“After all, he had to appear to work for his clients,” she added tolerantly. “I’m glad we had Iantine sit up close. I want to see his sketches of the trial. I could wish he worked as fast with my portrait.”
“Your portrait is scarcely the same thing as annotating a trial. And he’s to come to Benden when he’s finished with you two, you know.”
Zulaya was pleased to hear the pride in Irene’s voice when she mentioned Iantine. He was a Bendenian.
“You mean, when he’s finished sketching our riders?”
Irene gave a wistful smile, tinged with sadness. “You’ll be glad he did. I wonder will he do the same thing for us at Benden?”
“Whatever he can fit in, I’m sure. That young man’s got himself more work than he can handle.”
“If he can get it all done before… oh, the jury’s back.” The twelve men and women, picked at random by straw from those who had come to observe, had listened to all the evidence. Tashvi, Bridgely and Franco had sat as judges. Now a silence descended over the room, so intense that a cough was quickly muffled.
The three rapists were accounted guilty as charged and three more were sentenced as accessories, since they had helped pin the victims down. The penalty for the rape of a pregnant woman was castration, which was to be carried out immediately. The others were to receive forty lashes, well laid on by Telgar’s large and strong stewards.
“They were lucky there isn’t Fall,” Zulaya remarked to Irene, Lady Thea and K’vin. “Otherwise they could also have been tied out during the next Fall.”
Despite herself, Thea gave a shudder. “Which is probably why there are so few cases of rape recorded in our Hold’s annals.”
“Small wonder,” K’vin said, crossing his legs again. Zulaya had noticed his defensive position and her lips twitched briefly. He turned away. His Weyrmate had nearly cheered aloud when the verdict was delivered
“You can’t do that to me,” one of the guards was roaring now as he belatedly realized the significance of the verdict.
He had been the leader of the men stationed at the eastern border crossing. The other defendants were too stunned, their mouths moving in soundless protest, Morinst being loud enough to drown out any complaint they could voice. “You’re none of you my Lord,” he’d railed at three Lord Holder judges. You’ve got no right to do this.”
“And you had no right to rape a pregnant woman!”
“But Chalkin ain’t even here.” The man writhed in the grip of his guards.
“Chalkin’s presence would have had no effect on the trial or the verdict,” said Tashvi, at his most repressive.
“But he should’ve been here!” Morinst protested.
“He was invited to attend,” Tashvi said without regret.
“He’s gotta know. You can’t do nuthin’ without him knowing. I gotta contract with him.”
“To rape, torture and humiliate?” Bridgely asked in too soft a voice.
Morinst clamped his lips shut. He struggled more violently as the bailiffs aimed him towards the exit… And his punishment. Not that he could escape either the sentence or the Weyr. The other two were still too stunned to resist their removal to the infirmary where the verdict would be carried out. Those to be lashed were brought outside, though not all the audience followed to witness the corporal punishment.
When that, too, had been completed and the men removed to have their wounds treated, the observers filed back into the Lower Cavern.
While this was scarcely an occasion for celebration, except that justice had been served, a substantial meal had been prepared. Wine was the first item sought and served.
“You were superb, M’shall,” said Irene when her Weyrmate joined her, a newly opened skin of Benden wine on his shoulder, “and do please give me a glass. Though I’m sure you need one more than I. Nice of Bridgely to supply it,” she added to Zulaya.
“I think we all need it,” the Telgar Weyrwoman said, glancing over to where the three plaintiffs were celebrating with considerable enthusiasm. “Well, let them. Now what do we do?”
“Well, we’ve the second trial to get through. I hope it goes as well,” M’shall said.
“No, with them,” and his Weyrmate pointed to the three women.
“Oh. That them. They say they just want to go back to their homes. Not going to let Chalkin take it because they’re not there holding their places.” He made a grimace. “Some of them don’t really have much to go back to. Chalkin’s bullies burned what was flammable and pulled down what they could. I’d say the storms kept more damage from being done. But,” and he altered the grimace to a grin, “give’em credit. They do own what they hold, and now they know it. It may give them a tad more backbone next time they’re chivvied and more pride in what they do. They’ve also asked for ground-crew training.”
“Nothing like losing something - however briefly - to make you value what you have,” Thea said. “On the practical side, though, I think High Reaches can supply some basic items.
“Anyone organizing that?” She glanced about at others in the group. “D’you have numbers yet?”
“Actually we do,” Zulaya said, including Irene in her nod.
“Three hundred and forty-two - no, forty-three with that premature baby. It’s very good of you to offer, Thea.”
Thea snorted. “I’ve reread the Charter, too, and know my duty to my fellow creatures.”
“You wouldn’t also happen to know how many poor wretches hold in Bitra?”
M’shall had that answer. “Of course, you can’t tell if Chalkin doctored the last census or not, but he’s supposed to have 24,657 inhabitants.”
“Really?” Zulaya was surprised.
“But then, Bitra’s one of the smaller holds and doesn’t have any indigenous industry - apart from some forestry. The 5 down to what’s needed locally. There’re a few looms, but no great competition for Keroon or Benden.
“And the gaming,” Thea added with a disgusted sniff.
“That’s Chalkin’s main industry.”
“Well, he’s lost a lot on this gamble,” Zulaya said.
“Has he?” K’vin wanted to know.
The second trial was almost anticlimactic. Gardner again presented the seven defendants accused of allegedly ‘causing grievous bodily harm and death’ to five innocent men and while Gardner again stipulated that the men had only been obeying orders to restrain ‘by any means’ anyone trying to s the border out of Bitra Hold, their putative domicile, it claimed that unnecessarily severe restraint had been used causing the deaths of persons who should not have been denied 'lawful' exit, this being a usurpation of their basic right to freedom of movement.
The subsequent mutilation and/or torture of the seven, the prosecution said, was not inherent in the order to ‘restrain by any means’. Chalkin had no right to take the lives of any holders without due cause and/or trial by jury.
The day’s jury retired and, within half an hour, unanimously rendered a verdict of guilty. The men were sentenced to be transported by dragon back to the eastern islands with a seven-day supply of food, which was the customary punishment for murderers.
“Are there many on the islands?” Thea asked. “I mean, there have been others sequestered there. Even families, I read, but that was years ago.”
Zulaya shrugged. “Telgar’s never had to take anyone there, so I wouldn’t know.”
“Benden hasn’t,” Irene said, “at least not as long as we’ve been Leaders.”
“My father sent two,” Paulin said. “And I do believe that both Ista and Nerat have sent killers there.”
“Chalkin did, too,” Gallian surprised them by saying. “About four years ago. I don’t know where I heard about them. Some sort of real trouble down in his Hold, and he had Ista transport them since the men originated from that Hold.”