Chewing Rocks (33 page)

Cleasemount looked at Sno as if seeing her for the first time in a long time. “Thank you Miss Whyte,
that is a very thoughtful suggestion. But, no.” Cleasemount seemed to study Sno for a minute. “You know, Miss Whyte. I do understand what my nephew sees in you. You have become a beautiful young woman, although a bit headstrong for my taste, but that is probably just the pot calling the kettle black.”

Sno smiled, “Thank you, Miss Cleasemount. I do want to apologize for ordering you about earlier
, that was more than rude.”

Cleasemount shook her head. “Apology accepted but only on the condition that you accept my apology.”

Sno frowned in confusion. “Apology? For what?”

Cleasemount frowned and shook her head again. “
My opinion of you has colored my whole judgment during this hearing. I apologize because when I first saw you standing here before me all I could see was the snotty little girl who came between her father and me. I did not see you for who you have become and it would have affected my judgment.”

Sno asked, “Would have? But not now?”

Cleasemount shook her head and wiped her eyes, “No, Miss Whyte. Not now. Although, there is a chance anyone involved here today could claim that I was prejudiced one way or another, I am not going to allow any objections on my objectivity. Since we covered those objections when we started I am not going to go back and re-hash old arguments. I wasn’t completely objective before now, but I haven’t had anyone try to kill me with a bomb before.”

Sno started to say something, but Cleasemount held up her hand.

Cleasemount said, “You know, I don’t think I have ever had anyone strap on a pipe bomb in a second grade classroom. That was a new experience for me and I have to admit I didn’t like it. I apologize to everyone in this room. I don’t seem to have handled the prospect of blowing up very well.”

Cleasemount continued, “Miss Whyte and Miss Abramsohn, you have my deepest thanks for the way you handled that situation.”

Queene jumped to her feet, “Handled it? They murdered Wallace. They shot him down in the street without giving him a chance!”

Cleasemount looked at the woman, “No, Miss Queene. He was given a lot of chances and he made his choices. However, by our system, if you wish to file a warrant against anyone, you may do so.”

Queene gave a shrill laugh. “And have you arbitrate another farce? I don’t think so.”

Cleasemount said, “I would absolutely not be the arbitrator. So if that is your only reason for not filing a warrant then I can guarantee I would not arbitrate
that hearing.”

Queene gave a small smile of victory, “Then I do want to file a warrant. Wallace was a valuable employee of Queene Mines and he was
murdered in the street.”

A collectively stifled gasp fluttered around the room, but silence quickly prevailed as Cleasemount turned watery eyes on the crowd. She dabbed her eyes and gave a small shiver.

“Miss Queene, I am sure Sheriff Gutierrez will assist you in filing that warrant, however said warrant is not at issue in this hearing. What is at issue are the remaining warrants already filed and pre-empted by me. I will admit I now regret the decision to bundle these warrants for an expeditious resolution; being threatened with death can have a clarifying affect on one’s life.”

Sno nodded, “Ain’t that the truth! Oops, sorry Miss Cleasemount, I spoke without thinking. I guess I gotta start watching that bad habit.”

Cleasemount nodded, “I understand, Miss Whyte. Adults far older than you have had that problem and never been able to resolve it. All we can do is keep trying.”

Sno sat down, resolving to keep her mouth shut.”

Cleasemount continued. “Now, as to the matters at hand, I have reviewed every unresolved warrant I so foolishly preempted. Every warrant still unresolved has at its base someone who is now dead, whether they were the complainant or the respondent. Therefore, I am rejecting arbitration on these warrants and marking them null and void and I am doing so with prejudice. Anyone wishing to re-file any warrant, against, or on behalf of the dead, is free to do so. Those warrants will not be a part of this hearing as further warrants must assuredly include the circumstances of those deaths.”

Cleasemount glanced around the room and looked at Queene until the other woman nodded her understanding.

