“It feels strange locking you up, Juna,” Sheriff Hiller said as she slid the cell door closed with a heavy rumbling thud. “Is it true? Did those aliens get you pregnant?”
Juna stared at Toni incredulously for a second or two, teetering on the edge of anger. Then the silliness of the situation struck her and she laughed. “No, Toni. The Tendu didn’t get me pregnant. They undid my contraception without my knowledge. They didn’t know what they were doing at the time. The father was entirely too human,” she said with a rueful grin. “This really was an accidental pregnancy, rare as that is these days.”
“Oh,” the sheriff said, straightening in relief. “I’m sorry. It did sound kind of crazy.”
Juna shook her head, and shivered. “Can you turn the heat up a bit?” she asked. “I feel kind of cold.”
The sheriff nodded. “Shock. It happens sometimes. You’ve been through a lot today. I’ll get you an extra blanket and nudge the heat up a bit. Get under the covers and warm up.” She padded down the hall and shut the door behind her, leaving Juna alone in her cell. Juna climbed into the narrow bunk, pulling the covers up over her head. Gradually her shivering eased and she fell soundly asleep.
Four
Juna was awakened by the rumble of her cell door opening. She sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
“Your lawyer’s here to see you,” Sheriff Hiller told her.
“Thank you, Toni,” Juna said. Her mouth tasted sour and gummy, and her hair looked like a half-collapsed haystack. She combed her fingers through it and tried to look awake.
The sheriff escorted a slender, olive-skinned, dark-eyed older woman into the cell. The woman was elegantly dressed in a tailored silk suit that made Juna feel even more rumpled and frowzy.
“Dr. Saari, my name is Sohelia Gheisar. Your press secretary asked me to represent you.” Her voice had the clear, musical precision of someone from Persia or India.
“Hello,” Juna said, trying to make her brain function through a thick fudge of sleep. “Thank you for taking my case.”
“I seem to have caught you sleeping. Why don’t you take a few minutes to get yourself together before we go over your case.”
Juna nodded gratefully, and shuffled over to the sink. She dampened a corner of the small jail-issue washcloth and ran it over her face.
“Here,” the lawyer said, handing her toothpaste, a toothbrush, and a hairbrush.
“Thank you,” Juna said. She bent over and brushed her hair out into a full lion’s mane, then straightened, and brushed it back from her face. She still needed a haircut. She tucked in her shirt and peered into the wavy steel mirror, grateful for the lack of detail that it showed. At least she felt more awake. Filling a plastic cup with water, she sat down on the bunk across from her lawyer.
“How much did Analin tell you?”
“That you’re pregnant illegally and you need my help. She said that the aliens had somehow reversed your contraception. I told her that I would get the rest of the details from you. I must say it sounds like an interesting case.”
“I’m afraid so,” Juna agreed ruefully.
“Why don’t you tell me about it?” Sohelia said, taking out a recorder and switching it on.
Juna explained what had happened. Then, when she was finished with her explanation, the lawyer went over it all again in minute detail, taking down names and dates.
“Well,” Sohelia said, switching off her recorder. “It is an interesting case. Clearly you are the victim of the Survey’s negligence.”
“I am?” Juna said, surprised. She had been too busy worrying about whether to keep the baby to give much thought to blaming anyone.
“The Survey should have checked to make sure that your contraception was intact. A contraceptive test is a standard part of any physical exam in many places. I don’t know why they didn’t perform one, especially given the radical physical transformation you underwent. The Tendu could have done almost anything to you. I’ll have to subpoena your records from the Survey. Will you give me permission to do so?”
“Of course, Counselor,” Juna said.
“Good. I’ll need to talk to your doctor. You said his name is Engle?”
“Yes, it is. He’s been my doctor since I was a small child. He gave me my contraceptive vaccination when I turned thirteen.”
“Good. That will be extremely helpful.”
“Counselor, what about Bruce— I mean, the baby’s father?”
“We’re still trying to find Mr. Bowles. Apparently he’s gone scuba diving somewhere in the Indian Ocean. I only hope that we find him before the Pop Con officials do. They’re not too easy on population violators in that part of the world.”
“I see,” Juna said. Her feelings about Bruce were decidedly mixed right now. She was angry at him for getting her pregnant, and simultaneously terrified that he might somehow take the baby away from her. And a very small, shameful part of her wanted to cling to him for help and guidance.
“What about custody issues?” she asked.
“Juna, I think that’s a problem for later.”
“I need to talk about it now,” Juna said. “I didn’t plan for this child. It was an accident, but now that I have her, I want more than anything to keep her. I don’t want Bruce, or anyone else, to take her away from me.”
“I understand, Juna, and I’ll support you in that. Since you have agreed to pay for the additional child-right, your custody position is very strong, but Bruce has rights in this matter too. Until we find out what he wants, there’s very little we can do.”
Juna looked down at the grey plasteel floor. “I see,” she said, then looked up at the lawyer. “How much longer will I be here?”
“I’m going to try to get you released on bail as soon as possible. The arraignment is tomorrow. You should be released a few hours later.”
A weight lifted from Juna’s shoulders. “Thank you, So-helia.”
“Remember now, that’s a hope, not a promise,” the lawyer said, standing and gathering her papers. “Everything depends on the judge.”
“I understand,” Juna said, feeling her giddy relief settle again. “I know you’ll do your best.” Counselor Gheisar smiled. “I always try to.” She pressed a buzzer to summon the sheriff. Toni came and let her out. With a rumble and a clang, the door shut and Juna was alone again.
The press had somehow gotten onto the station, and they were waiting for her in front of the small administrative building that did double duty as a courthouse. Sheriff Hiller escorted Juna through the surging, shouting crowd of reporters, like a small burly tugboat pulling a heavy load in high seas. Juna did her best to ignere the reporters, choosing instead to nod a greeting to the two strapping redheaded Swensen boys who let her and the sheriff in.
The door closed behind them, cutting off the clamor of the crowd. Juna let out the breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding. Counselor Gheisar handed her a hairbrush and a mirror as the Swensens locked the doors against the crowd of reporters.
“I’m sorry about this, Toni,” Juna apologized.
Sheriff Hiller shrugged. “We closed the spaceport as soon as we could, but this lot got in on the same shuttle as the judge. They’re all supposed to leave on the next shuttle, but that isn’t until this evening. I’m afraid we’re stuck with them until then.”
“Well,” said the judge after listening to the charges, and to the testimony of several old family friends on Juna’s excellent character. “In the ten years I’ve served on the bench in this circuit, I’ve never known Howard Engle to be mistaken on a question of character, and your other witnesses have been equally impressive. I’m going to release you with only the minimum required bond of ten thousand credits, which your father has agreed to post. You are dismissed on your own recognizance until the date of the hearing.”