I squirmed around in my wheelchair, looking for a water bottle. My throat was hurting again. For some reason, I glanced across to the back of the room. Despite my blurry vision, I thought I saw someone who looked like J'mee there. She looked angry and hurt. She saw me looking at her, made a face, and turned away. I turned forward again.
Judge Cavanaugh was saying, "I want to note something else here. If it's your argument that the memory was never really Max Dingillian's at all, that this whole thing was a charade–and that all of the paperwork being passed around to prove ownership was just a pretense for the purpose of avoiding export and duty fees, emigration taxes, and so on, then that indicates a pattern of deliberate criminal behavior on his part and yours as well. If you're prepared to pursue that line of argument, that the memory was never really Max Dingillian's, then this court has to regard you as a criminal defendant. You will be immediately liable for several hundred thousands of liters in importation and emigration fees, not to mention additional severe penalties–and they will be severe–for smuggling with intent to defraud."
Cheifetz was already reaching for his wallet. "I'll happily pay those fees, Your Honor, if it will get me my property back–"
Wrong answer. The judge's gavel stopped him cold. "Mr. Cheifetz, take your seat please. This court has to accept the existing evidence at face value. You wanted Luna to believe that you sold the memory and it isn't yours? Fine. Luna is convinced. You sold the memory. It isn't yours. You want to buy it back? That's fine too. Once this court determines who the legal owner is, you may make your offer."
Cheifetz started to sputter. In the back of the room, J'mee started to cry. Cavanaugh hammered again. "Next." He glanced up. "Who are you?"
A rumply little man stepped forward. "Howard Phroomis, representing Stellar‑American Industries, Your Honor." Howard?The same lousy lawyer who'd chased us all over the Line with subpoenas from hell? What was he doing here? Had they dumped him in a cargo pod aimed at the moon as well?
"Your Honor, Stellar‑American believes that the object contains property belonging to Stellar‑American, stolen from Stellar‑American, and passed into the hands of Canadian‑Interplanetary, and from there into the hands of the Dingillian family, specifically for the purpose of smuggling it off‑planet. We can demonstrate that the property inside the toy was manufactured by Stellar‑American and was stolen from Stellar‑American; therefore, despite the trail of paperwork that everyone else has carefully laid down, all of those claims are invalid because the property was stolen to begin with. In point of fact, Stellar‑American believes that every member of this conspiracy should be apprehended and charged with receiving and transporting stolen property with intent to defraud."
"Ahh," said Judge Cavanaugh. "Stolen property, you say? Now this is getting interesting. You realize of course, that if you make this charge, this transforms this hearing from a simple arbitration of claims into a criminal matter–?"
"Yes, Your Honor. That's my intention."
PROCEEDINGS
During the recess, Mickey showed up. He was taking a chance; the judge had specifically instructed that nobody was to approach us for the purpose of making any offers at all. But Mickey wasn't there to negotiate. He just looked worried. He put his hand on mine. "How are you feeling, Charles?" I didn't answer. I had this very specific memory that he had done something pretty awful. When he saw I wasn't going to answer, he turned to Douglas. "If this goes into the criminal domain, you're going to need a lawyer. Let me help."
"Lawyers got us into this mess," Douglas said. "It's everybody wanting to help that keeps making things worse. Where does it stop? I told you to get away from us and leave us alone."
Mickey lowered his voice. "I didn't want to do it. I didn't plan to do it. I was going to keep my promise. But your brother looked like he was dying. And I figured keeping him alive was more important than anything else, so I did what I did to get him to the best hospital on Luna. We were lucky–he wasn't as badly burned as I was afraid. But I didn't know that at the time, and I wasn't going to take chances with his life or yours. And I can still keep my promise, if you'll let me. You're going to need a lawyer–maybe my mom can help."
"She didn't do too good for us last time, Mickey. No thanks." Douglas glared at Mickey until Mickey lowered his gaze and turned away. I felt bad for both of them.
After he was gone, I leaned over, and whispered to Douglas, "Where are we going to get a lawyer?"
Douglas nodded toward the back of the room. "There are a couple hundred of them just outside that door, all fighting for the chance to represent us. I don't understand why."
" It's the monkey,"I whispered. " I told you!"
" Yeah, I know what you said. But everyone else says it's just industrial memory."
" The monkey told me itself!"
" Maybe it was running a simulation in self‑defense?"
" A simulation of sentience? Come on, Douglas! You know better than that. A simulation of sentience is sentience!"
" You didn't talk to it very long. Some chatterbots are very good, Chigger."
I didn't answer immediately. I was still thinking about what had just fallen out of my mouth. When the judge gaveled the courtroom back to order, I levered myself uneasily to my feet and croaked, "Your Honor–?"
Judge Cavanaugh looked at me sympathetically. "I sincerely hope that's a temporary condition, young man. Yes?"
"If everybody is willing to stipulate that the monkey belongs to Bobby, I'd like to ask that it be returned to us. We're willing to agree not to tamper with any of the memory or anything else inside it, and if the court rules that the memory bars belong to someone else, we'll agree to turn them over. But we have some of our personal information and resources stored in the monkey too, and our lawyer, when we get one, is going to need access to that–if we're to represent ourselves adequately."
Judge Cavanaugh nodded. "You argue well. But much too politely. I'm afraid you'll never be a good lawyer."
"Yes. Thank you, Your Honor."
"Is there anyone who can present a valid objection why Robert Dingillian should not have his toy returned to him, under the terms put forward by Charles Dingillian?" Before anyone could object, he hammered his gavel. "So ruled." He turned back to us. "Robert, you can take your monkey now."
Bobby leapt out of his chair and ran to the table. He scooped the monkey up into his arms, but it remained lifeless. "It's broken!" he wailed.
Judge Cavanaugh looked unhappy. "Yes, it does appear to be. It shut itself down when the court was examining it, and we've been unable to reboot it."
"Did you open up its backside? Did you take its memory bars out?" I asked.
The judge shook his head. "I know better than to tamper with evidence. May I assume that I don't have to advise you not to open it up either?"
"Yes, sir." That was both Douglas and myself, in unison.
"But it's broken!" wailed Bobby.
Douglas looked to me. "Charles … ?"
" Yes, Douglas?"