Little Fuzzy

  XIV

  They walked together, Frederic and Claudette Pendarvis, down through theroof garden toward the landing stage, and, as she always did, Claudettestopped and cut a flower and fastened it in his lapel.

  "Will the Fuzzies be in court?" she asked.

  "Oh, they'll have to be. I don't know about this morning; it'll be mostlyformalities." He made a grimace that was half a frown and half a smile. "Ireally don't know whether to consider them as witnesses or as exhibits,and I hope I'm not called on to rule on that, at least at the start.Either way, Coombes or Brannhard would accuse me of showing prejudice."

  "I want to see them. I've seen them on screen, but I want to see them forreal."

  "You haven't been in one of my courts for a long time, Claudette. If Ifind that they'll be brought in today, I'll call you. I'll even abuse myposition to the extent of arranging for you to see them outside thecourtroom. Would you like that?"

  She'd love it. Claudette had a limitless capacity for delight in thingslike that. They kissed good-bye, and he went to where his driver washolding open the door of the aircar and got in. At a thousand feet helooked back; she was still standing at the edge of the roof garden,looking up.

  He'd have to find out whether it would be safe for her to come in. MaxFane was worried about the possibility of trouble, and so was IanFerguson, and neither was given to timorous imaginings. As the car beganto descend toward the Central Courts buildings, he saw that there wereguards on the roof, and they weren't just carrying pistols--he caught theglint of rifle barrels, and the twinkle of steel helmets. Then, as he camein, he saw that their uniforms were a lighter shade of blue than theconstabulary wore. Ankle boots and red-striped trousers; Space Marines indress blues. So Ian Ferguson had pushed the button. It occurred to himthat Claudette might be safer here than at home.

  A sergeant and a couple of men came up as he got out; the sergeant touchedthe beak of his helmet in the nearest thing to a salute a Marine ever gaveanybody in civilian clothes.

  "Judge Pendarvis? Good morning, sir."

  "Good morning, sergeant. Just why are Federation Marines guarding thecourt building?"

  "Standing by, sir. Orders of Commodore Napier. You'll find that MarshalFane's people are in charge below-decks, but Marine Captain Casagra andNavy Captain Greibenfeld are waiting to see you in your office."

  As he started toward the elevators, a big Zarathustra Company car wascoming in. The sergeant turned quickly, beckoned a couple of his men andwent toward it on the double. He wondered what Leslie Coombes would thinkabout those Marines.

  The two officers in his private chambers were both wearing sidearms. So,also, was Marshal Fane, who was with them. They all rose to greet him,sitting down when he was at his desk. He asked the same question he had ofthe sergeant above.

  "Well, Constabulary Colonel Ferguson called Commodore Napier last eveningand requested armed assistance, your Honor," the officer in Space Navyblack said. "He suspected, he said, that the city had been infiltrated. Inthat, your Honor, he was perfectly correct; beginning Wednesday afternoon,Marine Captain Casagra, here, on Commodore Napier's orders, began landinga Marine infiltration force, preparatory to taking over the Residency.That's been accomplished now; Commodore Napier is there, and both ResidentGeneral Emmert and Attorney General O'Brien are under arrest, on a varietyof malfeasance and corrupt-practice charges, but that won't come into yourHonor's court. They'll be sent back to Terra for trial."

  "Then Commodore Napier's taken over the civil government?"

  "Well, say he's assumed control of it, pending the outcome of this trial.We want to know whether the present administration's legal or not."

  "Then you won't interfere with the trial itself?"

  "That depends, your Honor. We are certainly going to participate." Helooked at his watch. "You won't convene court for another hour? Thenperhaps I'll have time to explain."

  * * * * *

  Max Fane met them at the courtroom door with a pleasant greeting. Then hesaw Baby Fuzzy on Jack's shoulder and looked dubious.

  "I don't know about him, Jack. I don't think he'll be allowed in thecourtroom."

  "Nonsense!" Gus Brannhard told him. "I admit, he is both a minor child andan incompetent aborigine, but he is the only surviving member of thefamily of the decedent Jane Doe alias Goldilocks, and as such has anindisputable right to be present."