“Good,” Cleasemount said, “Judgment begins now. Sheriff Gutierrez, please stand. Your warrants against Miss Whyte are invalid. You illegally filed warrants you had no right to issue. Those warrants you did legally sign are not backed with sufficient evidence to award you any, and I mean any, judgment.

“Second, Miss Whyte’s warrants against Sheriff Gutierrez are valid. He was abusing his authority for personal reasons. I can and I am ready to render judgment against Sheriff Gutierrez, but I would ask Miss Whyte to use restraint.”

Sno stood slowly. “Miss Cleasemount. I don’t want to hold grudges against the sheriff. If Bob is willing to apologize then I am willing to forget the whole thing. What do you say, Sheriff Bob? I am sorry for how I have been acting lately. How about you?”

Cleasemount looked over at Sheriff Bob, “That is a very reasonable and adult attitude, and Bob, it sounds like the best deal you are going to get today.”

Sheriff Bob was still standing and he nodded slowly, “I apologize, Sno. I guess I have been a bit of a fool lately. Sorry, it won’t happen again.”

Cleasemount burst out with a laugh, “Oh, Bob, you are going to act like a fool
again at some time. Everyone knows that, but we love you anyway.”

She motioned the two to s
it down. She looked around and said, “I need the members of the Wooden Ship Mining Consortium to stand please.”

Sno looked around. She did
not recognize the name and was surprised to see it was as the seven Earth miners from the Winkin and Blinkin stood.

Cleasemount asked, “Miss Queene, would you stand please? Thank you. Now, I find that Queene Mines,
either Miss Queene herself or her employees, Wallace, Cooper, Franklin and McNally, all now deceased, did conspire and act to deprive the Wooden Ship Mining Consortium of a mining ship, to hold these seven miners in false imprisonment, and had rescue not been effected by Captain Chalmers, all seven miners might well have been murdered. I do not find Mister Hunter culpable in these actions.”

Allan Lee
replied, “Thank you, Miss Cleasemount. However, we as a group have discussed this as a possible outcome and we have agreed we don’t want any part of the type of justice we have seen lately. None of us feel we could participate in a duel.”

Cleasemount smiled, “Thank you, Gentlemen. I am very well aware too many have died in th
is mess. I am as uncomfortable with their deaths as anyone here, no matter what kind of men they were. However, as a solution, I am giving you the Queene Mining Ship Number 10123 that you brought back with you. It will be a replacement for the one you lost. Is that acceptable?”

Lee sputtered as the other Earth miners looked stunned. “Miss Cleasemount, that is way too much. It is way more than we lost.”

Queene interrupted, “It is not acceptable to me. That ship is worth ten times that dinky converted shuttle these fools lost.”

Cleasemount shook her head
sadly. “Sheriff Gutierrez, please gag Miss Queene.” She winced in sympathy. “And Bob, watch those nails…oh, that is going to hurt in the morning. Bob, use handcuffs; yeah, do her ankles too.”

Cleasemount looked at the miners. “Mister Lee,
the Queene Mining ship is the only compensation I can offer from Queene even remotely related to what you lost. I know you would refuse a duel and I refuse to offer you one. You can take the ship or take nothing.”

Lee looked down at Joey who was tugging his sleeve. Joey was nodding vigorously. Lee looked back up. “Yeah, we will take it
, with our thanks.”

Cleasemount grinned, “There isn’t any superstition against renaming your new ship since Queene Mines only numbers their fleet. Is the Wooden Ship Mining Consortium going to use
the Nod again?”

Lee grinned, “Seems
appropriate doesn’t it?”

Sno said, “Okay, at the risk of getting gagged and handcuffed, I don’t get it. What kind of
stupid name is Nod for a ship?”

Lee looked at Cleasemount and said, “And that
, Your Honor, is why we have to send her back to school for remedial training.”

Sno blushed amid the
crowd’s laughter, but she stood her ground. “So, I am missing something here. Come on, Lee. Tell me.”

