Quester amonst the flowers 18

 

Chapter 18

 

Quester had firmly set himself aside from Kiliana to make his arrest, but felt for her on his return. She seemed busy and happy so he returned his mind to duty. Kiliana felt his touch, and that it was like a caress to her curls in passing, and leaned into the mind touch in the same way she did to a physical one, knew he recognised her acknowledgement. She was busy doing the preparation demanded by various teachers. Jessica showed her their preparation for their household accounting class, and Kiliana found it straightforward enough.  She copied out the assignment to do for herself, in case she was still in the school on Jyoday. She also did the exercise set for deportment, which was to draw out the laying a table for guests for a festival, with named guests. She had to look up the precedence of most of them, but made sure to leave a vacant space for the Guest We Know Not, on the other side of the host to the Justiciar named, noting that this is for the guest sent unexpectedly as a test by the Blessed Abe, who would come in His name.

She knew nothing about current affairs, and went to see the teacher, Mr. Cassidus.

“Sir, I don’t know anything about current affairs; the textbook speaks of trends and statistics, which is straightforward enough in theory, but I haven’t seen a newscast for more than a year. And most of what I saw before was local.”

“I see. How come you have not seen a newscast in so long?”

“I’ve been too busy helping Justiciar Quester; and when we were on Araklion, I had to quickly learn the relationships between the twelve and the nine on the council, and how to calculate what constituted a two-thirds majority in a matter of substance, as the higher members of the nine hold different numbers of votes.”

“Did you manage?”

“Oh! Yes, without difficulty; it took me a few minutes to come to grip with it, I did the calculations readily enough in my head.”

“Well, if you can manage that, I doubt you’ll have any problems with calculating trends,” said Mr. Cassidus. “Do you know the constitution?”

“‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all humanity is created equal, and shall be therefore equal before the law and in all matters of jurisprudence; save for mutants who are mutants of the non-permitted kind, for whom there are no words, and mutants as a result of radiation damage from Commutant perfidy. We hold that those of human body without souls, whose mentality is that of a computer are not human. Also those who are soulless for being The Shackled, who shall still have the rights of protection.  All semi-humans who are by their nature below the level of the first quartile of the intellectual bell-curve have the rights of children and need protection, and require a guardian who will plead their rights as will minors below the age of sixteen years, who may then apply for emancipation if feeling a need to do so until majority at twenty years. This covers Ogroids, Tunnellers and Augdogs.  Any child born with, or developing, gross physical or mental disability may be euthanised within the first year of birth, a court deciding if this violation of human rights is appropriate should such infirmities develop later.

Any human or semi-human, or child has the right to defend themselves from danger to their own life or any relative or dependent, or the integrity of their home, using deadly force as needed.

Free speech of any opinion which does not stray into blasphemy, libel, or slander is enshrined. No human or semi-human may be prosecuted for an opinion which does not affect the life or livelihood of any other.

All humans or semi-humans have the right to travel anywhere except the Commutant Lands, Shenzhou, or any war zone when a permit is required. 

At times of need, rations may be imposed and will cover all equally. Black marketeering is forbidden as is the trade of controlled substances.

These truths we hold as our enshrined rights in the name of the Holy Abe.”

“Well done. Do you understand it?”

“Yes, apart from why semi-humans who are as clever as anyone should not have their own rights,” said Kiliana.

“That is a complex question,” said Cassidus. “The problem is, that if there are occasional exceptional semi-humans, they are rare enough that it would have to be a case-by-case call, which would gum up the courts if every Ogroid wanted to be emancipated; and moreover, it asks the question, is intelligence all that counts.”

“Shouldn’t it be?” asked Kiliana.

“Well, let me ask you a hypothetical question,” said Cassidus. “Suppose there was a genius level child of eight or nine, who was brilliant at all kinds of academic work, but who was not tall enough to be able to cook on an adult sized cooker; is growing, and needs to eat plenty and rest as well as exercise.  If that child demands emancipation on the grounds of intellect, should she get it?”

Kiliana opened her mouth, shut it again, and considered.

