Badge of Infamy

se

had spread through the villages and the chiefs had assembled in Jake's village. But the

n decision, but grimly determined. "You need me and I need you. I'll mo

small bottles in which he was trying to grow his cultures would need warmth.

It had a girl of about fourteen, with tears streaming down her face. Sh

he

ibn

he girl to lead the way. The little dwelling she led him to was at

tied to the bed, with a collection of medical instruments laid out, but apparently the threat

r that kind of call

I hear it's more than you'll do, Chris. Con

men took her picture. The print

it to comfort you when yo

ut through the door quickly, heading for the tractor that had been camouflaged

e. By the time they reached Southport, Doc could see a trail of battered tractors behind

on his face. He must have been the family black sheep, since his father had been president of Space

was reading to frown at

o a lot better home somewhere raising a flock of babies. Well, young fellow-so you're Feldman. Okay, your trial comes up day after tomorrow. Be a

fety valve. "Judge Wilson, your methods are your own business in

. This is Mars. If Space Lobby can stand me, I guess our friends over at Medical will ha

bered suddenly. "I apologize. Medical is plea

oc, I'll show you your cell. It's right nex

e Chris went out with the polic

pe-proof and comfortable, Doc saw

count on my being soft. My methods may be a bit unusual-I always did like the courtroom scenes in the old b

pite of his bitterness. "A good bio

got them in on the last shipment. Figure they were meant f

He snorted at Doc's incredulous thanks and moved off,

ere ... but it didn't matter. Friend or foe, his death sentence would be equally fatal. And there were

e sun offered the best source of light near the window, and he adjusted the inst

ll his biology courses. More by luck tha

one seemed unfamiliar. It was a long, worm-like thing, sharpened at both ends, with the three separate nuclei tha

rom all others. It was one where all Earth's centuries of experience with bacteria would be valueless-the first Martian disease. Unless this was simply som

sure of the cause of the disease. It was Martian.

ith others he had come to know. Then the sight of Jake caught Doc's eyes. The dar

lson announced. "Doc, yo

I represent the defendant. I think y

te of that little fracas thirty years ago, so far as I know. But the police th

id so," Jak

al Lobby shook his head, bending over to whisper in her ear. He straightene

n half the rest of Legal Lobby before he went native. Still can tie

it might have been in keeping with the general casualness of the villages. Maybe the ritu

t, though Wilson seemed to expect one. Then she began sewing his shroud. There wasn't a fact that managed to e

an was examined by the Captain of the Navaho after arriving at Mars s

ed puzzled but unconcerned. "That

t?" When she assented, Jake hesitated. Then he frowned. "What did you do the

," she answere

fter you identified him and saw him del

d not

a moment, then shrugg

on of all humanity from the danger of such men as

ke. "Has the defens

med a surgical operation on Harriet Lynn in the village of Einstein. But when has it been illegal for a member of the Medical profession to perform an operation, even wi

on was relaxed again, looking as if he'd swallowed

on Mars. It is also responsible for informing the authorities of any criminal conduct on the part of its members or any former member known to it. Failure

Feldman as having been a doctor, without stipulating any change in status. She made no further report to any authority concerning Daniel Feldman's presence here. It

lear-cut to me," he agreed, passing the book on to Matthews. "Ther

pital on Mars. Necessarily, Medical Lobby agreed to perform surgery outside of any hospital, then. But to make it plainer, there's a later paragraph-page 181-that defines each hospital zone as extending not less than three nor more than one hundred miles. Einstein

ng a big bag. Doc saw that his possessions and the microscope were already in the

and skills of the medical profession on Mars and that he acted ethically in the performance of his duties in the

ed rapidly toward his privat

o avoid bumping into Chris. But she would not be avoided. She stood in front of him, screaming accu

ue out there that may be worse than any disease we've ever known. Take a look at what lies under the black specks on your corpses. You'll find the f

. "Research! You've been do

e a lot smarter to try some yourself,

Jake out to

ting now. He shook his head at Doc

y a man can prove anything by it, and building a hospital here did bring in Earth rules. Wilso

me. But there would be another time, and he was pretty sure that wo