Return to the Whorl

by Gene Wolfe

Page 20

 

  He looked severe. "Mysire Rechtor to me you must say, mysire, each time you speak. "

  "Excuse it, please, Mysire Rechtor. I am a stranger, and ignorant of your usages. Is Nat a privileged citizen, Mysire Rechtor? Or does this law you describe apply to everyone?"

  "The protection of all it is, mysire. "

  "What about strangers such as my daughter, my son, and myself, Mysire Rechtor? Are we protected, too? Or does your law protect only your own citizens?"

  "All it protects. This I say, mysire, and this so is. "

  "Then I protest on behalf of my daughter, Mysire Rechtor. She is being held by your order, and she had nothing to with restraining Nat-whom we soon released, by the way. "

  "By the law held she is, mysire. The law, the law cannot break. " He addressed the troopers. "Mysire Horns daughter, Meren Jahlee. Why not to my court fetching her you are?"

  One came to attention and saluted. "Sleeping she is, Mysire Rechtor. "

  "Her you wake. "

  There was a whispered consultation; I took advantage of the time it gave me to look around. The five with slug guns I took to be legermen, although their uniforms were sketchy at best. Except for them, and Judge Hamer, there was no one in the sellaria save Beroep, Aanvagen, and me.

  The sellaria itself spoke of wealth and luxury, although no wealthy man in the Viron I knew as a boy would have been impressed by it. Its floors of waxed wood was smooth, and the rough wool carpet before the judges desk not quite contemptible. Somber pictures hung on the crudely paneled walls; heavy chairs and glass-fronted cabinets containing rusted knives and swords, and split and polished stones, completed the furnishings.

  "Mysire Horn!" Hamer rapped his desk with a walking stick. "About your daughter presently we see. Likewise Mysire Hide, who stands accused with you. "

  "Unjustly. He is my son and merely did what I told him. "

  "This he and you later must say. How you plead I must know, and not how Mysire Hide will, or this Meren Jahlee whose sleep brave men dare not disturb. Our laws you do not know, mysire?"

  I shook my head.

  "By speaking you must answer. "

  "No, Mysire Rechtor. I do not. "

  "Such criminals as you, Mysire Horn, three choices have. Innocent you may plead. If this you say, your innocence by your own speech and your witnesses you must to me prove. "

  "I would be free to speak then, Mysire Rechtor?"

  "This I have said, mysire. If guilty you plead, almost the same it is. By your speech and witnesses for a light sentence you argue. "

  "I believe I understand, Mysire Rechtor. "

  "Not pleading also you may choose. If so you choose, a friend for you I shall appoint. Then your guilt we must show, and he our witnesses may question. For children and those who cannot speak this is done. "

  "You said that you would have to prove my guilt, Mysire Rechtor. I thought you were to be my judge. "

  "Your judge I am. If guilty you are, show it so I must. How pleading you are?"

  I looked to Beroep for a hint, but he would not meet my eye. I said, "I wont plead until my trial, Mysire Rechtor. "

  "Now plead you must, so we for your trial can prepare. "

  I shook my head again.

  "To me aloud you must speak!"

  I was badly frightened, but I thought of Silk in the inn in Limna, and how he had longed for a public trial, though he had known that at the conclusion of any such trial he would be convicted and sentenced to die. Gathering what courage I have, I said, "You are my prosecutor, mysire. Take me before a just judge, and I will speak to him. "

  "Your judge I am!" He pounded the table with his stick.

  "You claim the right to prosecute me in accordance with your laws, the laws of Dorp, about which I know nothing. I claim the right to defend myself by the only law I know, the law of reason. Reason demands an impartial judge, and that I be given the advice of someone who knows your law. " I wanted to swallow and tried to, as I recall vividly. "Someone friendly to my cause. "

  Silence descended on the sellaria, save for the shuffling of the leg- ermens boots.

  "Is that all you have to say, Mysire Horn?"

  I nodded my head.

  "To me aloud speak!"

  I shook it and waited for the blow from behind I expected.

  "Mysire Beroep!"

  He stepped forward and said, "Yes, Mysire Rechtor," with a slight tremor.

  "In your house Mysire Horn is staying how many days?"

  There was a pause, and I saw Beroeps fingers twitch as he endeavored to count on them without making it obvious that he was doing so. I said, "For eight days, Judge Hamer. "

  "Me, Mysire Rechtor calling you are. "

  "No, Hamer. "

  "Him you silence," Hamer told one of the legermen, who positioned himself behind me with his hand over my mouth.