  "Well, just as long as you keep him from sitting on people's heads. Gus,you and Jack sit over there; Ben, you and Gerd find seats in the witnesssection."

  It would be half an hour till court would convene, but already thespectators' seats were full, and so was the balcony. The jury box, on theleft of the bench, was occupied by a number of officers in Navy black andMarine blue. Since there would be no jury, they had apparentlyappropriated it for themselves. The press box was jammed and bristlingwith equipment.

  Baby was looking up interestedly at the big screen behind the judges'seats; while transmitting the court scene to the public, it also showed,like a nonreversing mirror, the same view to the spectators. Baby wasn'tlong in identifying himself in it, and waved his arms excitedly. At thatmoment, there was a bustle at the door by which they had entered, andLeslie Coombes came in, followed by Ernst Mallin and a couple of hisassistants, Ruth Ortheris, Juan Jimenez--and Leonard Kellogg. The lasttime he had seen Kellogg had been at George Lunt's complaint court, hisface bandaged and his feet in a pair of borrowed moccasins because hisshoes, stained with the blood of Goldilocks, had been impounded asevidence.

  Coombes glanced toward the table where he and Brannhard were sitting,caught sight of Baby waving to himself in the big screen and turned toFane with an indignant protest. Fane shook his head. Coombes protestedagain, and drew another headshake. Finally he shrugged and led Kellogg tothe table reserved for them, where they sat down.

  Once Pendarvis and his two associates--a short, roundfaced man on hisright, a tall, slender man with white hair and a black mustache on hisleft--were seated, the trial got underway briskly. The charges were read,and then Brannhard, as the Kellogg prosecutor, addressed the court--"beingknown as Goldilocks ... sapient member of a sapient race ... willful anddeliberate act of the said Leonard Kellogg ... brutal and unprovokedmurder." He backed away, sat on the edge of the table and picked up BabyFuzzy, fondling him while Leslie Coombes accused Jack Holloway of brutallyassaulting the said Leonard Kellogg and ruthlessly shooting down KurtBorch.

  "Well, gentlemen, I believe we can now begin hearing the witnesses," theChief Justice said. "Who will start prosecuting whom?"

  Gus handed Baby to Jack and went forward: Coombes stepped up beside him.

  "Your Honor, this entire trial hinges upon the question of whether amember of the species _Fuzzy fuzzy holloway zarathustra_ is or is not asapient being," Gus said. "However, before any attempt is made todetermine this question, we should first establish, by testimony, justwhat happened at Holloway's Camp, in Cold Creek Valley, on the afternoonof June 19, Atomic Era Six Fifty-Four, and once this is established, wecan then proceed to the question of whether or not the said Goldilocks wastruly a sapient being."

  "I agree," Coombes said equably. "Most of these witnesses will have to berecalled to the stand later, but in general I think Mr. Brannhard'ssuggestion will be economical of the court's time."

  "Will Mr. Coombes agree to stipulate that any evidence tending to prove ordisprove the sapience of Fuzzies in general be accepted as proving ordisproving the sapience of the being referred to as Goldilocks?"

  Coombes looked that over carefully, decided that it wasn't booby-trappedand agreed. A deputy marshal went over to the witness stand, made someadjustments and snapped on a switch at the back of the chair. Immediatelythe two-foot globe in a standard behind it lit, a clear blue. GeorgeLunt's name was called; the lieutenant took his seat and the bright helmetwas let down over his head and the electrodes attached.

  The globe stayed a calm, untroubled blue while he stated his name andrank. Then he waited while Coo
mbes and Brannhard conferred. FinallyBrannhard took a silver half-sol piece from his pocket, shook it betweencupped palms and slapped it onto his wrist. Coombes said, "Heads," andBrannhard uncovered it, bowed slightly and stepped back.

  "Now, Lieutenant Lunt," Coombes began, "when you arrived at the temporarycamp across the run from Holloway's camp, what did you find there?"

