Dragonback 05 Dragon and Judge (14 page)

Jack gestured to Fisionna. "Let me see it."

The Golvin lifted his arm. "Move it around," Jack instructed.
"Show me how it was damaged."

"It was harmed here," Fisionna said, pointing to the forearm.

"Move it around," Jack repeated.

The other did so. As far as Jack could tell, it had the full range
of motion he'd seen in other Golvins. "It looks all right to me," he
said.

"But it
was
injured," Fisionna said. "I deserve
compensation for the pain. And my work suffered, as well."

"How long were you unable to work?" Jack asked.

Fisionna gave Thonsifi a sideways glance. "I was never
completely
unable to work," he hedged. "But it was difficult and most painful."

"For how long?"

Another sideways glance. "Over a month."

But not even close to two months, Jack suspected, or the Golvin
would have fudged the number that direction. It was a game Jack knew
well, having often played it himself against Uncle Virgil. "All right,
then, let's try this," he suggested. "Who else witnessed the incident?"

Fisionna was starting to look like he was regretting having given
up part of his morning for this. "No one," he admitted.

Jack shifted his attention to Eisetw. "And you claim it was an
accident?"

"The shovel was muddy and slipped from my hand," Eisetw said. "And
I offered to help with his work while he needed it."

"I am a craftsman," Fisionna said stiffly. "A worker of wooden
goods. A mere farmer does not have the skill to truly assist me."

"Nevertheless, he
did
offer," Jack said. "More
importantly, there were no witnesses and appears to be no permanent
damage. I am therefore dismissing the case and the charges."

Fisionna threw a look at Eisetw, then another at Thonsifi, then
looked back at Jack. Jack waited a moment, but if the other had been
planning to complain about the verdict he'd apparently thought better
of it. "The case is dismissed," Jack said again. "You may both return
to your work."

The two Golvins bowed their heads in brief salute, then turned and
headed off across the Great Hall. "Next?" Jack asked.

Thonsifi gestured two more Golvins forward, one of them walking
with a definite limp. Unlike the last case, this one was apparently
fresh. "Six-Seven-Nine Among Many and Two-Naught-One-Two Among Many,"
she said. "One month ago Twnaontw struck Siseni with a weeding tool and
caused serious damage to his right leg."

"He was on my land—" Twnaontw began.

"Silence," Thonsifi snapped.

"You'll get your turn to speak," Jack promised. "Any witnesses
this time?"

"There were two," Thonsifi said, motioning two more Golvins
forward. "Four-Four-Three Among Many is an upright," she added,
pointing to one of them.

Jack waved the latter forward another few steps. "Tell me what
happened," he invited.

"Siseni was indeed on Twnaontw's land," Fofoth said. "He was
speaking to Twnaontw."

"About what?"

"I was too far away to hear the words," Fofoth said. "But I could
hear that both voices were becoming angry."

"Then what happened?"

"Twnaontw ordered Siseni from his land," Fofoth said. "I could
tell that from his hand movements. Siseni stepped into the irrigation
channel and continued talking. Twnaontw moved to the edge of his land
closest to Siseni and said something. Siseni said something else, and
that was when Twnaontw struck him."

"Thank you." Jack motioned him back and gestured to Twnaontw.
"What was the argument about?"

"He was talking about my sister," the other said, his eyes
darkening with the memory. "He was being highly insulting."

Jack looked at Siseni. "Were you?"

Siseni drew himself up to his full height. "I spoke truth," he
said in a lofty tone. "One should not be attacked merely for speaking
truth."

"I agree," Jack said. On the other hand, he'd seen enough fights
among Uncle Virgil's old associates to know that tone and attitude
could turn what was technically a truthful statement into something
with lots of very sharp edges. "Why didn't you leave Twnaontw's land
when he ordered you to?"

"I
did
leave," Siseni countered.

"To stand in his irrigation channel."

"The channel is not his," Siseni said stiffly. "None of this is
relevant."

"You will not speak that way—" Thonsifi began.

And broke off, her head tilted to the side, her face turned toward
the far end of the Great Hall.