  Beroep said, "Six days, Mysire Rechtor. "

  "Not eight it is?"

  Beroep cleared his throat. "Only six counting I am, Mysire Rechtor. "

  There was an interruption as Hide was hustled in, followed by Vadsig and a middle-aged couple.

  "This Mysire Hide it is?" Judge Hamer asked.

  I jerked the legermans hand down and said as loudly as I could, "No!"

  "What this is you saying are, mysire?"

  The legerman had his hand over my mouth and an arm around my neck; I could not speak.

  "Mysire," Hamer pointed to Hide, "your name we must have. "

  "My name is Hoof," Hide told him.

  "To me Mysire Rechtor you say, mysire. Again you answer. "

  "Yes, Mysire Rechtor. "

  Hamers eyes rolled upward; I felt sure that like me, he was silently imploring the mercy of the immortal gods. "To this court your name you must give. It what is?"

  The middle-aged man said, "Hide it is, Mysire Rechtor. In my house quartered he is. If removing-"

  Hamer cut him off. "Him asking I am, mysire!"

  Hide said, "My name is Hoof. "

  "Hide not it is?"

  I saw Hides eyes steal toward me, although I doubt that Judge Hamer did. "No," Hide said.

  The woman interrupted, saying rather shrilly, "Hide always we calling him are, Mysire Rechtor. "

  Her husband snapped, "Silent you be, Versregal!"

  "To your house confined he is, Mysire Strik?"

  Hide said, "I am, but my brother isnt. "

  "Mysire Hide your brother is?"

  Hide nodded, and one of the troopers stepped up behind him and cuffed the side of his head.

  "To Judge Hamer loudly you must speak," Strik explained in a whisper.

  Vadsig stepped forward, eyes blazing. "Not knowing he is! No crime he does! Why him you abuse? What justice this is?" And much more of the same-too much for me to record here even if I recalled it. When Hamer found out she was only a servant in Aanvagens house, he had her gagged and tied to a chair.

  "Mysire Hide. This Mysire Horns son you are?"

  "My name isnt Hide," Hide explained. "My names Hoof. Hides my brother. Were twins, and we changed places. We used to do it all the time when we were smaller to fool our father. He couldnt tell us apart. "

  "Mysire-"

  "Hoof. We look exactly alike. "

  Aanvagen put in, "Mysire Horn three sons and a daughter having is. "

  Hamer silenced her with a glance.

  Hide said, "Id heard my brother was in trouble here, so I came to see if I couldnt help him, and we changed placed. Hes on his way back home by now, I guess. "

  Hamer told the trooper to release me, and asked whether Hide was my son. I said he was.

  "Three having you are, mysire? Saying this the woman is. "

  I nodded, and was knocked to my knees.

  "Three sons you are having?"

  I must have nodded again. (At another time I will write about Green. ) When I regained consciousness, I was lying on the floor beside Hamers desk, and he was questioning Azijin. "With M
ysire Horn talking while snowbound you are. Of twin sons he spoke?"

  Azijin stood at attention. "Yes, Mysire Rechtor. "

  "More than a yes from you I ask. "

  Azijin gulped; the sound was soft, but the sellaria was so still, and I lay so near him, that I was able to hear it. "Of his family to me speaking often he is, Mysire Rechtor. Of his sons who twins are, of his wife and older son, of his daughter, who asleep fell and could not we wake-"

  "Not permitting it he is?"

  Another gulp. "No, Mysire Rechtor. Permitting he is, but not waking she is. "

  Hamer grunted. "Of twins he speaks? Sons that twins are?"

  "Yes, Mysire Rechtor. "

  I suppose he must have beckoned to Hide, because Hide came forward.

  "This son with him then is, Sergeant?"

  "Yes, Mysire Rechtor. "

  "Not the other it is?" (I held my breath and shut my eyes. )

  "The other, Mysire Rechtor. . . "

  "The other it is?" I did not have to see Hamer to know that his face was crimson with rage. "This you saying are?"

  "No, Mysire Rechtor. "

  "This son it is?"

  "Yes, Mysire Rechtor. "

  Hide burst out, "Who is this, and whys he lying about me?"