  "Two dead people," Lunt said. "A Terran human, who had been shot threetimes through the chest, and a Fuzzy, who had been kicked or trampled todeath."

  "Your Honors!" Coombes expostulated, "I must ask that the witness berequested to rephrase his answer, and that the answer he has just made bestricken from the record. The witness, under the circumstances, has noright to refer to the Fuzzies as 'people.'"

  "Your Honors," Brannhard caught it up, "Mr. Coombes's objection is no lessprejudicial. He has no right, under the circumstances, to deny that theFuzzies be referred to as 'people.' This is tantamount to insisting thatthe witness speak of them as nonsapient animals."

  It went on like that for five minutes. Jack began doodling on a notepad.Baby picked up a pencil with both hands and began making doodles too. Theylooked rather like the knots he had been learning to tie. Finally, thecourt intervened and told Lunt to tell, in his own words, why he went toHolloway's camp, what he found there, what he was told and what he did.There was some argument between Coombes and Brannhard, at one point, aboutthe difference between hearsay and _res gestae_. When he was through,Coombes said, "No questions."

  "Lieutenant, you placed Leonard Kellogg under arrest on a complaint ofhomicide by Jack Holloway. I take it that you considered this complaint avalid one?"

  "Yes, sir. I believed that Leonard Kellogg had killed a sapient being.Only sapient beings bury their dead."

  Ahmed Khadra testified. The two troopers who had come in the other car,and the men who had brought the investigative equipment and done thephotographing at the scene testified. Brannhard called Ruth Ortheris tothe stand, and, after some futile objections by Coombes, she was allowedto tell her own story of the killing of Goldilocks, the beating of Kelloggand the shooting of Borch. When she had finished, the Chief Justice rappedwith his gavel.

  "I believe that this testimony is sufficient to establish the fact thatthe being referred to as Jane Doe alias Goldilocks was in fact kicked andtrampled to death by the defendant Leonard Kellogg, and that the Terranhuman known as Kurt Borch was in fact shot to death by Jack Holloway. Thisbeing the case, we may now consider whether or not either or both of thesekillings constitute murder within the meaning of the law. It is now elevenforty. We will adjourn for lunch, and court will reconvene at fourteenhundred. There are a number of things, including some alterations to thecourtroom, which must be done before the afternoon session.... Yes, Mr.Brannhard?"

  "Your Honors, there is only one member of the species _Fuzzy fuzzyholloway zarathustra_ at present in court, an immature and hencenonrepresentative individual." He picked up Baby and exhibited him. "If weare to take up the question of the sapience of this species, or race,would it not be well to send for the Fuzzies now staying at the HotelMallory and have them on hand?"

  "Well, Mr. Brannhard," Pendarvis said, "we will certainly want Fuzzies incourt, but let me suggest that we wait until after court reconvenes beforesending for them. It may be that they will not be needed this afternoon.Anything else?" He tapped with his gavel. "Then court is adjourned untilfourteen hundred."

  * * * * *

  Some alterations in the courtroom had been a conservative way of puttingit. Four rows of spectators' seats had been abolished, and the dividingrail moved back. The witness chair, originally at the side of the bench,had been moved to the dividing rail and now faced the bench, and a largenumber of tables had been brought in and ranged in an arc with the witnesschair in the middle of it. Everybody at the tables could face the judges,and also see everybody else by looking into the big screen. A witness onthe chair could also see the veridicator in the same way.

  Gus Brannhard looked around, when he entered with Jack, and swore softly.

  "No wonder they gave us two hours for lunch. I wonder what the idea is."Then he gave a short laugh. "Look at Coombes; he doesn't like it a bit."

  A deputy with a seating diagram came up to them.

  "Mr. Brannhard, you and Mr. Holloway over here, at this table." He pointedto one a little apart from the others, at the extreme right facing thebench. "And Dr. van Riebeek, and Dr. Rainsford over here, please."

  The court crier's loud-speaker, overhead, gave two sharp whistles andbegan:

  "Now hear this! Now hear this! Court will convene in five minutes--"

  Brannhard's head jerked around instantly, and Jack's eyes followed his.The court crier was a Space Navy petty officer.

