Beaten.”
“Beaten? You’re sure? All I saw was a royal black eye and a bloody nose—maybe broken—but that’s nothing.”
“No, sir. More than that—a lot more.”
“Well, maybe the guards gave her a few licks going to the cells.”
“They say they didn’t; they say she was quiet.” Stammel sighed. “Sir, what she looks like now, I don’t see how she could have hurt Stephi much. How bad is he, really?”
“He’s in the infirmary; they say he’ll live. Has two broken fingers, fingerprints on his throat—I don’t know what else. He seemed dazed, couldn’t really talk to me, and the surgeon said to let him sleep. But really, Stammel, that doesn’t get you anywhere. She attacked a corporal. If she got beaten up, she deserved it.”
“I wish you’d look, sir,” said Stammel doggedly.
“I’ll see her in the morning: not before. You realize there’s no doubt she’s guilty, don’t you? An eyewitness out of your own unit, plus Stephi—don’t you?”
Stammel stood perfectly still, expressionless. “No, sir. I think there is a doubt.”
“Stammel, what kind of ridiculous story had she come up with?”
“It’s not her story, sir; it’s looking at her, and realizing that Korryn, the other recruit, must have been lying about one thing at least. She could not, absolutely could not have been winning over Stephi in her condition. She can’t even stand up—”
“She’s faking.”
“No, sir. Sir, I know that recruit, one of the best we’ve had, and she is not faking. That Korryn, he’s been walking on the edge since he joined, and if he’s lying about having to pull her off, he could be lying about the whole thing.”
“What about Stephi?” asked the captain coldly.
“I don’t know.” Stammel sighed. “I know him too, Captain, and he’s always had a good reputation. But—something’s wrong here, sir, and I don’t think we know all the facts yet.”
“Have you found out anything?”
“Yes—not enough for a full defense yet, but—”
“Stammel, are you trying to hold out for a formal trial, or something like that?”
“Yes, sir, I am.”
“Oh, for—! Stammel, how many days till Captain Valichi gets back?”
“Three or four, sir.”
“All your precious physical evidence will be gone by then.”
“Not Paksenarrion’s. Besides, you could take evidence tomorrow.”
Sejek was scowling as he considered this. “Both of us are a bit partisan on this case,” he said finally.
“Yes, sir. I wouldn’t ask you to accept my assessment. But what about calling witnesses from Duke’s East, say, who could come, examine, and present their findings to Captain Valichi?”
The captain thought a moment. “I suppose that could be done, though it seems a waste of time.” He glanced up at Stammel. “You realize Val may be just as summary as I would be—”
“Yes, sir, but—”
“But Valichi is the recruit captain, and has jurisdiction. All right, I won’t argue on that; you have the right to ask a trial if you think it’s justified. Now, who were you thinking of as witnesses?”
Stammel frowned. “I was thinking through the Council members, sir, for those with military background and experience in court. I don’t like Mayor Fontaine myself, as you probably know, but he’s honest and no fool.”
The captain nodded. “He’s said much the same about you, Stammel. I never did know what your row was about.”
“Least said, soonest mended, sir, and I don’t expect he’d say different to that, either.”
“Very well. Heribert Fontaine for one. D’you want two or three?”
“As few as may be; I still think something very odd is going on. I thought of Kolya Ministiera for the second. She was a corporal in Padug’s cohort at the siege of Cortes Cilwan.”
“I don’t remember her.”
“Fairly tall, dark—graying now, of course—she lost an arm that campaign, or she’d have made sergeant the next year. She has an orchard.”
“I suppose I’d better
“Beaten? You’re sure? All I saw was a royal black eye and a bloody nose—maybe broken—but that’s nothing.”
“No, sir. More than that—a lot more.”
“Well, maybe the guards gave her a few licks going to the cells.”
“They say they didn’t; they say she was quiet.” Stammel sighed. “Sir, what she looks like now, I don’t see how she could have hurt Stephi much. How bad is he, really?”
“He’s in the infirmary; they say he’ll live. Has two broken fingers, fingerprints on his throat—I don’t know what else. He seemed dazed, couldn’t really talk to me, and the surgeon said to let him sleep. But really, Stammel, that doesn’t get you anywhere. She attacked a corporal. If she got beaten up, she deserved it.”
“I wish you’d look, sir,” said Stammel doggedly.
“I’ll see her in the morning: not before. You realize there’s no doubt she’s guilty, don’t you? An eyewitness out of your own unit, plus Stephi—don’t you?”
Stammel stood perfectly still, expressionless. “No, sir. I think there is a doubt.”
“Stammel, what kind of ridiculous story had she come up with?”
“It’s not her story, sir; it’s looking at her, and realizing that Korryn, the other recruit, must have been lying about one thing at least. She could not, absolutely could not have been winning over Stephi in her condition. She can’t even stand up—”
“She’s faking.”
“No, sir. Sir, I know that recruit, one of the best we’ve had, and she is not faking. That Korryn, he’s been walking on the edge since he joined, and if he’s lying about having to pull her off, he could be lying about the whole thing.”
“What about Stephi?” asked the captain coldly.
“I don’t know.” Stammel sighed. “I know him too, Captain, and he’s always had a good reputation. But—something’s wrong here, sir, and I don’t think we know all the facts yet.”
“Have you found out anything?”
“Yes—not enough for a full defense yet, but—”
“Stammel, are you trying to hold out for a formal trial, or something like that?”
“Yes, sir, I am.”
“Oh, for—! Stammel, how many days till Captain Valichi gets back?”
“Three or four, sir.”
“All your precious physical evidence will be gone by then.”
“Not Paksenarrion’s. Besides, you could take evidence tomorrow.”
Sejek was scowling as he considered this. “Both of us are a bit partisan on this case,” he said finally.
“Yes, sir. I wouldn’t ask you to accept my assessment. But what about calling witnesses from Duke’s East, say, who could come, examine, and present their findings to Captain Valichi?”
The captain thought a moment. “I suppose that could be done, though it seems a waste of time.” He glanced up at Stammel. “You realize Val may be just as summary as I would be—”
“Yes, sir, but—”
“But Valichi is the recruit captain, and has jurisdiction. All right, I won’t argue on that; you have the right to ask a trial if you think it’s justified. Now, who were you thinking of as witnesses?”
Stammel frowned. “I was thinking through the Council members, sir, for those with military background and experience in court. I don’t like Mayor Fontaine myself, as you probably know, but he’s honest and no fool.”
The captain nodded. “He’s said much the same about you, Stammel. I never did know what your row was about.”
“Least said, soonest mended, sir, and I don’t expect he’d say different to that, either.”
“Very well. Heribert Fontaine for one. D’you want two or three?”
“As few as may be; I still think something very odd is going on. I thought of Kolya Ministiera for the second. She was a corporal in Padug’s cohort at the siege of Cortes Cilwan.”
“I don’t remember her.”
“Fairly tall, dark—graying now, of course—she lost an arm that campaign, or she’d have made sergeant the next year. She has an orchard.”
“I suppose I’d better
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