  There was a lengthy silence. At last Hamer said smoothly, "Mysire Strik, charged with the prisoner Hide you were. "

  "Here he is!" Strik protested. "Before you he stands, Mysire Rechtor. "

  "No, mysire. Escaped he has. His brother his place has taken while you slept. "

  "But-but-"

  "To me plain this is. Mysire, your name Hoof it is?"

  Hide nodded. "Yes, Mysire Rechtor. "

  "Mysire Hide your brother is?"

  "Yes, Mysire Rechtor. "

  "When your father Mysire Nat confined, you in your own town were?"

  Hide coughed nervously. "Can I say something, Mysire Rechtor? Its about something thats been bothering me a long time. "

  "Speak. Of you what I ask it is. "

  "That man there isnt really my father at all. He says he is, and he mustve talked to my real father a lot, because he knows a lot about me and my brothers and our whole family. But thats not him. "

  "Not your father he is? Lying he is?"

  "I dont know if hes lying, Mysire Rechtor. Sometimes its like he believes it himself. "

  Judge Hamer rapped his desk. "Nearly finished we are. Sergeant, Mysire Hide who with you in the inn was, this man his father calling he was?"

  "Yes, Mysire Rechtor!"

  "Good. " Judge Hamer sighed with relief; I heard his walking stick rattle as he laid it down. "Good! From Mysire Nat a disposition I have. By Mysire Horn and Mysire Hide he was bound and beaten. Mysire Horn we have. "

  Hide started to protest, but fell silent.

  "You may not me interrupt, mysire! Mysire Horn your father he is?"

  "Thats his name, Mysire Rechtor, but-"

  "Then this man another Mysire Horn to me he is, because Horn himself he calls. This Mysire Horn we have. Mysire Hide we do not have. Meren Jahlee not I have seen, but little guilt she has, and ill she lies. " This was said portentously, and there was a slight stir of anticipation.

  "For this preliminary hearing I will decide. In the matter of Meren Jahlee, no reason to charge I find. Dismissed though absent she is. "

  Although she spoke softly, Vadsig surprised me enough to make me open my eyes by saying, "Thanks, Mysire Rechtor. We really appreciate it. " At an angry gesture from Azijin, a legerman hurried to replace her gag, which lay in her lap.

  "In the matter of Mysire Hide, escape his guilt confirms. With unlawful restraint he charged is. Not here he is to plead, so for him not pleading down I set. This the law requires. With his escape Mysire Strik I charge. "

  I was watching Strik through narrowed lids, and he looked stricken. Hide asked, "What about me, Mysire Rechtor?"

  "With you my court no business has, Mysire Hoof. Free to go you are. "

  "Thank you," Vadsig said again. Azijin went over to fasten her gag himself, but Judge Hamer told him to free her instead.

  Strik was trying to say something, but was silenced. "Your preliminary hearing not this is, mysire. A date for that I will set. Notified you shall be. " Hamer cleared his throat. "Mysire Beroep. "

  Hesitantly, poor Beroep stepped forward.

  "Mysire Horn you for us have kept. Mysire Strik also you must keep. "

  Aanvagen answered for him. "That we will do, Mysire Rechtor. Safe with us he will be. "

  "In the matter of Mysire Horn, for himself he cannot plead, for him also not pleading down I set. " Just then Cijfer burst in to announce that Jahlee had escaped. But I must go.

  * * *

  I have been out raising money. It was not easy, as the loot we took was mostly jewelry; but after searching and pounding on doors I was able to trace one jeweler to his home, wake him, and persuade him to buy six pieces. I stopped at a dram shop when I left him, a very foolish thing to do when I was carrying so much money; but I told myself (correctly, as it turned out) that I would be able to sit down with a glass before me and rest for an hour or so before I had to find my way back to Aanvagens, and I might hear something of value. It was a clean, decent place, and had very few customers so late at night.

  Sit down, Patera.

  Auk sat across from me, more dour and more threatening than I ever imagined him when we wrote about his meeting with Silk. I blinked and he was gone, but he soon returned. Eventually I called the owner of the shop over, saying quite truthfully that my head ached, that I was very tired and much in need of company, and that I would be happy to stand him a glass of his own brandy if only he would tell me the gossip of the town.

  "A foreigner you are?" He bent over my table, a bald and beefy man of more than forty.

  "A foreigner much in need of companionship, mysire," I said.

  "A girl you want?"

  I shook my head. "Just someone real to talk to. Are you about to close?"