Lee looked at Cleasemount
for approval and then recited:

“Winkin’
, Blinkin’ and Nod one night sailed off in a wooden shoe;

Sailed off on a river of crystal light into a sea of dew.

“Where are you going and what do you wish?” the old moon asked the three.

“We’ve come to fish for the herring fish that live in this beautiful sea.

Nets of silver and gold have we,” said Winkin’, Blinkin’, and Nod.

The old moon laughed and san
g a song as they rocked in the wooden shoe.

And the wind that sped them all night long ruffled the waves of dew.

Now the little stars are the herring fish that live in that beautiful sea;

“Cast your net wherever you wish never afraid are we!”

So cried the stars to the fishermen three – Winkin’, and Blinkin’ and Nod.

So all night long their nets they threw to the stars in the twinkling foam.

‘Til down from the skies came the wood shoe bringing the fishermen home.

‘Twas all so pretty a sail it seemed as if it could not be.

Some folks say ‘twas a dream they dreamed of sailing that misty sea.

But I shall name you the fishermen three – Winkin’, Blinkin’ and Nod.

Now Winkin’ and Blinkin’ are the two little eyes and Nod is a little head.

And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies is a wee one’s trundle bed.

So close your eyes while mother sings of the wonderful sights that be.

And you shall see those beautiful things as you sail on the misty sea.

Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three – Winkin’, Blinkin’ and Nod.”

Sno laughed, “Well, I’ll be darned. Poetry
. No wonder I didn’t get it.”

Cleasemount laughed
with her, “It is an old Earth nursery rhyme, Miss Whyte. But, no one here even imagines your childhood was close to your typical Earth child.”

Sno flared, “Dad raised me the best he could. I won’t stand for anyone
-”

“Whoa, Miss Whyte,” Cleasemount interrupted. “I like your Dad, remember? I would still go out with him if it wasn’t for the fact that I like Vittie too. I wasn’t taking issue with the way he raised you. I remember you as a child. I’ve got to say, I am a professional with second graders, but he did a better job with you than I ever could. Oops, no offense, Sno.
It is just a little friendly kidding.”

Lee said, “Yeah, she doesn’t really get the whole joking around bit, does she?”

Sno blushed as the crowd laughed, “Yeah. Okay. I get it. Maybe I could lighten up a bit.”

Mario’s voice shouted over the crowd, “Don’t lighten up too much, Sno. Half the people
in AZ City only come in my place when you are in town, just for the entertainment factor.”

Sno grunted, “Thanks, Mario. Maybe I should charge you when I come in.”

Cleasemount let the laughter die a bit and then banged her impromptu gavel for silence. “Mister Hunter, stand please. You, sir, need a baby sitter. You have terrible judgment when it comes to employers and even worse judgment when it comes to choosing your friends.”

Hunter
started to speak, but Cleasemount waved him quiet. “No, keep it to yourself. I don’t want to hear from you. You take what I am giving you and you should be grateful you do not find yourself in the same place as Franklin or McNally. You did not actively participate in any criminal activity. You did work to stop Franklin, Cooper and McNally when the opportunity presented itself. I am giving you a choice of two options. Either go home to Earth on the next available transport, or give yourself to the oversight of a Ceres citizen, assuming someone will accept the responsibility for you.”

Sno said, “Miss Cleasemount, what do you mean by ‘oversight’?
Hunter saved my life back at the jail and I feel responsible for him, but I don’t want a slave. I don’t do so well at taking care of myself sometimes much less trying to watch out for someone else.”

Cleasemount said, “It is Mister
Hunter in this hearing if you please. And by my count it is three times that he has saved your life.”

Sno stared back, “Three? How do you get that
?”

Cleasemount ticked off on her fingers, “One: at the jail. That one you recognized. Two: his actions on the old Nod put a kink in
McNally and Franklin’s plans. Captain Chalmers wouldn’t have been able to sneak up on them if he hadn’t stopped Cooper when he did,. Three: have you already forgotten who jumped in front of you when Wallace tried to shoot you?”