To The Stars

“I have your tapes, Lee. Your illegal ones.”

“I should have destroyed them — I knew it!” The words were a cry of pain.

“Don’t concern yourself with them. I came to you because you are the only person I know of on this planet with the guts to break the law. I need your help.”

“I don’t want to get involved. I never should have…”

“Listen to me. You don’t even know what I want yet. Do you know anything about my trial?”

“Trial… ?”

“Or that I was condemned to death?”

“What are you talking about, Jan? Are you tired? All that has happened since we arrived is that we ate and drank too much and all fell asleep. It was wonderful.”

“Do you know about a meeting of the Family Heads?”

“I guess so. They’re always meeting. I know they had the pressure dome erected before they would release the beer. I guess they were all in there. It was a better party without them. Could I have a drink of water?”

“There’s a dispenser right inside that door.”

So the trial had been a secret! Jan smiled at the thought. This was the lever he needed. Their mistake. If they had killed him at once there might have been some grumbling, nothing more. Well it was too late for them to do that. Lee came back in looking slightly more awake.

“Here is a list of names,” Jan said, writing quickly on an order form. “The men from my own engine crew, all good men. And Lajos, he learned to think for himself when he took over command of the tanks from Rein. That should be enough.” He handed the list to Lee. “I don’t want to take a chance of being seen. Would you take this list, find these men and tell them to meet me here? They are to come quietly and quickly on a matter of the utmost importance…”

“What?”

“Trust me for a bit longer, Lee. Please. I’ll tell you all together what has happened. And it is important. But it is urgent that they all get here as soon as possible.”

Lee took a deep breath as though to protest — then let it out slowly. “Only for you, Jan. Only for you,” he said and turned and left.

They arrived, one by one, and Jan controlled his impatience and their curiosity until Lee was back and the door closed again.

“Is anyone stirring yet?” he asked.

“Not really,” Otakar said. “Maybe a few stumbling about to take a leak, but they’re going back to sleep. That was quite a boozeup. Now — what is this all about?”

“I’ll tell you, but I want some facts straight first. Before this drive started I had some heated words with Hem Ritterspach. He claims I struck him at that time. He is lying. There was a witness to all that. Lajos Nagy.”

Lajos tried to move away from their eyes as they all turned toward him. There was no escape.

“Well, Lajos?” Jan asked.

“Yes… I was there. I didn’t hear everything said…”

“I’m not asking that. Did I hit Hem, just tell us that.”

Lajos did not want to get involved — but he was. In the end he had to shake his head. “No, you did not strike him. For a while I thought someone would be struck, you were both very angry. But you did not hit him.”

“Thank you. Now there is one more thing that is not quite that simple. Some children died, of insect bites, when we were passing through the jungle. You all know about it. I had a difficult decision to make. I did not stop the trains so the doctor could attend to them. Perhaps I was wrong. Stopping might have saved them. But I put the safety of all ahead of the few. It is on my conscience. If we had stopped the doctor might have been able to do something…”

“No!” Otakar said loudly. “He could do nothing. I heard him. Old Becker had him in and was shouting at him. But he is a Rosbagh and they only get pigheaded when shouted at. He was shouting hack saying that he could have done nothing to save the children, other than administer the anti-toxin, which already had been done. He blamed the people who permitted the windows to be open, even Becker himself.”

“Wish I could have listened to that!” Emo said.

“You and me both,” Ryzo agreed warmly.

“Thank you. I appreciate hearing that,” Jan said. “For a number of reasons. You’ve now heard the details of the two charges against me. I think they are false accusations. But if the Family Heads want me to stand trial on them, I will.”

“Why trial?” Otakar asked. “An investigation perhaps, but a trial only after the charges have been substantiated. That is the only fair thing.”

The others nodded agreement and Jan waited until the murmured comments had died away. “I’m glad we agree about that,” he said. “So now I can tell you what has happened. While you were all enjoying yourselves, the Family Heads held a meeting in secret. They had me seized and imprisoned. Then had a trial on these charges — without me being there — and found me guilty. If I had not escaped I would be dead by now because that was their verdict.”

They heard his words with utter disbelief. Their shock was replaced with anger as the truth of the situation sank in.

“Don’t take my word for this,” Jan said. “It is too important. Rein and the other Proctor are locked in and they’ll tell you…”