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casions, Modyun turned to go back into the courtroom. His
passage through the door was barred by the Summons Clerk.
"Have to have a summons to get into the courtroom, sir,"
the hyena-man said politely.
Modyun explained what had happened, and displayed his
sentence slip. The door guard, for that was what he was now
turning out to be, shook his head. "Sorry, sir, I have no in-
structions about anyone coming in here without a summons."
"Well-11," said the human being. He took a step backward.
And he stared at the problem creature blocking his passage,
and thought: After all, the whole court business is a travesty.
It would be ridiculous to ask about the irrationality of one as-
pect when the entire procedure was an injustice.
Still, a few details bothered him.
Aloud, he said, "Could you tell me what kind of sentences
are handed out here? For example, that rat-man who de-
parted just ahead of me. What kind of penalty would be
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meted out for what he did? Stealing a car."
The door guard drew himself up to his full height. "Sir,"
he said, "those of us who have the inner power to rule have
also the compassion whereby we long ago decreed that a
court penalty is the privileged information of the sentenced
person."
Modyun protested, "I can't see how secrecy is of any value
to a person who has been wrongfully penalized."
The guard was calm. "Please step aside. You're interfering
with court business."
It was true that another person with a summons had come
up at that moment. Modyun backed away, stood undecided,
then walked off towards the elevators.
He had had his day in court, and it was now time to begin
serving his "sentence" at least until Soodleel arrived.
As THE car pulled to a screeching halt, Modyun saw the
woman standing beside a clump of brush, partly out of sight.
His was a quick glance only. Because he was late, and corre-
spondingly guilty, he leaped from the vehicle, and ran
towards her. He was unhappy now with the fine-timing job he
had tried to do, so that he would not be too long away from
his apartment-prison.
Even though he had skipped a meal to give himself extra
time, he analyzed that he was already overdue. So quick.
Get her into a car, and head for the city.
As he had that thought, he climbed the small rise up to the
bushes where she was and from that height saw Eket. The
insect-scientist was about a hundred and fifty meters up the
valley, and was unmistakably in the act of going back behind
the barrier.
The sight reminded Modyun. He stopped, and indicated
thought on one of the insect bands. First, he greeted the in-
sect, and accepted a courteous greeting in return. Then he
gave his message for the other human beings.
In his mental report, he described briefly what he had
found. The changes in computer programming. The new
status of the hyena-men. The Nunuli conquest of Earth on
behalf of a distant committee.
What he said was merely intended as information. Obvi-
ously, interest in such details among real human beings would
be minor. Perhaps, a few individuals would even be titillated.
Possibly, Doda would be gratified and feel justified in his
having undertaken his much-criticized experiment. (A few
males were particularly critical of the fact that he had in-
volved Soodleel.) Nevertheless, it was doubtful if anyone else
would be motivated to become a self-supporting body, with
all those degrading needs.
The concluding words of Modyun's communication took
into account such potential reaction of those who remained
behind the barrier.
Through Eket, he transmitted: "Since Soodleel and I are
condemned to another three years of enduring the purgatory
of full-body existence two of those years out here I would
suggest that you leave the solution, and all further consider-
ation, of the above data and reality to us."
That completed the message.
Though his communication was brief in point of time,
Modyun was aware of the woman walking out of his sight.
For just a moment, he hesitated. And looked out over the
hazy valley to where the insect carrier was rapidly disappear-
ing.
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