Lone Star Planet

efense witnesses, character-witnesses for the three killers

r as shrewd as Sidney had shown himself to be would even dream of getting such an array

a and selfish fear. Goodham did a beautiful job on that; he seemed able, at a glance, to divine exactly what each witness's motivation was, a

addressed

et his death, there are many features about this case which are far from clear to me. They will be even less clear to my government, which is

soon as I had gotten to my feet, finally ma

g to use the courts of the Planet of New Texas as a soundi

, by the Ambassador of the Solar League. This court is interested only in determining the facts regarding the case before it. You may cal

ing across the room at Ranger Cap

and connection with the Solar League Embassy on the record, I asked him, "Mr. Thrombley, d

e. It happened that Mr. Cumshaw was in the same room with me, and he came directly to the screen. Then Colonel Hickock appeared

out at the ranch at about 1030?" Thrombley said he had. "And,

bassador's private office, and

id you receive, prior t

ff Ambassador called, about a personal matter. As he was most

e z'Srauff Ambassador was the only person who could have known that Mr. Cumshaw's

om the z'Srauff Ambas

brothers a sweeping glance. "Plus anybody the z'Srauff Ambassa

ard the witness stand, and

tions,"

as cashier of the Crooked Creek National Bank. I asked him if

bout Mayor Bonney's

wo-three thousand pesos, but about the first of April, that took a big ju

ly Sam deposit this

any of New Austin with an anonymous letter asking that it be deposited to Mayor B

that letter n

er deposit like that, we were to turn it over to him in cash. Then he wanted to see the letter, and when I gave it to him, he took it over to a telescreen bo

egan. Was that the last of your un

ey like a starved dog at a bone, and upset a bottle of red perma-ink, the sort we use to refill our bank seals. Three of the bills got splashed. I offered to exchange them, but he sai

t one of our regular deposit-slips. No name of depositor. I held the check, and gave it to Kettle-Belly. I remember, whe

n!" was all his previous ob

arently taken away by Kettle-Belly Sam Bonney. If you saw another letter of the same

I was trying to get expert testimon

Silk has merely asked if Mr. Finnegan could say whe

Company of New Austin. He had with him a letter, typed on yellow paper, which he said had accompanied an anonymous deposit of two hundred thousand pesos. Mr. Finnega

ed this anonymous benefac

ne replied, "of Mr

, after that. Finally, after a couple of threats to clear the court, o

paper I gave him, frowned over it, and

this-here thing, at

the court to copy into the record. The next witness was a z'Srauff, and in the New Texan garb

the court looked at him blankly for a

swearing him in?" he asked. "What doe

t. "Does anybody here know Basic well e

years in our Consular Service, before I was sent h

e oath, then,"

has knowledge of what is in the hearts of all persons, that what you will say here will be true, all true, a

so tru

your

Kkuvtmmec

your bu

h into this world, and I t

you have y

ver my house of busine

in this place that you h

pointed a three-fingered h

s did you mak

es on the ground and goes in the air very

them for money?" I asked, po

. It has been made broken

they give you

undred

at courtroom who didn't know that five thousand pesos

ed to be in the used-car business. Am I expected to believe that

from the office of the Vehicles Registration

or, Gglafrr Ddespttann Vuvuvu, came stalking down the aisle, followed by a coup

e since it got in my knowledge that one of my persons is in this place. I am here to be of help to him that he not get in tro

court," Judge Nelson told

n; I have no desire to put stop

machine that you gave to these pers

yelping at my witness. The drygoods importer look

nothing spoken in this court but Eng

ador replied contritely. "But my person here has not as part of hi

dded in a

eed to make answer to any question if it may put

ke answer," th

ther qu

, either. I handed another slip of paper to the bailiff, and a

this world meat and leather. He had his house of business in New Austin, and he point

s did you make wi

nty-millimeters very fast, to make death or hurt come to m

gun?" I sho

rld; many guns like it are made there.

in which the gun was described and specified

e three persons give you

e pe

on this gun is six hund

here has not as part of his knowledge that he may put him

Kekeke immediately took refuge in refusal

he Solar League. This court cannot convict the three men who are here on trial. These men should have never been brought to trial in this court: it has no jurisdiction over this case. This was a simpl

, who had been watching, fear-sick, while I had been putting a rope around their necks. The uproar from the rear of the courtroom

nary statement you have just made," he invited, as though ev

throat as they came out; I could feel my knees getting absurdly we

of severity with which he has been injured, and the Court of Political Justice is established for the purpose of determining whether or not there has been such an excess of severity in the treatment meted out by the accused to the injured or deceased politician. This gives rise, of course, to s

ician under-mark that well, Your Honor-under the laws and government of New Texas. This would not only make of any Ambassador a permissable target for any marksman who happened to disapprove of the policies of another government, but more serious, it would p

. However, I'd like to know why you permitted this trial to run to this length before entering this obj

important function of this court is to determine questions of relative guilt and innocence. We must not lose sight, however, of the fact that the primary functio

appropriate action. The government of New Texas has now had spelled out, in letters anyone can read, the fact that this beautiful planet is in truth a battleground. Awareness of

ent from you.... No comment? Well, we'll have to clo

nt, and then the room became a bubbling pot of sound. At least six fights broke out among th

the spectators' seats, came running up while I was stil

"You know what you've done? You've got

k left the prosecutio

the freedom of three men who mu

deepest respect and admiration for him. But he taught me one thing, which you seem to have forgotten since you expatriated yourself-that in

k said. What else he might have said was lost in the sudden exclamation as the black screen slid d

Buzzard Tom Bonney, together with your counsel, approa

lawyer whose clients had just emerged from the shadow of the gallows, Sidney was looking remar

mshaw, nor can you be brought to trial in any other court on New Texas again for that dastardly crime. Here are your weapons, which must be returned to you. Sort them out you

for a few moments, then stopped, picked the belts up, drew the pistols to check magazines and chambers, and then began slapping each others' bac

k at your masterpiece! Why don't yo

the face. It hurt like the devil; she

to me for that, or weep over my corpse. Right now, th