Usurper

by Richard F. Weyand

  How the hell was that supposed to get cleaned up? The high Court was not under the supervision of anyone, particularly the Imperial Council, and so a Shadow Council was no threat there.

  One day after he had been there several months, Cindy Dunham came into Forsythe’s office – the door was open – flopped in a chair and asked, “So how you doing, Andy?”

  “Good, actually. I’m working with Val’s group on ideas, and reviewing the research on corruption, and helping with the re-write of the law. Plugging in wherever they need or want me mostly.”

  “Good. Perfect. What’s your impression so far?”

  “Well, the corruption issue is a really tough nut. How do you decrease the opportunities and incentives. It’s almost like we need to build a new attitude, a new legal culture, somehow. One that thinks of official corruption as being completely out of bounds. I’m not sure – yet, anyway – of how you do that.”

  “We could take anybody who ever accepted bribes out and shoot them.”

  “You’re going to need a lot of bullets.”

  “Hmph. You’re probably right. Still.”

  “I do have one question for you, though, Cindy,” Forsythe said. “The Shadow Council is all well and good, but the Imperial Council has no authority or jurisdiction over the Imperial High Court. And it’s the High Court that administers the lower courts. How do you clean up the High Court? It’s not that they don’t need it – I was shocked to find out they’re as corrupt as anybody else – but nothing we’re doing with a Shadow Council has any affect on the High Court. What do we do about that?”

  “I don’t know. It’s never come up. You’re right, I think, but we never considered it. You’ve been thinking about it, clearly. You got any ideas?”

  “Yes. A Shadow Court. Do the same thing to the Imperial High Court we’re going to do to the Imperial Council. Put some honest jurists on a panel, give them all the clerks and support, and have them review the decisions the High Court makes on what cases it will take and review its decisions on the cases it rules on. Have the Shadow Court issue their own opinions, based only on the law and not on bribes. Hold the High Court’s feet to the fire.”

  “I like it,” Cindy said. “Actually, I like it a lot. Downsides?”

  “Finding eleven honest jurists could be hard.”

  “In the whole Empire?”

  “Just saying. It’s gotten to the point it’s more rats than ship at this point.”

  “Damn. Still, if we could....”

  Cindy jumped up out of her chair and was out the door.

  “Andy Forsythe came up with an interesting idea a couple days back, Ma’am,” Cindy said.

  “Yes, Ms. Dunham?” Dee asked.

  “He noted that nothing we’re doing or planning addresses corruption on the High Court, or corruption in the way they administer the lower courts.”

  Dee thought about it.

  “I think he’s right.”

  “So do I, Ma’am. But he also had an idea. Why not a Shadow Court, to review court decisions?”

  “Oh, I like it.”

  “I did, too, Ma’am, so I looked into it a bit. I don’t think it would be as hard to find eleven honest jurists as Andy thought it would. Do you want us to work on that?”

  “Yes, Ms. Dunham. I’ll want to give it some more thought before making a final decision, but there’s no reason we can’t get started on it.”

  “Yes, Ma’am. One other thing. Andy said they’re not making much progress on how to build a culture of honesty. That’s a hard nut.”

  “Well, Ms. Dunham, with all this Shadow This and Shadow That, why not a competing bar association as well? One that specifically requires a membership oath to obey the anti-corruption laws going forward, and actually expels members for breaking them when they find them.”

  “The Imperial Bar Association doesn’t do that now, Ma’am?”

  Dee laughed.

  “No, the IBA looks the other way. They don’t quite have an IBA award for Bagman of the Year, but it’s close.”

  Cindy laughed this time.

  “So we could put up a competing bar association? What do we call it? Not the Shadow Bar Association.”

  “Bar Association of Sintar, perhaps? Something like that, I think, Ms. Dunham.”

  “But why would it take off, Ma’am? How would it have any credibility?”

  “Because I will join it, Ms. Dunham.”

  “You, Your Majesty.”

  “Why not, Ms. Dunham? I am an attorney. I will disavow my membership in the IBA, and join the new bar association.”

  “Oh, that’ll cause a ruckus.”

  “Good. It is far past time we stopped pussyfooting around, Ms. Dunham. Please discuss this issue and the Shadow Court issue with Mr. Pullman. Between you, Mr. Pullman, and Mr. Forsythe, I think you should be able to work out a proposal for my consideration.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “And do begin looking into hiring for the Shadow Court, Ms. Dunham.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “Bob Finn.”

  “Hi, Bob. George Pullman.”

  “George! To what do I owe the honor?”

  “I have a question for you. I know a lot of Imperial judges are making quite a bit of money on, oh, let’s call it a side business. What I need are eleven who aren’t.”

  “Eleven? That’s a magic number, George.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “You need?”

  “For the moment, let’s leave it at that. Yes.”

  “And you said Imperial judges?”

  “Yes. Imperial appellate judges, actually. I figure anyone who is litigating currently must know appellate judges who don’t have a side business, where even mentioning such a thing would result in negative consequences.”

  “We actually keep a list. If that quietly appeared in your inbox, would the source of that list remain confidential?”

  “Yes. Absolutely.”

