representatives by poisoning the minds of the young and casting doubts upon the
teachings of the divinely inspired Scribings. Therefore the strictest of
penalties is not only in order, but mandatory.”
Rekashoba paused, appealed to the chamber with a flourish, and then picked up a
cellulose ball and a goblet of methane. “My first proof is based on no more than
the sense that is common to all robeings, and will delay us for but a short
while.” He poured a small quantity of liquid onto the top of the ball and
watched as it trickled down to the underside and finally fell away in a thin
stream to the floor. “A body of liquid cannot sustain itself upon the surface of
a sphere,” he observed. “It follows that the surface of a world formed as a
sphere could not contain oceans of methane. But the oceans exist, do they not?
Or am I misinformed? Or do thousands of navigators and voyagers delude
themselves?” He looked penetratingly at Lofbayel. “What reply do you have,
Denier-of-Oceans?”
“I have none,” Lofbayel murmured unhappily.
Rekashoba put down the goblet and tossed the ball aside as unworthy of consuming
more of the Council’s time. “But were the sphere vast enough, the oceans might
be constrained just to its upper regions, one might suppose,” he said airily.
“However, that brings us to my second proof—that what has been claimed
contradicts itself logically.”
Rekashoba half turned to point to one of Lofbayel’s charts, which was being
displayed on one side of the chamber as evidence. “This chart, we are told,
represents the entire world in extent, although much of it remains blank and
devoid of any detail,” he said. “Now observe—do not the oceans compose the major
portion of it? But were this indeed the entire world, and were that world indeed
a sphere, the oceans, being constrained by necessity as shown in my first proof
to occupying only its upper regions, would compose the minor portion. Therefore
either the world cannot be a sphere, or the chart does not depict the entire
world. If the world is not a sphere, then the proof rests. If the chart is not
of the entire world, then the accused’s own words stand in contradiction to the
fact, and since his conclusion follows from an assertion thereby shown to be
erroneous, the conclusion is disproved. Hence, by the second alternative also,
the world is not a sphere. Since there was no third alternative, the proposition
is proved by rigorous logic.”
Rekashoba surveyed the faces of the Council members solemnly. “My third proof
follows from sacred doctrine.” His voice had taken on an ominous note, and he
paused for a moment to allow the more serious mood to take effect. “If this
matter had no further implications, I could dismiss it as a consequence of
nothing more than foolishness and ignorance. But it transcends far beyond such
limits by denying one of the fundamental teachings given to us in the Holy
Scribings: the Doctrine of Temporal Representation and Succession.” He paused
again, turned to address the whole chamber, and raised a hand in front of him.
“The world was created in a form designed by the Lifemaker to provide a constant
reminder that the Church and State function as the divinely ordained instruments
of His authority, and that their organizational hierarchies constitute visible
embodiments of His will. Thus the solid canopy of the sky, beyond which the
mortal world is not permitted ever to look, symbolizes the Supreme
Archprelate”—the Prosecutor turned and inclined his head deferentially in
Frennelech’s direction— “who sits at the highest position attainable by mere
robeings. The sky is supported by the unscalable mountains of the Peripheral
Barrier that bounds world, just as the Supreme Archprelate is supported by the
spiritual and secular leaders of the civilized world, who are chosen to command
heights unclimbable by ordinary robeings, one of whom, of course, is His Supreme
Majesty.”
“May the Lifemaker protect the King!” Horazzorgio shouted.
“Let it be so,” the bench responded.
Rekashoba continued, “The lesser mountains support the higher, and the foothills
support the lesser, just as the lower clerics and officials of the State support
higher edifices above them. And below, the plains and deserts must reconcile