  "What the devil is this?" Brannhard demanded. "A Navy court-martial?"

  "That's what I've been wondering, Mr. Brannhard," the deputy said."They've taken over the whole planet, you know."

  "Maybe we're in luck, Gus. I've always heard that if you're innocentyou're better off before a court-martial and if you're guilty you'rebetter off in a civil court."

  He saw Leslie Coombes and Leonard Kellogg being seated at a similar tableat the opposite side of the bench. Apparently Coombes had also heard that.The seating arrangements at the other tables seemed a little odd too. Gerdvan Riebeek was next to Ruth Ortheris, and Ernst Mallin was next to BenRainsford, with Juan Jimenez on his other side. Gus was looking up at thebalcony.

  "I'll bet every lawyer on the planet's taking this in," he said. "Oh-oh!See the white-haired lady in the blue dress, Jack? That's the ChiefJustice's wife. This is the first time she's been in court for years."

  "Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! Rise for the Honorable Court!"

  Somebody must have given the petty officer a quick briefing on courtroomphraseology. He stood up, holding Baby Fuzzy, while the three judges filedin and took their seats. As soon as they sat down, the Chief Justicerapped briskly with his gavel.

  "In order to forestall a spate of objections, I want to say that thesepresent arrangements are temporary, and so will be the procedures whichwill be followed. We are not, at the moment, trying Jack Holloway orLeonard Kellogg. For the rest of this day, and, I fear, for a good manydays to come, we will be concerned exclusively with determining the levelof mentation of _Fuzzy fuzzy holloway zarathustra_.

  "For this purpose, we are temporarily abandoning some of the traditionaltrial procedures. We will call witnesses; statements of purported factwill be made under veridication as usual. We will also have a generaldiscussion, in which all of you at these tables will be free toparticipate. I and my associates will preside; as we can't have everybodyshouting disputations at once, anyone wishing to speak will have to berecognized. At least, I hope we will be able to conduct the discussion inthis manner.

  "You will all have noticed the presence of a number of officers fromXerxes Naval Base, and I suppose you have all heard that Commodore Napierhas assumed control of the civil government. Captain Greibenfeld, will youplease rise and be seen? He is here participating as _amicus curiae_, andI have given him the right to question witnesses and to delegate thatright to any of his officers he may deem proper. Mr. Coombes and Mr.Brannhard may also delegate that right as they see fit."

  Coombes was on his feet at once. "Your Honors, if we are now to discussthe sapience question, I would suggest that the first item on our order ofbusiness be the presentation of some acceptable definition of sapience. Ishould, for my part, very much like to know what it is that the Kelloggprosecution and the Holloway defense mean when they use that term."

  That's it. They want us to define it. Gerd van Riebeek was lookingchagrined; Ernst Mallin was smirking. Gus Brannhard, however, was pleased.

  "Jack, they haven't any more damn definition than we do," he whispered.

  Captain Greibenfeld, who had seated himself after rising at the request ofthe court, was on his feet again.

  "Your Honors, during the past month we at Xe
rxes Naval Base have beenworking on exactly that problem. We have a very considerable interest inhaving the classification of this planet established, and we also feelthat this may not be the last time a question of disputable sapience mayarise. I believe, your Honors, that we have approached such a definition.However, before we begin discussing it, I would like the court'spermission to present a demonstration which may be of help inunderstanding the problems involved."

  "Captain Greibenfeld has already discussed this demonstration with me, andit has my approval. Will you please proceed, Captain," the Chief Justicesaid.

  Greibenfeld nodded, and a deputy marshal opened the door on the right ofthe bench. Two spacemen came in, carrying cartons. One went up to thebench; the other started around in front of the tables, distributing smallbattery-powered hearing aids.

  "Please put them in your ears and turn them on," he said. "Thank you."

  Baby Fuzzy tried to get Jack's. He put the plug in his ear and switched onthe power. Instantly he began hearing a number of small sounds he hadnever heard before, and Baby was saying to him: "_He-inta sa-wa'aka; iggasa geeda?_"

  "Muhgawd, Gus, he's talking!"

