The smell of dead body permeates the room - voided bowels and bladder mixed with the copper tang of blood. The cause of this smell is immediately obvious to anyone who cares to look - inside the wrestling ring is the very dead body of a huge man in wrestling tights and a mask. One side of his head is horribly deformed, and he lies in a pool of clotted blood which has soaked the mask and tights. His musculature is vast beyond belief, like the hugest body builder you have ever seen redone in caricature. His skin (now a pasty white) is covered with melanomas and warts like an ugly miniature forest of mushrooms. In one hand he clutches a 20-lb metal dumbbell. Other than this, and the attendant blood and gore, the only thing in the ring is a jump rope, now also stained with blood.
The three judges spend a few moments walking around the room, peering at the body, the exercise machines, the dumbbell, etc. Judges Foo and Ming take the time to examine the head closely (though without touching it). They then take a couple of moments to confer amongst themselves, and Judge Ming plugs her laptop into a wall socket, then sits cross-legged on the floor and begins typing away.
Meanwhile Powers is put up against a wall, and one of the officers holds a gun to his head. "Don't move," he says conversationally while the second officer conducts a rapid strip search. Aside from Powers wallet and whatever miscellanies happen to be in his pockets, the only items of interest that are found are a small video camera and a cloth mask, which the Peace Force officer drops into an evidence bag along with the wallet, miscellanies, and passport (which is already inside). He then politely rearranges Powers clothing into some semblance of order, and takes the evidence bag over to the three judges. The last Peace Force officer helps Powers to sit on the floor and remarks, not without sympathy, "Don't get comfortable yet. Judge Fang is a big believer in body cavity searches too."
As there are no chairs in the room, the travelers are forced to either sit on the floor, lean against a wall, or simply stand up as the preference strikes them. The Peace Force officer warns away any who get too close to Powers by gesturing meaningfully with the submachinegun.
Levine just looks utterly appalled, disgusted, and annoyed, makes no attempt to hide any of it, and settles on a sort of baleful sullenness.
Upon seeing and especialy smelling the ghastly corpse, Leo gags and seems very close to retching. After a second of gasping like a fish out of the water, he lifts Marda in his arms (he was still holding her hand) and turns her away from the scene. "Don't look, Marda," he says to her in a low voice. "It's really bad. Hopefully the nice C&I lady will bring Teddy along shortly." He glances towards Kitty, trying to catch her eyes.
"Yeah, it is bad... Marda, don't look..." Kitty says while looking at Leo... but it is meant for the head judge. "Sir, do you actually think that a child should be subject to such a ghastly sight of human remains? I understand that she may had been a witness to Powers' captivity but an actual witness to this odd scene? Or are you saying that she was actually in the room when this happened?"
Much in keeping with the old "Don't Think of a Monkey" routine, the first action Marda takes upon warning to do the exact opposite is to take a good hard look at the scene of the crime. The second action is to scream. Loudly. Very loudly. Ear-piercingly loudly. Oh-my-God-I'm-the-heroine-in-Halloween-28-and-I-just-saw-the-first-corpse loudly. Then she proceeds to bury her head in Leo's shoulder and mumble herself into denial in Romanian .
Kitty walks up to the wrestling ring and looks at the remains of the dead body. The amount of the weight in the corpse hand, looks over to Powers, and then around the room. "What the Hell happened in here?" She then finds a place on the floor to sit without messing with any of the evidence.
Bruce, leaning against the back wall and wincing from the scene and the smell, looks over to Marda and Leo as Marda screams. Feeling like he has had enough of standing around and waiting for this nightmare to be over, he decides he has to do SOMETHING.
He walks over to Leo and removes his hat, saying "Gidday, Bruce Cooby from 'Stralia." He instinctively tries to hold out he hand in a handshake, but realizes Leo's hands are full. "Mind if I talk with your little girl? Got a story for her." Without really waiting for Leo to reply, Bruce slips behind Leo to face Marda. Fidgeting with hat in his hand, he addresses Marda in the kindest, gentlest voice a bushie can have.
"Gidday, Love. Bruce Cooby from 'Stralia. Have you eve-a been to 'Stralia?" He waits for a second to see if see will respond, but continues as if she had. "Well, if you ever go to 'Stralia I'd be happy to have you meet my mate ..er.. Skippy the Bush Kangaroo."
Bruce then begins an elaborate Skippy the Bush Kangaroo episode story. However, anyone who has ever watched Skippy the Bush Kangaroo would suddenly realize that Bruce has expanded the animal cast well beyond theshow's orginal budget limits. Actually the story becomes more of a Skippy the Bush Kangaroo decides to go on walkabout with an entire zoo. Bruce gets more and more into the story as he tells it, gesturing wildly at the "exciting bits" which he carefully edits as to not upset Marda anymore. Occasionally during the story, he asks her a question to see if she will respond, but continues with his story as if she had answered him.
As the epic saga of Skippy the Bush Kangaroo unfolds, Leo is seized with an irrespressible fit of giggles. This may owe something to the fact that the last eighteen hours have been quite stressful, as well as the 'Stralian's storytelling talents. Leo attempts as best he can to maintain the proper mix of decorum and horror the grisly occasion demands, but the more he realises how inappropriate his reaction is, the funnier everything seems to become. His laughter comes out as poorly suppressed little explosions of hilarity.
The result is that Marda is not only subjected to Down-Under English ramblings, but also shaken up and down by the chuckling Leo. Bruce's story, or what of it Marda can understand, seems to have some sort of placatory effect. Much to the relief of most everyone concerned, the child quiets down to a level which should allow for legal proceedings.
