Tadewidan looked harried as he came up to the guards. "We have yet another development. The Protector has ordered us to grant landing clearance to an ICJ shuttle. We believe Professor Rickman to be a passenger. "
He frowned at Janys. "In the interests of justice, and in light of the purported admission by Yagote, the Council has agreed to reconvene with all parties present." Slowly the room began filling again with people. Lewital supported a trembling Yagote down to the front as the Elders assembled.
Janys clutched Martel's hand as they waited. Finally she heard a familiar voice at the doorway. "Good God, now what have are they doing to you? Looks like I just got here in time."
The Prof flashed a piece of paper at her. "Sweetie, we did it. I've got the official dataport version as well, but this should be good enough for Demetian records."
"And what may that be?" Tadewidan eyed it suspiciously.
The instructor waved it under his nose. "An order from the ICJ taking exclusive jurisdiction of this matter and pardoning Ms. Livingston of any wrongdoing." He turned and winked at Janys. "I told you with the right material we could get someone at the Court to take notice, and your journals did the trick. After the UC broadcast, people on over nine hundred worlds ported Lianna Martin demanding your immediate release."
:"For the record, the Council protests your using the media to influence the ICJ—" Tadewidan began.
"Protest all you like, Elder. But first untie my employee so she can sign the order." At a signal from Tadewidan, the guards released her. As Janys flexed her fingers, trying to drive out the pins and needles, the Prof shoved a pen at her. "Sweetie, put your name right there."
Her hand shook as she took it. "What does it do?"
"Indicates you consent to the recession of all prior actions taken under Demetian law, including your marriage, and requests the ICJ to return you to the Institute."
"What about this?" she pointed.
"In order to keep this problem from happening again, the ICJ asked the Institute to remove this planet from its list of research sites. That says you also agree you will never return." Leaning over, he rubbed the chafed areas on her wrist. "Come on now. I've got a doctor waiting on the shuttle to fix you up."
"But you don't understand," she said slowly. "I'm pregnant."
For a moment he looked confused, then smiled again. "The doctor can take care of that too if you wish. Or if you decide to keep the child, you know what wonderful medical facilities at the Institute."
"Janys." Martel urgently whispered in her ear. "Professor Rickman is right. Sign the order. Even if I never get to see our child, I know he or she will be born safely at your Institute. Do the right thing and save both of you."
Still her hand played with the pen. The right thing? To leave forever the man she loved and this world she'd started to accept as her own? "One thing first," she said, dropping the paper into her lap and looking at Tadewidan. "You said you had reconvened the hearing. Are you still taking evidence?"
After glancing at the other Elders, he shook his head. "In light of the ICJ ruling, we see no need to continue."
"I still would like everyone here to know what really happened!"
"If you insist." Tadewidan raised an eyebrow. "Professor, if you would tell us how you got the journals."
"Why, Janys gave them to me," he replied without hesitation. Martel groaned softly as he loosened his grip on her hand.
"Are you certain?" the Elder persisted.
"Of course!" he snapped. "How else could I have gotten them?"
"I believe that settles the matter as far as all of us are concerned," Tadewidan began. "Let us not waste any more time—"
"No!" Janys grabbed the Professor's arm. "William, remember you taught me to state my observations as precisely as possible. You just generalized. Tell us specifically how you came into possession of my journals. Did I put them into your hands?"
He looked annoyed. "No, of course not. How could you when they had you under surveillance? But obviously they came from you."
Tadewidan leaned forward. "How did Mistress Livingston get the journals to you?"
"Why should that matter?"
"Trust me, Professor, it does. Now I will ask you once more—who gave you the journals?"
"One moment." Bending over, the Prof whispered in her ear. "Why are you putting me on the spot like this? I thought you wanted to protect your friend. She said I should keep her name secret, because you didn't want her to be punished for helping you."
