Страница 101 из 114
Larad nodded solemnly. "Which is your prerogative."
"Just so that my position is understood," Corman said, his brows ru
"No one doubts your integrity, Lord Corman," Jaxom said.
Corman raised his eyebrows, seemed about to take umbrage at the youngest Holder's comment, then reconsidered and, scowling once more, allowed Brand to lead him to a chair.
A dais had been hastily constructed in the shape of a flat-bottomed V: one side provided for the Lord Holders and the other for the Craftmasters. In the center Jaxom, as resident Lord Holder, would be seated, with Lytol on one side and D'ram on the other. Robinton would sit just below them, facing the accused, who would be accommodated on benches in the space between the wings. Lytol had tried to find an impartial spokesman to represent the accused, following the legal practices about which he had been reading in Aivas's historical files. Harpers generally performed such services but as no harper could be truthfully called "impartial" in this case and no one else could be found to perform that function, it was decided that the accused would have to speak for themselves-if Piemur had remarked, there could be anything that would mitigate their offense since their guilt was already proved.
Promptly at the appointed hour, the accused were brought to the court, where they were jeered at and reviled by the huge throng, comprising representatives from all parts of Pern. It took some time to restore order, but at last all involved were seated and Lord Holders and Master Craftsmen took their places.
Jaxom rose, holding up his arms for silence. Then he spoke.
"Last evening Master Robinton was drugged and taken from the Gather without his consent and knowledge. A dead man who has not been identified was left in his place, wearing similar clothing. So there are two crimes which must be answered tonight: abduction and murder.
"These three men-" Jaxom pointed to each of them, holding his hand up to still the angry murmur from the crowd. "-drove the vehicle which transported Master Robinton without his knowledge or consent. These six men-" Again Jaxom pointed. "-were aboard the ship awaiting them, to take Master Robinton to a place of concealment without his knowledge or consent. I now read their statements, taken in the presence of a Harper, myself as Lord Holder, and Master Fandarel, representing the crafthalls."
Each statement began with the name and origin of the man involved and summarized the job he had been hired to do. Lord Sigomal and Master Norist were named as those who had given the orders and supplied both marks and equipment. The Glassmasters and journeymen also assembled had delivered messages to those involved and passed payments on. Master Idarolan produced a bill of sale for the ship, signed by one Federen, Masterglass-smith, now seated among the accused. It turned out that he had also led the initial attack on the batteries supplying Aivas, and he was the older brother of one of the men involved in the assault that Aivas had foiled. He was very bitter about his brother's punishment and deafness. Lord Begamon, too, was implicated: he was accused of supplying marks, the horses used on the abortive assault on Aivas, and a safe harbor for the ship.
Journeyman Tosikin, a meek and obsequious fellow plainly awed and terrified by the experience, pointed to Gomalsi, Lord Sigomal's son and the captain of the ship, as the man who had commissioned the strange cart. The journeyman had had no idea of its purpose and had tried to argue them into a different sort of vehicle to carry a "delicate cargo." No, he had not known that a man was to be the cargo.
Brestolli had asked to be allowed to speak of what he had overheard. He further provided a positive identification of three of the Bitrans from the ship as those he had overheard in the brewer's. That caused a surge of consternation and recriminations among the accused.
"You will each be allowed to speak in your own defense and inform this panel of any mitigating circumstances," Jaxom said, pointing first to the three men who had absconded with Robinton. But before any of them could speak, Lord Sigomal got to his feet, suddenly rousing from his apathy.
"I am i
"I protest!" Gomalsi shouted, jumping to his feet, eyes blazing at his father. "You told me to do what I could to discredit that machine. You told me to destroy the batteries-and where to look for them. You gave me money to hire men-"
"You fool! You imbecile!" Sigomal shrieked back, stepping forward and clouting Gomalsi so hard across the face that the young man fell backward over the bench.
Immediately Jaxom signaled for guards to force Sigomal back to his place and to help Gomalsi.
"Any more outbursts, and Lord Holder or not, you'll be gagged," Jaxom said sternly to Sigomal. He motioned for the guards to remain behind the two Bitrans. Then he pointed at the first of the three actual abductors. "You may speak in your defense. First tell your name and your rank."
There was a soundless conference, and then the oldest of the three stood.
"My name is Halefor. I have no rank, nor hold, nor craft. I hire my services to whoever pays enough. This time it was Lord Sigomal. The three of us struck a price with him and were paid half in advance to take the Harper in the cart to the ship. That was all we was hired to do. Not to kill. That was an accident. Biswy had to drink some of the wine, so the fumes would be on him. But he was not meant to die from it. Nor did we wish any harm to Master Robinton. I didn't much like that part, but Lord Sigomal said it had to be him because he was so well liked. They'd smash the machine to get Master Robinton back." He looked all about, first at the Lord Holders and then at the Mastercraftsmen, gave a sharp nod of his head, and sat down.
From the men who were Gomalsi's crew came much the same story: They had been hired to do a job, to man a ship from Ruatha to an island off the eastern shore of Nerat. Lord Begamon groaned at that and hid his head in his hands. He continued to moan off and on through the rest of the proceedings. When asked harshly by Master Idarolan if any of them were either apprentices or journeymen, two replied that they had sailed a few seasons in fishing fleets but hadn't much cared for the long hours. Master Idarolan looked relieved that no craftsman of his had been involved.
Jaxom could understand Master Idarolan's desire to settle that point in the hearing of his peers and the Lord Holders. In many seacoast holds, boys and girls grew up able to handle a small skiff adequately. Knowing one end of a ship from the other was no crime. What offended Idarolan was the audacity of Gomalsi, who was not trained in seamanship and had thought that he could sail that small craft safely from Ruatha to the eastern coast of Nerat, across the Currents and into some of the trickiest waters of the planet, risking Robinton's safety every wave of the way.
Unlike the others, Master Norist stood proud and defiant.
"I did what my conscience dictated, to rid this world of that Abomination and all its evil works. It encourages sloth and dalliance among our young, distracting them from traditional duties. I see it destroying the very structure of our Halls and our Holds. Contaminating our Pern with vicious complexities that deprive honest men of work and their pride in workmanship, turning whole families away from what has been proved good and wholesome for twenty-five hundred Turns. I would do it again. I will do all in my power to destroy the spell this Abomination has placed on you!" He extended his arm and swept his pointing finger at every one of the Masters who sat in judgment on him. "You have been deluded. You will suffer. And all Pern will suffer because of your blindness, your lapse from the purity of our culture and knowledge."