But as could only be expected, once the tale reaches its gripping conclusion
and slides into the denouement, Marda immediately demands, "I wanna hear
it again."
Judge Foo takes a pace forward and faces Powers from across the wrestling ring. "Mr. Powers, have you ever been in this room before? If so, please describe the circumstances and events that occured the last time you were here."
"Your Honor..." Powers hesitates, "as I understand it, under the laws set forth by your Exalted leader to govern proceedings such as these, I am to represent myself without benefit of counsel?" The question is straightforward and sincere.
Judge Foo stands very still, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Mr. Powers," he begins, "were you not in the conference room when Judge Fang asked if there were questions? Did you not have the opportunity to ask questions then? If so, why are you asking your questions now? Was there some reason that you didn't ask your questions then? Are you, in some way, attempting to slow down these proceedings by asking questions not relevant to the situation at hand?"
Without waiting for an answer, Judge Foo explodes into wild motion, waving his arms and shouting at the top of his lungs. "ARE YOU ATTEMPTING TO OBSTRUCT THE SWIFT JUSTICE DECREED BY HER EXALTEDNESS??? ARE YOU ATTEMPTING TO HIDE YOUR OWN GUILT BEHIND PROCEDURAL DELAYS? IF YOU THINK THIS MIGHT SUCCEED, THINK AGAIN, HEM GEL TSAN!" (This, in a singsong cadence, is obviously some Asian dialect - Szechuan Chinese or Cantonese.) "ANSWER THE QUESTION! DO YOU OR DO YOU NOT RECOGNIZE THIS ROOM, AND IF SO, TELL THE COURT WHAT...."
Judge Foo stops as suddenly as he started as Judge Fang quietly says, "I will speak on this." Judge Foo, apparently neither surprised nor particularly bothered by the statement, folds his arms once again.
"Mr. Powers," begins Judge Fang, "it is not to your credit to interrupt these proceedings with irrelevant questions. If you had questions regarding the methods of the court, you should have asked them before the trial commenced. That is the reason that we have such a period prior to the commencement of the trial. Nevertheless, you are an American, and I must take that into account. Americans who run afoul of the Al Amarjan criminal justice system are frequently hampered by their own stupidity, and by mistaken beliefs that due to their status as citizens of the United States they are entitled to an American-style trial , or worse yet, entitled to be shipped back to America for a trial there. Let me assure you as persuasively as possible that neither of these situations is the case here on Al Amarja."
"To answer your question, you are indeed entitled to a legal professional here on Al Amarja - IF you have retained one for the purpose of defending your interests. Unlike the United States, there are no public defenders here on Al Amarja, and lawyers operate in a manner similar to insurance companies in your country. You pay them a certain fee every year, and they are available to represent you should you require it. We have already contacted the Al Amarjan bar, however, and your name is not on the records anywhere. Hence, we deduce that either a) you do not have a lawyer, or b) for some reason your lawyer chooses not to represent you. In either event the outcome is the same."
Judge Fang pauses for a moment to think, then sighs. "Call me an old softy," he says quietly to Judge Ming, "I miss the NYC district court sometimes." Returning his focus to Powers, he says "Mr. Powers, in deference to your status as an American, I will grant you this concession: if there is anyone here, other than members of the court, who will consent to represent you, and with whom you feel comfortable, you may appoint that person as your representative to the court. However, bear in mind that this decision is at the pleasure of the court, and you will have to stand by your decision. Please decide quickly."
With that, Judge Fang motions to Judge Foo, and the three judges cluster together and begin confering quietly.
A hush falls over the makeshift courtroom as Judge Fang awaits a decision from Powers. After a few second's silence, he glances meaningfully at Judge Foo, who appears to glance meaningfully back (it's hard to tell under the mask).
A long moment passes, without any answer from Powers. The silence in the room becomes oppressive.
After a moment of significant looks, Judge Foo asks, "Judge Fang, may I bring in the implements? The accused appears unwilling to cooperate." Judge Fang nods, and Judge Foo turns to one of the Peace Force officers. "Please bring in the implements," he says, and the officer hurries from the room.
Meanwhile, Judge Fang turns to those waiting as witnesses. "Lets start with those who were with him in the waiting room. Did any of you see or hear anything while Powers was in the waiting room that you believe might materially affect this case? Did Powers act strangely in any way?"
Leo glances at Ariel and Kitty, then looks back at Judge Fang. "Er, hmmm, Your Honour?" he says tentatively, waiting for a nod or other signal before continuing: "I'm not sure whether that counts, but Mr. Powers did make strange remarks about music and about cats. I'm not sure I understood any of it, but it appeared to me Mr. Powers was, er, erratic. He didn't act like someone expecting to be arrested, though."
"I see." Judge Fang pauses. "Anybody else?"
Kitty nods her head no at Judge Fang. "No... No actions that would be considered abnormal in society."
Marda bites her lip and screws her eyes a bit in concentration.
After a bit of consideration, she mentions, "He jumped on me."
FANG: "Since the accused seems to be in a state of shock, let's get on with the trial, shall we? Judge Foo, would you please interview some of the other witnesses?"
FOO: "Certainly, Judge Fang. Mr. Rajpal, would you answer a few questions from the court please?"
RAJPAL: "Certainly, judge."
FOO: "Thank you. Mr. Rajpal, you are employed by the Al Amarja Customs and Immigration Service, is this correct?"
