puzzled. Then, her expression cleared. "I understand, Jupa Jack. You are indeed wise beyond your seasons."

"Let's just say I know how people think," Jack said. "Next case—wait a minute," he interrupted himself. Across the Great Hall, the guard Thonsifi had sent out had reappeared and was coming toward them. "Let's hear what Sefiseni's found out."

The guard reached Thonsifi and conversed with her for a minute in their own language. Whatever was being said, Jack noticed uneasily, it was causing a quiet stir among the rest of the waiting Golvins. "It was the prisoner," Thonsifi said, turning back to Jack. "But it is all right. He has not escaped."

"What prisoner is this?" Jack asked, frowning.

"A loud noise alerted some of the young mothers who were resting in their apartments," Thonsifi continued. "The noise was investigated, and it has been learned that the prisoner was trying to escape."

"What prisoner?" Jack repeated. "Who is he?"

Thonsifi's face darkened. "He is a murderer, Jupa Jack," she said in a low voice. "He caused the deaths of four of the Many."

"When?" Jack asked. Could this prisoner be the human Draycos had smelled the night before? "What exactly happened?"

"It is no concern of yours, Jupa Jack," Thonsifi said. "The decision on his punishment has already been made."

"Maybe I'd like to rehear it," Jack said.

"It is no concern of yours," Thonsifi repeated. "May I bring the next case?"

Jack glowered across at his pillar, and the Golvins still standing guard around its base. In other words, foreigner, back off and butt out?

Fine. Jack would back off. For now.

But the One would hear about this . . . and Jack would find out what was going on.

In the meantime, there was work to do. "Very well," he said to Thonsifi. "Bring it on."

With questions about the mysterious prisoner swirling through his mind, he called an early lunch break. To his relief, and as Draycos had predicted, no one raised any objections to his decision to return to his apartment for a few minutes before rejoining the others for the midday meal.

Draycos was nowhere to be seen as he pushed aside the fringe and entered the apartment. "Draycos?" he called softly as he walked into the bedroom.

"Here," the K'da said, lifting his head into view from the far side of the bed.

"Catching a little nap, are we?" Jack asked, circling around the foot of the bed. "Wait'll you hear—geez!" He broke off as he came within sight of the black blood spread across the other's scales.

"I had to descend the shaft rather quickly," Draycos explained, getting gingerly to his feet. "It looked worse before."

"I'll just bet it did," Jack said, heading into the bathroom and grabbing one of the washcloths. "Get in here."

A few careful minutes later, he had wiped off most of the caked blood. "At least you look better now," he said as he rinsed out the cloth. "What's the rest of the damage?"

"It's not too bad," Draycos assured him. "A few bruised muscles and strained joints and lightly burned paws. A day or two of rest against your skin and I should be back to full health."

"I hope so," Jack said, laying out the cloth to dry and heading for the galley. "Because something new has just come up."

He related what little he knew about the prisoner as he got the K'da some meat and water. "At least now I know what the noise was that tipped them off," he concluded. "You falling down the shaft."

"Descending the shaft rather quickly," Draycos corrected as he wolfed down the meal. "Though I'm not sure whether to be pleased or regretful for my unplanned part of this incident."

"You don't think this guy's really a murderer?"

"I don't know," Draycos said. "But we've both seen the Golvin ability to shape and color the truth to say what they wish others to hear."

"Like in just about every case I've heard in the past six days," Jack said wryly. "Makes your ears itch after a while."

"In that they are not so different from other peoples," Draycos pointed out. "But it means we must be careful not to come to any conclusions until we know all the facts. I trust you'll be speaking to the One about that?"

"First chance I get," Jack said, clearing away the remains of the K'da's meal. "Meanwhile, I need to get back. Hop aboard, and let's go."

The chance arrived sooner than Jack had expected. When he returned to the Great Hall, he found the One waiting for him.

"Good midday to you, One Among Many," Jack greeted him. "This is a fortunate meeting."

"Perhaps not so fortunate," the One warned. "Thonsifi tells me you have asked for information on our prisoner."

"That's right," Jack said. "I was told he killed four of your people?"

"Yes," the One said, his voice darkening. "Four of the Many, none of whom was threatening him in any way." He eyed Jack. "Nor did they offer any provocation to him," he added pointedly.

So Thonsifi had also given him a rundown on the morning's decisions. "I'd still like to hear all the facts," he told the One. "I may decide that a rehearing of his case would be—"

"There will be no rehearing," the One snapped.

Jack took an involuntary step backward. The sudden blaze of fury was something he hadn't seen in these people before. "I understand your anger," he said, keeping his voice calm. "But there may be circumstances—"

"The circumstances are that he killed four of the Many, that he was found responsible for those deaths, and that he will remain a prisoner until his death."

"I understand," Jack said. "But as Judge-Paladin it's both my right and my duty to investigate these matters."

"And you have done so," the One said. "Your investigation is now ended."

For a long moment he and Jack gazed at each other. "Very well," Jack said. "With your permission, I have yet to eat my midday meal."

"Then eat and be filled," the One said. His surge of anger was gone, his voice that of the calm leader again. "More arguments and claims await you this afternoon." With a nod, he brushed past Jack and headed for the exit.

And with that, apparently, the conversation was over.

But that didn't mean the subject was closed, Jack promised himself. Not by a long shot.