  "Yes, I hear him; what do you suppose--?"

  "Ultrasonic; God, why didn't we think of that long ago?"

  He snapped off the hearing aid. Baby Fuzzy was saying, "Yeeek." When heturned it on again, Baby was saying, "_Kukk-ina za zeeva._"

  "No, Baby, Pappy Jack doesn't understand. We'll have to be awfullypatient, and learn each other's language."

  "_Pa-pee Jaaak!_" Baby cried. "_Ba-bee za-hinga; Pa-pee Jaak za zag gahe-izza!_"

  "That yeeking is just the audible edge of their speech; bet we have a lotof transsonic tones in our voices, too."

  "Well, he can hear what we say; he's picked up his name and yours."

  "Mr. Brannhard, Mr. Holloway," Judge Pendarvis was saying, "may we pleasehave your attention? Now, have you all your earplugs in and turned on?Very well; carry on, Captain."

  This time, an ensign went out and came back with a crowd of enlisted men,who had six Fuzzies with them. They set them down in the open spacebetween the bench and the arc of tables and backed away. The Fuzzies drewtogether into a clump and stared around them, and he stared,unbelievingly, at them. They couldn't be; they didn't exist any more. Butthey were--Little Fuzzy and Mamma Fuzzy and Mike and Mitzi and Ko-Ko andCinderella. Baby whooped something and leaped from the table, and Mammacame stumbling to meet him, clasping him in her arms. Then they all sawhim and began clamoring: "_Pa-pee Jaaak! Pa-pee Jaaak!_"

  He wasn't aware of rising and leaving the table; the next thing herealized, he was sitting on the floor, his family mobbing him and hugginghim, gabbling with joy. Dimly he heard the gavel hammering, and the voiceof Chief Justice Pendarvis: "Court is recessed for ten minutes!" By thattime, Gus was with him; gathering the family up, they carried them over totheir table.

  They stumbled and staggered when they moved, and that frightened him for amoment. Then he realized that they weren't sick or drugged. They'd justbeen in low-G for a while and hadn't become reaccustomed to normal weight.Now he knew why he hadn't been able to find any trace of them. He noticedthat each of them was wearing a little shoulder bag--a Marine Corpsfirst-aid pouch--slung from a webbing strap. Why the devil hadn't hethought of making them something like that? He touched one and commented,trying to pitch his voice as nearly like theirs as he could. They allbabbled in reply and began opening the little bags and showing him whatthey had in them--little knives and miniature tools and bits of bright orcolored junk they had picked up. Little Fuzzy produced a tiny pipe with ahardwood bowl, and a little pouch of tobacco from which he filled it.Finally, he got out a small lighter.

  "Your Honors!" Gus shouted, "I know court is recessed, but please observewhat Little Fuzzy is doing."

  While they watched, Little Fuzzy snapped the lighter and held the flame tothe pipe bowl, puffing.

  Across on the other side, Leslie Coombes swallowed once or twice andclosed his eyes.

  When Pendarvis rapped for attention and declared court reconvened, hesaid:

  "Ladies and gentlemen, you have all seen and heard this demonstration ofCaptain Greibenfeld's. You have heard these Fuzzies uttering whatcertainly sounds like meaningful speech, and you have seen one of themlight a pipe and smoke. Incidentally, while smoking in court isdiscountenanced, we are going to make an exception, during this trial, infavor of Fuzzies. Other people will please not feel themselvesdiscriminated against."

  That brought Coombes to his feet with a rush. He started around the tableand then remembered that under the new rules he didn't have to.

  "Your Honors, I objected strongly to the use of that term by a witnessthis morning; I must object even more emphatically to its employment fromthe bench. I have indeed heard these Fuzzies make sounds which might bemistaken for words, but I must deny that this is true speech. As to thistrick of using a lighter, I will undertake, in not more than thirty days,to teach it to any Terran primate or Freyan kholph."