RAJPAL: "Yes judge."
FOO: "In the course of your duties, have you ever met the accused, or had any interaction with him whatsoever."
RAJPAL: "I have never been formally introduced to Mr. Powers. However, I heard a lot about him from Mr. Ludnikov, the deceased, and I spoke to him on one occasion."
FOO: "I see. Lets start with your actual meeting with Mr. Powers. What exactly occurred?"
RAJPAL: "I entered the waiting room in order to direct him to his briefing cubicle."
FOO: "And which briefing cubicle did you direct him to."
RAJPAL: "Cubicle number twelve."
FOO: "For the record, you are referring to the briefing cubicle in which we are now standing - the briefing cubicle in which Mr. Ludnikov, the deceased, was found."
RAJPAL: "Yes judge."
FOO: "And what happened next?"
RAJPAL: "Mr. Power went to his briefing cubicle. I had another burg... I mean new arrival to interview, so I went to my own office to do that. That was the last I saw of Mr. Powers until his arrest.
FOO: "Tell me a bit about what you heard about David Powers from Mr. Ludnikov."
RAJPAL: "Gregor, that is Mr. Ludnikov, talked a great deal about him, particularly in the week before his arrival. He was a great fan of american professional wrestling, and Mr. Powers was one of his favorite wrestlers. As I recall, he referred to Powers as 'The Goon of Doom'. He was very excited about meeting him."
FOO: "I see. Do you have anything else that you wish to add?"
RAJPAL: "No, judge."
FOO: "Very well. I think that's all for now, unless Mr. Powers has any questions?"
[PAUSE]
FANG: "Apparently not. Please continue Judge Foo."
FOO: "Thank you Judge Fang. Mr. Jean-Luc Bertrand, would you mind answering some questions for the court?"
BERTRAND: "Not in the least Judge."
FOO: "Thank you. You are employed by Al Amarja Customs and Immigration as a clerk, is this correct?"
BERTRAND: "Yes Judge, that is correct."
FOO: "Have you ever had any dealings with the accused?"
BERTRAND: "Yes Judge, I have."
FOO: "Will you describe them to the court?"
BERTRAND: "With pleasure, Judge. I was working at my desk when Mr. Powers approached me. He loomed over my desk and said, in a very threatening manner 'take me to your leader.'"
FOO: "What was there about him that you felt was threatening?"
BERTRAND: "Well, he is quite large, as you can see, and he leaned over my desk, quite close to me, much closer than people usually stand. Also, there was a tone of menace in his voice."
FOO: "I see. And what did you do then?"
BERTRAND: "Well, I recognized him as being this wrestler that Gregor, that is Mr. Ludnikov, had been speaking about. He seemed angry, and I first thought to myself, 'something must have gone wrong with Gregor's interview'. But, of course, that isn't really any of my business. In truth I was rather surprised that he was coming to me, and what he said didn't make much sense. I was also rather frightened by his large size and his tone of voice. I think I said something like 'are you speaking to me?'."
FOO: "Yes? Go on."
BERTRAND: "Then he said, 'do you see anyone else looking at my nose, frenchy? I want to see the man in charge, now!'"
FOO: "What happened then?"
BERTRAND: "Well, this sort of thing really isn't my job, but of course all of us in C&I know that burgers aren't supposed to be wandering around the offices unsupervised. I told Mr. Powers that he should return to the waiting room, and that someone would be with him shortly."
FOO: "And what happened next?"
BERTRAND: "Mr. Powers became violent! He started knocking things off my desk onto the floor, then actually sat down on the desk! He demanded that I call someone in charge, and also insisted that I get him some food to eat! It was quite frightening."
FOO: "And what did you do?"
BERTRAND: "I called Miss Ugonjwa over to my desk."
FOO: "Miss Raziya Ugonjwa?"
BERTRAND: "Yes. She is my supervisor."
FOO: "What happened then?"
BERTRAND: "Mr. Powers leaned over my desk and whispered to me, in some sort of strange accent, 'Coward! Don't mess with me - I've killed better men than you!' then got up and began speaking to Miss Ugonjwe. I was terrified! I thought to myself 'Something horrible must have happened to Gregor!' That's when I pushed the silent alarm under my desk."
FOO: "What happened then?"
BERTRAND: "Mr. Powers spoke with Miss Ugonjwe for a moment, then went back into the waiting room."
FOO: "I see. Thank you. One more thing and then I'm finished for now. What was your overall impression of Mr. Powers?"
BERTRAND: "I thought he was dangerous, violent, and maybe on drugs or crazy. I was afraid that he would hurt someone. Then when we found poor Gregor I thought 'mon dieu! I was right!'"
FOO: "Thank you Mr. Bertrand, that will be all for now, unless Mr. Powers has any questions for you?"
[PAUSE]
FANG: "Well, at least he's consistent. Continue please Judge Foo."
FOO: "Miss Raziya Ugonjwa, would you mind answering a few questions for the court?"
UGONJWA: "No, Judge."
FOO: "Miss Ugonjwa, you are employed at Al Amarja Customs and Immigration as a supervisor, is this correct?"
UGONJWA: "Yes, Judge."
FOO: "Have you ever had occasion to speak with the accused, or interact with him in any other way?"
UGONJWA: "Yes Judge. I knew that he would be arriving on the island, and that the D'Aubainne Clinic had requested that Gregor be assigned as his caseworker. I helped Gregor to arrange appropriate shift trades so that he could be on duty when Mr. Powers arrived. In addition, I assisted the maintenance crew which refurbished the C&I lounge into briefing cubicle number twelve, and submitted many of the requisitions for the exercise equipment. Finally, I met with Mr. Powers in the Customs and Immigrations office for a brief period."
