[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
intimate with you. You would have told yourself she wanted it. That it was for love you were doing this.
For love, and for your dear dead and innocent father's sake."
Webster shot a needle into his arm. The injection solidified reality, vanquished fantasy and restored his
tongue's volition. He could speak now speak as he wanted to. For all the good it would do him.
Webster held a glass of water to his lips. Jeff swallowed, spluttered, and watched the empty glass
moving away. Webster brought out a cottonite swab and wiped the perspiration from Jeff's face. The
interrogation was over.
Jeff was free to look at Alice, at Pamela, at George McKissic, at the silent jury. His mouth seemed dry
despite the drink.
"Stand and face the bench," Webster instructed him, no longer seeming so evil now that the ordeal was
done.
Jeff obeyed. His legs felt wobbly.
The judge cleared his throat, banged his gavel and grimaced judicially. "So you believe, Jeff Font, that
you were justified, though you know your conduct was in violation of the law. Is that correct?"
"Yes, sir," Jeff said. There seemed to be little point in amplifying what he had already said under the
drug. He had broken the law because he had seen no legal way to right the greater wrong. What choice
was there?
"Ah, but your need for self-justification was never in question. Never for a moment." Hands that showed
the stigma of advancing age moved back from the bench and clasped over the front of the judge's robe.
"You must realize thatall criminals feel they are justified, by their own perverted standards. All criminals.
Mr. Webster has brought this out many times before this court. You wanted to relive a childhood
experience, with certain, ah, embellishments. To that extent you were well within the law. You could
easily have patronized Vicinc in a manner far more suitable than you did. They would have provided an
extremely realistic replica of the girl of your desire who would have begun where your imagination left off,
and for a very nominal fee."
The judge frowned again. It was apparent that he had had occasion to deliver a similar lecture many
times before. Jeff had the feeling that Crater did not entirely approve of Vicinc, and disliked dignifying it
in court. "But instead you sought to justify your fantasy by adding to it the notion of your father's
innocence. Mr. Font,all sons of criminals will try to believe their fathers innocent, no matter how
preponderant the evidence to the contrary. Your supposition that one imagined injustice to your parent
fourteen years ago could justify your present crime is absurd. Felonies cannot and will not be permitted."
All was lost anyway. "Except when your name is McKissic."
"Another intemperate outburst and I will have the medic administer paralysol to your vocal mechanism,"
Judge Crater said. His eyes, like his voice, were steely now an expression Jeff was sure he cultivated
assiduously. "You are advised to remember that you are no longer on Alpha IV. No doubt you feel that
the assignment of a ringed employee to impersonate George McKissic's daughter was in some way
unfair. You feel the police should not have acquiesced in such a ploy. Yet the alternative, in the face of
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
the danger which threatened, was to activate the estate defenses expensive for the owner, and
dangerous for the intruder. Mr. McKissic generously decided to provide every opportunity for you to
revoke your intent, since he bears you no malice for your father's crime, as his disposition explains. Even
when the perimeter guard identified you on the wall with your captive, no action was taken, out of
concern for your welfare and hers. Yet you persisted in your malicious plan, damaging the police unit that
was sent to apprehend you and wantonly destroying protected property. Finally you attempted to torture
your captive physically, though you knew she was helpless. We could hardly permit "
"Correction, Your Honor," Webster murmured. "It appears he is not cognizant of the nature of the ring."
Judge Crater paused, surprised. "Thank you, Counselor," he said. He reorganized his discourse. "At any
rate, this action hastened our location of you since it activated the ring's alarm. Now you also feel we
should have put the head of General Gyromotors under truthall, like a common miscreant." Some of the
members of the jury smirked, but not, Jeff noticed gratefully, the space captain.He knew how far this
differed from the forthright justice of space. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl ocenkijessi.opx.pl
intimate with you. You would have told yourself she wanted it. That it was for love you were doing this.
For love, and for your dear dead and innocent father's sake."
Webster shot a needle into his arm. The injection solidified reality, vanquished fantasy and restored his
tongue's volition. He could speak now speak as he wanted to. For all the good it would do him.
Webster held a glass of water to his lips. Jeff swallowed, spluttered, and watched the empty glass
moving away. Webster brought out a cottonite swab and wiped the perspiration from Jeff's face. The
interrogation was over.
Jeff was free to look at Alice, at Pamela, at George McKissic, at the silent jury. His mouth seemed dry
despite the drink.
"Stand and face the bench," Webster instructed him, no longer seeming so evil now that the ordeal was
done.
Jeff obeyed. His legs felt wobbly.
The judge cleared his throat, banged his gavel and grimaced judicially. "So you believe, Jeff Font, that
you were justified, though you know your conduct was in violation of the law. Is that correct?"
"Yes, sir," Jeff said. There seemed to be little point in amplifying what he had already said under the
drug. He had broken the law because he had seen no legal way to right the greater wrong. What choice
was there?
"Ah, but your need for self-justification was never in question. Never for a moment." Hands that showed
the stigma of advancing age moved back from the bench and clasped over the front of the judge's robe.
"You must realize thatall criminals feel they are justified, by their own perverted standards. All criminals.
Mr. Webster has brought this out many times before this court. You wanted to relive a childhood
experience, with certain, ah, embellishments. To that extent you were well within the law. You could
easily have patronized Vicinc in a manner far more suitable than you did. They would have provided an
extremely realistic replica of the girl of your desire who would have begun where your imagination left off,
and for a very nominal fee."
The judge frowned again. It was apparent that he had had occasion to deliver a similar lecture many
times before. Jeff had the feeling that Crater did not entirely approve of Vicinc, and disliked dignifying it
in court. "But instead you sought to justify your fantasy by adding to it the notion of your father's
innocence. Mr. Font,all sons of criminals will try to believe their fathers innocent, no matter how
preponderant the evidence to the contrary. Your supposition that one imagined injustice to your parent
fourteen years ago could justify your present crime is absurd. Felonies cannot and will not be permitted."
All was lost anyway. "Except when your name is McKissic."
"Another intemperate outburst and I will have the medic administer paralysol to your vocal mechanism,"
Judge Crater said. His eyes, like his voice, were steely now an expression Jeff was sure he cultivated
assiduously. "You are advised to remember that you are no longer on Alpha IV. No doubt you feel that
the assignment of a ringed employee to impersonate George McKissic's daughter was in some way
unfair. You feel the police should not have acquiesced in such a ploy. Yet the alternative, in the face of
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
the danger which threatened, was to activate the estate defenses expensive for the owner, and
dangerous for the intruder. Mr. McKissic generously decided to provide every opportunity for you to
revoke your intent, since he bears you no malice for your father's crime, as his disposition explains. Even
when the perimeter guard identified you on the wall with your captive, no action was taken, out of
concern for your welfare and hers. Yet you persisted in your malicious plan, damaging the police unit that
was sent to apprehend you and wantonly destroying protected property. Finally you attempted to torture
your captive physically, though you knew she was helpless. We could hardly permit "
"Correction, Your Honor," Webster murmured. "It appears he is not cognizant of the nature of the ring."
Judge Crater paused, surprised. "Thank you, Counselor," he said. He reorganized his discourse. "At any
rate, this action hastened our location of you since it activated the ring's alarm. Now you also feel we
should have put the head of General Gyromotors under truthall, like a common miscreant." Some of the
members of the jury smirked, but not, Jeff noticed gratefully, the space captain.He knew how far this
differed from the forthright justice of space. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]