The door light glowed and an attendant entered, grinned and uttered the formal, “Service.”
“Service,” answered Perry. “What do you want?”
“Here’s your menu. Check off what you want. You wanta eat here or in the refectory?”
“Here, I guess. Say, what is this joint; a hotel, a jail, or a hospital?”
“It’s a detention center. Say, ain’t everything been all right? You want anything?”
“No, thanks. Can I televue someplace? I need to get a message out.”
“Sure, it’s in that panel there by the window.”
“Thanks.” The attendant left and Perry tried to call Diana. There was no answer. He tried a second time and desisted to answer the door light. Diana stood in the door. Presently she disentangled her arms from about his neck and he saw that she was accompanied. Her companion was a spare intellectual man of about thirty-five who greeted Perry cordially. Diana introduced them.
“Perry, this is Master Joseph. He’s here to help you. He’s your counsel.”
“Well, young fellow, if what Diana tells me can be considered as objectively correct, you have one of the strangest cases I’ve ever dealt with.” In a few minutes Master Joseph had put Perry at ease and had drawn out of him the salient details of the event that had landed him where he now was. Then he inquired into the past few weeks of his life and the incredible story of his renascence. The talk turned to Perry’s life in the twentieth century. Master Joseph seemed to have an inexhaustible curiosity concerning the social customs of that period, the beliefs men lived by, and Perry’s opinions of the mores of both periods. While they talked, Perry’s dinner arrived and he expressed embarrassment that he could not invite them to eat. Joseph answered that he could, if he wished, and signaled the attendant. After dinner the talk continued. Perry asked him what his chances were. Joseph considered this.
“Well, you are undoubtedly in violation of a basic custom. The Court will be sure to find affirmatively.”
“What’s the punishment?”
“Punishment?” Joseph’s eyebrows raised. “There is no punishment. You have several serious psychological blockages and you will be requested to submit to treatment.”
“What kind of treatment?”
“I don’t know. Whatever your attending psychiatrists prescribe.”
“Psychiatrists? What the hell? Do you think I’m crazy?”
“No, but I think you are badly in need of reorientation by psychiatry.”
“What does a lawyer know of psychiatry?”
“I’m not a lawyer. I’m a psychiatrist.”
“Then why were you sent to me as counsel?”
“Lawyers aren’t private counsels. Those in court work are technical assistants to the court. I’ll get one to see you if you wish, but he probably won’t be much help. A lawyer is likely to regard any irregularity as most irregular—which it is of course.” He grinned. “My advice is not to worry and get a good night’s sleep. I’ll order a sedative for you. No, Diana, you’d better not stay tonight. I want him to rest.” He arose to go and studied the evening sky through the window while Perry and Diana said good night.
VII
Shortly after breakfast Perry was interviewed at length by a board of five psychiatrists. Joseph was present and facilitated the work. The talk seemed inconsequential. At one point one of them engaged him in an animated discussion of the effect of the invention of flying on the logistic problem in warfare. For some reason the others seemed to follow this discussion with interest. Another inquired into some details of customs or ‘rates’ observed by midshipmen, and as to what extent a midshipman’s life differed socially from that of a civilian student. By lunch time they seemed satisfied and adjourned.
Perry’s trial was set for fourteen o’clock. It turned out to be anticlimactic. On counsel’s advice he stipulated the facts in the complaint and requested a trial without jury. The examining judge found affirmatively and read the findings of the psychiatric board. Then he spoke to Perry:
“Young man, according to the board you are for all practical purposes unacquainted with our customs in the field of social correction. In the terms you are familiar with you have been found guilty and I am about to pass sentence. In other terms familiar to you, you have been diagnosed and found to be sick and I am about to prescribe for your illness. You don’t have to take your medicine unless you want to, but I hope you will. The findings of the board are encouraging if somewhat startling, and I think you will have a complete recovery.”