  “Even from your employer?”

  “Yes.”

  “All right. You should have an attachment there now.”

  “Indeed I do. Thanks, Bob.”

  “No problem, George. By the way, how is Andy Forsythe working out for you guys?”

  “Really well, actually. This list is for a little project he dreamed up.”

  “Indeed. Sounds like fun.”

  “Some people may not think so.”

  “That makes it even more fun.”

  “Well, we’ll see. Thanks again, Bob.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  “Something’s up at the Imperial Palace,” Finn said.

  “Why do you say that?” his wife Fiona Alvey asked.

  “George Pullman called me today. He was looking for eleven honest Imperial appellate judges.”

  “He said he was looking for honest judges?”

  “Well, we sort of talk in code. He said he was looking for judges without a side business.”

  “Eleven. That’s an odd number.”

  “Another signal. He could have said a dozen, or fifteen, but he didn’t.”

  He looked over at her, sitting in the other big chair in the living room of their condominium tower, looking out over Imperial Park and the glittering palace three miles away. She gave him a puzzled look.

  “Eleven is the number of judges on the Imperial High Court,” Finn said.

  “Are they going to replace the High Court, do you imagine?”

  “I don’t think so. I think it’s subtler than that.”

  They sat for a while in silence. After several minutes, Finn stirred.

  “Fiona, we have quite a bit of savings, and I would have my partnership buyout payments. Would we have enough to get by?”

  “If you retired from FitchRoberts?”

  “Yes.”

  “I thought they would have to drag you out of the courtroom one day.”

  “So did I. But that–“ Finn motioned to the Imperial Palace, standing above the other buildings in
Imperial Park –“is where the action is. That hasn’t been so in a very long time, but I think things are coming to a head over there. There may be an opportunity to really make a difference. Now. With this Empress.”

  “And you want to be where the action is.”

  “As always.”

  Alvey looked out at the palace. The center of the Empire. And now the center of the action, too, apparently. She turned back to Finn.

  “We’re well enough off you could just retire and knit if you wanted to, Bob. We’ll do fine. Mostly you should just do what makes you happy.”

  “I love you, Fiona.”

  “I know, dear.”

  “George Pullman.”

  “Hi, George. Bob Finn.”

  “Hi, Bob. You know, it seems like we talked just yesterday.”

  “Yes, I know. But that number eleven got to me. You know I’ve been a senior partner here for twenty years? Maybe it’s time to retire from this job and look for something else to do.”

  “Retire? You?”

  “Like I said, retire from this job, and look for something else to do. Something interesting. I thought you might have some ideas of interesting things I could do. We could get together for lunch and talk about it. Some place private, I think.”

  Bob Finn was fishing him for a job in the palace? Pullman thought of the possibilities. Finn would be a huge asset. How to work this best?

  “Sure, Bob. There are some other people here who might have some ideas as well. I’ll see what I can set up.”

  “OK, George. Thanks.”

  “Hi, Bob.”

  “Hi, George.”

  Pullman waved Finn to a chair at a small dining table and two chairs Pullman had had set up in his office where the side seating arrangement would normally be.

  “Well, this is a very private dining arrangement, considering how gaudy your front entrance is,” Finn said.

  Pullman laughed.

  “Well, the other people you might want to talk to are all here. Andy Forsythe, for instance works right down the hall.”

  They were seated, and staff from the cafeteria came in with a serving cart and laid out lunch. It was hearty fare today: split pea soup with ham, a Caesar salad, and beef stroganoff on egg noodles. Carrot cake topped it off. The serving staff withdrew.

  “Today’s selection from our cafeteria.”

  “That’s some cafeteria. This looks great.”

  They talked while they ate, though there were gaps in the conversation. The food was excellent, and neither man failed to give it the attention it was due.

  “Are you actually thinking about retiring, Bob, or are you on some kind of fact-finding mission?”

  “No, George, it’s real. I talked to Fiona about it the other night. We’re set financially, so maybe it’s time to do something where there is more involved than just making money arguing somebody’s case. Something where there’s more at stake.”

  “And you think I may know about something interesting?”

  “George, when you said eleven Imperial appellate judges, I knew what you were talking about. Eleven is a magic number. The Imperial High Court is eleven justices. So the game is afoot, clearly. I just don’t know what the game is. Yet.”

  “But you want in.”

  “I think so. This Empress I think I understand. I know her background. We went to the same schools. And you hired Andy Forsythe. If she’s up to what I think she’s up to, yeah, I want in.”

  Pullman checked the time in VR.

  “Well, Bob, I can’t tell you what she’s up to. Not on my own authority. All this is very closely held. But she can, so you can ask her yourself in about twenty minutes.”

  “Excellent. It will be nice to see her again.”

  “Be seated, Mr. Finn.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

  Finn had been a high-stakes player for years, and didn’t look as petrified as most people meeting her for the first time, so Dee skipped her usual ‘relax, please’ introduction.

  “We meet again, Mr. Finn. I’m not sure the Throne adequately expressed its gratitude for the role you played in the M132 litigation.”