FOO: "All right. Let's start out with what you did Prior to Mr. Powers arrival. Why was all this effort put into redesigning a lounge to look like a gymnasium?"
UGONJWA: "I don't know, Judge. The instructions came from Dr. Nusbaum at the D'Aubainne clinic. I imagine that they had something to do with Gregor's treatment."
FOO: "What sort of treatment?"
UGONJWA: "I don't know its exact nature, Judge, but it had to do with Gregor's radiation exposure and cancer therapy."
FOO: "Can you give me more details?"
UGONJWA: "Mr. Ludnikov was originally a fireman, Judge, and was exposed to severe radiation during the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. It is my understanding that he was brought here to Al Amarja to undergo some sort of experimental anti-radiation treatment. Other than that I really don't have any details, other than that the treatment obviously worked to some extent, as Gergor was still alive until he was murdered."
FOO: "I see. Tell me about your interaction with Mr. Powers."
UGONJWA: "Mr. Powers came into the C&I offices and spoke briefly to Mr. Beartrand. He then became violent and began to knock items off Mr. Bertrand's desk. Mr. Bertrand called me over to speak with him. As I approached, Mr. Powers leaned over and spoke quietly to Mr. Bertrand, then stated that he would return to the waiting room when I arrived."
FOO: "Did you hear what Mr. Powers said to Mr. Bertrand?"
UGONJWA: "No Judge. He spoke quietly."
FOO: "What happened next?"
UGONJWA: "I instructed Mr. Powers to return the items that he had knocked from Mr. Bertrand's desk to their proper place, and to apologize to Mr. Bertrand for his behavior. I further attempted to enlighten him as to his relationship to Customs and Immigration, and the benefits of proper comportment in the future. Mr. Powers agreed to do so, returned the items to Mr. Bertrand's desk, and then attempted to offer me employment."
FOO: "Employment?"
UGONJWA: "He asked if I would be interested in becoming his manager. I declined. Mr. Powers then returned to the waiting room."
FOO: "What happened then?"
UGONJWA: "I went to check on Mr. Ludnikov, and found him dead, just as you see him now. I returned to the C&I office in order to call the Peace Force, but Mr. Bertrand had already done so."
FOO: "I see. And what was your impression of Mr. Powers?"
UGONJWA: "I thought him rather loutish and arrogant. Something of a bully. Like many Americans, he seems to feel that his culture and desires take precedence over those of others, even in their own country. This is not unusual, however - we see it all the time. Certainly Mr. Powers did not strike me as being particularly dangerous or violent towards those willing to stand up to him."
FOO: "Thank you, Miss Ugonjwa. Any questions, Mr. Powers?"
[UTTER AND RESOUNDING LACK OF QUESTIONS!]
***
At this point, the Peace Force officer who departed a few minutes ago returns, followed by two additional Peace Force officers. The first wheels in something that looks rather like a surgical tray, complete with instruments. The other two carry in some lumber, and begin putting it together into a large "X" shaped frame.
Judge Ming turns to Judge Fang. "The D'Aubainne Clinic is sending us a fax."
Judge Fang replies, "Please read it to the court."
Judge Ming looks at her screen. "From Dr. Furchtegott Nusbaum, Head of Administration, D'Aubainne Clinic; Emeritus Faculty, D'Aubainne Medical School; Medical Advisor to Her Exaltedness and the Al Amarjan government. To: Judge Samuel Fang, Presiding Judge, D'Aubainne International Airport District Court. Your honor: as per your request, I am writing to you in regard to the treatment of one Gregor Ludnikov. Please be aware that many of the details of Mr. Ludnikov's treatment are either experimental, highly technical, or simply secret, as the process used in treating his radiation exposure is still under development. In brief, Mr. Ludnikov has been under my care since his exposure to radiation while fighting fires at the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in April of 1986. His therapy has been long and oftentimes difficult, but has provided a considerable body of data for refinement of the process. His death is a great blow to medical science, and may set back successful treatment of victims of severe radiation exposure by as much as ten years. In light of the severe repercussions, I humbly ask that you exercise all due vigor in apprehending and prosecuting his murderer, and that if anyone is found guilty of this heinous and tragic crime that they be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I remain your vigilant servant, Dr. Furchtegott Nusbaum."
Judge Fang turns back to Powers. "Young man, you are in serious trouble here. I do not know why you choose to remain silent in this matter, but I will give you only one single warning more on this matter. If you have anything to say, you had best speak up! If you have any questions for the witnesses, now is the time to ask them!"
When all the C&I personnel has finished giving depositions, and
as the Peace Force is assembling what clearly looks like a makeshift torture
chamber, Leo looks left and right then at Judge Fang. As before,
he timidly raises his hand. "Your Honour, I mean Judge, I would like
to give one more piece of information, but I would like to do this in private,
if I may."
"Your Honor, when I was led into this room, my exit was sealed off! I was trapped in here with the man you see lying prone before you. I attempted to extract myself from this room but was unsuccesful. The reason for my anxiousness to exit was due to the threats made upon Sia Barbi and myself by this individual. He addressed me by 'Goon of Doom'. As you can all see, I am in my 'civilian' identity. This individual must have been somehow associated with those who have made threats on my life. The man in the ring informed me that I was to wrestle him to the death or the life of Sia Barbi would come to a long and tortured end. I was unable to reason with him as he seemed deranged. He identified himself as 'the Eastern Block' and informed me that if I did not enter the ring with him... well, Sia woudn't have been killed RIGHT AWAY but, and I quote, 'AFTER THEY GOT DONE WITH HER'.
