A stupid argument, said Ponter. Certainly, he never should have done it, and he apologized profusely. I chose not to pursue the matter; if I had, he would have been tried for attempted murder.
Could he have really killed you with one punch?
Oh, yes. I had reacted in time and lifted my head; that is why he connected with my jaw instead of the center of my face. Had he punched me there, he could well have caved in my skull.
Oh, my, said Mary.
He was angry, but I had provoked him. It was as much my fault as his.
Couldcould you kill someone with your bare hands? asked Mary.
Certainly, said Ponter. Especially if I approached them from the rear. He intertwined his fingers, lifted his arms, then pantomimed smashing his interlocked fists down. I could smash in a persons skull by doing that from behind. From the front, if I could get a good punch or kick into the center of someones chest, I might crush their heart.
But but no offense, but apes are very strong, too, and they rarely kill each other in fights.
That is because in battles within a troop for dominance, ape fighting is ritualized and instinctive, and they simply slap each otherreally just a display behavior. But chimpanzees do kill other chimpanzees, although they do it mostly with their teeth. Clenching the fingers into a fist is something only humans can do.
Oh my. Mary realized she was repeating herself, but couldnt think of anything better to sum up her feelings. Humans here get into fights all the time. Some even make a sport of it: boxing, wrestling.
Madness, said Ponter.
Well, I agree, yes, said Mary. But they almost never kill each other. I mean, its almost impossible for a human to kill another human with his bare hands. We just arent strong enough, I guess.
In my world, said Ponter, to hit is to kill. And so we never hit each other. Because any violence can be fatal, we simply cannot allow it.
But you were hit, said Mary.
Ponter nodded. It happened long ago, while I was a student at the Science Academy. I was arguing as only a youth can, as if winning mattered. I could see that the person I was arguing with was growing angry, but I continued to press my point. And he reacted in an unfortunate manner. But I forgave him.
Mary looked at Ponter, imagining him turning the other long, angular cheek toward the person who had hit him.
Adikor had had his Companion summon a travel cube to take him home, and he now was sitting out back, on the deck, alone, researching legal procedures. Someone might indeed be monitoring his Companions transmissions, but he could still use it to tap into the worlds accumulated knowledge, transferring the results to a datapad for easier viewing.
His woman-mate, Lurt, had agreed at once to speak on behalf of Adikor in front of the tribunal. But although she and othersshed be allowed to call witnesses this timecould attest to Adikors character and to the stability of his relationship with Ponter, it seemed unlikely that that would be enough to convince Adjudicator Sard and her associates to acquit Adikor. And so Adikor had begun digging into legal history, looking for other cases involving a charge of murder without a body having been found, in hopes of locating a previous judgment that might help him.
The first similar case he uncovered dated way back to generation 17. The accused was a man named Dassta, and he was said to have killed his woman-mate after supposedly sneaking into the Center. But her body was never located; shed simply disappeared one day. The tribunal had ruled that without a body, no murder could be said to have occurred.
Adikor was thrilled by that discoveryuntil he read further in the law.
Ponter and Adikor had selected normal deck chairsindeed, fragile chairs. It had been a sign of Ponters unshakable belief that Adikor was cured, that his temper would never again erupt into physical violence. But Adikor was so frustrated now that he smashed the armrest off his deck chair with a pounding of his fist, splinters of wood flying up. For prior cases to have legal significance, he read off his datapad, they had to date from within the last ten generations; society always advanced, said the Code of Civilization, and what people had done long ago had no bearing on the sensibilities of today.
Adikor continued searching and eventually turned up an intriguing case from generation 140just eight generations before the current onein which a man was accused of killing another male during a dispute over whether the latter had grown a home too close to the formers. But, again, no body was ever found. In that case, too, the tribunal had ruled that the lack of the body was enough to dismiss the accusation. That buoyed Adikor, except
Except
Generation 140. That was the period betweenlets seeabout 1,100 to 980 months ago; eighty-nine to seventy-nine years past. But the Companions had been introduced just shy of a thousand months ago; celebrations commemorating that were coming up.
Did the case in generation 140 date from before or after the introduction of the Companions? Adikor read further.
From before. Gristle! Bolbay would doubtless argue that this rendered it not germane. Sure, she would say, bodies and even living people could easily disappear during the dark times before the great Lonwis Trob had liberated us, but a case in which there couldnt have been a record of the accuseds activities had no bearing on one in which the accused had contrived a situation specifically to avoid having a record made.
Adikor searched some more. He thought briefly that it might have been convenient if there were people who specialized in dealing with legal matters on behalf of others; that, it seemed, would be a useful contribution. Hed have gladly exchanged labor with someone familiar with this field who could do this research for him. But no; it was surely a bad idea. The mere existence of people who worked full-time on things legal would doubtless increase the number of such matters instigated, and
Suddenly Pabo came tearing out of the house, barking. Adikor looked up, and, as it always did these days, his heart jumped. Could it be? Could it be?
But, no, it wasnt. Of course not. And, yet, it was someone Adikor hadnt expected to see: young Jasmel Ket. Healthy day, she said, once she was within ten paces.
Healthy day, Adikor replied, trying to keep his tone neutral.
Jasmel sat on the other deck chair, the one that had been her fathers. Pabo knew Jasmel well; the dog had often come into the Center when Two became One, and was clearly pleased to see another familiar face. Pabo nuzzled Jasmels legs, and Jasmel scratched the reddish brown fur on the top of the dogs head.
What happened to your chair? asked Jasmel.
Adikor looked away. Nothing.
Jasmel evidently decided not to pursue the point; after all, what had happened was obvious. Did Lurt agree to speak for you? she asked.
Adikor nodded.
Good, said Jasmel. Im sure shell do the best she can. She fell silent, for a time, then, glancing again at the damaged chair: But
Yes, said Adikor. But.
Jasmel looked out at the countryside. Off in the distance, a mammoth was wandering by, stolid, placid. Now that this matter has been referred to a full tribunal, my fathers alibi cube has been moved to the wing of the dead. Daklar spent the afternoon reviewing parts of it, as she prepares to make her full case against you. Thats her right, of course, as accuser speaking on behalf of a dead person. But I insisted she let me review Ponters alibi archive with her. And Ive looked at you and my father together, in the days leading up to his disappearance. She brought her gaze back to Adikor. Bolbay cant see it but, then again, she has been alone for a long time. Butwell, I told you I had a young man interested in me. Despite what you said about me not yet being bonded, I know what love looks likeand there is no doubt in my mind that you truly loved my father. After seeing you the way he saw you, I cant believe you would do anything to harm him.