Janys pulled back. "I never told anyone to give you my journals," she said slowly. "And I have no interest in protecting the person who did…"
"All right." He shot an apologetic smile at Yagote. "That young lady down there met me on the path when I was coming back here after talking with Janys. She told me I was right—Janys was being watched, so she couldn't do anything directly. But she said Janys wanted me to have the journals to help her case."
"Did she say anything else?" Tadewidan asked dangerously.
"Only that Janys knew she'd get into terrible trouble for helping her, so I should forget I'd ever met her. What I did until you decided to make such an issue about it."
"Thank you, Professor. You have indeed cleared matters up for us." Tadewidan turned to Yagote, who'd buried her face in Lewistal's shoulder. "Before we decide your correction, would you like to add anything to what you previously told the Council?"
She jumped up, brushing away the tears. "Just that I am very, very sorry. I heard the Professor say he needed something get the ICJ interested in the case, but I never dreamed he would publish them." The girl collapsed on her knees in front of Janys. "Please believe me," she whispered. "I thought you would just go back to your Institute. I would never have done it if I thought—"
"I do believe you," Janys murmured.
Tadewidan looked sternly at Yagote. "Whatever your intentions, you knowingly broke the law, and two innocent people almost had their lives cut short. Under the principle of limiton, if Mistress Janys wishes, we will impose that sentence on you. If she fears you may be dangerous to others—"
As Janys watched the trembling girl, a soft hand touched her shoulder. "Please," Elondelle whispered. Behind her, Lewistal put his head in his hands.
She didn't have to look at her husband to know how he would feel about losing party of his family. "No, I don't think she'll do anything like that again. There's no need to banish her."
Yagote had barely uttered her thank you when Tadewidan help up his hand. "You will nonetheless receive severe correction. Master Zellin, considering the other events of the day, it seems fitting it should begin in the square. I believe your son still has possession of a suitable instrument." Janys almost pitied Yagote as Martel handed over Rodogan's cane.
"We will start there, but that will not be the end of it, " Zellin told the Council. "Every day for the next decedonner, her mother and I will remind her how she almost cost us our son, daughter-in-law, and grandchild. You will not see her sitting down again for a very long time."
"I will give my assurances as well." Lewistal stepped forward… "Two decedonners from now, we planned to announce our marriage." Yagote looked at him fearfully. "I am troubled by what I learned today. But I believe a strict husband could prevent future mischief."
He turned to her. "I know I have no right to punish you for things happening before our wedding. However, if you become my wife, you will allow me to use the marital paddle to show you what happens to those who endanger others. Knowing that will be a long and painful lesson, do you still want to marry me?"
Yagote threw her arms around him. "Yes," she sobbed. "I do."
Tadewidan exchanged glances with the rest of the Elders. "We find that acceptable."
Immediately the crowd noise rose as Martel moved back to her side. "Janys, how can you ever forgive me? I should have believed you—"
"It's all right," she murmured, lacing their fingers together. "It's all going to be fine."
"Yes, it w
ill," the Professor jumped in. "But only after you sign that order so we can be on our way. I'm not going to let that Martin woman near either of us, but UC will be sending another reporter to the Institute to interview you, so we need to get back there as soon as possible."
"We haven't finished the hearing." She looked hard at Tadewidan. After a moment, he nodded and called for silence.
"Now that we have heard ALL the evidence, do we need to conference in order to reach a decision?" One by one the Elders shook their heads. "Then Mistress Janys, we reverse our ruling. While I assume you will still be leaving us, we have no reason to send you to Kollent."
"Thank you," she told them, her voice heavy with relief. "But does that mean you would allow me to remain in Wyteen?"
The Elders appeared mystified. "Yes, if you wish. But we assume in light of the ICJ order, you would prefer returning to your former life."
"Then you assumed wrong." She held Martel's arm tightly. "I'm sorry, Prof, but I can't consent to your order."
