‘Dear,’ said Dr Stone, ‘Shouldn’t the boys have a regular lawyer? Your mother is a wonderful person, but she is sometimes just a bit impetuous.’
‘If you mean she’s as crazy as a skew orbit, I agree with you. But I’m betting on Hazel anyhow. We’ll let her have her turn at the board. It probably won’t cost me much more.’
‘As you say, dear.’
They slipped into the back of the courtroom, which appeared to be a church on some other days. Hazel was up front, talking to the judge. She saw them come in but did not appear to recognise them. The twins, looking very sober, were sitting together near the bench; they recogised their parents but took their cue from their grandmother.
‘May it please the court,’ said Hazel, ‘I am a stranger here in a strange land. I am not skilled in your laws nor sophisticate in your customs. If I err, I pray the court to forgive me in advance and help me back to the proper path.’
The judge leaned back and looked at her. ‘We were over all that earlier this morning.’
‘Sure, judge, but it looks good in the record.’
‘Do you expect to get me reversed?’
‘Oh, no! We’ll settle the whole thing right here and now, I’d guess.’
‘I wouldn’t venture to guess. I told you this morning that I would advise you as to the law, if need be. As to courtroom formalities, this is a frontier. I can remember the time when, if one of us became involved in a misadventure which caused public disapproval, the matter was settled by calling a town meeting and taking a show of hands — and I’ve no doubt that as much justice was dispensed that way as any other. Times have changed but I don’t think you will find this court much bothered by etiquette. Proceed.’
‘Thanks, judge. This young fellow here — ‘ She hooked a thumb at the prosecutor’s table. ‘ — would have you believe that my boys cooked up a nefarious scheme to swindle the citizens of this nation out of their rightful and lawful taxes. I deny that. Then he asks you to believe that, having hatched this Machiavellian plot, they carried it through and got away with it, until the hand of justice, slow but sure, descended on them and grabbed them. That’s a pack of nonsense, too.’
‘One moment. I thought you stipulated this morning to the alleged facts?’
‘I admitted that my boys didn’t pay duty on those bikes. I didn’t admit anything else. They didn’t pay duty because nobody asked them to pay.’
‘I see your point. You’ll have to lay a foundation for that and get it in by proper evidence later. I can see that this is going to be a little involved.’
‘It needn’t be, if we’ll all tell the truth and shame the devil.’ She paused and looked puzzled. ‘Warburton … Warburton …’ she said slowly, ‘Your name is Warburton, Judge? Any kinfolk on Luna?’
The judge squared his shoulders. ‘I’m a hereditary citizen of the Free State,’ he said proudly. ‘Oscar Warburton was my grandfather.’
‘That’s it!’ agreed Hazel. ‘It’s been bothering me all morning but the numbers didn’t click into place until I noticed your profile just now. I knew your, granddaddy well. I’m a Founding Father, too.’
‘How’s that? There weren’t any Stones on the roster.’
‘Hazel Meade Stone.’
‘You’re Hazel Meade? But you can’t be — you must be dead!’
‘Take another look, Judge. I’m Hazel Meade.’
‘Well, by the breath of K’Raath! Excuse me, ma’am. We must get together when this is over.’ He straightened up again. ‘In the meantime I trust you realize that this in no way affects the case before us?’
‘Oh, naturally not! But I must say it makes me feel better to know who’s sitting on this case. Your granddaddy was a just man.’
‘Thank you. And now shall we proceed?’
The young prosecutor was on his feet. ‘May it please the court!’
‘May what please the court?’
‘We feel that this is most irregular. We feel that under the circumstances the only proper procedure is for this court to disqualify itself. We feel —’