not right," the z'Srauff Ambassador
replied contritely. "But my person here has not as part of his knowledge
that you will make him say what may put him in trouble."

Nelson nodded in agreement.

"You are right: this person who is here has no need to make answer to
any question if it may put him in trouble or make him seem less than he
is."

"I will not make answer," the witness said.

"No further questions."

I turned to Goodham, and then to Sidney; they had no questions, either.
I handed another slip of paper to the bailiff, and another z'Srauff,
named Bbrarkk Jjoknyyegg Kekeke took the stand.

He put into this world things for small persons to make amusement with;
he took out of this world meat and leather. He had his house of business
in New Austin, and he pointed out the three Bonneys as persons in this
place that he saw that he had seen before.

"And what business did you make with them?" I asked.

"I gave them for money a gun which sends out things of
twenty-millimeters very fast, to make death or hurt come to men and
animals and does destruction to machines and things."

"Is this the gun?" I showed it to him.

"It could be. The gun was made in my world; many guns like it are made
there. I am certain that this is the very gun."

I had a notarized copy of a customs house bill in which the gun was
described and specified by serial number. I introduced it as evidence.

"How much money did these three persons give you for this gun?" I asked.

"Five pesos."

"The customs appraisal on this gun is six hundred pesos," I mentioned.

Immediately, Ambassador Vuvuvu was on his feet. "My person here has not
as part of his knowledge that he may put himself in trouble by what he
says to answer these questions."

That put a stop to that. Bbrarkk Jjoknyyegg Kekeke immediately took
refuge in refusal to answer on grounds of self-incrimination.

"That is all, Your Honor," I said, "And now," I continued, when the
witness had left the stand, "I have something further to present to the
court, speaking both as _amicus curiae_ and as Ambassador of the Solar
League. This court cannot convict the three men who are here on trial.
These men should have never been brought to trial in this court: it has
no jurisdiction over this case. This was a simple case of first-degree
murder, by hired assassins, committed against the Ambassador of one
government at the instigation of another, not an act of political
protest within the