"Wait a minute!" The Professor grabbed her other arm. "I bring you a ticket away from these people with their canes and ropes and paddles, and you say you don't want to use it?"
"I told you the same thing when you were here before. That's why I wanted you to drop the appeal."
"Janys." He chewed his lip. "I don't know what hold these people have on you. Maybe they've got you wired to receive electric shocks if you go outside the party line. I'm not going to believe a word you say unless I know we're truly alone."
"Then let's take a walk," she suggested.
"No, that's not good enough." He looked at Tadewidan. "Do you have any objection this time to my meeting with Ms. Livingston on my shuttle?"
The Elder shook his head. "Mistress Janys is free to go wherever she likes."
"Then give me a moment to make arrangements." He began sub-vocalizing into his implant.
She used the time to kiss her husband. "Janys, I love you," Martel whispered. He reached back and traced the throbbing lines beneath her tunic. "You have every right to leave me for using the cane in anger. But if you would only stay—"
"I'm going to." Her lips found his again. "Just give me a few minutes. If you wait here, I'll come home with you."
"Of course," he told her, eyes shining.
"We're all set," the Prof announced. With one final look at Martel, Janys followed her former mentor through the crowd.
They didn't talk as they walked the short distance to the landing field. Does the Prof think they're beaming microphones at us? She laughed as she walked up the landing ramp. True to his word, a young man in a medical uniform greeted them at the door.
"I'm fine - " she started to say as she passed him. Suddenly something cold pressed at the nape of her neck just as the door clanged shut behind them. "No!" she cried as her vision fogged. The Prof and the doctor caught her as her knees gave away.
"Sorry, sweetie, but I thought it would be easier this way," she heard as she slipped into unconsciousness.
She woke lying in a narrow bed wearing a hospital gown. A slight vibration confirmed her worst fear—the shuttle was definitely in flight.
From the next compartment she could hear a male voice, presumably the doctor. "All in all, she's not in bad shape. Abrasions on her ankles and wrists which NuSkin cleared completely. Five extended welts on her buttocks. I relieved the discomfort and used some NuSkin there as well. Some evidence of previous bruising, and her skin seems to have toughened in places, but that should correct itself."
"And the pregnancy?" the Prof asked.
"Everything progressing normally. I've gone ahead and given her an iron implant to make sure she doesn't become anemic, but other than the things I've mentioned, she's normal."
"Well, I'm very glad to hear it." For once he sounded sincere. "What about monitoring devices?"
"I scanned her completely. Nothing there." Cautiously she stood up, her legs still wobbly against the cold floor.
"Really? That surprises me. Then they must have brainwashed—"
"They didn't do any such thing!" Holding her gown together as well as she could, Janys propelled herself into the compartment. On the monitor she could see Demeter below. Thank God they hadn't gotten out of orbit.
"Janys, please go back to bed," the Professor ordered. "We'll be rendezvousing with the main ship in a few hours, then they're going to supralight us back to the Institute."
"I don't think so!" Looking at the Institute time on the monitor, she made the calculations. "You've stolen almost half a day from me! Now get me back to Wyteen right now!"
"Darling, I know you will feel better as soon as you've been away from those monsters." He tried to steer her back towards the bed. "Once we get back to the Institute, we'll do a complete psychological battery—"
"I'm not crazy!" she spit out. "But you must be if you think you can get away with this."
"Someday you'll understand—"
"No, understand this—when I'm in that news bubble with Lianna Martin or whoever UC sends, I'm going to tell the universe you slapped a disrupter on my implant and kidnapped me." She smiled. "And guess what—my spinning globe will be bright green."
"I'll be up with the pilot," the doctor said as he disappeared.
"Janys, calm down. You're not thinking clearly.".
"I'm thinking I want to go home!"