“No. Because she cannot take care of herself without taking risks and because she cannot take a job to pay for food, because it is improper for a child to work long hours. Not that it stops that happening for the poorest,” she added.

“Which is a blight upon the empire, but the theory is as you state it.  Now, Mr. Burdock is, I believe, a clever Ogroid, but do you think he could plan a week’s meals ahead of time?”

Kiliana giggled.

“I’m not sure Quester could, unless he was on holiday and fishing for himself.”

Cassidus laughed.

“Well, that is straying into the paths of very clever people not having much common sense, but they usually have highly paid jobs and pay other people to have common sense for them. And of course our hypothetical eight-year-old genius is also not capable of making an informed decision about sex and marriage. Semi-humans are assumed to be like humans of sixteen, able to take autonomy over their own bodies, but in need of further care.”

“I see,” said Kiliana. “But a sixteen-year-old can apply to be emancipated; I suppose it could be done under the same laws.”

“Well done, yes, I think it could. Now, back to what you know; you know who the First Consul is, of course?”

“Er... no?” said Kiliana. “There was someone called Bertha Boring, but she was killed or something, and it wasn’t relevant to me, so I took no notice.”

Cassidus sighed.

“Alas, that attitude is too common; it is relevant to us all.  Bertha Borena was a radical consul, she wanted to make peace with the Commutants.”

“If we did that, the Electric Zarr would have his men all over Yurup before you could say ‘kiss your arse, All-Mighty,’” said Kiliana.

“Not the politest way to put it, but essentially, yes,” said Cassidus. “There was a big row over whether the man who assassinated Borena was a patriot like Levyaswal, and that she was as big a danger to the Empire as Kinny Dee. In the end it was agreed that he acted from patriotism, but was banned from ever holding office.”

“A fair compromise, I think,” said Kiliana. “History will judge him with the fairness of distance.”

“Indeed; as one of the items of news is the consideration of the beatification of Gretta Tuna Berga for her prophesies.”

“If she hadn’t made herself obnoxious, I’d have agreed,” said Kiliana.

“Do you have to be likeable to be a saint?” asked Cassidus.

“No, but she didn’t exactly win hearts and influence people, if what I’ve read is true, she was confrontational, and became conflated in the minds of most people with the terrorists who went around painting random people red and tying them up in front of trams to protest the use of fossil fuels,” said Kiliana. “I never understood that.”

“To a terrorist, sensation is more important than the outcome,” said Cassidus.  “Anyway, the First Consul is Bertramus Gordonion Depestus.”

“Isn’t that the same family name as Merrialla?” asked Kiliana.

“Yes; he is her uncle,” said Cassidus. “I asked if we could visit his office but she said she didn’t know.”

“Her people aren’t much of parents, like Jessica’s,” said Kiliana. “No time for her. I doubt they’d listen if she put it to them, and would then shout at her if she got them to agree a date and you then turned up because they forgot they’d suggested one to shut her up.”

“Poor child,” said Cassidus. “I’m sorry I worried her, then.”

“She’ll have forgotten,” said Kiliana. “It’s how she copes, I think. Really, half these patrician spoilt lovies are just as miserable as the sump rat kids who do work adult hours just to eat.”

“Sadly, I can’t dispute it,” said Cassidus. “And though in theory, anyone can become a consul, in practice, you need the right connections. And all I can do is to hope to fire someone who has the right connections with enthusiasm for reform.”

He did not say that he was not holding his breath; but Kiliana caught the thought, and gave him a wry smile.

“Thank you, sir, for your time,” said Kiliana.

“You don’t have to worry; you may not be fully cognisant with all current affairs, but you have a bright and lively mind, and will soon catch up,” he said, kindly.

 

oOoOo

 

“Prisoner Vanrensulus,” said Quester. “You have been implicated in the plot to defraud both the government and sundry government employees using fractional accounting.”

“Void and rocketry! You’ve dragged me away from my home to talk about such a piddling little matter?” exploded Leem Partikion Vanrensulus.

