“We go on with the case.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just the way we planned it.”
“That’s crazy!” Van said. “Can’t you see he’s stolen our thunder? For godsakes, man, wake up!”
“What the hell do you want me to do? Prepare a new case right this minute? He’s got us by the...”
“Ask for a delay. Ask for a longer recess. Ask for an adjournment until tomorrow — do something.”
“No,” Fields said, shaking his head. “No.”
“Carse...”
“No. We fight it through. We present our witnesses; we parade them just the way Corona did. They’ll tell stories conflicting with the ones Corona’s witnesses told. Somebody’s got to be lying, and we’ll leave it to the jury to decide.”
“That’s a hell of a way to do things,” Van said. “Suppose...”
“What else can we do? He beat us to the punch,” Fields said. “The goddamn illidge beat us to the...”
“What about the jury?”
“Mixed. Half Vike, half Ree; we’ve got a chance.”
“Have Vikes ever decided against Vikes?”
“Are you kidding?”
“Well, have they?”
“Of course. I helped pick six unbiased Rees for the jury. You can bet the six Vikes Corona agreed to are unbiased, too.”
“So it’s all in their laps.” Van laughed bitterly. “Goddamnit, justice is really going to prevail at this thing, isn’t it?”
“Sure,” Fields said sourly. “Both sides will lie their heads off, and then an honest jury will render a decision.” He wiped the sweat from his lip. “Justice.”
Fields paraded his witnesses, and the jury listened. And then they went out to make their decision. They knew that certain parts of the human anatomy had been exposed at the benefit. It was for them to decide whether or not Pelazi had been there to see that exposure, whether or not his dignity had been offended. And perhaps it was simply because Corona was a better lawyer than Fields that they decided as they did. Van Brant did not think so. Corona had plainly got there fustest with the mostest; the jury brought in a verdict in favor of Dino Pelazi.
The court became a screaming mob when the verdict was read off. Van saw Pelazi get to his feet and start for the doors. He shoved his way out into the aisle, collaring Pelazi while the crowd screamed and the judge rapped his gavel.
“You won, didn’t you?” he said.
“It would appear that way,” Pelazi said, smiling.
“Every one of your witnesses was lying!” Van shouted over the voices around him.
“As were yours,” Pelazi said.
“You admit it? You admit it?”
“The trial is over,” Pelazi said. “I’ve won. You’d best listen to the judge while he reads off the settlements.”
“You bastard,” Van said. “You slimy bastard. Pelazi, what the hell do you think all this is going to get you?”
“Money, for one thing,” Pelazi said, smiling. “I can do a lot with money.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, just that. It’s nice to have money, don’t you think?”
Van stared at him curiously. “Is that why you did all this? Just for the money?”
“No, Mr. Brant. I had another reason — a far greater reason. But then, you’ll be learning about that soon.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ll see,” Pelazi said, smiling.
“You’re pretty cocky, aren’t you? You win a crummy little case, and right away you get that confident look in your eye. You really make me laugh, Pelazi. Damnit, don’t you realize this is small potatoes?”
Pelazi was still smiling, and his eyes were brimming with confidence now, sparkling with the shine of his victory. “Yes, Mr. Brant,” he said, “I realize this is small potatoes. I realize it very well, Mr. Brant. But I’ve hoed the potatoes very carefully, and potatoes are nice big vegetables, don’t you think, even when they’re small potatoes. Yes, Mr. Brant, very small potatoes, but a lot of big people were scrambling to pick them up, weren’t they?” Pelazi laughed suddenly, a high laugh that rose above the shouting in the courtroom. “Mr. Brant.” he said, “this is just the beginning. Just the beginning. Just the small potatoes.”
He pulled himself free and then shoved his way out of the courtroom, and Brant thought of the confident gleam in his eye, and then he thought of what Pelazi had said.
“Just the beginning.”
The beginning of what?
The report came through on all communications, private and public. It came after a rugged two weeks during which drugs had dwindled down to a mere trickle. It came on the evening after the trial.
Van was at home, getting ready for bed. Liz had gone to one of the legit shows, in spite of his protests against it. He’d denounced her as a Ree, but she’d laughingly dressed in her sheerest skirt, kissed him on the cheek — which enfuriated him more — and then breezingly left the apartment. He’d sulked for a while, vowing to kick her out in the morning. He was getting tired of this cramped living, and the extra bed didn’t help the appearance of the place at all. Besides, ever since his chance meeting with Deborah, he’d begun to suspect Liz of ulterior motives. The thought sickened him, and he wanted to squash anything like that immediately.
In the morning. Walking papers. So long, sweetie, it’s been grand. Adios. Good-bye.
He buttoned his pajamas, lit a cigarette, and then snapped on the Communicator, scanning the message as they taped out of the machine.
The report read:
COM PRI-PUB DISPATCH 38C 4213 X WASHINGTON, D.C. AUGUST 12, 2174 X EFFECTIVE 0001 AUGUST 15, 2174, ALL DRUGS, NARCOTICS, STIMULANTS, DEPRESSIVES ILLEGAL EXCEPT
MEDICINALLY ADMINISTERED BY LICENSED PHYSICIANS X JOINT SESSION CONGRESS TODAY VOTED UNANIMOUSLY IN FAVOR BILL PROHIBITING SALE OF NARCOTICS FOR PRIVATE CONSUMPTION X EXTREME SERIOUSNESS OF SITUATION WAIVED DELAY IN FAVOR OF IMMEDIATE RESUMPTION OF RESTRICTIONS X THREE DAY GRACE PERIOD GRANTED AFTER STRONG VIKE PROTESTS BUT LAW EFFECTIVE AUGUST 15 X OFFENDERS LIABLE TO ARREST AND PROSECUTION XX COM PRI DISPATCH PERSONAL 38C 4214 JOHN HARRIDON FROM MARY HARRIDON X JOHN PLEASE BRING HOME TWO POUNDS BACON X HALF DOZEN EGGS X ONE
He tore the tape off and held it in trembling hands. This was impossible. This was utterly fantastic. He rushed to the bedroom, then remembered that Liz wasn’t home. Of all the times to visit a Ree show. He ran to the vid, punched out Hayden Thorpe’s number, let it buzz six times before he gave up. He tried Walt next, and when he got no answer there, he called Clark Talbot in desperation.
Clark didn’t look well; he didn’t look well at all. He blinked his eyes at the screen, wet his lips with his tongue.
“That you, Van?” he asked.
“Yes, Clark. Did you see the latest on the Com?”
“About the narcotics?”
“Yes.”
“They’ve been running that every ten minutes. Where you been goofing, father?”
“Is it straight goods?”
“The straightest. It’s on the public communicators, too. You can’t get bum dope on those.”
“Well, what the hell are we going to do? What does it all mean? I thought we had a Vike majority in Congress.”
“Majorities don’t mean beans, Van. You spread a little moo in the right places, and majorities become minorities overnight. Don’t you know politics?”
“But... I mean... well, where are we going to get our stuff?”
Clark gave a short, dry laugh that sounded more like a cackle. “Jest me not, father,” he said. “I’ve been cool for the past nine days. I couldn’t raise a drop of herrocoke no matter how hard I tried. So this makes it illegal, so what? If you can’t get it, what difference does it make if somebody says you’re not allowed to get it? Father, I’ve been down, really.”