High Justice Read online

  "Wait," Aeneas commanded. The helium in the atmosphere in the station made his voice shrill, but the timbre of command remained. "You may as well hear me out. How many of you hope to go with Valkyrie? Or to the Moon colony?"

  About half. Kittridge Penrose was among them.

  "And why?" Aeneas asked.

  "Because we've had enough of Earth and bureaucrats and laws and regulations," Penrose said. "We can't breathe down there! We've had it with the Martin Holloways—and people like you, MacKenzie!"

  "Yet you cannot live without law," Aeneas said. "There is no civilization without justice."

  "Law? Justice?" Penrose was contemptuous. "Rules, regulations, taxes, traps for people minding their own business."

  "Those are perversions of law." Aeneas deliberately kept his voice low so that they had to strain to listen. "There can be no civilization without law and no civilized men without justice. Earth's law cannot govern here. It cannot even govern Earth. But that does not mean you can dispense with law altogether."

  "So you'll give us laws?" Holloway said contemptuously.

  "No. But this satellite is not independent of Earth. It is not sovereign. It must have government. Miss Hansen has given me that task."

  "Are you going to put up with this?" Holloway demanded, "You don't know this son of a bitch. Law! He's a goddam computer. He'll have you marching around under regulations like you've never seen." He turned to the crew. "Help me!"

  "Help him and you give Heimdall to the Equity Trust. Or to Greg Tolland," Aeneas said. "I do not think you will care for either master. Even those who are here for short tours only—and those who want a new life in space will be finished."

  There was a buzz of conversation. "Hansen's been decent enough."

  "Hell, he's got the gun. . . ."

  "I don't owe Holloway nothing."

  "Let Penrose and Eliot decide, that's their job, I mind my own business. ..."

  Aeneas raised his voice to cut through the chatter. "The prohibition against murder is as old as man. Are any safe here? Who had more friends than Captain Shorey? Who will avenge you if you are wronged?"

  "What do you intend to do with Holloway?" one engineer demanded.

  "I intend to try him for murder."

  "Some trial!" Holloway shouted. "A kangaroo court."

  "Yes. You prefer a court which you know will never convict you. I think, David, you have forgotten what a trial is for. It is not a show, but a means of discovering what has happened. I think we can do that here. The crew will be the jury."

  "What happens if we say guilty?" Penrose demanded.

  "Sentence is the responsibility of the judge. Martin Holloway, as you are known here, how do you plead?"

  "You goddam fools!" Holloway shouted. "You're really going to let him do this, aren't you? By God, you touch me and the Agency'll track every one of you down. You've got to go back to Earth sometime—"

  "Not everyone," Aeneas said quietly.

  "They've got families," Holloway said grimly.

  Aeneas shook his head sadly. "This is beneath you, David. And I warn you, you are not helping your case. I advise you to say nothing else." Still carefully holding the pistol ready, Aeneas took a seat across the table from Holloway. "I wish you had not threatened the crew."

  Because, Aeneas thought, you force me to act alone. But he had always known it would come to this. He had become—what? "Your plea is not necessary," Aeneas said. "I call the first witness. Miss Raisters, your oath. Do you swear—"

  "His people will kill me," Ann said. "He wasn't alone. There are more of them here—"

  "You told me Amos Shorey was your friend. And there will be justice here, and on Valkyrie."

  Her lips tightened. She took a deep breath and began to tell her story.

  * * *

  In two hours they had heard it all: Holloway's threats and promises to various crewmen; sabotage plans, promises of money and position when Equity took control of Heimdall. There were five witnesses to those acts; and Ann Raisters and another woman had seen Holloway enter the laboratory. They saw Captain Shorey go in after him; and Shorey never returned.

  The station physician told them that Shorey died of explosive decompression, but that he had been drugged first. "I don't know the drug," he told them. "Not precisely. One of the curare derivatives, I'd think. Certainly something at least that powerful, to leave a man's muscles relaxed as he explodes. Not even unconsciousness could have done that."

  When it was finished, Aeneas spoke to Holloway. "You may present your defense."

  "I don't have to make any defense!"

  "I advise you to do so. At the moment the evidence is much against you."

  "You used to be my friend," David said.

  "Make your defense," Aeneas replied. His voice was even, and no one could tell if that had cost him much or little.

  "Crap. I didn't kill Shorey!"

  "How did he die?"

  "It was an accident. He—"

  "Yes?

  Holloway thought for a moment. There was no possible explanation. Drugged, Shorey could not have operated the airlock; yet he had certainly been outside it. "You've got no authority here. I demand you send me down!"

  "No. Have you completed your defense?"

  "I've said all I'm going to say to you."

  "Then this court finds you guilty. I would have put this to a jury, but your threats prevent that. David Hindler, alias Martin Holloway, this court finds you guilty of sabotage, attempted bribery, and willful murder. On the minor charges you are sentenced to forfeiture of all pay and allowances and one year at hard labor. You will not serve that sentence. On the charge of murder you are sentenced to death."

  There was an excited babble in the room.

  "Who'll kill me, Aeneas?" Holloway said. "You?"

  "Of course. I would not ask anyone else to do it." I never wanted the high justice, but i accepted refuge with the Saracens. . . . "Stand up, David."

  "No. I won't help you."

  "You have five minutes."

  Penrose and Eliot crowded around Aeneas. "You can't do this," Dr. Eliot said.

  "Why the hell not?" Penrose demanded. "The bastard's got it coming."

  "This is no better than murder," Eliot insisted. "You have no authority. ..."

  "If I have none, there's none here," Aeneas said. "And you can't live that way. If you object, Doctor, you can get the crew to stop me. I'm only one man."

  "Two," Penrose growled.

  "Three." Ann Raisters stood behind him.

  "Your five minutes are up. Have you anything to say, David?"

  Holloway turned to the others. The crew hadn't moved; they stood or sat in small groups, watching, saying very little, speaking in the hushed tones used in cemeteries and at funerals. "You're all next!" Holloway shouted. "You let him get away with this and you're next! They'll send up company cops, and you'll all be slaves."

  No one moved. They may have believed him; but Aeneas stood there as the figure of—

  What am I? he thought. Justice in person? The high justice? Why should they accept me? But what can they accept? In these days when no one trusts anyone or anything—there is only power. I would like to believe I am more than that.

  "They'll have you for murder, Aeneas," Holloway said. "Greg Tolland will have extradition warrants in every country on Earth. But don't worry about that, because the Agency won't forget either. You're a dead man, Aeneas. You won't live an hour after you get to ground."

  "I believe you." Almost, Aeneas envied David; Aeneas had once been part of that brotherhood of dedicated young men, and he missed their camaraderie. But now he served the Saracens.

  Must I do this? What choices have I? There had been a time when David's threat would have been welcome; now, Aeneas would never see Laurie Jo on their lonely beach. She wouldn't be safe for long, either. Earth was not a place of safety for anyone, great or small.

  The Station turned slowly and through the ports he saw the spindly framework and ta
nkage that would someday be Valkyrie. Earth was lovely beyond it. But she will come here, and we will take that ship together. . . .

  "Lost your goddam nerve?" Holloway demanded. The fear was unmistakable in his voice, and beyond it was pleading. "Get it over." The pistol coughed twice.

  Afterwards, Aeneas stood again at the viewport and looked at Valkyrie; but did not look at Earth.