"And that's where I'm taking you. But it's going to be even better than before," he promised. "First of all, don't you understand we're both rich? You're the author and I'm the agent of the hottest selling story in the galaxy. The public can't wait for the second half—"
"Good. Then after I do my broadcast, I'll buy myself a ride back to Demeter. As we build up to cruising speed, I'll make two connections," she added nastily. "One to the Institute, and one to your wife."
"I was going to talk to you about that," he said through clenched teeth. "But you refuse to listen. Ever since my interview, things have not been well between us. I believe she is seeking legal advice. Things will be messy for a while of course, but eventually you and I might actually—"
"Don't even say it," she told him tiredly. "I already have a husband. And here's the deal. Either you return me to him and I let you go on being my agent, or I will discredit the journals. By the time I'm through, you might not even have a job at the Institute."
"You would do that to me just to get back to that hellhole?"
For one last time she searched her heart. "Yes."
He smashed his hand against the metal wall. "All right, sweetie, you win. Your clothes are in the cabinet over there. I'll instruct Joe to return planetside."
She didn't say anything else to them until they strapped in for landing. "I've been wondering about the money."
"I put it into your Institute account," he said stiffly.
With his connections through the trade office, Martel should be able to access it. "I'm going to put it in trust for my child." Or better yet, children. In case someday they wanted to become astronomers—or even Institute researchers.
No one said goodbye to her as she made her way down the ramp into the dark field. Still lights burned in the meeting house. Could Martel possibly have waited for her after all? She stumbled down the path and flung open the door. "I finally made it back!"
"So I see," Tadewidan noted. He sat alone in audience, a book in his hand. "Everyone else left after your shuttle took off. They told me a little while ago a new landing clearance had been requested, so I came here. Did you forget something?"
"No." Planting her hands on her hips, she stood in front of him. "You're the one who keeps forgetting I want to stay in Wyteen. But guess what, Tadewidan? Despite your best efforts, you're stuck with me."
To her shock, he laughed and patted the bench beside him. "Then I believe I owe you an apology. I admit I had many doubts about you, Janys, because I always felt you would leave Martel. But again you have surprised me."
Could the Institute have secretly replaced Tadewidan with someon
e human? As Janys tried to adjust to his friendliness, he shocked her again. "After you left today, the Council decided it had been wrong about something else as well. As a result of your journals, we are receiving inquiries from all over from people who seem genuinely interested in our way of life. But of course they only know half the story, and not the good half at that."
He motioned with the book. "Now that our secrets have been stripped away, we thought to ask Rodogan if he might write something based on your life here. Finish the story. Obviously now that you are back, I offer it to you."
Janys grinned. "The first time someone asked me that today, I said no. But—I'll think about it. I'm not going to just release my other journals though."
"I am sure Rodogan would help you put it into a story format."
"Perhaps," she said thoughtfully. "Maybe I can do something when school ends while I wait for the baby. But for now, I'm going home to my husband."
He nodded and smiled again. Could this be the same man who'd terrified her so many times? "That you should. We can talk later."
Never had the walk from town seemed so long, especially considering the thoughts jumbling in her head. She wanted to run up to Martel, throw her arms around him, and lead him to their bed. But there was something that needed to be done first. Finally she made her decision.
Through the window she could see him sitting in on their living room couch, staring into the unlit fireplace. He didn't turn around when she came through the door. "I told you, Mother, to just leave me alone tonight," he snapped. "And take with you those jars Shalimerie sent over. Even if you refuse to give them to Yagote, no one here will ever use them."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." His head whirled as she came up behind him. Pressing her lips together, she continued by him, reaching for the paddle over the fireplace. She came back and put it within easy reach of his hand. "I think I might need them after you get done with me."
"Janys! I thought you had gone—"
"I know." She took off her shoes, then pulled down her prander. Standing in front of him, she took his hands. "I don't want there ever to be secrets between us again. There's a few things I'm going to write down in the bibalon—one involving a ruler at school, and a few other things. But two things I want you to address tonight."
Captive Discipline (Demetrian Brides Book 1) Page 24