"Your Honor, upon entering the ring, that individual picked up the large dumbell you see in his hand and moved towards me, repeating his death threats. I attempted to use the only thing in reach, that jump rope you see there to defend myself. Your Honor, this man repeatedly attempted to strike me about the head with that...weapon. Upon one such attempt he swung the dumbell at me with what we call a 'roundhouse swing'. Now, Your Honor, although this is a very laahge man, quite a bit laahger then myself, he in no way executed that move properly. Ducking below his reach, the force of the swing brought the weight around in a complete circle, causing him to cave in his own skull! I was mearly defending my life against his murderous attempt and the fate he had planned for me...was meted upon himself.
"When I was finally able to remove myself from this room, I attempted to find someone in authority. I asked the man with the French accent for help and all I received was 'Oh, your one of those Americans' type of insults. I then decided to cause a commotion by knocking the objects off his desk to cause security to become involved. I wanted to have SOMEONE find the indidviduals responsible for the attempt on my live. When I was unable to receive any cooperation, I decided to go back to the waiting room which I would leave as soon as possible and contact the American Embassy. I planned on informing them that an attempt had just been made on the life of one of their citizens and another citizen, Sia Barbi, may well have met a worse fate.
"I did NOT reveal the exact happenings to anyone up until now for fear
that I may tip off the other individuals, if any, who were also involved
in this attempt on my life... After all," Powers pauses and looks
to Rajipal, "I was LED into this room under the guise that it was an interview
cubicle. This 'set-up' looks to be the work of more than just one
individual!"
"Judge," say Leo cautiously, "I mean 'without the rest of the witnesses, including mister Powers.' It involves information of a personal and private nature, some of which bears only incidentally on the case. In addition, I am not familiar enough with Al Amarjan laws regarding evidence, and I don't know if it will be considered receivable by the court."
"Well," says Judge Fang, "at least this trial is getting interesting enough to justify getting up early. Ten minute recess!" He turns to Judge Ming. "Please contact the D'Aubainne Clinic and find out how they knew Mr. Powers was coming. I also want a psyche profile on Mr. Ludnikov. After that please put all that expensive forensics education to work examining the body. Judge Foo, get out there and convince C&I to give us what they know on this Barbi person. I want to know if she was on the flight, and where she is now. If possible, I want her up here in ten minutes. Shoo! Shoo shoo!" Judge Ming begins frantically typing, and Judge Ming trots out the door. Judge Fang merely stretches and grins.
"Rank doth have its privileges, you know. Powers, do you want to question any of your fellow travelers, or can I let them go and get some rest? Aside from the one who wants so desperately to talk to me that is." He turns to Leo. "I can get rid of everybody but court officials and anyone who wants to stay, and unless Powers wants to ask them questions, I would be more than happy to do so. We don't have closed-door testimony here, and since nobody else seems interested in representing Powers, he's representing himself. As for what evidence is admissible, its all admissible. Since we don't have an amateur jury here that has to be instructed as to what evidence it should pay attention to and what has no bearing, we decide on what we will consider, and what we won't. So if you have something to say, say it. If you're really worried about it, then say it off the record first, and I'll tell you whether or not you need to repeat it for the record."
Judge Ming finishes typing, and withdraws a ruler and a pair of calipers from her portable computer case. She then moves over to the body and begins making measurements of the head wound. After a minute or so, she begins muttering to herself in chinese and shaking her head.
About this time the Peace Force officers finish setting up the framework.
Powers looks about the room to his fellow travelers. Making eye-contact with each of them, he finally points to Ariel and says "Your Honor, I have some questions I'd like to ask of this young woman here." Then, facing the judge he adds "and if such 'evidence' is admissable under your court system, I would like to have this other woman (Kitty) give testimony as a sort of 'character witness"
Judge Fang nods. "OK, the rest of you can go. Thank you for your assistance. I'm sure that someone at C&I will be more than happy to direct you to where you want to go." Judge Fang adjusts his powdered wig, leans back against one wall and closes his eyes."
Judge Ming seems to be examining Gregor's hands and gently probing and manipulating his shoulders. She's still talking to herself in Chinese. Levine, Bruce and Marda file out of the room. After nearly ten minutes Judge Foo reenters the makeshift courtroom, and Judge Ming heads back to the computer.
"OK, people. Lets get going here. Anybody got anything to tell me?" Both Foo and Ming nod. "All right, Judge Foo, what do you have for me?"
Judge Foo (still masked) responds, "Barbi came in on the same flight as Powers, but was passed through customs because she has citizenship here. According to C&I records she was born in Traboc, then emigrated to the US with her parents when she was ten. She has been back to the island five times since then, most recently about two months ago. She stayed for three days, then left. She has no permanent address on the island, but we could issue a bulletin to the Peace Force and related agencies to keep an eye out for her. I've already notified airport security to look for her, in case she hasn't left the airport yet."
"Fine," responds Judge Fang. "Bailiff, please see to that the announcement gets put out to Peace Force and related agencies. C&I should have a passport photo on record - make sure that goes out too." One of the bailiffs hurries out of the room again, and Judge Fang turns to Judge Ming. "And what do you have for me?"
