"It's common knowledge," he continued, "that a tumor can either remain one size indefinitely or grow until it kills the victim but a fetus grows at a specific rate to a specific point at which it signals the woman's body to expel it. Why do you sup-port a woman's right to expel a fetus and let it die but not an-other woman's right to rescue an expelled fetus and implant it in her own body? Shouldn't that also be a reproductive free-dom?"
"The fetus is not another woman's property."
"True. And I'd question whether it is the first woman's prop-erty. Let's assume, though, that it is. If I abandon my property, can't someone come along and claim it?"
"This is the problem, don't you see?" Burke pounded her fist on the chair arm. "Treating human beings like property whose title can be-"
"Excuse me?" Johnson nearly shouted. "What is that con-clusion based on? When did fetuses become human beings to you? How can you object to the buying and selling of tumors and parasites?"
"That's not what I mean. A fetus is like a houseguest of the woman. The uterus is the home, and the woman is the land-lord. She has a perfect right as landlord to evict the tenant at any point. To demand that she care for the tenant against her will is slavery. But that doesn't mean a landlord can sell the tenant to another landlord."
Johnson waved his hand dismissively. "Once again, only human beings can be considered tenants. But let's get back to body tissue. I presume you have your hair and nails done at a salon?"
"Objection!" Czernek said loudly. "What possible bearing does the witness's groom-"
"I am trying to establish a line of questioning, Your Honor." Judge Lyang, intrigued by the left-field nature of the ques-tion, said, "Overruled. Be aware, though, that I may interrupt at any time if I think you are harassing the witness."
"Thanks, Your Honor," Johnson said. Turning back to Burke, he lowered his voice "Well?"
"Yes," she said. "I do."
"And when your hair and nails are trimmed, do you demand that the trimmings be burned in your presence?"
"Hair and nails are composed of already dead cells."
"Just yes or no, Ms. Burke."
"No, of course not."
"Have you had your appendix removed?"
"Yes."
"Do you have any idea what the surgeon did with it after-ward?" Burke smiled wryly. "No."
"I see." He paced around for a moment. "Have you ever had an abortion?" Some spectators frowned at hearing such an intrusive ques-tion.
Burke sat up straight. "Yes, I have," she announced with pride.
"Oh? And what did the surgeon do with the abortus?"
"I don't know. I presume she disposed of it properly."
Johnson slammed his fist on the rail. "You presume?" Did you know that aborted fetuses are the major source of liver cells for transplant research?"
"No."
"Did you know that their pancreatic islets are cut out and used for insulin experiments?"
"No." She shifted uncomfortably in her chair.
She wasn't alone. Spectators and members of the jury found images coming to mind that generated a queasy discomfort.
Johnson pressed on. "Did you know that some brands of hair spray contain human placental extract?"
"Yes." She laughed nervously without realizing it.
"Did you know that fetal brain tissue is being used to treat Parkinson's disease? That fetal nerve fibers and astrocytes can be used to treat spinal injuries?"
"I've read something about it."
"And none of this disturbs you?"
"Why should it?"
Johnson turned toward the jury to make a helpless gesture with his hands. "You attack the mercenary nature of surrogate mothering and of doctors who charge fees for their services, but you seem unconcerned that there exists an entrenched financial interest involved in the practice of abortion. Research-ers, after all, are getting valuable fetal material for free from women-in fact, charging women for having the material re-moved after the dubious privilege of being incubators. Do you find no ethical conflict in that?"
Burke tried to formulate a reply to the lawyer's question.
"At first glance," she said, "there might seem to be..." Her voice trailed off, her confidence slipping like a worn stocking.
"Why do you support abortion and not transoption? Is it be-cause abortion allows a woman to ensure that her mistakes don't live to haunt her?"
Czernek shot to his feet. "Objection, Your Honor. Badgering the witness won't-"
"Sustained."
"-make up for his dearth of-"
"Sustained, Mr. Czernek."
Ron sat down. Terry slipped his hands into his pants pock-ets.
"What, Ms. Burke, makes you think that Valerie Dalton was deprived of control over her body by transoption but that you were not deprived by abortion? Neither of you knew what be-came of your fetal tissue. Would it have been better if Renata had been sent to a lab to have her liver, pancreas, and brain removed? Would it really have been better?"
Burke stammered for a moment, her composure faltering. "I..." She stiffened. "Valerie Dalton expected an abortion, not an embryo transfer."
"What she expected," Johnson said, "is what she contracted for. To be free of her pregnancy." He pointed to the screen. "Exhibit A once again. Does the word àbortion' appear any-where on it?"
"A legalistic, semantic trick," Burke replied.
"Is it? Valerie Dalton went into Bayside Medical pregnant. She came out not pregnant. She contracted for a pregnancy termination, and that's what she received. She explicitly signed away any claim to the tissue removed. She took full responsi-bility for her body, Ms. Burke, when she signed this paper. Her pregnancy was terminated just as surely as your pregnancy was, Ms. Burke. Now what's the difference? Why didn't you sue your abortionist?"
"Because I received an abortion. Her fetus lived!"
"So it's not the right to a terminated pregnancy that you de-fend. It is the right to a dead fetus. Your ethical concern is with the life or death of the child. Is that correct?"
"A fetus is not a child, God damn you!"
Johnson slammed both hands on the rail and stood inches away from her. Sweat beaded on his face. An anger that was not feigned burned in his expression. In a voice that thun-dered, he said, "Everything you say and support screams that a fetus is a child. You have no objection to individual fetal cells living on inside another person's liver or pancreas or brain. The only thing you object to is letting those cells remain intact to become a living, breathing human being!"
"Mr. Johnson!" Lyang slammed her gavel. "You-"
"No more questions, Your Honor."
He turned away from Burke and returned to his seat. Karen Chandler hugged him, tears flowing down her face. Dr. Fletcher patted his arm with approval.
The whispering from the spectators threatened to erupt into loud arguments. Everywhere, opinions polarized. Judge Lyang pounded away to no avail.
"Court is recessed until"-she glanced down at her calen-dar-"November tenth. Jurors are instructed not to discuss this case with anyone. Bailiff, clear everyone out!"
XVI
Czernek made a note to call the doctor to reschedule his testimony. "Let's go," he said to Valerie, standing to extend his arm toward her. "Be prepared for a mob."
Ron became a flying wedge through the crowd of specta-tors. When they reached the double doors at the rear of the courtroom, many of the spectators transmogrified into report-ers, shouting questions and producing microphones from no-where. Lights blazed suddenly, and the black glassy eyes of camera lenses dilated to view the pair.