  Greibenfeld rose immediately. "Your Honors, in the past thirty days, whilethese Fuzzies were at Xerxes Naval Base, we have compiled a vocabulary ofa hundred-odd Fuzzy words, for all of which definite meanings have beenestablished, and a great many more for which we have not as yet learnedthe meanings. We even have the beginning of a Fuzzy grammar. As for thisso-called trick of using a lighter, Little Fuzzy--we didn't know his namethen and referred to him as M2--learned that for himself, by observation.We didn't teach him to smoke a pipe either; he knew that before we hadanything to do with him."

  Jack rose while Greibenfeld was still speaking. As soon as the Space Navycaptain had finished, he said:

  "Captain Greibenfeld, I want to thank you and your people for taking careof the Fuzzies, and I'm very glad you learned how to hear what they'resaying, and thank you for all the nice things you gave them, but whycouldn't you have let me know they were safe? I haven't been very happythe last month, you know."

  "I know that, Mr. Holloway, and if it's any comfort to you, we were allvery sorry for you, but we could not take the risk of compromising oursecret intelligence agent in the Company's Science Center, the one whosmuggled the Fuzzies out the morning after their escape." He lookedquickly across in front of the bench to the table at the other end of thearc. Kellogg was sitting with his face in his hands, oblivious toeverything that was going on, but Leslie Coombes's well-disciplined facehad broken, briefly, into a look of consternation. "By the time you andMr. Brannhard and Marshal Fane arrived with an order of the court for theFuzzies' recovery, they had already been taken from Science Center andwere on a Navy landing craft for Xerxes. We couldn't do anything withoutexposing our agent. That, I am glad to say, is no longer a consideration."

  "Well, Captain Greibenfeld," the Chief Justice said, "I assume you mean tointroduce further testimony about the observations and studies made byyour people on Xerxes. For the record, we'd like to have it establishedthat they were actually taken there, and when, and how."

  "Yes, your Honor. If you will call the fourth name on the list I gave you,and allow me to do the questioning, we can establish that."

  The Chief Justice picked up a paper. "Lieutenant j.g. Ruth Ortheris, TFNReserve," he called out.

  This time, Jack Holloway looked up into the big screen, in which he couldsee everybody. Gerd van Riebeek, who had been trying to ignore theexistence of the woman beside him, had turned to stare at her inamazement. Coombes's face was ghastly for an instant, then froze intocorpselike immobility: Ernst Mallin was dithering in incredulous anger;beside him Ben Rainsford was grinning in just as incredulous delight. AsRuth came around in front of the bench, the Fuzzies gave her an ovation;they remembered and liked her. Gus Brannhard was gripping his arm andsaying: "Oh, brother! This is it, Jack; it's all over but shooting thecripples!"

  Lieutenant j.g. Ortheris, under a calmly blue globe, testified to comingto Zarathustra as a Federation Naval Reserve officer recalled to duty withIntelligence, and taking a position with the C
ompany.

  "As a regularly qualified doctor of psychology, I worked under Dr. Mallinin the scientific division, and also with the school department and thejuvenile court. At the same time I was regularly transmitting reports toCommander Aelborg, the chief of Intelligence on Xerxes. The object of thissurveillance was to make sure that the Zarathustra Company was notviolating the provisions of their charter or Federation law. Until themiddle of last month, I had nothing to report beyond some rather irregularfinancial transactions involving Resident General Emmert. Then, on theevening of June fifteen--"

  That was when Ben had transmitted the tape to Juan Jimenez; she describedhow it had come to her attention.

  "As soon as possible, I transmitted a copy of this tape to CommanderAelborg. The next night, I called Xerxes from the screen on Dr. vanRiebeek's boat and reported what I'd learned about the Fuzzies. I was theninformed that Leonard Kellogg had gotten hold of a copy of theHolloway-Rainsford tape and had alerted Victor Grego; that Kellogg andErnst Mallin were being sent to Beta Continent with instructions toprevent publication of any report claiming sapience for the Fuzzies and tofabricate evidence to support an accusation that Dr. Rainsford and Mr.Holloway were perpetrating a deliberate scientific hoax."