  “It’s not like we didn’t make a considerable sum of money in representing the families of the dead Imperial Marines, Ma’am.”

  “Even so, Mr. Finn, you were of tremendous assistance to the Throne in unearthing just what was going on in weapons acquisition. Thank you.”

  Finn merely nodded.

  “And now, Mr. Finn, my understanding is that you wish to be of assistance to the Throne again?”

  “Yes, Ma’am. I have reached the pinnacle of my career, and I find I want something more. Something more meaningful. Something with longer-term outcomes.”

  “And you think the opportunity for that is here on my staff, Mr. Finn?”

  “Yes, Ma’am. George Pullman asked me for the names of eleven honest Imperial appellate judges. That gives me some indication of what you’re up to.”

  Dee nodded.

  “Before we talk further, Mr. Finn, I will advise you that these matters are all being very closely held, even within my staff. If we are to talk further, I do not request, I in fact order you to hold these matters in confidence. Is an Imperial Order of your confidence acceptable to you, knowing this may go no further than today’s conversation?”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “Very well.”

  Dee considered him for a few seconds. He sat unflinching in her gaze.

  “Mr. Finn, I am putting in place a Shadow Court, composed of eleven justices and the appropriate clerks and staff, that will review decisions by the High Court and write its own opinions, unaffected by corruption or influence peddling.”

  “Indeed.”

  “Yes. Further I am organizing a new bar association that will not look the other way but will tackle corruption within the practice of law head on. The IBA doesn’t give an annual award for Bagman of the Year, Mr. Flynn, but the situation is not much better than that.”

  Flynn’s eyes widened at her caustic sarcasm, but he nodded.

  “I have, of course, seen the sort of thing to which Your Majesty refers, Ma’am.”

  “And participated in it.”

  Dee said it as a fact, and Finn didn’t contradict her.

  “One does the best one can for one’s clients, Ma’am, within the system within which one finds oneself. That doesn’t mean I like it.”

  If he had contradicted her, the interview would have been over. Instead, Dee considered.

  “So what role do you see for yourself in those activities, Mr. Finn.”

  “I would leave that to Your Majesty’s discretion, Ma’am. All sound like worthwhile pursuits. But writing the opinions with which Your Majesty would overturn the Imperial High Court sounds especially interesting.”

  “I said nothing about overturning the High Court, Mr. Finn. No Empress has overturned the High Court by decree in over a hundred and eighty years.”

  “But surely it will come to that, Ma’am. The long-underused system of high justice within the Empire certainly puts such actions within Your Majesty’s authority. Your Majesty’s reference to how long it’s been since such power was wielded by the Throne indicates Your Majesty has at least thought about it enough to look into it. But for the right case, with the right stakes?”

  Finn shrugged.

  “I see.”

  Dee did see, and so did Finn. He was inside her own thinking on the matter, thinking she had not shared with anyone else.

  “It does indeed depend on the case, Mr. Finn. I will in fact be looking for such a case. It is time and past time the High Court realized its decisions will be reviewed, and will be overturned by the Throne as required.”

  “That will cause some consternation, I am sure, Ma’am.”

  “I suspect it will, Mr. Finn. The Sintaran Empire is in fact just that. An Empire. And the Throne has for too long surrendered its authority to people who have made the priority of their service the enrichment of
themselves. The Throne let that happen. The Throne has realized its error. Changes will be made.”

  “’Heads will roll.’”

  “If need be, Mr. Finn. I am not amused by what I find in the bureaucracy and courts of this, my Empire. I could probably execute everyone on capital charges four or five layers deep into the bureaucracy and the courts. That, however, does not fix the problem, but opens up more problems.”

  “Competence. Experience. I understand, Ma’am.”

  Dee nodded.

  “Very well, Mr. Finn. We will be in touch.”

  Dee rang for Perrin.

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  “Please have Mr. Finn escorted back to Mr. Pullman, Mr. Perrin.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  “Until next time, Your Majesty.”

  “Good day, Mr. Finn.”

  The side seating arrangement had been replaced in George Pullman’s office by the time Finn was shown back to Pullman. They were seated in the overstuffed chairs, with coffee on the table.

  “What did you think of Her Majesty, Bob?”

  “I was surprised, actually. I mean, I had met her before, but she’s stronger as Empress than I expected.”

  “She takes her responsibilities most seriously.”

  “Indeed. But of course it makes me even more eager to be part of what she’s planning. There’s very little point in putting effort into initiatives that are unlikely to see the light of day, but that is not something I fear happening with this Empress.”

  “What do you think of Mr. Finn, Mr. Pullman?”

  “I hesitate to offer an opinion, Ma’am. He and I have been good friends for a long time.”

  “Nevertheless.”

  “With that caveat, Ma’am, I think we should hire him. He’s a powerhouse, and we can use the horsepower.”

  “I agree, Mr. Pullman. We are not going to be able to match his private sector salary, so we won’t embarrass ourselves by trying. Let’s offer him the same package you have. That seems fair to me.”

  “I agree, Ma’am.”

  “Oh, and while we’re on that, we have an open apartment in the Residence Wing. Let’s go ahead and offer him that as well.”