"I have contacted the D'Aubainne clinic, and have requisitioned the information you requested. I have a fax in reply from Dr. Nusbaum which, if it please the court, I shall paraphrase. The doctor appears a bit unhappy with the interruptions of his work. He does say that in his considered medical opinion, the idea that Ludnikov would attempt to commit murder is, quote, 'absurd' unquote. He has grudgingly agreed to send a brief of Ludnikov's file down here by courier. It should arrive in about an hour, if you still want it."
"As for how the D'Aubainne Clinic knew that Powers was coming, Dr. Nusbaum says, in rather colorful language I might add, that he was informed through 'channels' that Powers' manager was negotiating for Powers to have some fights at Sad Mary's under his stage name of 'The Goon of Doom'. Ludnikov apparently also fights on occasion at Sad Mary's, and heard that the Goon of Doom was coming to town from someone at Sad Mary's. He spoke to Nusbaum about it, and Nusbaum set up the confrontation with C&I as part of Ludnikov's therapy. I'm guessing at this, but Nusbaum probably paid off the owner of Sad Mary's, who in turn paid off either Barbi or Power's manager to find out what his real name was. I figured you might like to talk to the owner, so I put in a request to the folks at Aries to bring the owner in for questioning. Haven't gotten an answer yet, but my guess is he'll be here in an hour or two."
"In addition, I requested, and received permission to use the morgue
at the D'Aubainne Clinic for a full forensic workup if you want one.
And you'll probably want one. My preliminary measurements show that
Ludnikov was heavily muscled to the point of being muscle-bound.
What that means is that because of the dense masses of muscle, he had a
reduced range of motion in his joints. It's my guess that he couldn't
have hit himself in the back of the neck with a dumbbell if he'd tried,
short of dislocating his shoulder in the process. Even assuming that
it was possible, however, the extent of the damage is far greater than
he could have gotten, even assuming great strength, just by whacking himself
in the back of the head. His skull is not just fractured, it is literally
shattered. Most of his neck vertebrae are also broken, many of them
multiple times. One collarbone is broken as well. You just
can't self-inflict injuries like that in the manner suggested. It
would take a strong individual, putting the full weight of their body behind
the swing, to generate injuries like that. For the record, that is
my considered opinion as a forensic specialist. I will be able to
tell you more when I do a full workup, if you're interested."
Leo looks at Powers, Judge Foo, Judge Ming, and finally Judge Fang in turn. He shrugs. "I can speak any time Your Honour is ready, as soon as the other witnesses and Mr. Powers have left - or as soon as the court temporarily moves to another location if Your Honour prefers."
Judge Fang's frown deepens. "Mister," he says, "that sounds DANGEROUSLY like an ultimatum. If it is, then I suggest that you reconsider it."
"Mr. Powers is not going to leave while have your say. Since he is representing himself, he is considered an officer of the court. As such he is entitled to hear any evidence presented in the courtroom, and to ask any questions he feels are pertinent. If you have evidence to present, present it!"
Leo looks hurt. "No, Your Honour, that was not an ultimatum; it didn't cross my mind to give an ultimatum to an Al Amarjan judge, since that would put me in a very bad position. As for reconsidering my position, it seems pretty impossible, however much I wish I could. If I refuse to speak before the accused, you're going to hold me in contempt of court or worse. I wish I had not tried to be helpful, because I have a nasty feeling my private life will be dragged out in public, and in front of at least one hostile person too." He crosses his arms and looks down at the floor, frowning in concentration and frustration.
"Very well. What I was trying to signal to Your Honour is that I have limited ability to sense when others are tampering with the truth, an empathic sixth sense if you will. This sense was first alerted by something a C&I witness said. Mr. Bertrand said, and I'm quoting from the notes I jotted down, "Mr. Powers leaned over my desk and whispered to me, in some sort of strange accent, 'Coward! Don't mess with me - I've killed better men than you!' then got up and began speaking to Miss Ugonjwe. I was terrified! I thought to myself 'Something horrible must have happened to Gregor!' That's when I pushed the silent alarm under my desk."
"For some reason, that statement triggered my sixth sense. I do not know exactly how it is untrue, but to the best of my knowledge and understanding, Mr. Bertrand himself didn't believe it to be entirely faithful to the truth. That may mean that he is interpreting, filling in, omitting, or modifying. I don't know which.
"This was my original reason to wish to speak to Your Honour. After that, however, other statements again triggered my empathic sense. These were made by the accused. They included the statement that Mr. Powers had received death threats prior to his arrival on Al Amarja, including one addressed to him under his true identity; this statement left me with a feeling of incompleteness or inaccuracy, although a vague one.
"Second, the statement that his exit was sealed off as soon as he was led into this room, also left me with a sense of inaccuracy. Third, the reported threats from C&I officer Ludnikov under his guise of 'The Eastern Block', reported by Mr. Powers as directed towards his friend Sia Barbi, strongly activated my empathy, glowing, if you'll forgive my bluntness, as a red-hot lie. Fourth, the statement that the accused grabbed the rope for self-defense after being threatened with the dumbbell, also registered as an outright lie. Fifth, the description of Mr. Ludnikov caving in his own skull rang off the chart; I mean, registered as the most blatant lie to date.
"Finally, the statement Mr. Powers made describing his intent to attract help by causing a comotion in the C&I offices, his choice to reconsider and contact the American Embassy instead, and his fear for Sia Barbi's life, also registered as inaccurate, although not as strongly as the three previous statements.
Leo briefly looks up at Judge Fang and shrugs, then looks back down at the floor. "You can do what you want with this. I have no proof, this is just what I sensed."