  "Here, I'll have to object to this, your Honor," Coombes said, rising."This is nothing but hearsay."

  "This is part of a Navy Intelligence situation estimate given toLieutenant Ortheris, based on reports we had received from other agents,"Captain Greibenfeld said. "She isn't the only one we have on Zarathustra,you know. Mr. Coombes, if I hear another word of objection to thisofficer's testimony from you, I am going to ask Mr. Brannhard to subpoenaVictor Grego and question him under veridication about it."

  "Mr. Brannhard will be more than happy to oblige, Commander," Gus saidloudly and distinctly.

  Coombes sat down hastily.

  "Well, Lieutenant Ortheris, this is most interesting, but at the moment,what we're trying to establish is how these Fuzzies got to Xerxes NavalBase," the chubby associate justice, Ruiz, put in.

  "I'll try to get them there as quickly as possible, your Honor," she said."On the night of Friday the twenty-second, the Fuzzies were taken from Mr.Holloway and brought into Mallorysport; they were turned over by MohammedO'Brien to Juan Jimenez, who took them to Science Center and put them incages in a room back of his office. They immediately escaped. I foundthem, the next morning, and was able to get them out of the building, andto turn them over to Commander Aelborg, who had come down from Xerxes totake personal charge of the Fuzzy operation. I will not testify as to howI was able to do this. I am at present and was then an officer of theTerran Federation Armed Forces; the courts have no power to compel aFederation officer to give testimony involving breach of militarysecurity. I was informed, through my contact in Mallorysport, from time totime, of the progress of the work of measuring the Fuzzies' mental levelthere; I was able to pass on suggestions occasionally. Any time any ofthese suggestions was based on ideas originating with Dr. Mallin, I wascareful to give him full credit."

  Mallin looked singularly unappreciative.

  Brannhard got up. "Before this witness is excused, I'd like to ask if sheknows anything about four other Fuzzies, the ones found by Jack Hollowayup Ferny Creek on Friday."

  "Why, yes; they're my Fuzzies, and I was worried about them. Their namesare Complex, Syndrome, Id and Superego."

  "Your Fuzzies, Lieutenant?"

  "Well, I took care of them and worked with them; Juan Jimenez and someCompany hunters caught them over on Beta Continent. They were kept at afarm center about five hundred miles north of here, which had been vacatedfor the purpose. I spent all my time with them, and Dr. Mallin was withthem most of the time. Then, on Monday night, Mr. Coombes came and gotthem."

  "Mr. Coombes, did you say?" Gus Brannhard asked.

  "Mr. Leslie Coombes, the Company attorney. He said they were needed inMallorysport. It wasn't till the next day that I found out what they wereneeded for. They'd been turned loose in front of that Fuzzy hunt, in thehope that they would be killed."

  She looked across at Coombes; if looks were bullets, he'd have been deaderthan Kurt Borch.

  "Why would they sacrifice four Fuzzies merely to support a story that wasbound to come apart anyhow?" Brannhard asked.

  "That was no sacrifice. They had to get rid of those Fuzzies, and theywere afraid to kill them themselves for fear they'd be charged with murderalong with Leonard Kellogg. Everybody, from Ernst Mallin down, who hadanything to do with them was convinced of their sapience. For one thing,we'd been using those hearing aids ourselves; I suggested it, aftergetting the idea from Xerxes. Ask Dr. Mallin about it, under veridication.Ask him about the multiordinal polyencephalograph experiments, too."

  "Well, we have the Holloway Fuzzies placed on Xerxes," the Chief Justicesaid. "We can hear the testimony of the people who worked with them thereat any time. Now, I want to hear from Dr. Ernst Mallin."

  Coombes was on his feet again. "Your Honors, before any further testimonyis heard, I would like to confer with my client privately."

  "I fail to see any reason why we should interrupt proceedings for thatpurpose, Mr. Coombes. You can confer as much as you wish with your clientafter this session, and I can assure you that you will be called upon todo nothing on his behalf until then." He gave a light tap with his gaveland then said: "Dr. Ernst Mallin will please take the stand."