"What is it?" Jack said, following her gaze. Across the way,
fifteen or twenty Golvins were converging on the pillar containing
Jack's apartment. Converging very rapidly.

And each of the Golvins was carrying a compact bow with a small
quiver of arrows slung over his vest.

"What is it?" Jack demanded again, his heart suddenly pounding.
Had someone spotted Draycos? "What's going on?"

"I will find out," Thonsifi said. She said something in the Golvin
language to one of Jack's guards. He nodded and headed across the Great
Hall at a fast trot. "Sefiseni will find out."

She gestured to Siseni and Twnaontw. "In the meantime . . .?"

"Of course," Jack said, forcing his mind back to the case as he
watched the unfolding drama out of the corner of his eye. The running
Golvins had reached the base of the pillar now, and five of them handed
their weapons to others and began climbing the stone. "We clearly and
definitely have a willful act here—"

And then, to his relief, the climbing Golvins passed his apartment
without a second glance and kept going.

Whatever was happening, it apparently didn't involve Draycos.

"—a willful act which resulted in clear injury," he went on,
bringing his full attention back to the Golvins standing in front of
him. "However, I also find there to have been a certain amount of
provocation in the incident. I therefore rule that Twnaontw will assist
Siseni in his work until Siseni's leg is sufficiently healed for him to
resume his duties by himself."

"This is outrageous," Siseni protested. "He has deliberately
injured me. I deserve something more lasting than merely a few months
of assistance."

"You mean like some of his land?" Jack suggested mildly.

Siseni brought his chin up. "Exactly."

"Which currently borders yours, I presume?"

Siseni glared at Twnaontw. "And the leaves from which fall onto
my
land."

"Sorry, but that's not the case at hand," Jack told him. So at its
root the whole thing had been little more than an attempted land grab
disguised as a cry for justice. Siseni had probably engineered the
whole incident, in fact, attack and all. "Land disputes will be taken
up at another time, if you'd care to file a complaint. In the meantime,
I rule that for every hour you work your land, Twnaontw will work for a
quarter hour."

Siseni's mouth dropped open. "A mere
quarter hour
?" he all
but yelped. "That is an insult! I am a level Six of the Many—"

"In that case, perhaps we should make it a sixth of an hour
instead of a quarter hour," Jack cut him off. "Or perhaps even less."

Siseni's facial wrinkles were working overtime as his emotions
surged like a spring flood. Jack waited patiently, and after a long
moment the wrinkles faded away. "I will accept the judgment," he
muttered.

"Good," Jack said. "You may both return to your work."

Drawing himself up, clearly trying to gather together as much
dignity as he could, Siseni turned and stalked away, his limp rather
ruining the effect. Twnaontw bowed his head briefly to Jack, then
followed.

"A question, Jupa Jack," Thonsifi said quietly from beside him.
"You say Twnaontw will assist until Siseni's leg is sufficiently
healed. How will we know when that will be?"

"Was Siseni at the dinner party a few days ago that honored my
arrival?" Jack asked her.

"He was."

"When did he leave?"

Thonsifi's lips worked with thought. "I believe at the thirteenth
hour."

Barely an hour after the party had begun, and a full three hours
before it finally closed down. "His leg was probably hurting him," Jack
said.

"Yes, now that I think, I remember him saying exactly that,"
Thonsifi confirmed.

"I presume you have other dinners and festivals and such on a
regular basis?"

"At least once a month," Thonsifi said. "More often if there are
special events."

"Good," Jack said. "Then you keep an eye on him. The first time he
lasts at least three hours into one of these festivals,
that
's
when his leg is sufficiently healed."

For a moment Thonsifi looked puzzled. Then, her expression
cleared. "I understand, Jupa Jack. You are indeed wise beyond your
seasons."

"Let's just say I know how people think," Jack said. "Next
case—wait a minute," he interrupted himself. Across the Great Hall, the
guard Thonsifi had sent out had reappeared and was coming toward them.
"Let's hear what Sefiseni's found out."