Judge Fang doesn't even blink when Leo claims to have a sixth sense. He doesn't look the least bit surprised when Leo makes his statements (though Mr. Bertrand turns first white, then red, then green, and the other C&I caseworkers edge away from him as though he were radioactive).
When Leo is finished, he says simply, "Well, why didn't you say so in the first place? Al Amarja is one of the most tolerant places on the face of the Earth for such things. You will have to register at the Center for Paranormal Control - I assume that you got your paperwork from your caseworker - but other than that you don't need to be concerned about ridicule."
"However, we do need to verify this ability. In order to do this, I'm going to make a few statements, and you are going to tell me whether they are true or false. You get one wrong answer - more than that and your testimony is not admissable. Ready?"
Judge Fang's face squinches up for a moment as he thinks.
"First, my middle name is Franklin."
"Second, I really love soccer."
"Third, I used to be a judge on the New York State Supreme Court."
"Fourth, I'm fifty-seven years old."
"Fifth, I like to listen to classical music."
"Sixth, I've been to bed with Judge Ming four times."
"Seventh, I have a pet cat named 'Claude'."
"Eighth, the first class I ever failed in school was 'geography' in the ninth grade."
"Nineth, I once saw 'the Beatles' in concert."
"Tenth, I have eidetic memory."
"There you have them, my boy! Do your stuff!"
As Judge Fang lists his statements, Leo counts on his fingers. He thinks for a moment, then replies:
"Your Honour, I believe you really like soccer, and to listen to classical music, perhaps with your cat whose name is 'Claude'. The first class you failed in school was in fact geography in ninth grade, and you have eidetic memory. This means you probably remember that Beatles concert very well, for which I envy you.
"As far as I can tell, your middle name is not Franklin, you are not fifty-seven years old, and you were not a judge on the New York Supreme Court; finally, you have not been to bed with Judge Ming four times.
"If I have made any mistakes, they are due to my imperfect skill, not to malice or dishonesty, and I apologise for them." Leo looks at the members of the court tremulously.
"First off, young man, the correct form of address in an Al Amarjan court is 'Judge' not 'Your Honor' or any of that other silliness." Judge Fang pauses to adjust his powdered wig. "We have enough silliness as it is."
"Second, I must say I am very impressed! Very impressed indeed. You either guess tremendously well, or you really do have some sort of internal lie detector - and one that works even better than the commercial models. Unfortunately, as you are no doubt aware, lie detectors are not admissable in court, and I am sorry to say that your statements, while of a higher caliber of accuracy than those of the polygraph, also fall short of the mark - though not by much I assure you. Please don't construe this as in any way denying the possibility that you do, in fact, have some form of sixth sense. You should certainly go to the Center for Paranormal Control to be tested and registered. I am afraid, however, that whatever your power may be, it is not quite accurate enough to be admissible as evidence, and we will not be considering it when determining our verdict."
"Just to put things in perspective, let me give you an example from this particular court. Judge Ming here went to school nights and weekends for six years to learn forensics. During those six years, she gained increasing knowledge in her field of study. Certainly any insights she might have gained while performing a forensic examination were more accurate during her sixth year of study than, say, during her first. But until she had proven expertise in her field, her evidence was inadmissible in this court. This does not mean that she had no knowledge, merely that court insists on a high standard of competence before one can give expert testimony. Though you have failed to reach that standard, I encourage you to continue honing your abilities. Perhaps one day you will even have a job with the Al Amarjan court system - we could use someone like you!"
"If you are interested, I can put you in touch with individuals who can assist in your training. Contact my office. For now, though, you are free to head off to your hotel and get some sleep, unless Mr. Powers has any questions for you?" Judge Fang looks expectantly at Powers.
Leo waits a moment for Powers, but when the man again remains silent,
probably contemplating his bitter end as it looms closer, Leo salutes the
court and leaves.
"Go right ahead, Mr. Powers," says Judge Fang.
Powers turns to Ariel and says, "When we were in the waiting room, you asked me a question. Do you remember what it was? You said, and I quote, 'where's the body?' Were you referring to the body of this man who tried to kill me? And, if so, how did you know what happened in this room?"
Ariel grins stupidly at Powers, looking more than a little moronic. She still appears a little groggy from her encounter with the taser. "I have no idea what you're talking about, dahling." For good measure, she bats her eyelashes innocently at him.
Powers prudently retreats. "Judge, this witness seems incapable of giving her testimony at this time. As I believe her honest and truthful response is critical to this case, may I move on and question this witness at a later date?"
Ariel giggles. "Whatever..."
After a suitably lengthy pause, Judge Fang speaks once again. "Mr. Powers, since you seem to be uninterested in questioning these witnesses, I presume that you will not object if I let them go to their hotel rooms?"
"Fine, Judge. That will be fine," answers Powers distractedly.
Judge Fang turns to Judge Foo. "Got anything more for me?"
"No, Judge Fang. I think that right now the evidence speaks for itself. I could try to get more out of Powers." Judge Foo motions towards the wooden framework.
Judge Fang snorts, "I'm rather disinclined to put Mr. Powers to the question in that manner. If forensics is able to confirm or deny his testimony without resorting to pincers and hot coals, I'm inclined to follow that route, and I'm sure that the folks here at C&I have enough problems without having the place stunk up with than 'burned steak' smell."
Judge Foo nods in acknowledgement, "As you wish, Judge Fang."
Judge Fang then turns to Judge Ming. "How about you?"
