“I was amazed,” Dr. Engle told her.
“Did you believe her?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Why?”
“Because she was so completely surprised by it all. She blamed herself for not getting her status checked. I told her that she had done nothing wrong, and that the Survey doctors were the ones who were at fault.”
“Objection, Your Honor,” said the prosecutor. “The witness is not in a position to determine liability.”
“Sustained,” the judge said.
“Dr. Engle, did you see anything to convince you that the Tendu could have reversed her contraception?”
“Not then, but later I witnessed something that made me believe that the Tendu could have done it.”
“Would you tell the court what happened to convince you?”
“Juna’s brother, Toivo Fortunati, was in a spinball accident about a year and a half ago. He was paralyzed from the waist down. There was nothing more the doctors could do for him. The Tendu healed him. I examined him just before I left Berry Station to come here. Feeling had returned to his lower body again, all the way down to his toes. He was able to wiggle his toes, and move his legs.” Dr. Engle spread his hands in a gesture of amazement. “It was a miracle, but it happened. If they can do such a thing, then reversing a contraceptive shot would be easy.”
“Thank you, Dr. Engle. Your Honor, I have no more questions, but I would like to submit as evidence the following documents on Toivo Fortunati’s medical condition following his accident, and Dr. Engle’s report on his present medical condition.”
“Thank you, Counselor Gheisar,” the judge said.
The prosecutor got up and did his best to try to pick holes in Dr. Engle’s testimony. But the doctor refused to be rattled despite the unbelievable claims that he was making about the Tendu. Dr. Engle smiled through his beard at Juna as he left the stand. Juna smiled back.
Her smile vanished when the next witness was called. It was Bruce. He gave her a dark, angry glance as he was sworn in, then refused to look at Her while he testified.
Sohelia questioned him about his role in the case, most of which had already been established. She quizzed him about his contraceptive status, and he admitted that he had never had the shot.
“My father filed for a religious exemption,” he explained. “He was afraid that the shot would permanently affect my fertility. As long as the girls were all getting them, it didn’t really matter. Or, at least, I didn’t expect it to matter,” he added, his skin darkening with embarrassment.
“I see,” Counselor Gheisar said. “And has this predicament changed your view of things?”
“Yes,” he said. “I got the shot. It was shortly after visiting your client.”
“Thank you, Mr. Bowles. No further questions. Your witness, Counselor Parker.”
The prosecutor rose, smiling. Juna glanced at her lawyer, who was frowning nervously.
“Mr. Bowles, were you surprised when you heard that you were going to be a father?”
“Very much so, yes,” Bruce answered.
“Are you pleased?”
Bruce frowned. “Not really, sir.”
“Could you tell the court why you’re not pleased at the prospect of being a father?”
Bruce glanced past Juna, at the two Tendu sitting behind her. “I don’t agree with how she wants to raise the child.”
“Could you please explain?”
“First, I think she’s going to be too busy with the aliens to do an adequate job of parenting. Second, she’s going to be a single mother. Who is going to be there for the child when she’s too tired? And lastly”—Bruce paused, licking his lips nervously—“I want my daughter to be raised by humans, not aliens. Who knows what strange ideas they might teach my daughter?”
“Objection!” Sohelia said. “Witness is stating personal belief, not facts.”
The judge looked over at the prosecutor. “Counselor Parker?”
“I believe it’s important to hear both sides of this issue, Your Honor. This is Mr. Bowles’s daughter we’re talking about here.”
“This is not a custody hearing, Counselor. In the future please confine yourself to the Population Control regulations in question.”
“Yes, Your Honor. No further questions.”
The judge adjourned the hearing until the following morning.
Juna watched Bruce gather up his things. Finally she found the courage to approach him. He steadfastly refused to look at her.
“Bruce,” Juna said, “I’m sorry you’re unhappy about my decision to keep the baby, but you’re her father. I hope someday you’ll be there for her. She’s going to want you in her life too.”
He finally looked up at her, his eyes dark with anger. “Juna, the child is more important than those aliens. Let someone else take care of them. You take care of the baby.”
“You know I can’t do that, Bruce,” she said.
“Then I hope you lose. You shouldn’t be allowed to have the child.” He tucked his pad of notes under his arm and stalked off.
Juna watched the door swing shut behind him. Her lips tightened in sudden anger. “Well, to hell with you, then,” she muttered to herself.
Sohelia laid a hand on her arm. “Come on,” she said. “You’ve got more important things to worry about. Let’s go get some dinner. Tomorrow I’m putting Ukatonen on the stand. I need you to help get him ready to testify.”
The prosecutor objected when Sohelia called Ukatonen to the stand. Juna leaned back in her seat, and watched the two attorneys battle over the enkar.
“Your Honor,” the prosecutor said, “calling this witness is highly irregular. We know very httle about these aliens. Do they even understand what testifying in court means? How do we know if we can rely on his testimony? What kind of precedents will this be setting?”
“Your Honor,” Sohelia responded, “Ukatonen is an unusual witness, but he can provide us with facts and information that no one else can. He knew the accused during her time on Tiangi. He understands what is required of him as a witness. Ukatonen holds a position of great responsibility among his own people. The Tendu hold their officials to an even higher level of responsibility than our own. If he violates his word, he is expected to take his own life.”
“That will not be necessary, Mr. Ukatonen,” the judge said. “Objection overruled. The witness may take the stand. This court will hold you only to the standards of a human court.”
“Thank you, Your Honor,” Sohelia said.
“Excuse me, Your Honor,” Ukatonen broke in. “Even though you do not hold me to the Tendu standard, I wish you to know that I must hold myself to the standards of my people.” He straightened, and speaking formally in both Tendu skin speech and human Standard declared a judgment. “My life is forfeit if I lie.”
The judge raised one eyebrow. “If you insist, then so be it. Only I entreat you not to lie in this court. I don’t want your death on my conscience.”
“Yes, Your Honor,” Ukatonen said. The bailiff approached the enkar and instructed him in the human oath, and he raised his right hand and swore it also.
First, Counselor Gheisar asked him to explain to the judge who he was, and what his status was on Tiangi. Then she had him tell the court about the circumstances surrounding Toivo’s healing. The judge listened raptly and even the prosecutor left off objecting.
“Ukatonen,” Sohelia went on, “would you please tell us the circumstances under which you met the defendant?”
“I met her while I was traveling through the forest. I was on my way to a coastal village to investigate word of strange creatures that had burned part of the forest. She was traveling with Anito, an elder of the village Nar-molom. They were also on their way to the coast.”
“And when did you first link with Dr. Saari?”