The guard reached Thonsifi and conversed with her for a minute in
their own language. Whatever was being said, Jack noticed uneasily, it
was causing a quiet stir among the rest of the waiting Golvins. "It was
the prisoner," Thonsifi said, turning back to Jack. "But it is all
right. He has not escaped."

"What prisoner is this?" Jack asked, frowning.

"A loud noise alerted some of the young mothers who were resting
in their apartments," Thonsifi continued. "The noise was investigated,
and it has been learned that the prisoner was trying to escape."

"What prisoner?" Jack repeated. "Who is he?"

Thonsifi's face darkened. "He is a murderer, Jupa Jack," she said
in a low voice. "He caused the deaths of four of the Many."

"When?" Jack asked. Could this prisoner be the human Draycos had
smelled the night before? "What exactly happened?"

"It is no concern of yours, Jupa Jack," Thonsifi said. "The
decision on his punishment has already been made."

"Maybe I'd like to rehear it," Jack said.

"It is no concern of yours," Thonsifi repeated. "May I bring the
next case?"

Jack glowered across at his pillar, and the Golvins still standing
guard around its base. In other words, foreigner, back off and butt out?

Fine. Jack would back off. For now.

But the One would hear about this . . . and Jack
would
find out what was going on.

In the meantime, there was work to do. "Very well," he said to
Thonsifi. "Bring it on."

With questions about the mysterious prisoner swirling through his
mind, he called an early lunch break. To his relief, and as Draycos had
predicted, no one raised any objections to his decision to return to
his apartment for a few minutes before rejoining the others for the
midday meal.

Draycos was nowhere to be seen as he pushed aside the fringe and
entered the apartment. "Draycos?" he called softly as he walked into
the bedroom.

"Here," the K'da said, lifting his head into view from the far
side of the bed.

"Catching a little nap, are we?" Jack asked, circling around the
foot of the bed. "Wait'll you hear—
geez
!" He broke off as he
came within sight of the black blood spread across the other's scales.

"I had to descend the shaft rather quickly," Draycos explained,
getting gingerly to his feet. "It looked worse before."

"I'll just bet it did," Jack said, heading into the bathroom and
grabbing one of the washcloths. "Get in here."

A few careful minutes later, he had wiped off most of the caked
blood. "At least you look better now," he said as he rinsed out the
cloth. "What's the rest of the damage?"

"It's not too bad," Draycos assured him. "A few bruised muscles
and strained joints and lightly burned paws. A day or two of rest
against your skin and I should be back to full health."

"I hope so," Jack said, laying out the cloth to dry and heading
for the galley. "Because something new has just come up."

He related what little he knew about the prisoner as he got the
K'da some meat and water. "At least now I know what the noise was that
tipped them off," he concluded. "You falling down the shaft."

"Descending the shaft rather quickly," Draycos corrected as he
wolfed down the meal. "Though I'm not sure whether to be pleased or
regretful for my unplanned part of this incident."

"You don't think this guy's really a murderer?"

"I don't know," Draycos said. "But we've both seen the Golvin
ability to shape and color the truth to say what they wish others to
hear."

"Like in just about every case I've heard in the past six days,"
Jack said wryly. "Makes your ears itch after a while."

"In that they are not so different from other peoples," Draycos
pointed out. "But it means we must be careful not to come to any
conclusions until we know all the facts. I trust you'll be speaking to
the One about that?"

"First chance I get," Jack said, clearing away the remains of the
K'da's meal. "Meanwhile, I need to get back. Hop aboard, and let's go."

The chance arrived sooner than Jack had expected. When he returned
to the Great Hall, he found the One waiting for him.

"Good midday to you, One Among Many," Jack greeted him. "This is a
fortunate meeting."

"Perhaps not so fortunate," the One warned. "Thonsifi tells me you
have asked for information on our prisoner."

"That's right," Jack said. "I was told he killed four of your
people?"

"Yes," the One said, his voice darkening. "Four of the Many, none
of whom was threatening him in any way." He eyed Jack. "Nor did they
offer any provocation to him," he added pointedly.

So Thonsifi had also given him a rundown on the morning's
decisions. "I'd still like to hear all the facts," he told the One. "I
may decide that a rehearing of his case would be—"