"Nothing so far. We're still looking for Barbi, and the owner of Sad Mary's hasn't arrived yet, however."
"So you'll be wanting to hold off then?" Judge Fang asks.
"Personally, I'm convinced that his testimony regarding the death of Mr. Ludnikov was incorrect, and I must admit that this casts doubt on the rest of his story. But I think that there is more to this than we've yet gotten to. For instance, assuming for a moment that he did kill Ludnikov, there remains the question of why he killed Ludnikov. This setup is elaborate, and I'd like to wait for a better explanation on why the D'Aubainne Clinic went to all the trouble. Also, presuming that Mr. Powers is telling the truth about his identity being a secret, I'd feel better about knowing who was responsible for leaking it."
Judge Fang nods. "Sounds reasonable to me. Are both of you willing to take a recess for a few hours until we have the additional witnesses in hand, then reconvene? We could change venue to our offices, if you're satisfied that you've seen enough here. That would also give you," he nods towards Judge Ming, "the opportunity to put your hard-earned forensics certificate to work." Both Ming and Foo nod.
"OK then, let's wrap it up here. Powers, is there anyone you want on hand for testimony when we reconvene? Other than Barbi, if we can find her, and the owner of Sad Mary's? Do you want any of the C&I people? Do you want any of the folks you had in here before? Think carefully."
"Yes, Judge. If we may have Mister...um.. Bertrand?...the French C&I
clerk? Is that his name? Miss Uganjiwa," Powers memory for
names is not the best as he often, as demonstrated, comes up with his own
nicknames for people. "The doctor who is treating the Eastern Block...
that is, the man lying in the ring...um... anyone involved in setting up
this room as a gym... Rajpal... that's the man who lead me in here
under a false pretense. And....um..." Powers pauses a moment, "anyone
the court finds to be an established and reliable expert in the use of
psychic powers. I'd also like to question Ms. Black once again if
she is able to comprehend matters."
"Hokay, buddy," he says in a thick Spanish accent, "don' be no trouble an' we get along jus' fine." As the other officers keep their eyes (and submachineguns) trained on Powers from 4 meters away, the officer with the leg-irons deftly slips them on Powers and locks them.
"Hokay pal, take a few steps. We got a beet of a walk, so you shuld try to ge use to dem irons now before we ge goin'. Dat way you ain' gonna fall n' break your nose, or pull a muscle or something. Make tings lot easier on you you learn to walk in 'em now."
The officers keep a steady watch on Powers as he takes a few experimental steps. After a couple of minutes, the first officer says "Hokay, we go now. You don' try no funny stuff an' everything go nice an' easy." He quickly divests himself of his submachinegun, handing it to another officer, and walks in front of Powers, the other three walking behind.
The procession exits the briefing cubicle, and heads through the offices of C&I. There, Powers spots Ariel and Kitty, speaking with an oriental man in a C&I uniform, and a middle-eastern woman in a tasteful business suit.
Powers is led out of the C&I offices and into a long airport corridor. Waiting there are three small electric cars so common in airports. They have flashing yellow lights on the tops of poles, and the sides are marked "Terminal Security".
"Hokay fella, you seet in da back a dat car dere," says the Spanish officer. "We gonna put a bag on yer head, fer security - but don' worry, is clean! Den we gonna drive ya down ta da holding cells, hokay?"
Powers is maneuvered into the back of the middle car, and the officer drops a double-weave drawstring bag over his head and pulls the strings until it is securely fastened (but not tight enough to be really uncomfortable). He then hops into the front seat and starts whistling to himself, starts the car, and heads off.
The next half-hour is incredibly disorienting - and more so if Powers actually attempts to figure out where they are going. Sometimes the car goes up, sometimes it goes down, sometimes left, and sometimes right. Sometimes the air is cool, and sometimes it is warm. Sometimes Powers can hear lots of people, sometimes he can only hear the whine of the car and whistling, and once or twice he can't even hear that. Once he catches a whiff of the briney smell of the ocean.
At the end of that time the car finally stops, and the officer says, "Hokay buddy, we're here! Jus' hold still a minute an' I'll get that bag offa your head!"
If Powers has ever been in a police station before, he recognizes this place as looking a lot like one. The other cars, and the other officers, are still present. In rapid order, he's buzzed through a couple of security doors along with his escort, and led down a corridor with rows of metal cell doors on either side. The doors are solid, with only a small, barred window in each door, but Powers catches a glimpse of others in some of the cells (perhaps one in four has an occupant). Another Peace Force officer stands at an open door towards the end.
"Hokay," says the spanish officer, "dis is your stop. Tings are slow today, so you gonna get a cell to yourself. Long as you don' give us no trouble, we don' give you no trouble either. Don' be rippin' up you mattress or pissin' on de flo' o' any of dat sheet. Don' you be mouthin' de other pris'ners or maken' im all riled either. You jus' een time for breakfast, so you lucky. Eef I was you, I'd try ta get some sleep, hokay?"
Powers is maneuvered into the cell, and the door gets slammed behind him. The cell is about 10' by 10', with two bunks, a sink, and a toilet. It is illuminated by a single bulb inside a cage of wire. There are no windows, other than the one in the door. On the floor, there is a tray which appears to contain oatmeal, applesauce, and a small sausage. There are no utensils.
Power's hands are still handcuffed behind his back, and his legs are still shackled. "Great," he thinks. He doesn't want to eat the food like a dog so he just lies in the bed and tries to get some sleep.
To Be Continued...