Illegal Alien

Pringle nodded. "I will allow Mr. Stant to complete his answer."

"Thank you," said Stant. "The quantity of despodalk aboard our ship matched the quantity specified in the inventory. But the inventory is kept in what you would call an open computer file; if anyone wished to modify it, they could. It would be an easy matter to take a container of the chemical and to alter the inventory to make it appear that none had been removed. I have no personal knowledge of the quantity of despodalk we had when we left our world, and so no way of knowing whether the current inventory is depleted from its original amount."

"Your Honor," said Dale, "I move that the last be stricken from the record."

"Your Honor," said Ziegler, "I’ll simply reintroduce the same material on redirect."

"The comment will stand," said Judge Pringle. "Let’s move along."

"Once bitten, Your Honor," said Dale. "No further questions."

"Redirect?" said Pringle.

Ziegler rose. "Just a few points, Your Honor. Mr. Stant, this chemical agent that can induce shedding—"

"Despodalk."

"I assume each of your landing craft contains a first-aid kit, no?"

"Yes."

"And would such kits contain despodalk?"

"No."

"So the only way some of it would be available here on Earth is if someone had thought in advance to bring some down from your mothership, correct?"

Ziegler was clearly making the case for premeditation.

"That is right."

"Thank you. Now, Mr. Stant, you said you were the defendant’s half brother—"

It hit Dale in a flash — just as it had doubtless occurred to Ziegler just after she’d completed her direct examination. If Stant and Hask were half brothers, and if they’d been born nearly simultaneously, and if sheddings occurred on a regular schedule, then their natural shedding of skin should have been synchronized. But Stant hadn’t shed his skin since arriving on Earth, whereas Hask’s had been shed almost four months ago — strongly suggesting that Hask’s shedding must have been deliberately induced, presumably to enable him to dispose of his blood-covered hide. Dale was immediately on his feet. "Objection! Improper redirect! The question of Stant’s relationship to Hask came up during direct, and should have been dealt with then."

"Your Honor, I simply want to clear up some points about Tosok family relationships."

"No way, Linda," said Dale.

"Mr. Rice—" said Pringle.

"Sorry, Your Honor," said Dale, turning now to face the judge. "But family relationships were covered in Ms. Ziegler’s direct; her redirect can only cover material I touched on in my cross."

"Sustained," said Pringle. "You know the rules, Ms. Ziegler."

"Very well. Stant, you’ll recall that Mr. Rice did talk to you about the shedding of skin during his cross-examination. Now, you said that this event naturally occurs on a fixed, predictable schedule, correct?"

"Correct."

"And would that schedule be synchronized with—"

"Objection!"

"Freeze right there, Ms. Ziegler."

"But, Your Honor—"

"Freeze."

"Yes, Your Honor."

"If you have proper redirect, you may continue. Otherwise, take your seat now."

Ziegler considered for several seconds. Finally, she shrugged and sat back down. "No further questions, Your Honor."

Dale looked over at the jury. Some of the faces were perplexed, but several others were nodding slowly. They’d come to the same realization as Ziegler and Dale had, and would doubtless share it with the others after today’s session, the admonition not to discuss the case notwithstanding.

The damage had been done.

*21*

"The People call Kelkad," said Linda Ziegler.

The alien captain was sworn in.

Ziegler stepped up to the lectern. This time, she chose her words carefully.

"Kelkad, what is your working relationship to the defendant?"

"I am captain of a starship on which he serves."

"So you are his boss?"

"Yes."

"Are you also his friend?"

"We are not close emotionally."

"Kelkad, how long have you known Hask?"

"Two hundred and nineteen of your years."

"But you spent most of that time in hibernation, no?"

"That is correct."

"How long were you in hibernation?"

"Two hundred and eleven Earth years."

"So, setting aside that time, you’ve still known Hask for eight years."

"Correct."

"Have you ever had to discipline him?"

"Of course. I am his commanding officer."

"In other words, Hask in the past has failed to observe regulations?"

"From time to time."

"Would you please give an example of Hask’s disobedience?"

"Certainly. Regulations require venting the reclamation facilities aboard our ship after each use; Hask has occasionally failed to observe this protocol."

A couple of jurors laughed.

"I beg your pardon?" said Ziegler.

"It is comparable to forgetting to flush the toilet," said Kelkad.

The rest of the jurors laughed, and so did Judge Pringle. Ziegler turned slightly red. "Can you give a more significant example of his disobedience?"

"I have no way of knowing what you would consider significant," said Kelkad.

"Isn’t it true that your crew originally consisted of eight members?"

"Objection," said Dale. "Irrelevant."