“I wonder what you deem a large matter, then, if you consider being an accessory to murder, coercion of a senior Judiciary official, fraud, theft, and treason to be small,” said Quester.

“Murder? I have nothing to do with murder. Or treason.  Just a teensy bit of creative accountancy,” said Vanrensulas.

“But the gang you have joined for this... ‘creative accountancy’... has committed murder to further their own plans. That makes you an accessory after the fact,” said Quester. “Moreover, defrauding the government is a case of interfering with the economy. That brings it into the purview of treason. Which means I can put you and your household to the question,” he added, conversationally.

 Vanrensulus paled.

“I had no idea that murder had been committed.  As to paying off Judiciary officials, well, one does it all the while for small irregularities.”

“Frequent offender,” murmured Quester.

“I... look, surely there must be a way I can just pay a fine and have this forgotten?” said Vanrensulus.

“I’m afraid it’s beyond the level of a fine,” said Quester. “And please do not go so far as to offer a bribe to me. I would have to consider that to be heresy.”

 “Oh, come now....”

“Vanrensulus, you have no idea how much trouble you are in!” thundered Quester, using some voice control as well. “You see stealing from the government as nothing; and I suppose those people whose fractions of cents you steal don’t count?”

“Well, they hardly miss the odd cent a week,” said Vanrensulus, sulkily.

“Would you go up to a cleaner in the street, and mug him for eighteen Imperial greenbacks?”

“No, of course not!” said Vanrensulus.

“But that’s what you are doing,” said Quester.  “His fractions add up to enough for a slap up meal on the government when he retires.”

“I... suppose I hadn’t thought of it like that. But it wouldn’t come all at once, so he doesn’t miss it. And the government can afford it.”

“And with attitudes like that, it’s no wonder we’re holding too many of the LeetXk here for heresy,” said Quester, wearily. “Every Imperial you steal with its picture of the Blessed Abe on it means money taken out of the low economy; and even if you spend more in a day on luxury goods than Willum Smiff of nowhere in particular does in a year, what he buys is a part of the taxable round of goods, and keeps the economy going. Also, it’s the attitude.  Maybe the government can afford to lose more than a hundred and fifty million a year. But suppose you decided your cut wasn’t enough, and you persuaded Brad Chetway and his wayward brother-in-law, your accountant, to round Imperials down to the nearest whole, not cents?  Now, in the terms of hardship, that would mean perhaps the cents saved every week mean that little Jyo can’t have new shoes next year, and goes about his day with painful, cramped toes, or goes barefoot?  And without the tax on those shoes, helping to pay for the military, what do you do when the militia can’t respond fast enough for want of expensive maintenance when you are visiting Yurup and the commutants strike? Little thefts always lead to larger thefts.  And I tell you in the hopes that you will understand and repent, but I don’t think even now it’s going in.”

“It’s no big deal,” insisted Vanrensulus.

Quester sighed.

“At least you admit it so I don’t have to torture you,” Quester said. “I do dislike the smell of scorched flesh on a full stomach. How long have you been at this, four weeks?”

“Yes, something like that,” said Vanrensulus, paling.

“Around a million Imperials, then,” said Quester. “I am tempted to send you to a penal battalion for as long as it takes your work to the value of two hundred and fifty Imperials a week to pay off your theft. I make it one hundred and eleven years. But to be honest, I think you’d be a detriment to the hard labour gangs, so I’ll sentence you to eleven years, and hope that it teaches you the value of work, and to be honest.”

Vanrensulus paled even more.

“I want to appeal,” he said.

“No appeal to a Justiciar,” said Quester. “If you feel you have been treated unfairly, I will give you a form to fill in to file with Judiciary central, and another Justiciar will look over your case. Lictor, take him back to his cell and see he has a light and a pen and hard copy complaint papers.”

“Yes, my lord,” said the lictor who was acting as warder.

“When we’ve seen her, I’m inclined to permit him to have his wife in his cell until we ship them off,” said Quester.

“I suspect it will be more recriminations than love,” said Cayban.

“Yes, I didn’t think he was miserable enough,” said Quester.