McKie waited, knowing what had to happen now. Here was Ceylang's moment of truth.
Broey addressed her.
"You have suggested that you would prosecute these eight prisoners. The matter is in the hands of Defense Legum."
Broey shifted his gaze.
"How say you, Legum McKie?"
The moment to test Broey had come. McKie countered with a question.
"Can this Courtarena suggest another disposition for these eight prisoners?"
Ceylang held her breath.
Broey was pleased. He had triumphed in the end over Jedrik. Broey was certain in his mind that Jedrik did not occupy this Legum body on the arena floor. Now, he could show the puppet masters what a Dosadi-born could do. And McKie saw that Broey intended to move fast, much faster than anyone had expected.
Anyone except Jedrik, and she was only a silent (memory?) in McKie's awareness.
Having given the appearance of deliberation, Broey spoke.
"I can order these eight bound over to ConSentient jurisdiction if McKie agrees."
The eight stirred, subsided.
"I agree," McKie said. He glanced at Ceylang. She made no protest, seeing the futility. Her only hope now lay in the possible deterrent presence of the Ferret Wreaves.
"Then I so order it," Broey said. He spared a triumphant glance for Parando. "Let a ConSentient jurisdiction decide if these eight are guilty of murder and other conspiracy."
He was well within the bounds of the Covenant between the ConSentiency and Gowachin, but the Gowachin members of his audience didn't like it. Their Law was best! Angry whistlings could be heard all around the arena.
Broey rose half-out of his seat, pointed at the instruments of pain arrayed beneath him. Gowachin in the audience fell silent. They, better than anyone, knew that no person here, not even a member of the audience, was outside the Tribunal's power. And many understood clearly now why those bloody tools had been displayed here. Thoughtful people had anticipated the problem of keeping order in this arena.
Responding to the silent acceptance of his authority, Broey sank back into his seat.
Parando was staring at Broey as though having just discovered the presence of a monster in this Gowachin form. Many people would be reassessing Broey now.
Aritch held his attitude of complete submission.
Ceylang's thoughts almost hummed in the air around her. Every way she turned, she saw only a tangle of unmanageable tendrils and a blocked passage.
McKie saw that it was time to bring matters to a head. He crossed to the foot of the judicial bench, lifted a short spear from the instruments there. He brandished the barbed, razor-edged weapon.
"Who sits on this Tribunal?"
Once, Aritch had issued such a challenge. McKie, repeating it, pointed with the spear, answered his own question.
"A Gowachin of my choice, one supposedly wronged by the Dosadi project. Were you wronged, Broey?"
"No."
McKie faced Parando.
"And here we have a Human from Lirat. Is that not the case, Parando?"
"I am from Lirat, yes."
McKie nodded.
"I am prepared to bring a parade of witnesses into this arena to testify as to your occupation on Lirat. Would you care to state that occupation?"
"How dare you question this Tribunal?"
Parando glared down at McKie, face flushed.
"Answer his question."
It was Broey.
Parando looked at Bildoon, who still sat with face concealed in his arms, face down on the bench. Something about the PanSpechi repelled Parando, but he knew he had to have Bildoon's vote to overrule Broey. Parando nudged the PanSpechi. Inert flesh rolled away from Parando's hand.
McKie understood.
Facing doom, Bildoon had retreated into the creche. Somewhere, an unprepared PanSpechi body was being rushed into acceptance of that crushed identity. The emergence of a new Bildoon would require considerable time. They did not have that time. When the creche finally brought forth a functioning persona, it would not be heir to Bildoon's old powers in BuSab.
Parando was alone, exposed. He stared at the spear in McKie's hand.
McKie favored the arena with a sweeping glance before speaking once more to Parando.
"I quote that renowned expert on Gowachin Law, High Magister Aritch: 'ConSentient Law always makes aristocrats of its practitioners. Gowachin Law stands beneath that pretension. Gowachin Law asks: Who knows the people? Only such a one is fit to judge in the Courtarena.' That is Gowachin Law according to High Magister Aritch. That is the law in this place."
Again, McKie gave Parando a chance to speak, received only silence.
"Perhaps you are truly fit to judge here," McKie suggested. "Are you an artisan? A philosopher? Perhaps you're a humorist? An artist? Ahhh, maybe you are that lowliest of workmen, he who tends an automatic machine?"
Parando remained silent, gaze locked on the spear.
"None of these?" McKie asked. "Then I shall supply the answer. You are a professional legalist, one who gives legal advice, even to advice on Gowachin Law. You, a Human, not even a Legum, dare to speak of Gowachin Law!"
Without any muscular warning signal, McKie leaped forward, hurled the spear at Parando, saw it strike deeply into the man's chest.
One for Jedrik!
With bubbling gasp, Parando sagged out of sight behind the bench.
Broey, seeing the flash of anger in McKie's effort, touched the blue box in front of him.
Have no fear, Broey. Not yet. I still need you.
But now, more than Broey knew it was really McKie in this flesh. Not Jedrik. Those members of the shadow force watching this scene and able to plot would make the expected deduction because they did not know how freely and completely Jedrik and McKie had shared. To the shadow force, McKie would've known Parando's background. They'd trace out that mistake in short order. So this was McKie in the arena. But he'd left Dosadi. There could be only one conclusion in the plotters' minds.
McKie had Caleban help!
They had Calebans to fear.
And McKie thought: You have only McKie to fear.
He grew aware that grunts of Gowachin approval were sounding all around the arena. They accepted him as a Legum, thus they accepted his argument. Such a judge deserved killing.
Aritch set the precedent. McKie improved on it.
Both had found an approved way to kill a flawed judge, but McKie's act had etched a Gowachin precedent into the ConSentient legal framework. The compromise which had brought Gowachin and ConSentient Law into the Covenant of shared responsibility for the case in this arena would be seen by the Gowachin as a first long step toward making their Law supreme over all other law.
Aritch had half-turned, looking toward the bench, a glittering appraisal in his eyes which said the Gowachin had salvaged something here after all.
McKie strode back to confront Ceylang. He faced her as the forms required while he called for judgment.
"Bildoon?"
Silence.
"Parando?"
Silence.
"Broey?"
"Judgment for Defense."
The Dosadi accent rang across the arena. The Gowachin Federation, only member of the ConSentiency which dared permit a victim to judge those accused of victimizing him, had received a wound to its pride. But they'd also received something they would consider of inestimable value - a foothold for their Law in the ConSentiency, plus a memorable court performance which was about to end in the drama they loved best.
McKie stepped to within striking distance of Ceylang, extended his right hand straight out to the side, palm up.