While waiting at the South American field Thorby counted what was left of Leda’s money and reflected that he had cut it fine, both time and money. Where did it all go?
Photographers and reporters gave him a bad time at Rudbek City; the place swarmed with them. But he pushed through and met Garsch inside the bar at nine-fifty-eight. The old man nodded. “Siddown. Hizzoner will be out soon.”
The judge came out and a clerk intoned the ancient promise of justice: “– draw nigh and ye shall be heard!” Garsch remarked, “Bruder has this judge on a leash.”
“Huh? Then why are we here?”
“You’re paying me to worry. Any judge is a good judge when he knows he’s being watched. Look behind you.”
Thorby did so. The place was so loaded with press that a common citizen stood no chance. “I did a good job, if I do say so.” Garsch hooked a thumb at the front row. “The galoot with the big nose is the ambassador from Proxima. The old thief next to him is chairman of the judiciary committee. And –” He broke off.
Thorby could not spot Uncle Jack but Bruder presided over the other table — he did not look at Thorby. Nor could Thorby find Leda. It made him feel very much alone. But Garsch finished opening formalities, sat down and whispered. “Message for you. Young lady says to say ‘Good luck.’ ”
Thorby was active only in giving testimony and that after many objections, counter objections, and warnings from the bench. While he was being sworn, he recognized in the front row a retired chief justice of the Hegemonic Ultimate Court who had once dined at Rudbek. Then Thorby did not notice anything, for he gave his testimony in deep trance surrounded by hypnotherapists.
Although every point was chewed endlessly, only once did the hearing approach drama. The court sustained an objection by Bruder in such fashion that a titter of unbelief ran around the room and someone stamped his feet. The judge turned red. “Order! The bailiff will clear the room!”
The move to comply started, over protests of reporters. But the front two rows sat tight and stared at the judge. The High Ambassador from the Vegan League leaned toward his secretary and whispered; the secretary started slapping a Silent-Steno.
The judge cleared his throat “– unless this unseemly behavior ceases at once! This court will not tolerate disrespect.”
Thorby was almost surprised when it ended: “– must therefore be conclusively presumed that Creighton Bradley Rudbek and Martha Bradley Rudbek did each die, are now dead, and furthermore did meet their ends in common disaster. May their souls rest in peace. Let it be so recorded.” The court banged his gavel. “If custodians of wills of the decedents, if wills there be, are present in this court, let them now come forward.”
There was no hearing about Thorby’s own shares; Thorby signed a receipt for certificates thereto in the judge’s chambers. Neither Weemsby nor Bruder was present.
Thorby took a deep breath as Garsch and he came out of chambers. “I can hardly believe that we’ve won.”
Garsch grinned. “Don’t kid yourself. We won the first round on points. Now it begins to get expensive.”
Thorby’s mouth sagged. Rudbek guards moved in and started taking them through the crowd.
Garsch had not overstated it. Bruder and Weemsby sat tight, still running Rudbek & Assocs. and continued to fight. Thorby never did see his parents’ proxies — his only interest in them now was to see whether, as he suspected, the differences between the papers Bruder had prepared and those of his parents lay in the difference between “revocable” and “revocable only by mutual agreement.”
But when the court got around to ordering them produced, Bruder claimed that they had been destroyed in routine clearing from files of expired instruments. He received a ten-day sentence for contempt, suspended, and that ended it.
But, while Weemsby was no longer voting the shares of Martha and Creighton Rudbek, neither was Thorby; the shares were tied up while the wills were being proved. In the meantime, Bruder and Weemsby remained officers of Rudbek & Assocs. with a majority of directors backing them. Thorby was not even allowed in Rudbek Building, much less in his old office.